Biography
Born on 22 March 1947 in Manchester, England, Chase largely taught himself the drums and waited for a later generation’s jazz revival before steaming soul jazz gained acceptance. He turned professional in the mid-60s and, from the early 70s onward, performed pure jazz in London with tenor saxophonist Art Themen and trumpeter Harry Beckett. Mid-80s jazz dancers embraced a younger lineup that included tenor saxophonist Alan Barnes between 1983 and 1986, revealing the lindy-hop foundation beneath break-dancing through pieces such as ‘A Night In Tunisia’.
When he later added a Hammond organ played by the excellent Gary Baldwin, the move confirmed what many already sensed: although he sometimes claimed the mantle of the Art Blakey of British jazz, he was in truth its Dr. Feelgood, delivering unpretentious, propulsive music with a sharp instinct for stage dynamics. His 1992 quartet, widely regarded as his strongest, featured the inspired, driving double bass of Australian Les Miller together with Chris Watson on guitar and Dave Lewis on tenor saxophone and saxello. Chase commands his drumkit completely, altering tempos with startling precision and urging his musicians to match his extraordinary sense of timing.
When he later added a Hammond organ played by the excellent Gary Baldwin, the move confirmed what many already sensed: although he sometimes claimed the mantle of the Art Blakey of British jazz, he was in truth its Dr. Feelgood, delivering unpretentious, propulsive music with a sharp instinct for stage dynamics. His 1992 quartet, widely regarded as his strongest, featured the inspired, driving double bass of Australian Les Miller together with Chris Watson on guitar and Dave Lewis on tenor saxophone and saxello. Chase commands his drumkit completely, altering tempos with startling precision and urging his musicians to match his extraordinary sense of timing.
Albums