Pete Long's 'Benny Goodman' Quartet

Pete's career began fairly inauspiciously at the age of 18 deep within the bowels of the Nat West bank in Marble Arch putting bank statements into envelopes. An unfortunate incident involving a picture of a lady and a horse being accidentally sent to the Convent of the Sacred Heart along with their financial records led to a re-think and a few days later, Pete had enrolled at the Royal London College Of Music. After a couple of years of hard study, ruthless self-denial and curry, Pete was out on the road with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. Having the unusual inclination to play modern jazz on the rather "old-fashioned" clarinet led to several works for clarinet and big band being commissioned.

As part of the award winning Sax Quartet, Pete toured Brazil, Venezuela, North Africa, Russia and Europe, working with, amongst others, Dizzy Gillespie, John Scofield, Chick Corea and Supersax.

It is Pete's baritone sax and oboe that can be heard on "Handbags and Gladrags", the theme for the comedy series "The Office".

A five-year stint playing and arranging for Jools Holland's Rhythm and Blues Orchestra, saw Pete working with Tom Jones, Norah Jones, Solomon Burke, Dr. John, Lulu, Georgie Fame and Lionel Richie, to name but a few, and producing arrangements for John Cale, Texas, Sir Paul McCartney, Candi Staton, Marti Pellow and Chrissy Hynde. Pete is also the first musician in Europe to use the Tubax commercially, on a Ringo Starr track, and much more recently with The Guillemots.

Over the last couple of years, Pete's career has divided into three distinct streams- as an educator, working in masterclasses and as soloist with young musicians all over Britain, from the furthest point of West Wales to the orchestra at the Royal Academy. In conjunction with this work, Pete has helped develop a new series of student woodwind instruments with a leading UK Manufacturer. As a jazz soloist, Pete has appeared with resident trios in the provinces, and has often been caught at Ronnie Scott's, in London's West End. It is however, as a bandleader and orchestrator that Pete spends most of his time currently, with work being divided between directing the Big Band at Ronnie Scott's, and putting together bands of all sizes and styles for clients on a bespoke basis. In the course of this work, Pete has provided musicians and arrangements for Seth MacFarlane, Will Young, Joss Stone, Dionne Warwick, Claire Sweeney, Jane MacDonald, Humphrey Lytlleton, Sir John Dankworth, the entire cast of Emmerdale (!) and a host of others.

Anthony Kerr is widely regarded to be one of the world's top jazz vibraphone players. He has toured and recorded with such names as Georgie Fame, Charlie Watts and Van Morrison as well as regularly appearing with the BBC Big Band and teaching at the Royal College of Music in London. He is known for his brilliant and melodic four-mallet technique.

Dave Newton is the best known jazz pianist in the UK and a full resume of his talents can be found elsewhere on this website.

Sandy Suchodolski (double bass) is originally from the Isle of Wight and has forged a very successful career in music since graduating from the Royal Academy and moving to London. He has regularly accompanied the very best names in UK jazz and also successfully led his own trio and larger groups.

Bobby Worth (drums) was the National Youth Jazz Orchestra’s first drummer, in 1966, aged 16. Since than he has played with many big bands, including Frankie Vaughan’s V men, the Bert Rhodes Orchestra at the ‘Talk of the Town’, Kenny Baker’s Dozen, the Freddy Staff Big Band, the BBC Radio Orchestra, the Stateside Stompers and the Buck Clayton Legacy Band. Bobby has played in trios and quartets led by Pete King, Jim Mullen, Don Weller, Brian Dee, Simon Spillett, Geoff Eales, Derek Nash, Len Skeat, Alan Barnes and Digby Fairweather and many other leading names of the British jazz scene, backing visiting American artists, such as Pearl Bailey, Buddy Greco, Charlie Byrd, Buddy Tate, Bob Wilber and Kenny Davern.