Studio Jazz: Pete Roth Trio featuring Bill Bruford

Pete Roth – guitar

Mike Pratt – bass

Bill Bruford – drums

Band leader, German-born Pete Roth, came to the UK to study jazz. Equipped with a diverse array of influences and a passion for innovation, Roth embarked on a solo career as a leader, culminating in the recording of two albums under the banner of MGP Records. He cites influence from luminaries such as Joe Pass, John Scofield, and Julian Lage. His playing is highly acclaimed.

Bassist Mike Pratt is a Ronnie Scott’s regular and international performer with the likes of Liane Carroll and Dave O’Higgins. The trio offers Mike an all-too-rare opportunity to depart from the traditional role of bass to become an equal partner in the melodic, rhythmic and harmonic interplay of the trio

The trio’s star turn is legendary ex-YES drummer Bill Bruford. He was voted into Modern Drummer magazine’s Hall of Fame (1990), named by Rolling Stone magazine as #16 Greatest Drummer of All Time (2016) and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2017) for his work with the legendary prog-rockers. But Bill’s jazz credentials are equally impeccable, having recorded and written music for Al Di Meola, the Buddy Rich Orchestra, Tim Garland, Django Bates, and Chris Botti among others, as well as his own hugely lauded Earthworks. We’re delighted to welcome Bill back to Lighthouse after many years.

The band creates jazz for a new generation of music enthusiasts, exploring beyond traditional jazz conventions. A jazz standard might reveal its essence only in the final moments of performance. Roth’s original compositions, such as “Dancing with Grace,” the Trio’s collaborative works like “Trio in Five” and “Looking Forward to Looking Back,” or their reinterpretation of masterworks like Anton Dvorak’s “Largo from Symphony #9,” offer just a few gateways into the creative world of the Pete Roth Trio.

Photo credit: Leon Barker