Gareth's Biography

Flautist, pianist, composer/arranger and teacher Gareth Lockrane started playing at the age of 10 and after raiding his dad's record collection discovered jazz at 14. Early influences included Cannonball Adderley, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker and Stan Getz -on flute, the initial main inspirations were saxophone "doublers" like Frank Wess, James Clay, Roland Kirk, Bobby Jaspar and James Moody. In 1994 he enrolled on the jazz course at the Royal Academy of Music in London where teachers included Stan Sulzmann, Hugh Fraser and Eddie Parker and where he struck up musical relationships with fellow students the Fishwick brothers, Osian Roberts, Orlando le Fleming and many others. In 1997, his band "The Jazz System" formed with Osian Roberts was a finalist in the Vienna Jazz Festival Grande Concours de Jazz. In 1998, he studied on the Lake Placid Jazz Course in New York with Joe Lovano, Dick Oatts and Jim McNeely and in 2000 was a finalist in the Young Jazz Musician of the Year competition.

In 2002, he formed the band Grooveyard with saxophonist Alex Garnett which released a critically acclaimed CD "Put The Cat Out" which went on to win the Best European Jazz Group award in the 2003 Granada Jazz Festival. Grooveyard completed a successful Jazz Services tour of the UK in 2005.They have a new album coming out in 2009.

From 2006, he enrolled on the prestigious MA course in film composition at the National Film&Television School,graduating with a commendation in 2008.
He also leads his own septet,with a new album in production,to also be released in 2009. This band features Robbie Robson (trumpet), Steve Kaldestad (sax), Trevor Mires (trombone/euphonium), Robin Aspland - (piano) Matt Miles (bass) and Matt Home (drums).

He has also recently formed his own big band. Making their debut in the 2008 London Jazz Festival,the Gareth Lockrane Big Band is a natural extension of Gareth's other projects, Grooveyard and his septet, whilst at the same time being a fiery and unruly animal in it's own right. Influenced by,among others, Gil Evans, Maria Schneider, Kenny Wheeler, Jim McNeely, Thad Jones, Basie, Mingus and many more,the band blends heavy grooves and luscious orchestrations to spectacular effect. The band play almost exclusively Gareth's compositions with some contributions from the other fellows in the band as well.

As a sideman,Gareth has been involved in many diverse projects,most recently as a key member of the late Bheki Mseleku's group from 2005 to 2008. Gareth has also performed and recorded with Incognito, Georgia Mancio, Nia Lynn, Kate Williams, The James Taylor Quartet, Marti Pellow, Hans Koller New Memories Big Band (with Evan Parker) , Dan Stern, Brazilian jazz-funk group Sirius B, Anita Wardell, Natalie Williams, David Migden, Paul Booth, Phil Donkin Qt (with Julian Siegel), The Urban Jazz Quintet (with Peter King), Gwilym Simcock Nonet / BigBand, Tom Richards Jazz Orchestra, David Beebee's Gaya and The National Youth Jazz Orchestra,as well as many tv and pop sessions.

Check out the sounds page for selected track excerpts and solos.