Archive for December, 2008
A former pupil of percussion guru Max Abrams, Mark worked in clubs, bars, Theatres, TV/Radio sessions, cruises from the early 1970s until the mid-eighties, when he became in-house drummer at Ronnie Scott’s.
Dizzy Gillespie, Harry ‘Sweets’ Edison, Mark Murphy, Tim Garland, Flora Purim, Johnny Griffin, David Gilmour, Hatfield & the North, Soft Machine, Liane Carroll, Norma Winstone, Ronnie Scott, Geoff Eales , John Etheridge, Tony Coe , Georgie Fame, James Moody, Cedar Walton, Gary Boyle, Teddy Edwards, Ian Shaw, Joclyn Brown, Hugh Cornwell, Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook, Lea DeLaria are just some of the many fine artists that this exciting/creative drummer has worked with.
He’s a much in-demand studio player and first-call guy for many visiting American Jazz artists.
Pete Cater was born in Lichfield in 1969. The son of a drummer, he showed natural flair for the instrument from infancy and by age 2 had appeared on local TV soloing in 5/4.
Jazz has always been Pete’s first love, and his early heroes on the instrument were Joe Morello, Kenny Clare, Buddy Rich and Louie Bellson. Pete got his first real taste of big band drumming and national attention aged 13 when he joined the award-winning Midlands Youth Jazz Orchestra and by 16 he was doing professional work both live and in studios.
Lack of opportunity to progress caused Pete to relocate to London in 1992. He quickly established himself as a player with tremendous versatility, and whilst his later career has been largely jazz oriented he remains in demand to a wide variety of musical situations.
His own group, The Pete Cater Big Band has released two internationally acclaimed CDs and was big band of the year in the British Jazz Awards 2000. The band’s new album will be out in early 2006.
Furthermore his performing career takes him all over the world with a diverse range of artists, from jazz/electronica pioneer Matthew Herbert to veteran performers “The Best of British Jazz” and the Ted Heath Big Band. Away from the specialist jazz niche Pete has worked with a diverse range of artists including Tom Jones and Jamie Cullum. In addition he is constant demand as a freelance player, and recently appeared in BBC4’s “Jazz Britannia” season.
Other bands and artists with whom Pete Cater has appeared include: The BBC Big Band, Echoes of Ellington, Back to Basie, The Ricky Woodard Quartet, The Terry Gibbs/Buddy DeFranco Quintet, The Vic Ash Quartet, Lillian Boutee and Friends, Benny Carter, Harry Edison, Barney Kessell, Scott Hamilton, Harry Allen, John Dankworth, Dick Morrisey, Ronnie Scott, Jeff Berlin, Sax Appeal, and recorded and toured with the late American saxophonist Spike Robinson.
Pete has appeared everywhere from the Hollywood Bowl to the Tokyo Blue Note and top line UK venues including the Barbican Centre, The Royal Festival Hall and Ronnie Scott’s Club, and was the subject of an in-depth article in the November ’04 edition of “Drummer” magazine. Pete is also in great demand as an educator and clinician, and has for many years been associated with the renowned Drumtech school in London.
Pete began playing drums at age 15 and was soon playing along to albums by Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne and Deep Purple. Having spent a couple of years finding his own way he began working from such well known books as Gary Chester’s New Breed and Gary Chaffee’s Patterns series.
At 20 Pete headed south from his hometown of Leicester and was soon out gigging, which eventually led to him hooking up with guitarist Jan Cyrka.
Around this time Pete began studying with renowned teacher Bob Armstrong who was responsible for ironing out a few areas of Pete’s playing as well focusing on traditional grip and developing reading skills.
Pete went on to record two CDs with Jan and during this time he also worked with a couple other guitar greats including recording work with Motorhead’s Eddie Clarke and lots of UK touring work Phil Hilborne.
In 1996 Pete began teaching at the then new music school the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford where he still teaches. One day whilst at the ACM Pete got a call from a friend of Jan’s to audition for the pop band Republica with whom Pete went on to work over the next three years.
Pete has also written regular articles for Rhythm magazine as well as having work published in Modern Drummer. He’s also the author of three drum books, Double Trouble, 100 Tips For Drums and Crash Course-Drums.