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Karen took up the
tenor saxophone whilst studying composition at the Royal
Northern College of Music. A friend introduced her to a
recording of Dexter Gordon and she was instantly hooked,
quickly joining the college jazz band and finding
regular work in a busy soul band based in Liverpool.
Since relocating to London in 1999 Karen has become a
busy freelance musician working alongside many top class
British and American musicians such as Scott Hamilton,
Sir John Dankworth, Danny Moss, Alan Barnes, Barbara
Lea, Dick Sudhalter, Joe Temperley, Mark Nightingale,
Annie Whitehead, Ellyn Rucker, Roy Williams, Tina May,
Nikki Iles, Stacey Kent and the great blues singer Elkie
Brooks.
In March 2004 Karen began a three year stint in Humphrey
Lyttelton’s band, which took her to venues and festivals
across the UK and into Europe. During this time Karen
was also working hard to establish her own quintet with
which she has now produced three albums and played at
top jazz venues in the UK.
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Karen played at
the Ginza Festival, Tokyo in 2006 with British singer
Tina May and pianist Nikki Iles, and more recently Karen
has been working closely with South African singer
Esther Miller, with whom she appeared at the Cape Town
International Jazz Festival 2007, along with US trumpet
star Jeremy Pelt.
Karen has recently released her third album for “33
Records” entitled “Wait And See” and featuring her
regular band of Adrian Fry on trombone, John Day on
bass, Richard Busiakiewicz on piano and John Perry on
drums. She has also featured on Humphrey Lyttelton’s
latest three albums on baritone sax, tenor sax and as a
composer/arranger, and she made a guest appearance on
George Melly’s last album along with Jackie Dankworth
and Van Morrison.
Karen is currently
busy writing material for both Humphrey Lyttelton’s band
and her own projects. She has also joined forces with
the great tenorist Robert Fowler producing a show called
“A Salute to Al and Zoot”
which after a successful summer in the UK is now being
promoted in Europe.
“....an extraordinary
talent.”
Phil Collins, BBC Radio 2 |
