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GARETH LIVE AT BRECON JAZZ FESTIVAL 2005
Biography
Gareth is a jazz trombonist who has been playing in and around the South Wales area for many years now. He plays in a wide variety of different Welsh bands (see bands) including the Welsh Jazz Composers Orchestra and his own quintet for which he writes all the material himself.
Brought up near Aberystwyth in Mid-Wales, most of Gareth´s early musical experiences came playing Euphonium in Brass Bands. He later switched to playing trombone after discovering jazz and realising that the euphonium would never be the sound of the future.

After leaving school Gareth went to Nottingham University to study Civil Engineering and after spending 3 years learning all there was to know about the properties of concrete and different welding methods he returned to Aberystwyth to take a PGCE course in Maths. Gareth moved to Cardiff in 1998 and worked full time as a maths teacher for 5 years until a lack of sleep caused by too many late night gigs forced him to leave and decide to take a Post-Graduate diploma in Jazz at the Welsh College of Music and Drama.

Whilst at College in Cardiff Gareth studied with (amongst others) Paula Gardiner and Keith Tippett and had regular trombone lessons from Mark Bassey at Trinity College, London.

Gareth is much in demand as trombone player and as well as playing with many different bands he also receives regular bookings for television and radio work and he recently performed on an award winning play broadcast on radio 3.

At present, as well as working professionally as a trombone player Gareth is heavily involved with music education. He teaches music part-time in a Welsh language comprehensive school in Cardiff, conducts two school jazz bands (for whom he writes most of the music) and is employed by many different organisations to run music workshops for pupils of all ages (see teaching / workshops).

Gareth has recently recorded his first album under his own name which was released on 1st June 2006. The album, entitled "The Attack of the Killer Penguins" is available to buy from this website and extracts from some tracks are available to listen to whilst viewing the excellent artwork by Rhys Bevan-Jones (see Killer Penguins).
ON STAGE WITH WONDERBRASS & CRAZY AFRICAN BAND AMAPONDO
LIVE AT THE RIVERBANK JAZZ CLUB - PHOTO BY BRENDA O'BRIEN
Musical Influences
CHARLES MINGUS, JIMMY KNEPPER, GARY VALENTE & ANDY SHEPPARD

Gareth lists many musicians who have influenced his own writing and playing:

“Compositionally, my main influence has always been the music of Charles Mingus, the balance he manages to get between arrangement and improvisation is perfect and something I´ve always strived for in my own writing. I´ve also been influenced by some of the great composers from the Blue Note era like Horace Silver who I believe was one of the greatest ever small group arrangers. Recently I´ve been interested in some of the modern rhythmic composition devices used by, amongst others, Dave Holland.

"As a trombone player I would have to say that my main influences have been Jimmy Knepper and Gary Valente, for me these two play the trombone as it is meant to be played, they play to it´s strengths. It was after hearing a trombone solo by Gary Valente on the Andy Sheppard recording Soft on the Inside that I decided to switch from playing euphonium in the first place”.

Clock-wise starting top left; the legendary Bassist, Composer & Band Leader Charles Mingus, Jimmy Knepper, Andy Sheppard's influencial album "Soft On The Inside", & Gary Valente.
Copyright © 2006 boomerwebdesign & Gareth Roberts | additional "Killer Penguin" Graphics by Rhys Bevan Jones
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