Tenor Saxophonist Paul Booth is very much a rising star at the age of 26, but his career to date is, if anything, more remarkable.

Paul has been playing from the age of ten and started to play extensively on the North East jazz scene at the age of 13.

The Royal Academy of Music accepted Paul at the age of 15 onto their four-year degree course in jazz from which Paul graduated with honours.

Winner of 'The Most Promising Jazz Player of the Year Under 21', judged by John Dankworth and Chris Barber in the televised “Young Jazz Player of the Year” competition when only 16.

The following year he was voted “The Best Modern Jazz Player” in the same competition judged by Kenny Ball and Ronnie Scott, who likened his mature impact to that of the young Tubby Hayes decades earlier.

The Paul Booth Quartet appeared at Ronnie Scott’s Club for one week before going on a tour organised by Jazz Action and Northern Arts.

Paul has also toured with the leading Latin Jazz groups of the UK, including Roberto Pla’s Latin Jazz Ensemble.

In 1996, Paul went on a student exchange to the Western Australia Academy of Performing Arts in Perth where he recorded for the Australian Broadcasting Commission.

Paul’s versatility has gained him dates and tours with the likes of the 1960’s groups, The Supremes and The Drifters. He also plays in the British all-star jazz group “Sax Appeal”.

At the age of 18, out of 400 entrants, he became the first non-American to win the prestigious Clifford Brown/Stan Getz fellowship in Miami where he was introduced to Dave Grusin who showed great interest and invited Paul to perform with him.

This was followed by a public performance at the International Association of Jazz Educators conference held at Atlanta, Georgia.

He currently runs his own Brazilian Band Oxala and his own internationally renowned Jazz band the Paul Booth Quartet.

Click here to visit the Paul Booth website

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