John Rees-Jones
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John Rees-Jones was born in Cardiff on the 9th November 1948. He was educated at the City of Bath Boys' School, the London College of Music and London University. Classically trained as a cellist, John Rees-Jones toured and recorded with Keith Tippett’s Centipede (which included many of the top jazz and rock musicians of the time) on the completion of his studies and subsequently appeared with a cross section of artists such as Yehudi Menuhin, Peter Pears, Vilem Tausky, Raymond Leppard and Roger Norrington. He moved over to the double bass and bass guitar in the late 1970’s and has since worked extensively in the theatre, cabaret, studio and jazz fields.
Has deputised regularly in many West End shows such as ‘Chicago’, ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’, ‘Crazy For You’, ‘Five Guys Named Moe’, Guys and Dolls’, Kiss Me Kate’, ‘Me & My Girl’ and ‘Miss Saigon’ and has worked in concert or recorded with Elkie Brooks, Roy Castle, Jacqui Dankworth, Elaine Delmar, Georgie Fame, Benny Green, Anita Harris, Salena Jones, Stacey Kent, Dennis Lotis, Dame Vera Lynn, Helen Shapiro, Tina May, Peter Skellern, Rosemary Squires, Andy Stewart, Richard Stilgoe and Tom Robinson. Has performed on LWT’s South Bank Show with Petula Clark, the Noel Edmonds Show, the BBC 1 Breakfast show and several episodes of ‘Soldier, Soldier’ amongst numerous other appearances on TV and radio in this country and abroad. Toured with the Inkspots in 1988/89 and has worked with the big bands of Ted Heath, Don Lusher, Freddy Staff & the Glenn Miller Orchestra UK.
John has worked with many British jazz icons including George Chisholm, Bruce Turner, Joe Temperley, [[George Melly] and Martin Taylor as well as innumerable American jazz stars such as Howard Alden, Bill Allred, Peter Appleyard, Charlie Byrd, Al Casey, Al Cohn, Kenny Davern, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Herb Ellis, Slim Gaillard, Herb Geller, Scott Hamilton, Barney Kessell, Mundell Lowe, George Masso, Lanny Morgan, Joe Newman, Ken Peplowski, Spike Robinson, Bobby Shew, Warren Vaché, Benny Waters, New Orleans jazz and gospel singer Lillian Boutté and ex-Louis Armstrong alumni Joe Maranyi and ‘Peanuts’ Hucko. In 1993 he toured, recorded and appeared on television with the Kenny Baker/Don Lusher band as part of the ‘Giants of Jazz’ package along with the bands of Kenny Ball and Acker Bilk. A member of Humphrey Lyttelton’s band up until his sad demise on the 25th April 2008, The Best of British Jazz (until Don Lusher passed away in 2006)and Campbell Burnap’s All Stars and is a regular deputy with the bands of Kenny Ball and Acker Bilk.
Visiting teacher of jazz double bass and bass guitar at Eton College and has tutored several hundred jazz workshops nationwide.
Has worked extensively in the UK and in Ireland, France, Spain, Holland, Germany, Italy, Monaco, Switzerland, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Lapland, Greece, Turkey, Croatia, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Argentina & Uruguay.
Entries included in the current editions of “Who’s Who in British Jazz” and “International Who’s Who in Popular Music”.
