Phil Lester-Shaw

Clarinet, Saxophones

Madcap Phil blows Saxophones of various types, Clarinet, Recorders and Penny Whistles in various local ensembles. Phil received his somewhat unusual musical training as a Pioneer Student on the City of Leeds College of Music Jazz Diploma Course in the seventies.

Phil teaches and arranges Jazz for all age groups, and is available for school and private tuition. 01258 452 657

Colin Clark

Violin

Colin has been on the fiddle since he was eight years old, having started off on the piano at six. Classically trained, he ended up in the Guards orchestra at Chelsea before seeing the light and founding the Crazy Rhythm Boys with Phil.

Asked what his influences are he candidly replied "achohol and Grapelli", the link between the two being the word "grape".

His musical ambition is to have fun and just keep playing the violin.

Graham Gilbert

Guitar, Ukulele

I learnt to play piano at an early age and haven't progressed much. I had a hand-made guitar made for me from a scrap body and a pair of mis-matched front panels by a mad chemistry boffin at school and have trummed away happily ever since. Joined the CRB in 2003 and have never looked forward. Influences are gypsy jazz, Vivaldi, Johnny Winter, Bonzo Dog & Carl Orff. I believe that music should be fun and listening to my lack of virtuosity you need a sense of humour to enjoy it. The highlight of my musical career was playing gong in a symphony orchestra at Dartington International Summer School.

Graham also dabbles in photography, especially what he calls "Photographic Art". You can see his work, as well as his wife Sara’s, on their web site at www.artgilbert.co.uk,

Dennis Woods

Bass Guitar

The King of Transatlantic Cool. His hard driving rhythm and searing bass lines have been known to shatter granite blocks and to melt the hearts of young maidens at the same time.

An obsessive compulsive musician, he started playing granny’s piano before he could reach the keys. First clarinet, then sax-a-ma-phone, then on to sousaphone for a stint in the school band. Dennis then discovered stringed instruments, and plays a silly number of them - but not in The Crazy Rhythm Boys!

Dennis has an insatiable appetite for learning musical genera. From a false start in the school marching band playing J.P. Sousa dross, he moved on to playing acoustic and electric guitar for Blues, Rock, Rockabilly, Folk, Ragtime and Bluegrass styles. Moving to Ireland expanded both his musical and instrumental horizons and he is a founding member of seminal contemporary Celtic band Pumproom.

Dennis is also a member of  Dirty Bizness, a 1920's style string band - check out www.dirty-bizness.co.uk.