Robin Lumley

Robin Lumley is a British jazz-fusion musician.

He is a second cousin of the actress Joanna Lumley.^[1] He started playing drums in a student band at college, and that band reached the finals of the Melody Maker band talent contest in the early 70s.

He was a keyboardist with Brand X^[2] from 1974 to 1983 (he took a leave of absence during 1978 to concentrate on his career as producer, but rejoined for the band's final albums and tours). He was a leading producer on the UK jazz-fusion scene in the late 1970s, producing Brand X themselves, Rod Argent's solo albums, and albums by original Genesis guitarist Anthony Phillips. He also had a brief spell as keyboard player with David Bowie's Spiders from Mars.

When not producing and playing, he was also a successful jingles composer, and also wrote articles for 'Sound on Sound' magazine in its first year of publication.

In the mid 80s he briefly put together a jazz rock band primarily for enjoyment rather than as a career venture; this included amongst its members Rod Argent, Graeme Edge (of the Moody Blues), Morris Pert (of Brand X), Gary Brooker (of Procol Harum) and other musicians.

In 1991 he married Debra Allanson, a media executive and former television presenter from Perth, Australia.

In 2000 he produced a set of instruction videos (in conjunction with Roland keyboards) on keyboard technique.

Lumley lived in Australia where he has appeared on popular ABC TV music program Spicks and Specks. He has worked with leading members of the WASO, and with television producers. As an animal lover he owns a holistic pet supplies business, Bon Bon's - The Pet Grocer, in inner city suburb South Melbourne.^[3]

In 2001 Lumley announced the formation of a band called SETI consisting of himself plus Graeme Edge (Moody Blues), Rod McGrath (at that time lead cellist of the WASO and formerly of the LSO), a local guitarist, and bass player Rob Burns (who had formerly worked with Pete Townshend and Eric Burdon). "It's an attempt to *really* integrate two styles... Classical cello and rock band. We're happy with the progress and will soon go deal-hunting", he said.

In 2014, Lumley moved to England.

Lumley has a longstanding interest in British railroads and engineering and is currently writing a book on the 1879 collapse of the 17-month-old Tay Rail Bridge - the major engineering disaster of its day.

References