Simon Purcell

Biography

Previous Jazz Educator of the Year (All Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group, plus subsequent nomination), Simon Purcell has contributed to the development of jazz education in the UK for many years, as a senior lecturer at GSMD between 1987-2005, Head of Jazz at Trinity Laban between 2005-2017, returning to GSMD as International Chair in Improvisation in 2018. Many of his students have progressed to significant careers in jazz, across generations and various genres of jazz, bebop, contemporary and the new British scene.

Simon was a member of the Pop and Jazz Platform within the Association of European Conservatoires between 2009-2018 and his research into teacher-development in jazz education was published by Ashgate in 2005 and was. His work has taken him to Brazil, China, New Zealand and many parts of Europe. For more information see https://simonpurcell.com/about

A highly respected pianist and composer, Simon first came to prominence during the UK jazz boom of the 1980s through his band ‘Jazz Train’, a quartet with Julian Arguelles and numerous appearances with or opposite visiting American artists (Red Rodney, Kenny Wheeler, Eddie Henderson, Jean Toussaint, Valerie Ponomarev, Dale Barlow, Bobby Shew, Conrad Erwig). His CD “Red Circle” was released to critical acclaim and features some of the most important contributors to the UK’s creative music scene during the last two decades with bassist Steve Watts (Loose Tubes et al), drummer Gene Calderazzo (Pharaoh Sanders) saxophonist Julian Siegel (Partisans etc) and trumpeter Chris Batchelor (Hermeto Pascoal, Loose Tubes).