Biography of Mark Huggett

I first started playing with Dan back in my Art college days. We were a rhythm section for hire, our heroes were Sly and Robbie. We played as a duo for some gigs then with some crazy jazz guys with wild saxes at the Oxford improvisers co-op

Between us we’ve played with a lot of diverse and brilliant people like steel guitar legend Mike Cooper, the Waterboys, Annette Peacock, Annie Whitehead, Jason Rebello, and many more

After playing together in England for years Dan moved back to South Africa but that hasn’t stopped us working together. We‘ve been mailing MP3s of ideas backward and forwards. As well as posted off CDs and DVDs of ideas.

WeI had the idea to do a new project and to make it with completely new ideas and original material. We wrote and improvised and recorded and mixed a massive amount of material in a short space of time

I then brought in the Alaskan based Norwegian trumpet player Yngvil Vatn Guttu and the Berkeley trained James Tartaglia on tenor as well as the studied jazz guitar of Dave Warren. Further guitar was provided by Acid jazz DJ Silas and Flute by the Irish classical flute player Teresa Walsh

I wanted to use vocals, but in a different way, no scat, no moon in June. I found some beautiful Native American voices and fantastic South African voices courtesy of the Vuleka organisation. Yngvil did a great vocal for the track mello

I think I’ve been very influenced a great deal from working with two consummate musicians and artists Annie Whitehead and Jennifer Maidman. All of the tunes on the CD are evocative and try to be creative and contemporary.

What you hear on the CD is 3 years of work, you hear performances as well as studio artistry. Improvisation, composition as well as modern recording. I hope you get something out of it

Mark Huggett

June 2006