Nick Weldon

Born in Cambridge, Nick is the son of writer Fay Weldon and folk singer and actor Colyn Davies. He studied at Keele University, receiving a First-Class Degree in French and Philosophy, and began working as a professional jazz pianist in 1979.

Nick built his reputation as a strong swinging sideman in the bands of UK players and also accompanied many visiting American jazz artists, including Johnny Griffin, Sheila Jordan, Sonny Stitt, Jimmy Witherspoon, Dewey Redman and Teddy Edwards.

With his own label (Verge) he has released two piano trio albums Lavender’s Blue and Live at the Albert, People We Once Knew and Your Time from the Andra Sparks Quintet, a poetry single If I Were A Gong with percussionist Paul Clarvis, and (playing double bass) a sextet CD Eleven Flames with drummer Trevor Tomkins, singer Andra Sparks, trumpeter Laura Jurd, saxophonist Art Themen and pianist Nikki Iles.

Nick Weldon is also the author of the novel Idristan, the BBC Radio Play Laura-Mae and the Olivardies, and many poems, jazz tunes, and songs, including Your Time (Nick’s translation of Leo Ferre’s Avec Le Temps) and Where You Are (Nick’s lyric for Pat Metheny’s Question And Answer).

Nick has a long experience in many different teaching environments, including Brixton Prison (as visiting teacher rather than inmate), the Royal Academy of Music and Trinity College of Music. He runs his own organisation, Jazz School UK, in a converted shoe factory.