Jazz guitar player Dave Cliff began to play the guitar at the age of fourteen. By the time he was 19 he was playing professionally in a rhythm and blues band in the Newcastle upon Tyne area. In 1967 he enrolled at the City of Leeds College of Music to study on its full-time jazz guitar course under bassists Peter Ind and Bernie Cash so that he could formally learn jazz guitar. Cliff was fortunate to befriend Ind whilst at the college. Ind had studied in the USA with jazz pianist Lennie Tristano and also worked with Lee Konitz and Warne Marsh. Ind introduced Cliff to the jazz styles of these famous musicians, and they were to prove a major influence on him.
After leaving college Dave Cliff moved in 1971 to London and worked there with Ind and a wide variety of local jazz musicians. In 1975 Cliff had the opportunity to make up the backing group. With Ind, for a UK concert and club tour by Konitz and Marsh.
Since that time Dave Cliff has established himself as one of Britain’s foremost solo jazz guitar players working and recording with many top jazz artists including Mike Carr, Bob Wilber, Warren Vache, Dick Pearce, Kenny Davern, Howard Alden, Humphrey Lyttleton, Bruce Turner. Kenny Davern and Bob Wilber. Cliff has also played at leading European Jazz Festivals including Brecon 1994 with the Davern/Vache Sextet and Jersey 1996 with Ken Peplowski.
Jazz guitar player Greg Clayton loved music as a child. He began to play the guitar at the age of twelve, but it was not until he was 20 that he began to take an interest in jazz guitar books. His first jazz influences were some recordings by Charlie Parker, Kenny Burrell, Barney Kessel, Joe Pass, Johnny Smith and Wes Montgomery. Clayton is virtually self-taught although he did attend two summer semesters at Berklee School of Music in 1973 and 1974. He had the benefit of seeing and hearing two Montreal jazz guitarists, Nelson Symonds and Ivan Symonds, on a regular basis and he also studied briefly with Ed Bickert, Joe Pass and Tal Farlow.
Greg Clayton, now regarded as one of Canada’s finest jazz guitarists, teaches jazz guitar improvisation at Montreal’s McGill University and gives private jazz guitar lessons. He has over the years made numerous television and radio appearances and cites Jimmy Raney, Tal Farlow, Wes Montgomery and Joe Pass as his main stylistic influences. He concentrates on the American popular songbook as a vehicle for his straight ahead jazz guitar improvisations in both concert and recording performances.
Jazz guitar player Joe Cohn is the son of the late jazz saxophonist Al Cohn. He started to play the guitar during his senior year in high school. With his father’s encouragement he studied with Alan Hanlon in New York city. He first became interested in jazz through the recordings of pianist Dave McKenna and the Thad Jones – Mel Lewis Big Band. Cohn is also a talented pianist, bassist and trumpet player.
After leaving high school Cohn went to the Berklee School of Music in Boston. After leaving Berklee he began his career as a professional musician free lancing in the Boston area on string bass. He then played for six years as the jazz guitarist with the Artie Shaw Orchestra and followed this by playing with trombonist Al Grey for ten years. In recent years Cohn has established himself as one of the best guitarists in the new York area. Double Time Records recently released his first recording as leader. His quintet on this release also featured jazz guitar player Doug Raney.
There are many professional artists in the city of Brisbane that look for a place to play, whether that place is a public bar, a wedding or a special event, they are eager to play. Furthermore, each band hire Brisbane is usually famous for its dedication to music and for their low priced services. The bands are numerous and distinct, one being able to find almost at least a band for any genre of music. The music scene here is flourishing and bands play anything from rock music to pop, R&B, gospel or traditional acoustic songs. Even though many of them promote their own original songs, they can still play any popular songs if the one who hires them requests it. Learning someone else’s song in order to play it at a show is no problem for them.