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Steve Ashworth - piano Rachel Bundy - vocals Dil Davies - drums Jason Henson - guitar Jo Hunter - trumpet Dan Sheppard - double bass Tim Wade - trombone Robin Watt - tenor sax

Also... Piers Clark - guitar Mike Edmonds - double bass Tom de Grunwald - double bass Dave Holdsworth - trumpet & valve trombone Vic Richards - vibraphone Robbie Richardson - tenor sax Jerry Rulf - double bass


Steve Ashworth: piano b. 1967 Steve began his musical career in Manchester, playing jazz clubs in and around the Northwest. In the early nineties Steve moved to London to study at the Guildhall School of Music and there developed a bebop piano style in the tradition of Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk. After several stints playing abroad with Robin Watt and Piers Clarke, Steve acquired an appreciation of the stride technique of pianists such as Teddy Wilson and Fats Waller- a piano style which has become an integral part of the 'Rockin' in Rhythm' sound.
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Rachel Bundy: vocals b. 1970 Rachel Bundy has been singing professionally since 1995 originally inspired by a dare to perform in a nightclub! To find out more, including info on other bands she is in, click here.
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Dil Davies: drums Dil thrives on variety and versatility. As well as playing swing with Rockin' in Rhythm he regularly performs a wide range of music, including Brazilian, Cuban, flamenco, jazz, eastern european, ceilidh; as well as the staple european diet of funk/ hip-hop/ rock/ pop/ indie/ punk/ reggae/ blues/ folk/ shows etc... To see the full biography on Dil's own site (www.dildavies.co.uk) click here.
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Jason Henson: guitar b. 1975 Played guitar since 1980. Started playing blues & folk. Studied jazz at Chichester college. Now enjoys playing many styles of jazz, including swing, bebop & modern.
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Jo Hunter: trumpet b. 1926 Started playing as a bugler in a military academy in America. Played Glenn Miller numbers in a school orchestra. After three years in the army, joined Kenny Graham's Afro Cubists. Went on the road with Roy Fox, playing with Victor Feldman and Tony Crombie. Joined Jack Parnell and played jazz clubs with Tubby Hayes and Phil Seaman. Influenced by Harry James, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and others.
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Dan Sheppard: double bass b. 1975 Dan Sheppard is the youngest member of the group at 25 (there are 50 years between him and the eldest member). While this is true, he is also one of the longest serving members of the band. He and Dan Breslaw (drums) work together in several outfits and have locked into that swing sound.
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Tim Wade: trombone b. 1967 Tim started his career running and playing in the cabaret band 'Itchy Feet' as well as a freelancing classical trombone player. Tim studied with Phil Wilson (Woody Herman) at Berklee College and then took the postgraduate course at the Guildhall School with Scott Stroman. He has performed with mainstream artists Digby Fairweather and Bill Le Sage as well as modern jazz giant George Russell and British greats Pete Hurt, Jeff Clyne and Pete Saberton. Outside Rockin' in Rhythm, Tim can also be seen with his own sextet, Paul Busby's Scored Changes with Kjell Berglund, and Dave Holdsworth's 'Lickety Split'.
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Robin Watt: tenor saxophone b. 1956 Started playing in 1974 having private lessons with BBC session player Jimmy Wallace. Moved to Brighton in '75 and studied under Manny Allbeury a prominent player on the local scene. Over the next few years gained experience with many local bands and went on to tour and record extensively throughout the country From 1990 led a series of small jazz combos under own name, with several tours of europe and the middle east. In 1994 formed Rockin' in Rhythm with Piers Clark. Inst: Tenor & Alto Saxophones Influences: Lester Young, Ben Webster, Art Pepper & Frank Sinatra.
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Piers Clark: guitar b. 1951 Started on guitar at age 12. Self taught. Played blues for 20 years, then discovered jazz after hearing Charlie Christian on a Benny Goodman record. Became full time musician in 1987, since then freelanced with various swing and traditional groups. Specialises in acoustic rhythm guitar in the style of George Van Eps, Alan Reuss, Steve Jordan and Freddie Green.
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Tom de Grunwald: double bass b. 1976 Tom has lived in Brighton for ten years, since studying Twentieth Century Music at Sussex University. His sister introduced him to Kenny Burrell's music in his childhood, but it was at college, mixing with musicians of diverse backgrounds, that he really started improvising. He was introduced to Jazz, particularly in it's Fusion and Free forms, by Tom Creed and Jason Henson. His first Jazz group was 'Interstellar Space', playing quasi-freeform compositions on drums with Creed on alto, although at this time he was working with a number of improvisation collectives, on electric five-string bass. In 1998, he was seen playing with one of these groups, 'Blatantly', at the Casablanca Jazz Club, by saxophonist and performer Stephane Spitz. Spitz asked him to play double bass and tour Cornwall that summer with 'Swervy World', the swing/ ska/ cabaret group. After this introduction to Swing music and the standards repertoire, there was no looking back. The following year he started playing with Rockin' in Rhythm. He maintains a variety of creative projects, supporting himself through live performance and some teaching work. His composition work is informed by an interest in eclectic music(s), visual arts and a love of nature. www.degrunwald.com/tom
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Dave Holdsworth: trumpet & valve trombone b. 1942 Over the last 25 years Dave Holdsworth has been a member of and featured soloist with many of the most important jazz units in the UK including the bands/orchestras of Mike Westbrook, Barry Guy, Tony Oxley, Mike Osborne, Chris McGregor, Herbie Flowers and Tim Richards, in addition to leading, composing and arranging for bands of his own, most recently:- Rhythm-A-Ning - a nine piece band playing the music of Thelonious Monk. Sathima - a seven-piece band playing the music of Abbdullah Ibrahim. The Dave Holdsworth Quartet and Trio. He has many radio broadcasts to his credit and his recordings include:- with Mike Westbrook: Celebration/Release/Love Songs/Metropolis/Marching Song. with Spirit Level: Mice in the Wallet/Proud Owners. with Tony Oxley: Incus 6. with London Jazz Composers Orchestra: Ode. with Herbie Flowers: Shuffle Jazz. Dave Holdsworth - Liane Carroll Quartet: Ten Day Simon. Dave Holdsworth Quartet: Lydia's List "Holdsworth is really one of our best trumpeters, with a firm, round tone and endless melodicism." Richard Williams 'Melody Maker'.
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Vic Richards: vibraphone b. 1925 I was there before the 39/45 war, (and during it) and on coming out of the Navy in 1946,my first job was with a DANCE BAND in the DREAMLAND BALLROOM, Margate. After that I found that my particular talent was playing and singing in the SOHO and MAYFAIR clubs and nightclubs where "near jazz" was all the thing. I was lucky enough to be constantly in demand for about 20 years when along came ELVIS and the BEATLES. In spite of these upstarts, I kept going and have been lucky enough to play along side many of the jazz greats, (some of them booked me again) I would not start to list all the great BRITS I have worked with, some have left us once others are still my friends, (some of them booked me again and again and again). MY STYLE... Somewhere between trad and modern... MAINSTREAM ENTERTAINMENT. MY NUMBER... 01273 516097 and I'm free NEW YEARS EVE. YOURS... VIC
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Robbie Richardson: tenor saxophone b. 1928 Cool tenor man - from the Lester Young school, through all the cool men of the later forties: Zoot Sims, Stan Getz, Wardel Gray. Being from the same age group he was greatly impressed by this style of playing and has followed it ever since. Developing his own approach through the years.
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Jerry Rulf: double bass b. biog coming soon
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