Biography of Gareth Roberts Quintet

Gareth is a jazz trombonist (currently based in Cardiff) who plays in a wide variety of different bands including his own award winning quintet for which he writes all the material himself.

The Gareth Roberts Quintet have been playing together for many years and have built up a large following with their own, unique, exciting brand of Jazz. All of the quintet are acclaimed bandleaders in their own right but they got together under the leadership of Gareth in 2006 to record their long-awaited debut album “The Attack of the Killer Penguins”.

This CD was released on 1st June 2006 and was successful in winning the band the Jazz Services Promoter’s Choice Award in 2007/08. Since then the quintet have played in many of the country’s premier jazz festivals and completed a full UK tour which included venues as far afield as Newcastle, London and Devon. Gareth writes all of the music played by the quintet himself and describes his main influences as the music of Charles Mingus and Blue Note jazz of the 60’s.

Gareth and Gethin have been playing together for many years now in various line-ups and have built up a great understanding as a horn section. Mark, Chris and Paul make up ¾ of another South Wales Band -the Jones O’Connor group- and work together as a rhythm section in the way that only players who’ve played together for many years can.

Since the launch of their first album the Gareth Roberts Quintet have played at,amongst others, London, Brecon, Manchester, Glastonbury, Scarborough, Cheltenham and Teignmouth jazz festivals. They have recently finished recording their second album “Go Stop Go”.

Originally from Aberystwyth in Mid-Wales, most of Gareth´s early musical experiences came from playing Euphonium in Brass Bands. He later switched to the trombone after discovering jazz.

In 1997 Gareth graduated from Nottingham University with a degree in Civil Engineering before returning to Aberystwyth to take a PGCE (teacher training) course in Maths. A year later he moved to Cardiff and worked full time for 5 years as a maths teacher. A lack of sleep caused by too many late night gigs persuaded him to leave and take a Post-Graduate diploma in Jazz at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

During this time Gareth studied with (amongst others) Paula Gardiner, Steve Waterman and Keith Tippett, and had regular
trombone lessons with Mark Bassey at Trinity College, London.

At present, as well as working professionally as a trombone player Gareth is heavily involved with music education. He
teaches music part-time in a Welsh language comprehensive school in Cardiff, conducts two school jazz bands and is employed by the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama to run music workshops for pupils of all ages.