Jez Franks

Biography

Jez took up the guitar age 15 and attended Leeds College of Music, acquiring the College’s Jazz Guitar Prize.  He led his own quartet ‘Compassionate Dictatorship’ for many years, producing 3 albums of original material, and touring regularly. He has played, recorded and toured with a variety of ensembles including F-ire Collective member Tom Arthurs’ ‘Centripede’, Asaf Sirkis’ ‘Inner Noise’, the Koby Israelite Band, ‘Centreline’, Loz Speyer’s ‘Timezone’, Gerard Presencer, Rick Astley and ‘Solstice’ alongside Brigitte Beraha, Tori Freestone and John Turville, with recordings for Babel, 33 records, Ubuntu, Two Rivers and FMR and performances including the Cheltenham, London and Haskovo, (Bulgaria), Manchester and many other Jazz festivals, a live performance for Jazz on 3 and tours of Portugal, Poland and Austria. He currently teaches at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

“…a staggering improvisational force” All about Jazz website

“Franks is a fluent but punchy player, supple, long-lined solos streaming from his guitars” Chris Parker