Pete Roth Trio, featuring Bill Bruford

The Pete Roth Trio  creates jazz for a new generation of music enthusiasts that look beyond the ordinary jazz conventions. The Trio consists of Mike Pratt on bass and, as special guest, the legendary Bill Bruford on drums.

About the band

The Pete Roth Trio features leader Pete on guitar, Mike Pratt on bass, and the legendary Bill Bruford as a special guest on drums. The band creates jazz for a new generation of music enthusiasts, exploring beyond traditional jazz conventions. 

A jazz standard might reveal its essence only in the final moments of performance. Roth’s original compositions, such as “Dancing with Grace,” the Trio’s collaborative works like “Trio in Five” and “Looking Forward to Looking Back,” or their reinterpretation of masterworks like Anton Dvorak’s “Largo from Symphony #9,” offer just a few gateways into the creative world of the Pete Roth Trio—a world that will likely reshape your perspective on what the guitar trio format can achieve.

For more details, please visit our website: peterothband.co.uk

Pete Roth, a versatile artist and accomplished session guitarist, born in Germany, where his musical journey began in the heart of a family deeply rooted in music. At the tender age of 11, he picked up the guitar, setting the stage for a lifelong dedication to his craft.

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In his formative years, Roth found inspiration in the raw emotion of blues and the electrifying energy of rock. However, his musical horizons expanded when he ventured to England to study jazz. There, he delved into the rich complexities of the genre, drawing influence from luminaries such as Joe Pass, John Schofield, and Julian Lage.

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Equipped with a diverse array of influences and a passion for innovation, Roth embarked on a solo career as a leader, culminating in the recording of two albums under the banner of MGP Records. Yet, his artistic journey continues to evolve, as he now stands on the cusp of a new endeavour.

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With his sights set on exploring fresh musical territories, Roth is poised to embark on his first trio adventure. He is set to weave intricate melodies and rhythms, crafting imaginative jazz compositions that resonate with a new generation of music enthusiasts.

Internationally known as a rock musician, our ‘Special Guest’ drummer Bill Bruford also has impeccable jazz credentials, having recorded, performed with or written music for Al Di Meola, the Buddy Rich Orchestra, David Torn, Allan Holdsworth, Tim Garland, Django Bates, Iain Ballamy and Chris Botti among others.

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Early success propelled Bill, by nature a restless innovator uncomfortable with the well-worn path, into a 40-year career as a bandleader and writer. His groups such as Bruford and Earthworks led the way with advanced harmony in rock in the 70s and 80s; samples, electronics, and odd metres in electric jazz in the 90s; and stylistic innovation in his 21st-century acoustic jazz.

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Bill’s taste for the unpredictable in live performance has led him to collaborations with dozens of the world’s top rock and jazz musicians in an endless search for the innovative, the unusual, and the unlikely.

He was voted into Modern Drummer magazine’s Hall of Fame (1990), named by Rolling Stone magazine as #16 Greatest Drummer of All Time (2016) and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of ‘Yes’ (2017).

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Straddling both jazz and rock, Bill’s work as a musician is well documented on CD and DVD at Summerfold and Winterfold Records, on his YouTube Channel, and at www.billbruford.com . He lives in the Surrey Hills, UK, with his wife, Carolyn.

Mike Pratt  is already familiar to Pangbourne as he has depped for Andy Crowdy at the club. He is a double bass and bass guitar player, composer and producer based in London. He has recently written and performed with country artist and TV presenter Laura Evans, West End musical star Oliver Tompsett, and nineties soul band Curiosity Killed the Cat.

Mike has composed music for Ford and the FIA, and recently recorded basses for Chris Roe’s soundtrack for the documentary Stewart. He is musical director for the live theatre rockumentary Seven Decades.

Mike is currently producing songs for Jamie Johnson, semi-finalist of The Voice. On the London jazz scene, Mike has performed with Acantha Lang, Dave O'Higgins, Liane Carroll and Duncan Eagles, and at venues including Ronnie Scott's, The Jazz Cafe, the Royal Albert Hall and the Cape Town Jazz Festival. Mike has taught bass, composition and music technology at Kingston University and the Gateway School of Recording.