Alistair has worked with Keith Nichols since the early 80's, and is a most versatile musician, having played all types of music from symphony to jazz.  He especially loves the music of the 1920's and 30's, and has played for the Pasadena Roof Orchestra, the Piccadilly Dance Orchestra, the Charleston Chasers, Keith Nichols' Midnite Follies Orchestra and the Royal Academy of Music Big Band. Alistair is possessed of a wonderful technique on his instruments, as well as a fine singing voice.

Guy Barker

Anyone with a serious interest in British jazz will know Guy barker as one of the finest trumpet players of his generation, although his name is not bandied about among the chattering classes. They are bound to have heard him on the Sting album Ten Summoner's Tales or on any number of film soundtracks and television jingles.

Barker is deeply attached to the jazz tradition. At about 13 he set himself a curriculum, to study the great trumpeters in order of appearance, beginning with Armstrong and Beiderbecke and working through to Gillespie and Miles Davis. The result is a recognisable personal style that is flexible enough to fit into almost any context.

The late Randy has worked with Keith Nichols for over twenty years: An extremely adept and accomplished performer on the clarinet and saxophones, he studied and taught at The Royal Northern College of Music, moving to London in the late 70's.

He was a member of the Midnite Follies Orchestra, and appeared in many of the concerts and projects led by Keith Nichols. He lead his own Dixieland-Mainstream band, "The Colville Collection", and freelanced both in the United Kingdom and abroad, working also with Harry Gold's Pieces of Eight and Alan Elsdon's Jazz band.

Janice was brought up in a music-loving household, and heard records of the 20's and 30's from her earliest childhood. Accompanying herself on a ukelele, she mastered many of the early vocal styles, and has since become the United Kingdom's most accomplished repertoire singer, specializing in vintage jazz and Hot Dance music styles.

She has worked and recorded with Keith Nichols' Cotton Club Orchestra, and the Piccadilly Dance Orchestra, and has entertained such notables as Princess Margaret, Michael Kennedy and Paul Getty.

Her devotion to the music of Billie Holiday spans nearly two decades, and she has given many concerts both in Britain and abroad, recreating Billie's songs for discerning audiences. She has appeared regularly at the Pizza on the Park, and foyer concerts at the South Bank and Barbican.

Alan is a respected and popular member of the British traditional jazz scene.  After turning professional at the age of 19, he worked with the bands of Cy Laurie, Graham Stewart and Terry Lightfoot before becoming a bandleader in 1960.  In the seventies and eighties, Alan's career
recieved a new boost when he joined the Midnite Follies Orchestra, led by Keith Nichols and Alan Cohen. Today, Alan works around the UK and Europe as a solo artiste as well continuing to lead his band.  He has worked regularly with Keith Nichols since 1977.

Norman is an authority on Classic Jazz of all types. As well as being a busy professional musician, he runs his own successful record label. As an instrumentalist, he features clarinet, soprano, alto, tenor saxophones, and flageolet and can play in many styles, including those of Benny Goodman, Johnny Hodges and Sidney Bechet. Norman is well known for his exuberant and enthusiastic approach to the music.

Robert specializes in the styles of Lester Young and Coleman Hawkins, and has also been a regular member of the Pasadena Roof Orchestra. He has recorded and performed with Keith Nichols on many occasions.

John was born in New York in 1951, and began his professional Jazz career in the mid-1960's. During his early years he worked with long time friend Vince Giordano on the NY music scene. John was introduced to Turk Murphy at a St. Louis Ragtime Festival. A few months later John went to San Francisco to join Turk's band. He played banjo, reeds and occasionally drums, and remained with the band till 1986.

Today John works as a curator for the San Francisco Traditional Jazz Foundation. He currently plays Banjo and Guitar and has some 40 recording projects to his credit.

Vince has been highly sought after for his brass bass, string bass and bass sax playing since he began performing over 30 years ago (2000). In the 1980's he played with Jim Snyder and recorded 3 albums with the State Street Aces. Since the 1970's he has led his own Nighthawks Orchestra and has played and led bands at top NY jazz clubs.

Vince works at the BMG Archives Division of RCA Victor where he does research into early recordings and test pressings, and restoration of early recording machines of the RCA Victor Talking Machine Company.

Edward joins us from the USA. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, he is a Professor of Music, and a respected  recording artist and teacher. A virtuoso of the tuba and trombone, he currently leads the Peabody Ragtime Ensemble in Baltimore, and has made frequent tours, notably to Russia.

Mike Henry lives in London, and for twelve years was the lead trumpet in the well-known Pasadena Roof Orchestra. A musician of vast experience. ranging from brass-band to jazz. Mike specializes in the music of Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke and Harry James. His powerful but relaxed style is a joy to listen to.

Internationally renowned trumpeter, cornetist and arranger - especially for his renditions of Louis Armstrong's 50 Hot Choruses of 1927. For more information visit Bent's home page: http://surf.to/bent

Mike has performed in concert with Keith Nichols since 1976; he specializes in many styles of violin music, including Jazz, Rock, Irish, French and Scottish fiddle styles. He has worked with Bob Kerr's Whoopee Band, and Ralph McTell.

Richard is an expert in all types of drumming, having played in brass bands, Country and Western and Rock bands as well as Jazz. He makes a speciality of completely accurate percussion styles of the 20's, 30's and 40's.

Richard is a multi-instrumentalist. As well as drums, he plays tuba, flute, bassoon, double bass and piano. He toured Europe and the USA, including a concert at Carnegie Hall.

Graham has been actively involved in the field of Vintage Jazz and Swing since the middle of the 1970's, and has played Baritone Saxaphone for the Temperance Seven, Sousaphone for the Pasadena Roof Orchestra, String Bass for the Midnite Follies and Tuba for the John Altman Jazz Orchestra.

Graham is a busy session musician, he can be heard on many television commercials, programs and on films.

He has recorded with, amongst others, Humphrey Lyttelton, Kenny Ball, Benny Waters, Alison Moyet and Ralph McTell.

Graham is a retired architect living in London, currently composing and running the 20's-30's style Cotton Club Orchestra with Keith Nichols.

David has been a professional trombonist since 1974. He notes, "I come from a musical family. My great-uncle Nathan Brusiloff was house conductor on CBS radio in the early 1930's. I began playing the trombone in 1968. I graduated from Towson State University in 1981 with a BS in Music Education. For several years I worked in the Washington DC area, playing society dance music for political events, shows, etc."

He moved to New Orleans in 1983. During his 12 year stay in N.O. he worked solely as a jazz musician playing on the Steamboat Natchez, on Bourbon Street and "just about everywhere". His long association with Banu Gibson and her band began in 1985 and happily continues to this day! David is presently (2000) working on a Masters Degree in Jazz Research and History at Rutgers University under the direction of Dr. Lewis Porter.

Matthias is one of the most talented young musicians in Europe today. German born in 1971, he was formally educated in clarinet and piano from the age of eight, and formed his first jazz band ten years later. Living and studying in Bonn, he has made a speciality of early jazz clarinet styles, ranging from New Orleans - Johnny Dodds, George Lewis, Jimmie Noone, Sidney Bechet through to Barney Bigard, Pee Wee Russell and Benny Goodman. He also plays alto and tenor saxophones, following the tradition of Benny Carter, Johnny Hodges, Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young.

Much in demand at Jazz Festivals, Mattias has performed throughout Germany, also in Holland, France, England, Sweeden, Switzerland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and the Ukraine. He has been invited to the U.S.A. on two occasions to give specialist performances.

He has recorded in England, Gemany and Sweden, and is regularly featured on the American "Stomp-Off" label. In 1998 Matthias toured and recorded with Bent Persson and Keith Nichols.

Jim received his musical training from the public schools of Lafayette, IN. He began on trumpet, but was switched to trombone when his right arm grew long enough for him to reach 7th position of the slide. He was drafted from a high school dixieland band into Purdue University's Salty Dogs Jazz Band in late 1952. He made his first recordings in 1954, 1955 and 1958, then recorded 5 more albums in Chicago in the 1960's. Jim has toured the West Coast, Western Japan.

Rico is one of Britain's brightest and most versatile jazz stars. Coming from a family of jazz musicians, he spent twelve years with the Pasadena Roof Orchestra, and now performs regularly with Ray Gelato. He has worked with Keith Nichols on special repertory projects.

Nick is perhaps this country's finest vintage jazz percussionist. Hailing from the Midlands, his playing reflects great knowledge of the drumming styles of the 20's and 30's. As well as working with Keith Nichols, Nick also performs in the big band, "Harlem" and in orchestras led by Bob Hunt and Martin Litton. In 1999 Nick was invited to play at the annual Bix Beiderbecke Festival in Chicago, U.S.A. 

Richard is an expert in all forms of Ragtime and Classic Jazz, who has worked with Keith Nichols since the early seventies. He specialises in the single-string style of early Ragtime banjo and guitar, and has recorded several albums.

Martin was born in London. He is a very versatile musician having played Folk, Rhythm-and-Blues and Rock 'n' Roll as well as most Jazz guitar styles and specializes in banjo music from the Ragtime era to the 1920's. He plays most stringed instruments, from the ukelele to the bass-guitar. He has toured Europe and America, giving concerts of music from the 20's and 30's with both the cabaret band "Rio Trio" and the various Keith Nichols ensembles. Martin is a most authentic and tasteful performer of jazz.