“The Engine” Feat. Al Cherry, Jim Knight, Andrew Mckinney & Pat Illingworth

This is something of a “supergroup” comprised solely of tutors from the highly regarded London-based BIMM music college. Al Cherry is an active freelance guitarist and tutor with many years’ experience in live and studio work and TV appearances. His career began with a scholarship awarded by Fender before going on to gain a first class honours degree in Music from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Since then he has established himself as first call guitarist for a wide range of established performers, including the likes of Paul Young, Percy Sledge, Beverley Knight, Paloma Faith, Carleen Anderson, Katherine Jenkins, Marti Pellow and Lisa Stansfield. He's probably best known here at the Club for his fluent and creative playing with the great singer/songwriter Gwyneth Herbert as well as being the Groove engine for Dave Lewis's band "1 UP". A highly skilled and creative musician, saxophonist Jim Knight initially studied at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester before moving on to Berklee College of Music in Boston and the Royal Academy of Music in London. Now doubling as a producer/engineer he has worked with artists including Leona Lewis, The Saturdays, Cee Lo Green, Gary Barlow, Alison Moyet, Olly Murs, Michael Buble and Robbie Williams. James has engineered and performed on tracks for ‘X Factor’ in both the UK and US and is a composer of some note, his writing being featured on numerous TV and films scores, including ‘Love Actually’ and ‘The Life and Death of Peter Sellers’. Andrew McKinney is one of the most respected Funk/Groove bass players on the UK scene. He includes work with the likes of Deodato, The Feeling, Beverley Knight, Omar, Jamelia, the Jungle Brothers, LL Cool J, and Lynden David Hall on an impressive cv. However, it's probably the 10 years that he has spent as featured bassist with UK Acid jazz supremo James Taylor's band JTQ that has gone a long way to establish his credentials as one of the finest groove players around. Drummer Pat Illingworth enjoys international renown working with a cavalcade of stars in the studio and live, including Dave Stewart (Eurythmics), Corinne Bailey Rae, Will Young and the aforementioned James Taylor Quartet. The band describe the music they will be playing as "retro-funk from the JBs, Headhunters, George Benson and Rare Groove.... and some Afrobeat too" which sounds pretty cool to me! This is four fantastic musicians playing the music they love for fun and well worth catching.

"Al Cherry is a genius" The Times; "Al Cherry...outstanding" Financial Times; "superb....Jim Knight's sax solo is very good indeed" Soul Express; "cooking from the get-go...a funky stew of solid bass from McKinney" Jazzwise; "Pat Illingworth performs a truly breathtaking drum solo" The Independent