WEDNESDAY March 25th, 8pm - ROGER BEAUJOLAIS with Dave Cottle Trio @THE OBSERVATORY

Roger Beaujolais played the vibraphone for the first time at the age of 24. He was 28 when he made his first public performance. He is completely self-taught. So far he has released 18 albums under many different names. These have been released by various labels which include Warner Brothers, Acid Jazz and Hollywood Records (Disney).

Roger has performed in over 25 countries, on 4 continents, and has played most of the major jazz festivals in Europe.

He has played with some of the best known UK jazz musicians: (Peter King, Jim Mullen, Gilad Atzmon, Alan Barnes et al) as well as regularly playing with Slim Gaillard in the 1980’s. He has also appeared on many albums by pop artists including Robert Plant, Morrissey, Duffy, Fairground Attraction, Rumer, Alexander O’Neal and Kirsty MacColl, as well as albums by Latin artists Omara Portuondo and Ed Motta.

Over the past few years Roger Beaujolais has written with, and produced tracks for many other artists. He now runs his own record label – StayTuned Records.

Since the days of Red Norvo and Lionel Hampton through to bebop with Milt Jackson, the vibraphone has always struggled to be regarded as more than just a novelty instrument.

Despite this reputation there have been no shortage of musicians willing to pick up the mallets and transform the instrument and the way in which it is played and finding a place for it in each of the stylistic shifts in the music since the swing era.

In the UK, Roger Beaujolais had the dubious honour of being the first musician to earn a living from solely playing the vibraphone. In order to do so, Beaujolais has found himself playing in a wide variety of styles and genres, and this process and means of survival has shaped his musical vision.

As a jazz vibraphone player Roger Beaujolais has, if not prolifically, released a string of albums under his leadership demonstrating what a fine musician he is. He only records when he feels he has something to say, and this philosophy ensures that when he does go into the studio the resulting music is something to savour.