Meet Our Saxophone Section
The wealth of experience our saxophone section offers and with all the section players being multi-instrumentalists, our saxes add a pallete of colour to complement the big band.
Gordon Carter (Alto Sax)
Gordon has been playing the saxophone and clarinet from the age of eleven. After a success at a Butlins holiday camp playing Rock Around the Clock on the recorder, he decided a professional career was the way forward for him.
Upon leaving school Gordon joined the world renowned Royal Marines Band Service. After only 5 months he won the prestigious Silver Medal for performance, awarded by the Worshipful Company of Musicians in the Cassel Prize competition.
Gordon is still serving in the Band Service and has done since 1982. His career has seen him travel the globe performing in some of the world’s most famous venues, many times as a soloist.
A recent move to the Royal Marines School of Music as the saxophone instructor gave Gordon a real enthusiasm for teaching. It was while serving here that Gordon was awarded the Certificate of Teaching by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.
Roger Bailey (Alto Sax)
Roger studied flute with John Francis at the Royal Academy of Music. From his early 20s he has been a professional
theatre musician which has included 6 years in the Brisbane Theatre Orchestra.
Presently Roger plays for musicals and is a member of a light classical piano trio
"Trio Camerata".
He enjoys playing the saxophone and playing jazz which, he says, can be extremely
challenging.
Tony McQuarry (Tenor Sax)
Tony's first performances were at jazz and dance venues in 1957. Between 1958 and 1960 he spent his National Service as a member of the Band of the Royal Corps of Signals.
On return to Plymouth, Tony joined the Les Watts Big Band (the resident band at the "Duke of Cornwall" hotel) and remained there as a member for the following decade.
He had a brief spell as a leader of his own jazz quartet in the early 1970's and has made several broadcasts on "Plymouth Sound" radio with varying sized jazz groups.
Since 2003, Tony has been a member of the "Plymouth Jazz Messengers".
More recently, Tony has joined up with guitarist Frazer Weekes performing at the "Devon Music Festival" in 2007 and 2009 plus an appearance at the 2009 "Plymouth Barbican Jazz and Blues Festival".
Chris Bundy (Tenor Sax)
Having studied at school as a choirister and classical flautist playing around the world and winning National Festival
of Youth music two years on the trot with the Kent Youth Symphonic Wind Band, he was gigging regularly from 13 years old
in Kent orchestras and music societies and busking in the south east.
He took up the saxophone at 19 years old on joining the Royal Marines Band Service and
won the prestigious Cassel prize Bronze Medal from the Worshipful Company of Musicians.
He has played in major venues around the world and since leaving the services
diversified playing in many varied genres with bands from South East to the South West, Alka Salsa, Joey The Lips, Soul
Station, Duende- latin /dance/fusion, Sam Eliot Big Band, AJ's Big Band, Tour De Force, Vuka- Afro dance fusion and
shows, seasoned function bands, and guesting for EMS Orchestra, session work. He teaches part time in the Exeter area
after gaining his Certificate of teaching from ABRSM a few years ago. He also runs his own Latin Jazz funk function band,
Boogalicious.
He has also featured on CDs for a variety of artists on flute and saxs from easy
listening, folk, jazz funk, garage and rock.
Having taken time out from music to train as a Sports Therapist he is delighted to be
playing with the Dave Hankin Big Band.
Dave Lambert (Baritone Sax)
Dave spent 28 years with the Royal Marines Band Service and played principle clarinet with the major staff bands.
He has performed in some of the most prestigious venues around the world.
Since retiring Dave has been a teacher and free-lance player and is delighted to be
playing with the big band.