Derek Nash - Saxophones
Soprano / Alto / Tenor / Baritone Sax
Voted one of the top 5 sax players in the country at the 2002 Hamlet British Jazz Awards Derek Nash has moved to the forefront of the young British jazz movement.
In the 2002 British Jazz Awards he charted in all the following categories: Alto sax - 5th, Miscellaneous Inst -5th (Baritone Sax), Composer/Arranger - 5th, Tenor Sax - 5th, , Small group - 5th with his band Sax Appeal
Plus his CD "Young Lions - Old Tigers" recorded with the late Spike Robinson was voted best Jazz CD of 2001 for Jazzizit Records
He is the leader of "Sax Appeal", the hugely successful modern Jazz Ensemble which was voted best small group in 2000 Post Office British Jazz Awards The Band has recorded 4 albums, and a Video, toured the world and won a string of awards and rave reviews including the John Dankworth award for Ensemble in the 1998 B.T. Jazz awards.
His 1st solo album "Setting New Standards" features mainstream giants Alec Dankworth and Clark Tracey alongside "Incognito" keyboard star Graham Harvey in an acoustic masterpiece. This CD was voted 7th in the Best New CD category at the 2000 British Jazz Awards.
In the mainstream swing world he played for several years with "Young Lions, Old Tigers" alongside U.S.A. sax star Spike Robinson, culminating in their award winning CD. Now he leads "Spike’s Young Lions", a tribute to the music of Spike Robinson.
He has recently performed in the USA alongside Jazz Legends Dave and Don Grusin, plus Nelson Rangell, Lillian Boutte and George Massau.
In the UK he has performed alongside Alan Barnes, Roy Williams, John Barnes, Warren Vache, Martin Drew, Dave Green and many more.
In the world of Funk he is a member of "Protect the Beat" alongside Tony Smith (Roy Ayres band), Winston Blissett (Massive Attack/Down to the Bone) and Darby Todd (Drums) having just released their 1st album.
He also leads "Atlantik Ave", a classic funk band in the style of Headhunters/Sanborn/Average White Band working alongside guitar maestro Tony Remy. They have headlined at the Cork jazz festival and a C.D. will be released very soon.
Equally talented in the swing or fusion fields Derek and his bands have won rave reviews such as:
Jazzin' Around
Derek Nash is not only a superb player, he has a stage presence that enthuses both his audience and his fellow musicians.
B.B.C. Radio 2
Probably one of the finest saxophone bands in the world (Digby Fairweather)
The Observer
A bravura display of contemporary saxophone styles by a group of leading British
players. This is the band that aspiring saxophonists go along to hear, although
the experience is often a chastening one. As well as presenting some stupendously
accomplished playing the 10 pieces are distinguished by the witty and inventive
arrangements of leader Derek Nash.
The Sunday Times
....Princes of the Horn in thunderous form....
....the bravado of this band is breathtaking....
John Dankworth
" Derek Nash is a fine arranger, a good organiser and a skilled showman as well
as being a very presentable soloist himself. He has done a lot for young British
Jazz and continues to do so.
Born and raised in Manchester, Derek is the son of B.B.C. Northern Dance Orchestra arranger Pat Nash. His musical career started as a member of Stockport Schools Stagesound, an award winning youth Big Band with whom he performed in two "Schools Proms" at the Royal Albert Hall and on T.V. Graduating from the alto chair he studied Acoustics at Salford University and returned to Stagesound but this time as their Musical Director. This lead to concerts with Ronnie Scott , Don Lusher and Henry Lowther and also another "Schools Proms" appearance with Derek as conductor for Stagesound and also as a member of the newly formed "Sax Appeal" who appeared on T.V. and the Royal Albert Hall in the same year.
As leader of the award winning Jazz Ensemble "Sax Appeal" he has played extensively throughout the country in the last twenty years as well as many Radio & T.V. performances. The band has received Arts Council Grants and touring bursaries to help them perform from Exeter to Newcastle, France to Venezuela.
In 1998 Sax Appeal welcomed in the new year on B.B.C. Radio3 with an hour long live broadcast and then were awarded the "John Dankworth Special Award for Ensemble" in the 1998 British Telecom British Jazz Awards, now capped by the British Jazz Award for small group in 2000, which qualifies the bands position as one of the Premier ensembles in the U.K.
Derek works alongside such contemporaries as Dave O'Higgins, Gary Plumley, Mornington Lockett, Matt Wates, Scott Garland, Bob McKay, Snake Davis, Mike Bradley, Laurence Cottle, Phil Mulford, Nigel Hitchcock and Tim Garland. The cream of young British Jazz. Guests of Sax Appeal have included Steve Marcus (Buddy Rich Band), Ronnie Ross, Barbara Thompson, Perico Sambeat, Michael Hashim and G.R.P. recording artist Nelson Rangell with whom Derek has also performed in the U.S.A.
Sax Appeal performances in Cork (Ireland), Marciac and Coutances (France) and in Caracas (Venezuela) mean that the band now has a world-wide following.
Four Sax Appeal Albums have been released "Flat Out", "Let's Go", "Outside In" and "Take No Prisoners" all on Jazzizit record label. All the albums contain mainly self composed material and all the arrangements are Derek's.
He also played and toured with U.S.A. star Spike Robinson in "Young Lions - Old Tigers" a band in the classic Zoot Sims/Al Cohn swinging double sax front line style, as well as the "John Burch Octet " where he worked alongside Be-Bop/Swing legends Hank Shaw and Dick Morrisey.
He is featured soloist on CD’s by vocalists Trudy Kerr (My Old Flame - Jazzizit records), Joan Viskant (I Hear music-33 records) and Karen Lane.
A long association with Barbara Thompson and Jon Hiseman has seen the first two albums recorded and produced by Jon Hiseman and Derek playing Lead Alto in Barbara's Big Band "Moving Parts" who have performed in many festivals including the Freiberg Festival in Germany. In 1995 Barbara performed with Derek and Sax Appeal at the Cork International Jazz Festival.
Apart from the Jazz scene, Derek is very active in Pop, Soul and Blues music , performing and recording with ex Fleetwood Mac guitarist Peter Green, The Ben Waters Boogie Band, Suzi Quatro, Basia, The Foundations and "Gambler - Soul Survivors". This has meant concerts alongside the Crusaders, 10cc and The Average White Band.
A nationwide tour with the Bootleg Beatles led to performances in front of 40,000 at Earls Court, and millions world-wide when Channel 4 broadcast live from the Glastonbury Festival.
He has written or played on the theme and incidental music for BBC TV's "A Wild Romance", "Maths Challenge", "Numbertime", "The Sydney Olympics", "Dodgems" and "Watch"
Derek also runs "Clowns Pocket Recording Studios" in Kent and as a record producer and engineer he has worked on albums for Bobby Wellins, Martin Drew, Tony Remy, Dave O'Higgins, Trudy Kerr, Geoff Gascoyne, Jamie Cullum, Just East of Jazz, Alan Barnes and Tenor Madness.
His latest projects include an album with Funk sensations "Atlantik Avenue" featuring Tony Remy on Guitar, a Live video with Sax Appeal plus guest Nelson Rangell , and a new CD with the Ben Waters Boogie Band featuring Jools Holland as special guest.
These are all about to be released on Jazzizit Records.
Derek Nash
Tel 01322 - 557720
Fax 01322 - 406726
Mobile 07961 - 347399
dereknash@clownspocket.freeserve.co.uk