Bath RhythmFest

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.