Big band leader teaches children the joy of music

11:54am Friday 27th August 2004

RICHMOND musician Angus Murray has found harmony in his life and career by being both a professional musician and an inspirational teacher.

Since childhood, music has been an important part of Angus' life, playing as a session musician in London for many years.

Ignoring the advice of those around him and amid cries of "you'll never make any money", Angus was determined to do something different and began to put together a jazz group of fellow session musicians and others as word spread of his venture.

Eventually the group came to be known as Angus Murray and His Big Band.

The title of the group is no exaggeration, with as many as 16 musicians performing together at any one time. This certainly is a big band', sometimes making it very difficult logistically to rehearse.

However, Angus acknowledged that many venues weren't big enough to take the full offering so the outfit is often adapted. Angus can perform with as few as a trio of fellow musicians.

The band formed in 1995 and Angus spent the entire summer writing material.

After their first show was a huge success any doubts Angus may have had vanished.

He enthused: "This is what I want to do with my life. It gives you that top of the morning feeling."

Angus and the band went from strength to strength, producing their first album in 2001.

Their second offering, It's a Swing Thing', was released in May this year.

As yet unavailable in the shops, you can listen to samples and buy it online from mid-September at the band's website www.jazzswing.co.uk.

You can listen to the previous album online now, and Angus is hoping to add a facility to allow listeners to buy songs on a track-by-track basis.

I've been fortunate to listen to a copy of the album and it really is upbeat, uplifting stuff. The rendition of swing tune, Mack the Knife' is something incredibly different. I was mistaken in thinking that the song could never be successful sung in any other way. Angus also adds his touches to Queen's cult classic Crazy Little thing called Love. It's a really fun album which you can't not enjoy listening to.

Both albums combine a mixture of cover versions of music dating back to the 1930s, 40s and 50s, and Angus's own original songs. Don't be fooled into thinking that "Angus Murray and His Big Band" is a cover group though. While they may perform other people's songs, they are only covers' in the loosest possible sense.

Saxophones, trumpets, trombones and rhythm are brought together by Angus, on piano and vocals, in an exciting new interpretation of the Big Band sound, incorporating modern lyrics and arrangements.

Live shows feature an extensive repertoire ranging from Gershwin and Irving Berlin to more contemporary influences including the likes of Billy Joel and Van Morrison.

The band's clients read like a list of who's who of the world's most famous companies across all industry sectors. They include Tiffany's, Esso, Cancer Research, The Body Shop, Toyota Cars GB, W H Smith, RAF Lyneham, and British Telecom.

Currently, Angus and the band are on the shortlist to perform in Italy at the Trieste Jazz festival in October.

Angus combines his time as a successful Big Band' musician with teaching others the joy of music.

Angus told me that the pupils really benefit from him being a professional: "I divide my time roughly 50-50 between playing and teaching, perhaps 60-40 at times, but I think the students really benefit from me having the free time to play.

"I haven't got that many students so I can concentrate a lot on them. But they know I love the fun of it all."

Indeed, Angus' technique certainly seems to be working wonders on his pupils, as recently the Times wrote of one of them, Patrick Milne, aged 11, who had achieved a distinction in his grade 8 piano examination.

What's more, Angus is keen to teach different styles of music, not just the classical pieces that graded examinations are made up of and so many music students dread.

Speaking of his pupils, Angus said: "They really enjoy it. It's nice that children can pick up on different styles of music. I do all sorts of things with them - reggae, jazz."

Angus acknowledged that it was only through exploring different musical mediums that young people would remain interested in music, and would want to continue to learn.

"When I first started learning, my lessons were very much of the traditional form, follow the book', but now when there are so many other things that compete for people's time, you have to make it more and fun and interesting."