Gareth Roberts - Trombone
Gethin Liddington - Trumpet
Paul Jones - Piano
Chris O'Connor - Bass
Mark O'Connor - Drums
Previous member
(pre 2007):-
Marcin Wright - Sax /Clarinet
Influences
Charles Mingus, Horace Silver, Art Blakey, Lee Morgan, Charles Mingus, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Carla Bley, Andy Sheppard, John Coltrane,Charles Mingus, Cannonball Adderley, Charles Mingus, Abdullah Ibrahim, Dudu Pukwana, Dave Holland, Duke Ellington, Alan Phillips, Kenny Wheeler, Charles Mingus, Chris Bowden, Nicholas Bailey, Welsh Folk Music, Alan Phillips, Mark Bassey and many, many more. Main trombone inflences:- Jimmy Knepper, Gary Valente, Frank Rosolino, Jack Teagarden, Ray Anderson Other influences:- Brains Bitter.
"Diolch am alw draw, Gobeithio eich bod chi'n mwynhau'r cerddoriaeth." "Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoy the music."
Gareth is a jazz trombonist who has been playing in and around the South Wales area for many years now. He plays in a wide variety of different Welsh bands (see his website for details) including his own quintet for which he writes all the material himself.
The Gareth Roberts Quintet have been playing together for many years and have built up a large following in South Wales and further afield with their own, unique, exciting brand of Jazz. All of the quintet are acclaimed bandleaders in their own right but they got together under the leadership of Gareth in 2006 to record their long-awaited debut album “The Attack of the Killer Penguins”.
This CD was released on 1st June 2006 and was successful in winning the band the Jazz Services Promoter’s Choice Award in 2007/08. Since then the quintet have played in many of the country’s premier jazz festivals and completed a full UK tour. Gareth writes nearly all of the music played by the quintet himself and describes his main influences as the music of Charles Mingus and Blue Note jazz of the 60’s.
Gareth and Gethin have been playing together for many years now in various line-ups and have built up a great understanding as a horn section. Mark, Chris and Paul make up ¾ of another South Wales Band the Jones O’Connor group and work together as a rhythm section in the way that only players who’ve built up a great understanding of each other’s playing over many years can. The Gareth Roberts Quintet have just finished recording their second album "Go Stop Go" which will be released soon
Reviews
"A treat, Thoroughly Recommended" :- The Trombonist magazine
"When one listens to a new release three times in about ten hours - which I did here - it usually means we're in presence of something truly special. I can only be thankful that young players like these ones still exist, people capable of writing music that's at one and the same time respectful of the tradition, accessible and gifted with virtuosity, music that will have you feeling much better after you've finished listening to it." Massimo Ricci - www.touchingextremes.org
"“Gareth Roberts’ writing, and the band’s playing are tremendous fun. Play most of this album loud and torture yourself by trying not to move a muscle. It’s impossible! Your eyelid will start twitching, your leg will kick – and you’re away…” :- Malcolm Lewis – Planet Magazine
"This is a very impressive debut recording. Roberts’ writing is imaginative and intelligent but he never takes himself too seriously. As a result there is hardly a dull moment on the album and the band’s real sense of enjoyment communicates itself to the listener. Even the cover makes you laugh" Ian Mann - www.24dash.com
"A buoyantly groove-centred recording (***) " :- Jazzwise Magazine
"Gareth Roberts' lusty quintet got the first weekend of the London Jazz Festival off to a flying start with a Mingus- like ferocity and
even a nod to Clark Terry and Bob Brookmeyer " :- Jazz UK Magazine
"Gareth plays trombone with a strong sense of the trombone tradition...able to move effortlessly from the past to present, and definitely one to watch for the future" :- Dennis Rollins - Winner of the BBC award for best jazz band 2006
“A startlingly good debut album” :- Martin Longley
"Original, unique, exciting but very listenable jazz" :- Brian Petty, Lichfield Jazz Festival Programme 2007
“Roberts may like to inject a sense of humour into his music but this is positively refreshing and the quintet have built a considerable reputation for their excellent live work...... Now I’ll admit that I’ve never been a big fan of the trombone but I love Roberts’ playing. Nimble and inventive he seems to bring out the best in the instrument, from gutbucket slides and rasps on the up tempo material to a surprising tenderness on ballads.” :- Ian Mann - www.thejazzmann.com
This year Meltdown is proud to offer you 2 completely contrasting seasonal specials!
Sun Dec 14th Mr & Mrs Clark present a Christmas Cabba Hey! Milgis Lounge Bar, City Rd, Cardiff. FREE! Exorcise the ghosts of everything that’s excruciating about Xmas. A surreal, funny journey into all our festive fears featuring the globally renowned performance duo, the magic of the Milgis YURT, plus Satellite City star Boyd Clack and more surprise special guests. “like Terry and June on crack”. Amy Stackhouse www. mrandmrsclark. co. uk
Sat Dec 20th Meltdown & Secret Garden Christmas Cavalacade A snow-Globe of sumptuous seasonal shennanigans in aid of award winning mental health charity Mind in the Vale of Glamorgan brought to you by two of Cardiff's most adventurous promoters - Meltdown and Secret Garden Soundsystem and including a a 20-piece jazz/ska wall-of-horns, sassy cabaret, top DJs, a seductively bizarre Mancunian collision of hip-hop, folk and scat, and Santa.
Acts include: Gideon Conn, Wonderbrass, Radio 1’s DJ Huw Stephens, Lilywhitesass Dancers, Kareoke Carols with the Helium Choir, and much more. All in a splendid new 350 capacity venue: The Globe, Albany Rd, Roath, Cardiff. £8. All the fun of the annual Secret Garden Xmas Bash with added Meltdownery.