Folk Bands and Artists
Phil Bancroft Trio
Phil Bancroft is an outstanding tenor saxophonist with his own style and his trio focuses on his superb improvising in the jazz standards tradition.
A major figure on the Scottish Music scene for over 30 years, Phil Bancroft emerged in the late 1980’s as saxophonist and main composer for the seminal John Rae Collective,
He went on to enhance his reputation in influential Scottish bands including Celtic Feet, award-winning Trio AAB, trumpeter Colin Steele’s Stramash, and the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra. He has since performed at the highest level with musicians from across the pop, jazz, classical and Celtic music scenes.
Phil has developed a truly authentic voice on saxophone, combining the study of Jazz, Celtic, Indian and Classical music to produce his own blend of virtuosity, expressive sound and heart-felt conviction.
From the world of jazz, he has performed with luminaries Sun Ra, Kenny Wheeler, Oliver Lake, Ernst Reisinger and Joe Lovano and he has composed music and developed multi-media for his own small and large ensemble projects.
Collaborations have crossed musical and geographical boundaries, including those with bassist Reid Anderson (US/Bad Plus), drummer Thomas Strønen (Norway), guitarist Mike Walker (England), Carnatic violinists Ganesh and Kumaresh Rajagopalan (India), and West African musicians, master drummer Okoe Ardyfio (Ghana) and Singer and Ngoni virtuoso Siaka Diarra (Burkina Faso).
Phil recent work includes albums with fiddler Aidan O’Rourke of Lau fame (An Tobar, Hotline), and multiple projects with guitarist Graeme Stephen including performing live soundtracks to silent movies such as Graeme’s award-winning score for Mernau’s Sunrise.
He is a featured soloist in the Grit Orchestra which celebrates maverick musician Martyn Bennett’s work.
