Stan Tracey

One of the outstanding figures of British jazz, pianist Stan Tracey was deeply involved in the 1950s jazz boom. His early work showed the influence of Thelonious Monk, but Tracey has consistently displayed a distinctive, sometimes quirkily personal touch. For most of the '60s he was resident piano player at Ronnie Scott’s jazz club, backing numerous visiting headliners including Zoot Sims and Sonny Stitt. In the middle of the decade he formed a band, writing and recording the acclaimed UNDER MILK WOOD, a suite inspired by Dylan Thomas’s play for voices. Also an accomplished arranger, Tracey employed this talent to great effect on two popular Duke Ellington tribute albums.