Music in the Museum: Jazzface

About

A jazz music performance taking place in the stunning Drawing Room, surrounded by the museum's unique art collection and with spectacular views overlooking Wardown Park.

Jazzface is a trio of: Craig Stallwood – Piano, Pete Myatt – Bass and Steve Seal - Drums

Craig Stallwood
Craig was classically trained from the tender age of 10 and joined his first professional band, a 10-piece soul band, when he was just 17. He was a full-time professional musician for 15 years playing all over the world on luxury cruise lines, in five star hotels, at jazz clubs in London and Los Angeles… even the O2. He's played with dozens of bands over the years of almost every musical taste including salsa, reggae, ska, blues, jive…although his first love is definitely for jazz. He finally settled in Hitchin some 15 years ago where he formed a jazz trio with Pete Myatt and Steve Seal called Jazzface. They have been together nearly ten years, played hundreds of gigs and have built up a large following in Hitchin.

Steve Seal
Steve Seal has played with Jazzface for the last nine years, recording a live album with them in 2015. He worked for four years with the improvising electronic trio Achzeit, was a founder member of the Monk only quartet Straight No Chaser, currently plays in Jayne Mason's original music project House of Five (recording their debut album this summer for release in 2020) and with saxophonist Paul Jolly is half of the improvising duo The Artichokes of Horus (also recording their first album this year for release in late 2019).

Pete Myatt
Pete learned cello from the age of 5 which led to his enduring love of the music of JS Bach. He took up bass guitar as a 15 year old after hearing the incredible Roy Babbington. His first jazz gig was as bass player with the Nick Walker / Chris Goldsmith sextet which was followed by a spell with Hitchin power-rock four piece Thor. His love of blues led to the formation of the Blues Quarter in 1983 with guitarist and vocalist Mick Kirby - this band has endured and now perform as King Viper and the Blues Snakes. Pete was one third of fondly remembered jazz trio JMP, with saxophonist Chris Pyne and drummer Chris Johnson for a number of years in the eighties after which he had a rest from the world of jazz until a chance impromptu gig with Steve and Craig at Molly's led to the formation of the Craig Stallwood trio who subsequently metamorphosed into Jazzface - the rest is history!