Gareth Lockrane
Gareth, as well as leading his own bands, has been involved in many diverse performance and recording projects - as a key member of the late great Bheki Mseleku's group during his last years from 2005 to 2008 and also working extensively with the James Taylor Quartet since 2003, Reuben James, Callum Au Big Band, Incognito, Sirius B, Natalie Williams, Paul Booth, Gwilym Simcock, Tom Richards Jazz Orchestra, The National Youth Jazz Orchestra and many more.
Recently he has been a featured soloist on outstanding movie soundtracks - the 2018 Michael Caine heist thriller "King of Thieves" with composer Benjamin Wallfisch, and the 2019 Steven Soderbergh Netflix movie "The Laundromat" with the legendary David Holmes.
He formed the highly successful band Grooveyard with saxophonist Alex Garnett, and released the critically acclaimed album "PUT THE CAT OUT", which went on to win the Best European Jazz Group award in the 2003 Granada Jazz Festival. The sequel album "THE STRUT" was named "Jazz album in the year 2012" in MOJO magazine! His own septet released the album "NO MESSIN" won Best Album in the Parliamentary Jazz Awards 2009.
Ray Gallon
A NYC-native, pianist Ray Gallon has been a mainstay on the jazz scene for over thirty years. Rooted in bebop and blues, his expressive, swingin’ playing melds old and new into a fresh, original style. As a young player, Ray was taken under the wing of piano giants John Lewis, Hank Jones, and Jaki Byard. He has performed at major jazz festivals and venues around the world with such luminaries as Ron Carter, Lionel Hampton, Art Farmer, Benny Golson, George Adams, Les Paul, and Wycliffe Gordon. Ray has appeared at the White House and the Kennedy Center, sharing the stage with jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie, Milt Jackson, Sweets Edison, and Joe Williams. An in-demand accompanist, he has worked with many vocal greats, including Jon Hendricks, Sheila Jordan, Dakota Staton, Gloria Lynne, Jane Monheit and Chaka Khan. Ray's inventive compositions have been recorded by acclaimed artists T.S. Monk and George Adams. His latest trio album, "Make Your Move", features the stellar rhythm section of David Wong and Kenny Washington. Ray is a full-time faculty member of the jazz program at The City College of NY in Harlem and the Vermont Jazz Center’s summer workshops and has taught at Juilliard and The New School.
