Roger Beaujolais played the vibraphone for the first time at the age of 24. He was 28 when he made his first public performance. He is completely self-taught. So far he has released 18 albums under many different names. These have been released by various labels which include Warner Brothers, Acid Jazz and Hollywood Records (Disney).
Roger has performed in over 25 countries, on 4 continents, and has played most of the major jazz festivals in Europe.
He has played with some of the best known UK jazz musicians: (Peter King, Jim Mullen, Gilad Atzmon, Alan Barnes et al) as well as regularly playing with Slim Gaillard in the 1980’s. He has also appeared on many albums by pop artists including Robert Plant, Morrissey, Duffy, Fairground Attraction, Rumer, Alexander O’Neal and Kirsty MacColl, as well as albums by Latin artists Omara Portuondo and Ed Motta.
Over the past few years Roger Beaujolais has written with, and produced tracks for many other artists. He now runs his own record label – StayTuned Records.
Roger Beaujolais Quintet
His first quintet album of straight-ahead jazz was released in November 1999. Called “For Old Times”, it features original tunes as well as jazz standards & some obscure tunes by Grant Green, Bobby Hutcherson & Wayne Shorter. The band features some of the UK’s top jazz players: Mark Lockheart on tenor & soprano sax, Robin Aspland on piano, Simon Thorpe on double bass & Winston Clifford on drums. There have now been 4 quintet albums, the latest was released February 2008.
In some of the bands he’s played in, people sometimes sit in for a tune or two. In that context he’s played with Suggs, Arthur Brown, Rico, Nelson Rangell, Paul Whitehouse, Edgar Broughton, Slim Gaillard, Jocelyn Brown, Maysa Leak & Johnny Clarke. Roger often collaborates for Music For Sport with Richard Marcangelo.
Roger has also worked as a jazz critic on radio, and regularly review albums for the British Musicians Union magazine. He is currently teaching jazz vibraphone at Trinity College of Music, London.
