​Martin Speake's Generations













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Martin Speake alto saxophone

Barry Green piano
Dave Green double bass
Jeff Williams drums

 

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The band has recorded two albums, Generations and Live At Riverhouse, both on Martin's Pumpkin Records label and was formed to play old tunes, some of which are rarely played, using them as vehicles for improvising and made to sound more than a little different by Speake's subtle and thoughtful arrangements, and this accomplished, committed group of improvisers.

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Jeff Williams: drums

Born and raised in Oberlin, Ohio, Jeff was introduced to the drums at the age of eight. His parents were both jazz lovers and his mother a jazz singer. Following a move to New York he started playing gigs with local professionals at age fourteen.

His mother introduced him to a number of musicians who would become his early mentors, including the legendary drummers Jo Jones, Herb Lovelle, Elvin Jones and Oliver Jackson.

After studying at Berklee, Jeff moved to New York in 1971 where he formed the group 'Lookout Farm' with Dave Liebman and Richie Beirach.
In 1972, he joined Stan Getz' band and in the same year appeared at the Half Note club with Lee Konitz, beginning an association that would continue for several decades.

Jeff has since accompanied Cedar Walton, Milt Hinton, John Scofield, Jerry Bergman, Michel Petrucciani, Art Farmer/Clifford Jordan, Randy Brecker/John Abercrombie, Cecil McBee and Joe Lovano.

For the last several years Jeff has been dividing his time between New York and London. He has toured the UK with Bill McHenry (2005), Lee Konitz (2006), and Dave Liebman (in a quartet co-led by British guitarist Phil Robson--2008-09). During 2006-09 Jeff performed throughout Britain with saxophonist Martin Speake and pianist Bobo Stenson in support of Speake’s Change of Heart CD (ECM). He has also appeared in the UK with Nikki Iles, Hans Koller’s ensemble (with guest soloists Kenny Wheeler, Bob Brookmeyer, and Evan Parker), Christine Tobin, Bobby Wellins, Julian Arguelles, Ingrid Laubrock, Barry Green, Julian Siegel, Norma Winstone, and Alex Bonney. Jeff’s latest recordings include Martin Speake’s Generations (Pumpkin), Barry Green’s The Music Of Chance (Moletone), Dave Scott's Nonchalant (SteepleChase), John O’Gallagher's Dirty Hands (Clean Feed), and Ryan Blotnick's Everything Forgets (Songlines).

In addition to private instruction, Jeff has given master classes, directed ensembles and undertaken one-to-one drum instruction at The New School, Long Island University, the University of Connecticut, and Maine Jazz Camp. In the UK he currently teaches at the Royal Academy Of Music and at Birmingham Conservatoire.

“I’ve known Jeff Williams since the early 1970s, both as a musician and friend. His wealth of experience is staggering and very deep. His unique spirit is something all jazz students should be exposed to.”-Dave Liebman
 

Barry Green: piano​​

Barry studied classical and jazz piano at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, graduating in 2002. Whilst still studying, he began playing professionally in a varied range of musical styles.

Barry plays regularly in jazz venues all over the UK, including Ronnie Scotts, Pizza Express Dean Street, the 606 Club and The Vortex. In 2007 he played in Germany, Ireland, Spain and France.

Barry has recorded and performed with an array of  renowned Jazz artists  including Dave Friesen Martin Speake, Bobby Wellins, Mick Hutton, Spike Wells, Anita Wardell, Tina May, Jean Toussaint, Tom Rainey, Christine Tobin, Anders Christensen, Richie Cole, Jeff Williams, Bob Martin, Chris Laurence, Stan Sulzmann, Julian Arguelles, Trudy Kerr, Bill McHenry, The BBC Big Band, Gene Calderazzo, Marc Lockheart, Dave Cliff, Phil Robson, Tommy Whittle and Allison Neale.

He is a member of Ingrid Laubrock’s quintet, which toured Germany and Ireland in 2007. He is also a member of Laubrock’s two-piano nonet (featuring Tom Rainey and Liam Noble). The nonet performed at Cheltenham Jazz festival in 2007 and performed at the Berlin Jazz Festival later that year. Barry is also part of bassist Larry Bartley’s trio (with Winston Clifford). This trio formed the core part of an Octet that performed and was recorded at 2006’s Cheltenham Jazz festival. Both these bands have CD’s in the pipeline.


Barry has recorded a trio album with the American Jazz musicians Ben Street and Jeff Williams who between them have played with (amongst many others) Stan Getz, Dave Liebman, Danilo Perez and Brad Mehldau. The Cd will be released in May 2008. Other recent highlights have included a tour of Ireland headlining at the Cork Jazz Festival with Irish singer Honor Heffernan; and a tour with the New York based tenor sax player Bill McHenry.

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Dave Green: double bass

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Bass player Dave Green was born in London in 1942, he started out on tea-chest bass in local skiffle groups before buying his first double bass at fifteen. Local gigs followed, often with neighbour Charlie Watts and trumpeter Brian Jones. Turning professional in 1963 he worked with Keith Ingham and with multi instrumentalist Pete Shade. He joined the Don Rendell Quintet in the  December, and remained with until 1969, by which time it had become the Don Rendell-Ian Carr Quintet. In 1964 he worked with Benny Goodman on TV.

In 1965 he joined Humphrey Lyttelton, remaining with the band for eighteen years, but managing to combine the work with playing with Stan Tracey, and accompanying many visiting American jazzmen.

He left Humph in 1983, but continued to work with Tracey into the 1990s. He also worked regularly with Michael Garrick and Henry Lowther, as well as leading his own group Fingers in 1980s.

He has worked and recorded with numerous groups in all styles of jazz. His list of credits would fill a book. Dave's Jimmy Blanton inspired playing has accompanied:

Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Ruby Braff, Billy Butterfield, Yank Lawson, Pee Wee Russell, Kenny Davern, Peter King, Benny Carter, Sonny Rollins, Buck Clayton, Capt. John Handy, Barry Harris, Bob Wilber, Roland Kirk, Brian Lemon, Sweets Edison, Martin Taylor, Ken Peplowski, Warren Vache, Dick Wellstood and George Van Eps.

Add to this his tours with Charlie Watts Quintet to USA, Brazil and Japan, his being part of the Scott Hamilton Quartet for the last fifteen years and continuing to work with Alan Barnes, Henry Lowther, Gareth Williams and his own trio, and it's easy to see why he has become one of the most respected bass players in the world.