Jimmy is a long standing member of the British jazz scene. Taking up the saxophone from the age of 16, Jimmy has played with the BBC Radio Orchestra and BBC Big Band as well as playing for orchestras in all the major West End musicals.
Over the years Jimmy has accompanied Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jnr., Tony Bennett, Sarah Vaughan, Aretha Franklin, and many other singers, and has also worked for Nelson Riddle, Robert Farnon, Henry Mancini and Benny Carter. On the jazz scene he has enjoyed spells with Red Rodney, Art Farmer, Bill Berry, Lanny Morgan, Billy Mitchell and Al Grey.
Jimmy also appeared on the rock scene, alongside brother Pye, as the fifth member of "Caravan", appearing on all their early albums and occasionally on stage and at radio and TV sessions. The third record "In the Land Of Grey and Pink " gathered a gold disc for the band. They have recently enjoyed great success at several revival concerts.
Jimmy is Professor of Jazz Saxophone at the London College of Music and was also Professor of Saxophone at the Royal Marines School of Music in Portsmouth from 1998 to 2004. Always aware of his own modest beginnings, he is keen to encourage aspiring young musicians whenever he can.
These days Jimmy is much in demand at all national jazz venues, either as a solo performer or with his own quartet. He deputises regularly with many of the big bands of today, including the Don Lusher Big Band, Paul Lacey's Back to Basie Band, the Syd Lawrence Band, the Echoes of Ellington Band and others.
Way Out West is a unique collective of jazz musicians. Diverse improvisation, performance, arranging, composition, all come to the forefront in full force within weekly gigs, as each collective member presents collaborations of their work with guest stars from today's jazz scene.
Seasonal blasts include Way Out West appearing together for All-star evenings.
Way Out West to unikalna organizacja zrzeszająca muzyków i kompozytorów od lat 21 do 85 reprezentujących wszystkie gatunki jazzu od beebopu, poprzez mainstream, free jazz, muzykę latynowską, fusion i nowoczesny jazz. W ciągu 10 lat istnienia zespół zagrał ponad 400 koncertów. W Jazz Café POSK występuje raz w miesiącu prezentując muzyków wybranych z najlepszych londyńskich zespołów.
