Neville Dickie

Neville Dickie ranks among England's leading interpreters of stride and boogie-woogie piano. He appears regularly on BBC Radio, logging hundreds of solo and trio engagements. Few British jazz pianists have achieved a hit single, yet his 1969 recording "The Robins Return" did exactly that, and he has retained a loyal following among domestic jazz listeners ever since. His 1975 release Back to Boogie ultimately surpassed 100,000 copies sold.

Born in England's County Durham, Dickie devoted years to piano work in working men's clubs. Following service in the Royal Air Force, he moved to London and sustained his career in the capital's pubs. An audition for the BBC caught the ear of Doreen Davies, then head of BBC Radio 2, whose endorsement elevated him to one of the network's principal artists.

He continues to perform in the London area, both with his longstanding trio and with the Rhythmakers, the ensemble he assembled in 1985.