E.J.N. - MIKE WESTBROOK

Mike Westbrook formed his first band while studying painting at Plymouth Art School in 1958. He moved to London in 1962. His compositions range from large-scale works for jazz and classical ensembles, to music for radio, TV, theatre, opera, dance and cinema. He was awarded the OBE in 1988.
His principal recordings include Citadel/Room 315 featuring John Surman (BMG Records), The Westbrook Blake settings of the poetry of William Blake (Impetus), On Duke's Birthday dedicated to the memory of Duke Ellington (Hat Art) and Off Abbey Road (Enja), a tribute to The Beatles. In collaboration with Kate Westbrook he has written many original songs and settings of European poetry notably The Cortege (Enja) and London Bridge Is Broken Down (Virgin/Venture), a composition for voice, chamber orchestra and jazz group.
Mike Westbrook's film music credits include the BBC award-winning drama Cought On a Train by Stephen Poliakoff, and the 1928 silent movie Moulin Rouge, the latter performed by the Matrix Ensemble. His saxophone concerto Bean Rows and Blues Shots (Argo) was commissioned by the Bournemouth Sinfonietta for John Harle. Other works include the TV opera Good Friday 1663 co-written with Kate Westbrook, with libretto by Helen Simpson and the stage opera Coming Through Slaughter with libretto by Michael Morris based on the novel by Michael Ondaatje about the New Orleans cornettist Buddy Bolden.
With his various ensembles, Mike Westbrook continues to perform regularly at Festivals throughout Britain and Europe and has toured as far afield as Canada, New York, Australia and the Far East. In 1992 the three-day Westbrook Music Festival was held in Catania, Sicily. That same year the Mike Westbrook Orchestra became the first jazz ensemble to play in the main programme of the BBC Proms, with a performance at the Albert Hall of Big Band Rossini.
His latest recordings are the Duo album Stage Set with Kate Westbrook (ASC Records) and Bar Utopia (Enja) with the Mike Westbrook Orchestra. Recent compositions include Cable Street Blues for the classical string septet The Gogmagogs, and Blues for Terenzi, written for the Steve Martland Band, dedicated to the memory of trombonist Danilo Terenzi.

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