Biography of Richard Fairhurst

Richard Fairhurst only took up the piano at the age of 15. Now, although only in his early 20s, he has begun to be recognised as a major talent of the next generation of British jazz musicians. He also works with one of the exceptional young drum talents, Tim Giles.

The opportunity for Richard and Tim comes from the great 'patronage' and help of saxophonist Iain Ballamy.

The CD of this line-up was number 4 in the Virgin national jazz chart for January 1996. The group has also recorded sessions for the BBC, both Radio 2 and the Impressions programme on Radio 3.

Iain first worked with Richard Fairhurst and Tim Giles at Ronnie Scott's in 1994, after receiving a tape via Mark Ballamy, Iain's father. Leicester-born Richard spent six months on a scholarship at the New School in New York in early 1996. He has already absorbed enough from his peers such as Django Bates that he is beginning to take the music in his own direction and snatches of up-to-date dance grooves frequently surface. In 1994, his trio which was already including Tim, won the Daily Telegraph Young Jazz Award. It is the foundation of a group which thus brings in the drive and groove of the 1990s which will lead jazz and music into the 21st century.

Billy Jenkins, on hearing the tape of the band, wrote one word to describe them - 'Fresh'!