Biography of Mark Ramsden

Saxophonist Mark Ramsden has played most types of accessible jazz, rock, soul and dance music. His session credits include Tom Robinson (War Baby) Roy Harper, Bert Jansch, Kiki Dee. Above the Clouds, his music for soprano sax and church organ was successful in America. His acclaimed novels are published by Serpent’s Tail.

From The Rough Guide to Jazz about Mark Ramsden

" A consummate saxophonist and a talented composer…" Ian Carr

"Exquisite saxophone and church organ duets. This is hushed delicate music featuring original compositions and some ingeniously arranged early and baroque music". Time Out

"Plangent Ramsden originals plus haunting arrangements of Albinoni, John Stanley and 13th century dance music all filtered through subtle jazz sensibilities". BBC Music Magazine

"Have you heard Above the Clouds? It’s amazing". Nigel Kennedy



"No opportunistic bit of neo-classical looting, this disc is as much about Ramsden as it is about Desmond. His alto approach echoes the American cool star’s in its unforced unpredictability, but it’s informed by a post-Coltrane sensibility and occasional hints of Jan Garbarek, as well as a brittleness of sound that helps reinvent familiar material like Take Five". (four stars!) John Fordham The Guardian re: Tribute to Paul Desmond

"Breezy, instantly accessible, but with a hint of the graininess that produces pearls, this is an above-average “tribute” project". Chris Parker Jazzwise

"Ramsden is a prodigiously gifted saxophonist –good chops, beautiful sound, plenty of power and even more imagination". Richard Palmer Jazz Journal