Having graduated from Birmingham Conservatoire with a First Class Honours BMus Degree in Jazz, JJ currently resides in London where he studies at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music under the guidance of many of the world’s finest musicians and educators including Pete Churchill, Django Bates, Stan Sulzman, Martin France, Gwilym Simcock and Nick Smart.
An early starter, JJ picked up the sticks aged 8 developing a natural talent and passion for the drum kit fueled by lessons with session musician, Mark Claydon (Liberty X, The Getup, Jezebel Sextet etc.), before family relocation to Yorkshire led to classical percussion training under Cherry Bratkowski and further drum kit study with Paul Smith.
By 12, the young drummer was already building up an extensive CV of performances in a range of styles, with anything between 40-150 gigs per year in the 10 years following. This wealth of experience gathered in the formative years of his career have helped turn JJ into one of the country’s most versatile and musical drummer/percussionists around.
JJ has received many awards over his early career in both performance and compositional fields, including becoming a grateful beneficiary of the Countess of Munster Musical Trust in 2011, without which he would be unable to continue his studies at the Royal Academy.
A recording and touring bandleader of many projects and sideman in many more, JJ has performed with the likes of Jean Toussaint, Dave Holland Ensemble, Scott Stroman, Celine Dion and has played venues including Wembley Stadium, The Royal Albert Hall, The Reebok Arena, York Racecourse and The Hippodrome (Birmingham).
JJ has also appeared on prime-time TV shows on BBC1.
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Biography
Beneficiary of the Countess of Munster Trust Fund 2011
Awarded First Class BMusJazz degree with Honours 2011
Conservatoire ‘Outstanding Contribution to the Jazz Scene’ Award 2010
Recipient of Wolfson Fund Scholarship 2010
Nominated for BEST Awards 2011
Finalist in the Tony Levin Drum Prize 2011
Nominated for Musicians’ Benevolent Fund ‘Peter Whittingham Jazz Award’ 2009
Winner of National Music For Youth Composition Award 2007
Finalist Mike Gibbs Composition Award 2009
Recipient of Local Authorities ‘Outstanding Talent Development Award’ 2007
Winner of Harrogate Young Musician of the Year 2004, 2005 & 2007 (Percussion)
Winner of Knaresborough and Boroughbridge Young Musician of the Year 2005 & 2006
Recipient of Full Scholarship to European Youth Summer Music Course 2005
“One to watch out for!” - JazzWise