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Welcome to my site. At the moment it has been refocussed entirely on the cd recorded recently by the Jeff Chambers Variable n-tet. The band is a 14 piece combining soprano, alto and tenor saxophones, flute, bass clarinet, trumpets, trombones, tuba, guitar, acoustic bass, drums and even a little singing. The music is intended to try to marry brass band sounds and jazz, whilst at the same time respecting those from other fields who have most influenced me.

If you would like to know a bit about the band, click here.

If you would like to hear some of the music, click here.

If you just want to cut to the chase and just buy it (which would be nice) click here.

If you would like to contact us, click here.

We're also at Myspace because everyone else seems to be! Click here.

This photograph was taken outside the Bull's Head in Barnes, one of London's most famous jazz venues where we spent our one day rehearsal for the sessions. Barnes is in South West London not far from where I live. But far enough away from some of the musicians' homes in Tunbridge Wells, Brighton, Rochester and Watford and still the full band was assembled on time. A day of rest/panic followed whence we reassembled in Dick Hammet's Red Gables Studios in North London. Two full day's of recording followed. The band were on time, fully focussed and really positive. It was great to work with such fun and professional musicians. Dick's professional knowledge and amusing manner, not to mention the continuous tea and biscuits was very helpful. There were a couple more sessions for mixing and overdubbing (mine mostly as I hadn't actually looked at my parts before the sessions!) and I must thank Pete Freshney for his focussed and fantastic professional mixing job.

Anyway, who played? The band comprised some of the most talented musicans in the country - some very well known to anyone who is interested in contemporary jazz and some who will undoubtedly become well known in the future. For the most part, the music was through composed but the solos were all the featured musicians own work giving the pieces a massive hike in quality. Thanks to all of them.

I feel privileged to have been born at the time I was - when it was possible to hear Peg Leg Howell, Archie Shepp and Kevin Ayers on the same Pop Club radio show. Piper at The Gates of Dawn and Safe As Milk. Stan Getz and The Bonzos. Uncle Meat and Axis: Bold as Love. I learnt Jobim by rote without
understanding a word, tried to imitate Ornette Coleman and boogied with Canned Heat. The most significant influences from this time though were Frank Zappa for his creative musical genius and scathing sociological observation of the ‘American Way’ and Hatfield and The North for beautiful tunes in every time signature, their oblique harmonic language and
their English humour. I have since found my greatest musical satisfaction from jazz – the improvisation of Keith Jarrett, Wayne Shorter, John Coltrane and John Scofield, Miles and Bird... the audacity and freedom of the Loose Tubes generation and the compositional integrity of Kenny Wheeler. They have all informed these compositions in ways that may not be possible
to hear but they’re there, resonating away.

buy cd

"...experimental brass-led jazz...Such breadth of imagination ensures an album of harmonic invention as found alive and kicking throughout..A real must for fans of eclectic, no limits, liberated soloing" (Musician Spring 2007)

"This guitarist's compositions for 14 piece belong to a quirky English heritage. Brass choral arrangements sit quite effectively alongside music influenced by John Dankworth and Canterbury prog through to Loose Tubes" (Jazzwise November 2006)