John Gration

A group of friends playing great songs:

John Gration has a story to tell and you can hear it in his music. With musical tastes from Robert Johnson to Elgar and everything in between he writes in a diversity of styles but all the songs have John’s signature and when he plays guitar and sings, naturally it sounds just like…John Gration.

Alex Coke, from Texas, plays multiple saxes and flutes and plays them beautifully too. He played for many years in the famous Willem Breuker Collectief and is a .well known session player and composer too. He replaces trombonist Michael Rorby who has moved to New York.

Huub Habets adds some accompaniment on the keyboards but excels on trumpet. No standard Miles licks in Huub's solos, which explains why he has toured with various bands around Europe, North and South America.

Arjan Schinkel has been with John since the start of the band and so knows instinctively what John has in mind. As half of the rhythm section Arjan plays melodic bass lines on one his lovely self-built Schinkel 5-string electric bass or his new love, a full size upright bass.

Drummer Ton Vrolijk is the other half of the rhythm section and was in at the start as well. He likes to find the groove in a number but loves to get out of his comfort zone too.