Alan Wakeman

Alan Wakeman ( born October 13, 1947 in Hammersmith, London ) is a British jazz and rock saxophonist (soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophone).

Life and work

Wakeman began playing the clarinet at the age of fourteen years; in high school he played in a band Traditional Jazz with his cousin Rick Wakeman. At sixteen, he transferred to the alto saxophone, and later to the tenor saxophone. He became a member of the Quartet of Paul Lytton in 1968 and initially moving in the direction of free jazz. In 1970 he founded his own trio with bassist Harry Miller. He also belonged to the ensemble of Graham Collier, on the albums Songs for My Father and Mosaics ( in 1976 and 1978 New Conditions The Day of the Dead ), he was involved. Then he played with Johnny Dankworth. In 1972 he was a member of the London Jazz Composers Orchestra ( Ode ). He also worked for Pete Atkin as a studio musician and in 1972 and 1973 in Alan Gowen's band Gilgamesh (before it came to the first album of the group). Already at this time he was part of the ensemble of Mike Westbrook and was involved in the uptake of its albums Citadel / Room 315 and Love / Dream and Variations. He also worked in Brian Miller's impulses, and then start on the drums his own trio with Nigel Tickler on bass and John Snow.

In 1976 he replaced with Soft Machine Karl Jenkins and was involved in the album Softs. He then played with David Essex and continued his collaboration with Mike Westbropk continued until the end of the 1990s, but increasingly focused on the activity as a theater musician and played about in the ensemble of the musical Grease. In 1997 he was one of John Williams' Baritone Band. In 2010, he starred in Richard Baker's band Interplay.