About Octoboptet
...is a Jazz ensemble run by Simon Whiteside, playing arrangements from and inspired by the west coast jazz scene of the 1950's. Our aim is to play melodic cool and breezy jazz, a mini bigband with strong recognisable tunes and improvisations that never stray too far from the melody.
Working from the original parts the ensemble play tunes by Arrangers such as Marty Paich, Bill Holman, Shorty Rodgers plus some guys who went on to film scoring such as Andre Previn & John Williams
Working from the original parts the ensemble play tunes by Arrangers such as Marty Paich, Bill Holman, Shorty Rodgers plus some guys who went on to film scoring such as Andre Previn & John Williams
Dave Pell Octet
Octoboptet...
Tenor Sax-Mark Crooks
Bari Sax-Sam Bullard
Trumpet- George Hogg
Trombone-Adrian Fry
Bari Sax-Sam Bullard
Trumpet- George Hogg
Trombone-Adrian Fry
Guitar-Colin Oxley
Piano-Simon Whiteside
Bass-Simon Little
Drums- Steve Rushton
Piano-Simon Whiteside
Bass-Simon Little
Drums- Steve Rushton
Meet the Guys
Guitar Part
Jazz goes to Swash-Bill Holman
A Distinctive Sound
One of the most interesting elements of the line up is the use of Guitar as a 5th front line instrument linking the Horns to the Rhythm Section as well as giving a second timbre to back the soloists in improvised sections. The guitar parts are very often not chords but written single lines and the arrangements contain a lot of counterpoint.