Event Description

Martin Dale has been a full time musician since the age of sixteen.

He has played all over the world,including all the major UK jazz venues, such as Ronnie Scott’s, The 100 Club,Bulls Head at Barnes,The 606 Club,Pizza Express.

He has been a member of The John Burch Octet,Derek Nash’s Sax Appeal and the Jack Bruce Blues Explosion. Martin has also backed such singers as, Neil Sedaka,Tom Jones,Petula Clark and most recently Lance Ellington. He has shared the stage with the cream of British Jazz musicians including: Pete King,Mark Nightingale,Bruce Adams,Alan Barnes,Jim Mullen, Martin Shaw and Nigel Price. Martin runs a duo/trio and quartet. He has been heard on Jazz FM, Radio 3 and has recorded over 12 albums.

Bruce Adams was brought up in a musical family. His father Bob was a guitarist whose career extended back to the British dance bands of the 1930s and his mother was a dancer. In 1966 aged fifteen Bruce left school in Glasgow and went on the road with his father starting with a  summer season in Brighton and other theatres up and down the country.

From 1973 onwards, Bruce got involved in the local jazz scene in Glasgow first by forming a jazz quintet with alto saxophonist Bill Fanning, one of the stalwarts of Scottish jazz. Bruce and Bill eventually went to form a big band together. At the same time, Bruce was also playing in the Mecca Ballrooms, first with Benny Daniels in the Plaza then Bill Patrick in Tiffany’s (the old Locarno).

Two years later, the band entered the BBC Big Band competition, and Bruce won the Trumpet Soloist prize.

Bruce recorded his first album for Jim Simpsons Big Bear Music entitled “One Foot in the Gutter”. This was followed by The first of several collaborations with Alan Barnes called “Sidestepping”. Bruce and Alan’s next album,” Let’s Face the Music and Dance”. followed about a year later. Both of these albums won CD of the year in the British Jazz Awards.