Welcome

Hello and welcome to the pages of Nick Weldon. Here you will find background information about this UK musician writer and teacher, as well as links to information about his current activities.

 

 

picture of nick weldon

Music

Here are some excerpts from original compositions, performed with various wonderful musicians I have been involved with. Click on the symbol in the top righthand corner of the player to display the tracks and start the music.

 

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Itunes button check out the rest of these great albums online!

 

Writing

Nick Weldon is the author of the novel Idristan, published in February 2009. The first part, Royal Musics, is available to read free online at Scribd

Read more about Idristan

 

the novel idristan cover

 

 

Nick is also known for his poems, songs and lyrics. His haunting song Lavender's Blue has been performed and recorded by Christine Tobin and Claire Martin; the poignant People We Once Knew is the title track of Coleraine singer Andra Sparks's first CD, and Nick's translation of Leo Ferre's Avec Le Temps is the title track of Andra's second album Your Time. A recent addition is his lyric Where You Are for guitarist Pat Metheny's beautiful tune Question and Answer.

He also wrote Laura-Mae and the Olivardies, a play aired on BBC Radio 4, the jazz poem If I Were A Gong (recorded for Verge with percussionist Paul Clarvis) and most recently, a jazz memoir entitled Joanna.

More writing at Nick Weldon's Blog

Nick's Video Poems can be experienced on YouTube

 

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The Shoefactory

The Shoefactory at Rushden is an amazing arts space created by two musicians, Nick Weldon and Andra Sparks, with the help of master builder Carl Alban. Once the home of a million army boots, this beautiful Victorian building now throbs with the sound of Grand Pianos. The North Light windows and huge comfortable spaces offer fantastic rehearsal, recording and workshop facilities, and the building is also hired out for a variety of events, including Yoga and Pilates classes, conferences, weddings and private parties. Luxury cooking and some accommodation also available! Contact Nick Weldon for more information. Or visit the web pages at The Shoefactory at Rushden for an entertaining tour of the premises!   More ↓ 

Teaching

 

Nick Weldon has established himself as one of the most skilful and empathetic teachers and workshop leaders around. He has long experience in many different teaching environments, and made a start in the Education Department of Brixton Prison (as visiting teacher rather than inmate). He is currently a professor at Trinity College of Music and at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Nick was Director of the famous Wavendon Summer School and teaches regularly on the MEhrClef Summer Schools and LCCM Easter Courses. He also teaches privately and runs workshops at and from the Shoefactory Studio in Northamptonshire where he lives and works. More details of jazz teaching at Jazz School UK

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About Nick

 

Background

 

Nick Weldon was born in Cambridge, England in 1954 and is the son of writer Fay Weldon and folk singer and actor Colyn Davies. He was introduced to jazz by his stepfather Ron Weldon. Nick studied at Keele University, where while honing his blues licks, he received a First Class Degree in French and Philosophy. After graduating from the Barry Summer School along with, inter alia, Martin Speake, Simon Wallace and Clark Tracey, Nick began working as a professional jazz pianist in 1979.

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Piano

 

Nick built his reputation as a strong swinging sideman in the bands of UK players Tommy Chase, Don Weller, Bobby Wellins and Martin Speake, and was also much called upon to accompany visiting American jazz artists, including Johnny Griffin, Sonny Stitt, Teddy Edwards, Jimmy Witherspoon, Dewey Redman, Sheila Jordan, Eddie Henderson, Mark Murphy and many others. During the eighties and nineties Nick was a regular player at Soho's Ronnie Scott's Club, Peter Ind's Bass and Tenor Clef rooms, and Steve Rubie's 606 club.

 

Nick has played many diferent kinds of music. He played in Latin bands, and was a member of Joe Jackson's Jumpin' Jive Band, with which he recorded the famous album of that name and toured Britain and America.

 

Nick had a long association with the Denver tenor player (and UK resident) Spike Robinson, and recorded an award winning album with Spike and Derek Nash entitled Young Lions Old Tigers.

 

Nick loves to play in a piano trio setting, and recorded two fine albums Lavender's Blue and Live at the Albert with double bassist Andrew Cleyndert and drummer Paul Clarvis. They are on his own label, Verge

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Singers

 

Nick developed special skills as an arranger for and accompanist of singers, and worked in the bands of Annie Ross, Sheila Jordan, Carol Kidd, Trudy Kerr, and Andra Sparks. Ian Shaw used Nick as arranger on his New York album A World Still Turning.

Nick loves singers. Read what he has to say about them in the Jazz Piano Archive, on Scribd

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Recently

 

Nick has been collaborating with saxophonist Pat Crumly, bassist Tim Wells, and drummer Mark Fletcher, and produced a fine album Weaver of Dreams, where Nick's skills as soloist, arranger, accompanist and composer are amply shown. Nick is also a member of trumpeter Steve Waterman's sextet, and plays on his great album Stablemates. He has acted as producer on the album Red Dragonfly by crossover Japanese pianist Taeko Kunishima. He currently plays, writes and arranges for, and tours with the Andra Sparks Quintet, (this also includes saxophonist Art Themen, drummer Trevor Tomkins and double bassist Jeff Clyne).

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Double Bass

 

Nick is a keen double bass player, jazz and orchestral. He plays freelance gigs and has a trio with Andra Sparks and guitarist Dominic Ashworth . He plays regularly with a number of ensembles, including the Northampton Symphony Orchestra, The Rehearsal Orchestra, and I Maestri. You can read about his double bass experiences at Nick's Bass Journal, at Scribd

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Cooking

 

Nick is an excellent chef, having trained and worked with Prue Leith during a lull in his creative life, and the puddings on his Shoefactory courses are legendary.

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Squash

 

Nick plays this game with great enthusiasm and tenacity, and enjoyed a great victory on the show court at the Broadgate Arena in a Celebrity Doubles tournament in which he was pitted against commentator and tennis ace Andrew Castle.

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Finally

 

Nick has two large and beautiful grown-up sons Max and Felix, and lives in a converted Northamptonshire Shoefactory with his partner, the singer Andra Sparks.

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Contact


Nick Weldon
The Shoefactory

23b Fitzwilliam Street

Rushden

Northants

NN10 9YW

UK
Tel.: +44 1933 313969
Mobile: +44 7971 409596
E-Mail: