“Impressive sense of immediacy” BBC Music Magazine
Tristan Banks has built a reputation as a knowledgeable, versatile and authentic world-class drummer and percussionist throughout his 30-year career as a recording artist and session musician. He has worked with many artists covering a wide field of musical genres including Roy Ayers, Steve Winwood, Dave Valentin, Beverley Knight, Hexagonal, David Gilmour, Peter King, Lewis Taylor, Guy Barker, Marcos Valle, Liane Carroll, Snowboy, Terry Callier, Da Lata, Jim Mullen, Carleen Anderson and Mayra Andrade, Ben Hillier (U2, Depeche Mode, Blur), Mike Lindup (Level 42), Hamish Stuart (Average White Band), Steve Howe (Yes), The Lion King (UK tour), Thriller Live (European, Brazilian tours), MC Conrad, Alexander O'Neal, Ive Mendes, Chico Cesar and Joe Lee Wilson (Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins).
As a touring artist he has performed in many of the world’s top venues including Royal Festival Hall, Central Park (NYC), Royal Albert Hall, Joe’s Pub (NYC), Queen Elizabeth Hall, Hammersmith Odeon, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, North Sea Jazz Festivals, Shepherds Bush Empire, Blue Note (Tokyo), V Festival, Reading Festival, WOMAD Festivals and Glastonbury Festival.
Since 2022, Tristan has also been curator and venue manager at The Verdict Jazz Club in Brighton, UK, restarting the venue after its closure due to the global pandemic of 2020, The Verdict has already received a nomination for Parliamentary Jazz Award Venue of the Year 2022. Many top UK and International Jazz artists have most recently played the club including Larry Goldings, Sarah Jane Morris, Ari Hoenig, Jim Mullen, Tony Kofi, David Binney, Claire Martin, Tony Remy, Liane Carroll, Laurence Cottle, B D Lenz, Yolanda Charles, Ivo Neame, Tom Ollendorff, Simon Spillett, Hexagonal, Ant Law, Emma Rawicz, Jackson Mathod as well as a number of outstanding Ubuntu Music recording artists--Quentin Collins, Matt Ridley, Paul Booth, Alina Bzhezhinska, Brandon Allen, Nigel Price, TRYPL, QOW Trio, Andrew McCormack and Dave O’Higgins.
