Andy Williamson

Over the years sax player and vocalist Andy Williamson is as happy reading the dots in a big band, recording session or horn section as he is busking head arrangements with other musicians.

He has shared the stage with Jamie Cullum, Stacey Kent, MoBo Best Jazz Act 2012 Zoe Rahman, Joanna Eden and Mama Tokus. With his bands the Honkin’ Hep Cats and Big Buzzard Boogie Band on BBC Radio 2, 3, and 4, at Buckingham Palace. Andy also performs regularly with poet Matt Harvey.  

He has played with BBC 6music’s Tom Robinson and Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, and sung duets with Suggs from Madness, taking the place of the then recently departed Ian Dury.

Andy created the Jazz Activists – a loose group of musicians who perform at political demonstrations around liberty and the destruction of our ecosystem. He’s set ecological poetry to Gregorian chant style melodies in Plainsong for the Planet.

In 2010, Andy joined the Denbone Walkers, with guitarist Denny Ilett, celebrating the centenary of T-Bone Walker. He also co-founded The Organ Grinders with keyboard player Maff Potts, after Maff donated one of his kidneys to Andy in 2007, with the aim of encouraging more people to join the UK Organ Donor Register.

In 2012, he was commissioned to write a Jazz Mass which was performed for the Bewdley Jazz Festival. He established Ashburton Live, convening eclectic musical performances at the historic St Lawrence Chapel in the Devon Stannery town of Ashburton.

Andy will be performing as part of Street Music on Friday 7th June on Paignton Esplanade.