Annie Whitehead
Biography
Annie Whitehead was born in Lancashire and learnt to play the trombone at school. By the age of sixteen she had started her professional career with Ivy Benson's All Girl Orchestra. Over the years Annie has been a member of The Brotherhood of Breath, run by Chris MacGregor and featuring Dudu Pukwana, Ernest Mothle and Harry Beckett. She was also a member of various groups run by John Stevens featuring Courtney Pyne and Evan Parker among others.
Much in demand as a session player, Annie has worked with Elvis Costello, Joan Armatrading, Chris Rea, Bill Wyman, Amazulu, The Communards and Bananarama. More recently she has recorded with artists such as The Beautiful South, Blur, Jamiroquai, Eddi Reader, Geri Halliwell, The Spice Girls, Boyzone, Gabrielle, Finley Quaye and Robert Wyatt.
Annie has given many workshops on improvisation and composition. She has taught jazz to people of all ages and ranges of musical ability. Annie has taught in primary schools and secondary schools and currently teaches on the jazz faculty at the Royal Academy of Music, London.
Annie has received commissions from the World Trombone Quartet and the Berlin City Festival. She has also written music for a new play by Glyn Maxwell which premiered in the West End in February 2002. Annie has recorded six albums under her own name, with her latest album Airplay being released in September 2002.