Karen Lake - vocals

Karen Lake is a full time professional singer. Her rich, sultry voice shows the influence of Ella Fitzgerald, Chris Connor and Madelaine Peyroux. Her scat singing and exciting manipulation of rhythm and timing reflect the benefit of her studies with Anita Wardell, but her instinctual musical ear enables her to convey the beauty of lyrics with genuine emotion.

Karen also regularly performs with the Karen Lake duo/trio and 8 piece swing band Karen Lake and the Swing Shots.

Visit Karen's website for more details  www.karenlake.co.uk

Pete Lyons - sax

Pete Lyons has worked for many years as a full time jazz musician, jazz educator and private music tutor. His playing draws on a range of mainstream modern jazz styles from the 1950s and 60s and his compositions reflect a wide range of contemporary jazz influences. As well as teaching at Sheffield Jazz workshop and taking an active role in the committee of Sheffield Jazz (the not-for-profit jazz promotion organisation) he plays regular small group jazz gigs at venues around the region with a variety of different line-ups.

Jez Matthews - piano

After several years as a passionate jazz fan, Jez followed a long held ambition to get involved as a musician, putting into practise the piano skills he mastered as a youngster, and inspired by many a mispent hour in jazz clubs and festivals all over Europe. He has since become a fixture at jazz venues around Sheffield, as well as appearing further afield at events ranging from functions to festivals. Drawing on influences that include his heroes Bill Evans and Bobo Stenson, he has become known as a sensitive accompanist for singers including Tracey Stewart-Fry, Karen Lake, and Rosie Brown, as well as featuring in various other instrumental duos, bands, occasionally his own trio, and sometimes solo. He believes that there is nothing better than a decent pint of beer, although a nice cup of tea never goes amiss.

Rich Keates - bass

Rich has been around on the Sheffield jazz scene for many years, playing acoustic and electric bass. He grew with a love of music playing jazz funk and big band jazz, and now enjoys playing regularly with numerous jazz groups in the region and beyond. He has worked recently with: Black Coffee, Tracey Stewart-Fry band, Sarah Bennett Bossa Quartet, Karen Lake Trio, Jamshed, The Nick Fletcher Quintet to name a few... As well as being an excellent bass player, Rich is a live sound and recording engineer.

Brian Bestall - drums

Brian was born into a musical family in Sheffield in the late 50's and brought up on a diet of jazz and swing played by his father, a well known local pianist, and brother, who played saxophone. He soon realised that the only sure way to get attention was to play an instrument - and those old B&W films featuring Gene Krupa playing drums to hundreds of adoring girls had a certain attraction...!

He started to play jazz, rock and pop on the pub and club circuit in the 70's and eventually moved into the "scampi in a basket" night club scene during the 80's with various house bands including ex Walker Brothers' Jimmy Wilson Band until Jimmy was tragically killed on his farm in a vehicle accident.

The 90's were filled with more residencies and recordings for TV and radio commercials. Brian has now come full circle, returning to his jazz roots as founder member of Black Coffee, a successful jazz quintet featuring singer Alice Coulam, before founding current jazz band, Impressions.