Roland Perrin – piano & compositions
Jeremy Shoham – sax & clarinet
Bob McKay – sax & flute
Paul Taylor – trombone
Emannuel Oladokun – bass
Yuval Wetzler – Drums
Jeremy Shoham started his musical life playing on cruise liners, in West End theatres and at summer holiday camps. On the verge of brain-death, he then joined Roland Perrins’s ground-breaking world music project, Evidence, touring in the UK and France. Inspired by Roland’s eclectic approach to composition, he founded his own band in the mid-90s, Just East of Jazz, making five critically acclaimed albums and touring the UK’s jazz circuit. He has also been running a jazz club in north London for the past 12 years with colleague Rick Finlay, where he has played with jazz luminaries such as Liane Carroll, Jim Mullen, John Etheridge, Neil Angilley, Paul Booth, Jo Harrop, Cameron Pierre, George Melly, Dave O’Higgins, Gilad Atzmon, Jonathan Gee, Liam Dunachie, Anita Wardell and Nigel Price.
Bob McKay has collaborated with Sax Appeal, Paul McCartney, The Ronnie Scott Big Band, Cliff Richard, Claire Teal, Donna Summer, Nelson Rangel, Gloria Gaynor, Ian Shaw, Georgie Fame, Mel Torme, George Shearing, The John Dankworth Big Band, The Michael Garrick Orchestra, The Gareth Lockrane Big Band and played on the Morecambe and Wise show. While working on the QE2, he taught Ray Bradbury how to play Space Invaders.
Paul Taylor created, and composes for, two trios: The Blowpipes Trombone Trio and Click Beetle. He plays trad jazz with Redriff Jazz and Harry Strutters, Latin jazz with Roberto Pla and Snowboy. and free jazz with A Bigger Mouth. As a freelancer, he has played with The Pogues, Loose Tubes, Brotherhood of Breath and The Mingus Big Band. Trombone Poetry is his solo poetry/music project, and he has published several poetry books (Better Late Than Sorry, Otherhithe, etc).
Emmanuel Oladokun began singing in a church choir at the age of four and started playing bass in his early teens. After earning a music degree from the London College of Contemporary Music (LCCM), where he met his mentor, Roland Perrin, he pursued gigs and studio work in various styles, especially soul, funk, afrobeat and jazz.
Yuval Wetzler is a London-based drummer who has performed at festivals and venues across Europe, Australia, Africa, and the United States. His drumming style blends strong influences from African rhythms, jazz, and electronic music.
Over the years, he has performed and recorded with a wide range of artists and bands, including Sona Jobarteh, Isaac Birituro and The Rail Abandon, Sam and the Womp, L&F, Bloom, Sway, Soothsayers, Bassically, Jally Kebba Susso, Namvula, Dele Sosimi, Bukky Leo & Black Egypt, Kodjovi Kush, Afel Bocoum and many others.