Ben Castle
British jazz saxophonist and clarinettist, winner of the 2003 International Songwriting Competition.
via Wikipedia: Ben Castle · see source
Ben Castle (born 1973) is a British jazz musician, the younger son of television presenter and entertainer Roy Castle (1932–1994) and his wife Fiona (born 1940). He placed first in the Jazz category of the 2003 International Songwriting Competition with his song "The Heckler." Castle plays the saxophone as well as the clarinet and has performed as a backing musician for a wide range of artists including Radiohead, Blur, Sting, Gregory Porter, and Jamie Cullum. He co-wrote the album Little Dreamer with singer Beth Rowley, which debuted at number 6 on the UK Albums Chart in 2008.
Quick Facts
- Born
- 1973
- Genre
- Jazz
- Occupation
- Instrumentalist, songwriter
- Instrument
- Clarinet, saxophone
- Years active
- 1986–present
Facts from the source article.
Background
Castle's musical journey began early. In 1986, he saw Marillion play at the Milton Keynes Bowl. Through his interest in drumming as a youth, he became acquainted with Marillion drummer Ian Mosley. Many years later, Castle performed saxophone on the band's track "Deserve," from their 1999 album Marillion.com, and recorded an album with Mosley, Postmankind, released in 2001.
Castle also played woodwind on the self-titled album by the band Storm Corrosion. In 2014, Castle released the Over The Moon EP with his band The Tombola Theory on Ben Castle's Major Record Label. The band plays original pop music inspired by traditional jazz. Ben formed the band to pay tribute to Tommy 'Tootle' Truman, a school caretaker and controversial character who played clarinet in a Trad Jazz band in his local pub every Wednesday night for nearly 23 years.
Tommy was Ben's first and most enduring musical influence. Tommy died in obscurity in 2009, leaving behind no known recordings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Ben Castle do?
Ben Castle is an Instrumentalist and songwriter.
When was Ben Castle active?
Ben Castle has been active since 1986.
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