Drums, Piano, Keyboards, Composer
Born in Yorkshire, England, Gary Husband is a multi-faceted, versatile and inspirational musician. Studied classical piano under the distinguished Fanny Waterman while first attracting public attention backing visiting jazz stars in a local club playing drums, aged 14. At 16 he took his first full time professional position playing drums in the UK’s popular Syd Lawrence Orchestra playing big band covers. Following a move to London at 18 he became active as a session musician while holding down the drum spot with artists and groups as diverse as Barbara Thompson’s Paraphernalia, The Dick Morrissey/Jim Mullen band, Gary Boyle, the Mo Foster/Ray Russell band R.M.S., Ian Carr’s Nucleus, Jeff Clyne’s Turning Point and Mike Carr Trio.
Around the late 70’s he established a musical partnership with guitar-great, Allan Holds worth, and formed a musical relationship that is still evolving to this day, countless album recordings and international tours later. Back in the early days Allan and Gary were experimenting with different formations - one, named “Handlebars” included the formidable guitarist Steve Topping on second guitar. Together with a bassist they toured Scotland as a strictly improvising unit.
Having established himself in the U.S. with Holdsworth’s IOU Husband also was moving around and performing stints with Jeff Berlin, Frank Gambale and Bunny Brunnel among others through the early 1980’s. In 1987 he accepted an invitation to join of the UK’s popular chart hitting pop/jazz/funk groups Level 42 on drums, although his keyboard and writing skills were also prominently featured in their subsequent output too. In 1989 he performed with the band at the Princes Trust Rock Gala, where he also found himself backing international stars such as Mica Paris, Alexander O’Neal, Spandau Ballet, John Farnham, Will Downing, Mike & The Mechanics and others.
Upon leaving the group in 1992 he joined Billy Cobham as keyboardist, second drummer and featured writer, appearing in the full gamut of Cobham’s recording and touring band formations, (including the recent U.S. “Spectrum” album anniversary tour featuring Dean Brown and Lee Sklar.) At the same, he was also recording and touring internationally as a drummer with bass-legend Jack Bruce in a rock/blues trio format. As that relationship continued, Gary Moore became a part of the trio, and Husband later took Moore’s offer to record and tour with his projects in addition.
Later through the 90’s Husband could be found touring with a blues group named “Blue Thunder” featuring Paul Williams, Mickey Moody and others, still freelancing with Cobham, and then back to the States again recording with guitarist Anthony Hindson for his “It’s A Curious Life” album that also featured tabla-maestro Zakir Hussain and violinist Shankar.
Back in the UK, Husband (playing drums) formed a bebop jazz quartet with Scottish guitar-great Jim Mullen in 1996 and has recorded four albums to date with this group. At the same time he was hot-footing it back and forth to the US recording with original Gong members Hansford Rowe and Bon Lozaga as drummer in their fusion group Gongzilla. (Husband recently recorded his second album with this group; “The East Village Sessions”).
In 1997 Gary appeared regularly, playing either drums or piano, with UK jazz musicians such as saxist Tim Garland, pianist Julian Joseph’s trio, guitarist Milan Ladd’s group, Julian Arguelles and Alan Skidmore‘s quartert, performing music of John Coltrane. Through his jazz fusion drum prowess he was also fulfilling many invitations to take part in drum n’ bass recordings by stars in the area of Jungle music such as Lemon D, Dillenger and others.
Also during this year Gary appeared on one of his best friends debut albums, the guitarist Steve Topping’s debut release, “Time & Distance”. Later in the year Husband produced his first educational/performance video as a leader for Rittor Music entitled “Interplay & Improvisation On The Drums”. It was on this, Husband had the idea to feature solo spots, duos, trios and 4 piece groups, enlisting the services of old friends Topping, Holdsworth, Mark King, Gary Moore, Jack Bruce, Paul Stacey and bassist Mick Hutton.
Out of his dissatisfaction from appearing always as a sideman, in 1998 Gary worked on a concept for his first group as leader and writer - The Gary Husband New Trio, a distinctive and modern take on the traditional piano trio formula, featuring himself on piano/keyboards and samples, drummer Gene Calderazzo and bassist Mick Hutton.
The group made a big impression on the UK jazz scene, performing at Ronnie Scott’s Club in London four times, and appearing frequently on Radio 3’s “Jazz On 3” and on major festivals. Husband recorded the group’s first album, “From The Heart” for the UK’s Jazzizit record label late 1998.
Firmly ensconced in his writing and further development as a pianist, Husband recorded “The Things I See - Interpretations Of The Music Of Allan Holdsworth” for Art Of Life Records in the U.S. - a loving and ambitious project John McLaughlin felt prompted to hail as a “new kind of recording” in his liner notes.
In 2001 Husband started work on his third piano/keyboards album, “Aspire”, presenting his whole later catalogue for the New Trio. The album, which also features Billy Cobham and Husband himself as keyboardist, drummer (and acoustic guitarist) has recently been released, also on Jazzizit Records in the UK.
Next was a performance DVD featuring a trio of Gary playing keyboards, the formidable drummer Mark Mondesir and his bass-playing brother Michael Mondesir. The resulting product, entitled “To The Power Of Three” was released by the RSJ Groove company in the UK.
After disbanding his own “New Trio” in 2003 Husband began working on a project for the UK Arts Council’s Contemporary Music Network - his own formation, Force Majeure, featuring many formidable and legendary names in jazz and fusion. Trumpeter Randy Brecker, Mahavishnu’s Jerry Goodman on electric violin, trombonist and bass trumpeter Elliot Mason, Jim Beard playing keyboards, Matthew Garrison on bass and Arto Tuncboyaciyan on percussion. Gary took up an extra commission from Radio 3’s “Jazz On 3” to write a forty minute piece for this unit as part of the performances, and the group toured in March 2004, generating ecstatic reviews and ovations throughout the UK. The London show, at Queen Elizabeth Hall was filmed for a DVD release.