HOWARD McGILL

He started playing the clarinet at age 7 followed shortly afterwards by the alto sax. Then came flute and piano. He played in a local show band run by Gordon Campbell, lead trombone with the BBC Big Band and at the age of 17 he was asked to join the newly formed NYJO II, run by Paul Eshelby, trumpet player with the BBC Big Band. By 19 he was playing lead alto with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra run by Bill Ashton where he remained for 6 years, performing annually at Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club, London. At 21 he won the BBC Don Lusher prize for best up and coming jazz musician in Britain.

He went to Jesus College Cambridge to read Engineering and also obtained a music scholarship for private lessons with Pete King (alto), Roy Jowitt (clarinet) and Anna Noakes (flute). Upon graduating with honours in engineering he decided to pursue a career in music. He studied jazz and studio music at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with lessons in harmony and composition from Peter Churchill and Scott Stromann.

After NYJO he formed the Rhythmic Jazz Orchestra along the lines of the Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra of New York, playing works by Thad Jones, Maria Schneider, Stan Sultzman and Steve Gray.

He played in numerous West End Shows including Lionel BartÕs Oliver and Blitz and Andrew Lloyd WebberÕs Starlight Express, Sunset Boulevard and Jesus Christ Superstar, as well as Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Hot Shoe Shuffle, Damn Yankees, The Goodbye Girl, Soul Train, West Side Story, Annie and Beauty and the Beast.

He also worked the Summer months from 91 to 94 in a residency in Monte Carlo where he played with Frank Sinatra, Donna Summer, Shirley Bassey and Julia Migines.

He joined the BBC Big Band in 99 and played with Clark Terry, Ray Charles, Bobby Watson, Bud Shank, Pete Christlieb, Georgie Fame and Michel Legrand. He worked in the pop scene, touring extensively with Vanessa Mae, playing opposite Michael Jackson and for the Queen and Prince Charles. He also performed with the Spice Girls and Ben Folds 5.

He opened Station House Studios in 98 and was signed to Artemis music as a media composer. He produced the Go Solo improvisation series, the Associated Board Jazz Works, Take the Lead and Jazztastic series published by IMP, and an advert for Pet Plan Insurance. He also wrote and recorded various jazz projects.

As a session musician he is fluent in both jazz and classical styles playing Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Baritone Saxes; Clarinet and Bass Clarinet; Flute, Alto Flute and Piccolo; Wind Synth and Percussion.

To contact Howard you can e-mail him by clicking here

Station House Studios is available for hire and has the following equipment.
Address - Woodside, Park Road, London N12 8SE

Apple Mac G3 running Cubase VST and Korg 1212 card
G3 Powerbook running Cubase and Unity sampler
Yamaha O3D automated mixing desk
TLAudio C1 valve compressor
Focusrite Red 2 EQ unit
Lexicon PCM90 reverb unit
TC Electronics finalizer 96k
Microphones Ð Neumann U87, AKG Solid Tube, C414s, C451, AT4033a, Sennheiser 421, Shure SM57, SM98s and Hebden Sound overheads.
Yamaha U3 piano
Gretsch 1970's jazz drum kit, Istanbul cymbals
Kurtzweil K2500 sampler
Oberheim matrix 6R
Yamaha WX5 and WX7 wind synths
Yamaha VL70m and TX81Z sound modules

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