Jazz Guitar Weekend - Tutors
John Etheridge
John Etheridge
John Etheridge has been at the top of the jazz and contemporary guitar world for 30 years.
His career has covered a huge range of musical territory combining powerful improvising technique,
a feel for idiom and an individual concept, which makes his output eclectic but highly personal.
In 1975 he joined the legendary jazz-fusion group Soft Machine.
Simultaneously, Etheridge joined the touring group of the celebrated jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli.
Either in single concerts, touring or recording he has appeared with many of the great players of the
jazz world - Barney Kessel, Herb Ellis, Mundell Lowe, Birelli Lagrene, Dizzy Gillespie, Tony Williams, Yehudi Menuhin,
Pat Metheny, Andy Summers and Nigel Kennedy.
Etheridge also fronts the quartet ‘Sweet Chorus’ dedicated to Stephane Grappelli;
co-leads the 8-piece group Zappatistas (performing the music of Frank Zappa); is part of a new duo with classical guitarist John Williams and performs in the 'Soft Machine Legacy'.
One of the best guitarists in the world
Pat Metheny
Astonishing...nothing seems to be beyond Etheridge's grasp
Dave Gelly - The Observer
Pete Oxley
Pete Oxley
A graduate of Leeds Jazz College, guitarist and jazz composer Pete Oxley earned his musical spurs in Paris gigging intensely,
backing singers, generally freelancing and working on his own musical projects. His touring group,
The New Noakes Quartet recorded two CDs (Through Green And Pleasant Lands and Up To Here) and toured Europe and the UK extensively during this period.
He also released the CD East Coast Joys with his trio to much critical acclaim.
On relocating to the UK in 1997 (after his ten-year sojourn in Paris), Pete reformed his touring band as the 'New Noakes Internationals' and in 2001,
recorded Blue In Black And White. This album was generally hailed as the groups finest work to date, MOJO summarising it thus:
"Featuring compositions of considerable refinement (by Oxley and Dave Gordon) over deep and subtle grooves, this is Oxley’s most distinct and original album to date".
In 1999, in partnership with drummer Mark Doffman and Raph Mizraki, Pete set up Oxford's contemporary jazz club 'The Spin'.
These three formed the house-band, with whom scores of the UK's jazz glitterati have now performed.
In 2002, Pete recorded a duo album The Play Of Light with Argentinean guitar virtuoso Luis D'Agostino which JAZZWISE described as a "delightful and sweetly executed,
relaxed but intricate..."
And in 2003, Pete put together his current band CURIOUS PARADISE. Three CDs, a DVD, various BBC and festival dates later the band continues to go from strength to strength.
...His own playing is quite masterly and he writes the kind of themes that invite and inspire improvisation.
Most impressive of all is the range of moods and textures this five-piece band manages to create
The Observer 29th May 2005
Russ Morgan
Russ Morgan (drums & percussion) studied with Trevor Tomkins and trained at the Royal Academy of music in London (‘93-‘95).
He is a member of Pete Oxley’s English fusion group ‘Curious Paradise’, Kevin Flanagan’s American beat poetry quartet ‘Rip Rap’, and the contemporary jazz quintet ‘Jutta’s party band’.
Russ has played with Martin Speake, Julian Siegel, Julian Arguelles, Gilad Atzmon, Stan Sultzman, Bobby Wellins and Spike Robinson (sax),
John Parricelli, Phil Robson and Mick Hansen (guitar), Gordon Beck, Gary Husband, Richard Busiakiewicz and Kate Williams (piano),
Bill Le Sage, Roger Beaujolais and Jim Hart (vibes),and Jacqui Dankworth, Mishka Adams, Laura Zakian and Bob Monkhouse (!!) (vocals).
Russ has gigged extensively on the British jazz scene, he has toured and recorded around the UK and Europe, and was a founder member of the British contemporary jazz group ‘Short Stories’, #
of the post bop and song outfit ‘the Flanagan-Ingham quartet’, and the experimental ‘drum & bass’ groove piano trio ‘Vincent’.
Raph Mizraki
Bass player and percussionist Raph Mizraki likes to hang around with musicians, a random selection of examples includes the Dufay Collective, Maddy Prior, Gasper Lawal, Jamie Cullum, Sax Appeal and many more.
He plays frequently at the Spin in Oxford.