Over the last years Andy has been working extensively on the Gypsy Jazz scene with Angelo DeBarre, Fapy Lafertin, Tcha Limberger, Lollo Meier and Sweet Chorus (featuring John Etheridge and Chris Garrick), and New Orleans-born singer Lillian Boutte, with whom he has played bass and guitar at festivals and workshops in Europe, America and Australia.
A love of many musical styles beyond jazz has led Andy to also play folk, blues, country and rock, notably in successful Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix tributes. Another favourite project has been with an orchestra conducted by Charles Hazlewood, playing the music of Barry Gray (Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet et al!) at Glastonbury.
Andy brings his huge breadth of musical experience into his teaching, sharing it in workshops all over the world, teaching groups and individuals with equal enthusiasm. He is also Course Director of the Henley Jazz Workshops.
Andy brings an incredible sense of rhythm and drive to the rhythm sections he plays with, and a lyrical musicality, which comes to the fore in his solos, where his formidable technique combined with a wry sense of humour always keeps audiences entertained.
From the relatively unjazzy environment of studying Composition under William Mathias in Bangor and gaining an M.Mus., Andy moved into the genre of jazz, where he got most pleasure and fulfilment and where his career has been focused. The formal musical training didn’t go to waste though; he still uses it to provide compositions and arrangements: he has been commissioned to write several jazz pieces for the Berkshire Youth Jazz Orchestra, as well as commercial compositions; visit Cadbury World, the Jorvik Centre or the Heritage Centre in Derry – you will hear his music in all.
Andy also has extensive experience in the recording studio (on more than 60 CD releases to date) and is no stranger to our screens, having performed in major motion pictures (“White Hunter, Black Heart”, starring Clint Eastwood), TV drama productions (“Doggin’ Around”, starring Elliot Gould, Ewan McGregor and Geraldine James), chat shows (“The Late Show”, “The Big Breakfast”, “Blue Peter”, etc.) and radio productions (Gogol’s “Dead Souls”, featuring Andy playing balalaika as well as double bass!).