Biography of Dylan Howe

Sound clips at:

www.dylanhowe.com
www.myspace.com/dylanhowe
www.itunes.com

Dylan Howe Quintet

" Firmly mooted as the scenes most happening pure jazz outfit - this highly acclaimed, hard swinging London based modern jazz quintet blow the roof off any venue they appear at. Igniting full houses, inspiring rave reviews and forging vital explorations of forward-thinking original instrumental music.”

Dylan Howe – Drums
Quentin Collins – Trumpet
Brandon Allen – Tenor Sax
Ross Stanley - Piano
Chris Hill - Double Bass

www.dylanhowe.com
www.myspace.com/dylanhowe


“Searing modal hard bop from drummer Howe, playing scorching originals and drawing on the spirit of classic 60’s Blue Note”
Time Out July 2006

A single live set, highly concentrated and phenomenally energetic, captures this young band at its peak. It consists of 10 originals, recorded at London's Pizza Express Jazz Club, and the style is essentially a contemporary variant of hard bop. What sets it apart is the remarkable cohesion of the whole band - the tight blend of Quentin Collins's trumpet and Brandon Allen's tenor saxophone, Howe's needle-sharp drum fills and that indefinable sense of occasion which comes when a band knows it is working at the top of its form. This, the quintet's second album, marks a distinct advance on last year's very promising debut.
Dave Gelly
Observer Sunday 30th July 2006


Dylan Howe Quintet

*Dylan Howe: Drums
Age: 36. Grew up in Hampstead, North London.
Mainly self-taught,also studied with Bill Bruford & Bob Armstrong.
Influences:
Elvin Jones / Tony Williams / Philly-Jo-Jones / Roy Haynes
Credits include:
Gilad Atzmon / Guy Barker / Pete King / Jim Mullen / Courtney Pine
Ian Dury & The Blockheads / Ray Davies / Paul McCartney / Nick Cave

* Quentin Collins: Trumpet
Age: 27. Grew up in Richmond. London
Studied at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. London.
Influences: Freddie Hubbard / Lee Morgan / Woody Shaw / Clifford Brown
Credits include: Mike Carr / Ray Gelato / Mike Garrick / US3 / Omar

* Brandon Allen: Tenor Sax
Age: 28. Grew up in Perth W/ Australia.
Studied at West Australian Conservatory of Music.
Lived / performed in Holland 2002-3.
Influences: Coltrane/ Henderson / Parker / Adderley / Rollins
Credits include: Guy Barker / Stan Tracy / Mike Carr / Pete King / Eric Clapton

* Ross Stanley: Piano
Age: 23. Grew up in Marlborough, Wiltshire.
Studied at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. London.
Influences: Bill Evans / Herbie Hancock / Chick Corea / John Taylor
Credits include: Jamie Cullum / Liane Carroll /Jim Mullen / Guy Barker

*Chris Hill: Double Bass
Age: 23. Grew up in Winchester, Hampshire
Studied at Trinity College, Cambridge & Guildhall School of Music
& Drama. London
Influences: Paul Chambers / Scott Lafaro / Dave Holland / Ray Brown
Credits include: Julian Joseph, Stan Sulzman, Tina May, Ray Warleigh & Martin Drew.



press & comments:

* Roy carr, author of the hip: “Dylan Howe is one of the happening names in today’s jazz scene.”

* Charlie gillett, BBC London: “A great musician and a lovely man.”

* Sean Street, Nightwaves, BBC Radio 3: “Truly impressive. Howe is stunningly talented.”

* JAZZ CD OF THE WEEK in THE OBSERVER:
“If this were to catch you unawares, you might well assume that it came from one of the more advanced Blue Note sessions of the mid-1960’s.
…Howe’s drumming has just the right mercurial touch.”

* John Fordham, The Guardian: 19/01/05 National theatre ***
“The group handled a warm, elegantly harmonised repertoire of classics and originals with the balance of fireworks and languid soulfulness that characterises the original idiom... this sparky band will undoubtedly warm straight-ahead fans' hearts.”

* The guide / The guardian:
“Howe, always inspiring and invigorating in any genre.”

* John Lewis, Time Out: “Fine drumming...A sparky modern jazz quintet.”

* Bill Bruford: “These are jazz drums.”

* Modern drummer:
“Howe swings like an old veteran.”

* Musician Magazine:
“This is 'It' if you like serious jazz. The drummer-led quintet play with a dexterity and maturity to match any mainstream / hard-bop artists of the 50's and 60's. The album sits perfectly in the pocket of Blakey, Coltrane and Mingus. There is an extremely high standard of playing on this album...
An absolute must for jazz lovers.”

* Callum Jones, Jazz Review.com: ‘The Very Best In BritBop.’
“‘A perfect example of the best of the new wave of British jazz from
One of the top bands on the UK jazz scene. It doesn’t get much better than ‘This Is It’.”

“A superb player, even at his most self-effacing;
there is a commanding snap to his playing.”
Dave Gelly. THE OBSERVER

“Dylan Howe simply does all the right things.”
MUSICIAN MAGAZINE

“His fills & cymbal rolls evoke memories of the great
Elvin Jones & Philly-Jo-Jones.”
JAZZ JOURNAL

“A very honest, highly promising album...dynamic drumming
...maturity & control.”
JAZZ RAG

“Sit back and enjoy an unfussy, very swinging debut that is sprinkled
with no little Blue Note 60’s gold dust.”
Andy Robson
JAZZWISE

“Excellent set from youthful drummer. Includes a skilfully- executed
cover of Herbie Hancock’s ‘Eye Of The Hurricane’”
RHYTHM

*Review in The Nottingham Evening Post 08/03/06
DYLAN HOWE’S “FIVE CORNERS”
Bonington Theatre, Nottingham
“THIS enthralling band had all the flair and verve of a bunch of hard-boppers straight out of the 1950s-60s New York jazz scene. But in reality it was a superb quintet of extremely young London-based musicians not only expertly recreating authentic Blue Note sounds but also writing most of their own material, modelled on this timeless jazz style.
Drummer Howe was in charge of the group’s engine room; his chattering snare, shimmering top cymbal and sizzling hi-hat a constant source of energy, pivoting around the deep sounds from Mike Codey’s bass, whose powerful singing lines were a constant driving force. On the front line Quentin Collins’ trumpet sprayed the audience with a constant tirade of white-hot notes, hit spot on with a flawless, rapid delivery and blistering attack. His fellow front-liner, Brandon Allen playing tenor-sax, dovetailed perfectly with Collins to produce the classic Blue Note ensemble sound. An exciting and consummate musician, he played with a huge, passionate tone.The quintet’s output included wonderful, surging up-tempo themes, immaculate blues-infused 12-bars, beautifully constructed ballads and cool jazz waltzes, most of them penned by Collins, Howe and Allen.” Alan Joyce

*DYLAN HOWE - DRUMS

BORN IN LONDON IN 1969, DYLAN HOWE GREW UP IN LEAFY HAMPSTEAD WHERE HE DISTILLED A UNIQUE KALEIDOSCOPE OF INFLUENCES, NOTIONS AND MUSICAL STYLES TO CREATE HIS OWN DISTINCTIVE SOUND INSPIRED BY THE METROPOLIS. UNDER THE WATCHFUL EYES OF HIS FATHER STEVE HOWE, BILL BRUFORD AND TUTOR BOB ARMSTRONG AND THE RECORDINGS OF FORWARD THINKING JAZZ & ROCK ARTISTS OF THE 60’S & 70’S, DYLAN LEARNED TO FIND HIS ‘DEEP POCKET’ & INDIVIDUAL PROPULSIVE FEEL – BLAZING A TRAIL FOR IMPROVISATION AND NEW INNOVATIONS ON THE DRUM SET.

FROM THE WEST END JAM SESSIONS OF THE LATE-NIGHT LONDON SCENE IN THE EARLY 90’S - HONING HIS CRAFT WITH THE PIVOTAL JAZZ ARTISTS OF THAT ERA - TO RECORDING AND TOURING WITH NOTABLE ROCK AND POP ARTISTS OF MANY GENERATIONS – DYLAN COULD BE SEEN AS A ‘NEO-VETERAN’ OF ARENAS, CONCERT HALLS AND JAZZ CLUBS ALIKE.

WITH OVER 20 YEARS OF RECORDING & TOURING CREDITS, SPANNING STYLES & EXPERIENCES, DH SEES HIMSELF AS STILL GROWING AND LOOKING TO NEW SOUNDS AND EXPRESSION IN THE FORMATION OF HIS HIGHLY ACCLAIMED QUINTET

“ I feel really lucky to be able to live from what I love to do: be creative, play with great musicians and still connect to the essence of why I picked up the sticks in the first place.”

DH July 2006