Dennis Rollins

Ben Rollins
Rollins in concert, April 17, 2008 Photo: Hubert Hung
Background information
Born	1964
Origin	Birmingham, England
Genres	Jazz, pop, jazz-funk
Occupations	Musician, bandleader, record producer
Instruments	Trombone
Years active	c. 1984 - present
Associated acts	BadBone and Co, Boneyard
Website	http://www.dennisrollins.com/ Dennis Rollins.com

Dennis Rollins (born 1964) is a British jazz trombonist, the founder and bandleader of BadBone and Co.

Rollins was born in Birmingham, of Jamaican parents, and brought up in Bentley, Doncaster and attended Don Valley High School. When he was fourteen years old, he joined The Doncaster Youth Jazz Association, with which he studied and performed for some years^[1] before moving to London in 1987.

Dennis Rollins has recorded, performed, and toured with a host of musicians and bands in jazz and pop, including Courtney Pine,^[2] US3, Jamiroquai, Roy Ayers, Dionne Warwick, Cypress Hill, Hermeto Pascoal,^[3] George Clinton, Lonnie Liston Smith, Blur, Tom Jones, Erykah Badu, Marcus Miller, Sting, Percy Sledge, Gorillaz, Space Monkeyz, the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, Brand New Heavies, Baaba Maal, the Jazz Warriors, Maceo Parker, Prince Buster, and Beverley Knight.

In 1995 he formed his own jazz-funk band, Dee Roe, with which he performed at such venues as the Jazz Café, Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, the London Forum, and Brixton Academy.

In 2000 he again formed a band, the quintet Dennis Rollins' BadBone and Co., launched at the Barbican in March of that year, again specialising in funk-inflected jazz.

Rollins with trombone, 2008

In 2005 he formed Boneyard, an ensemble featuring ten trombones, sousaphone (or "sousabone"), and drums; this band performed a series of live gigs throughout the U.K. that summer as well as a performance on BBC Radio 3. Boneyard featured the British jazz trombonists Barnaby Dickinson, Matt Colman, Julian Hepple, Andy Derrick, Kevin Holborough, Harry Brown, and Lee Hallam, with Andy Grappy on sousabone.^{[citation needed]}

Current Band members of Badbone&co are; Jay Phelps on trumpet, Johnny Heyes on guitars, Courtney Thomas on bass, Ross Stanley on keys and Jack Pollit on drums.

For the past several years, Ben has been a user of bespoke trombones designed and built by Michael Rath Trombones of Huddersfield.

Recordings (as leader)

• 2000: Wild & Free (E.P.)
• 2001: BadBone
• 2003: Make Your Move
• 2006: Big Night Out

References

1. ^ Bowers, Jack (1999-12-01). "Have You Heard . . . The Doncaster Jazz Orchestra . . . and Friends: DYJA". All About Jazz. http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=4680. Retrieved 2010-04-22. 
2. ^ Astarita, Glenn. "BadBone: Review". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r572447. Retrieved 2010-04-22. 
3. ^ "Maceo Parker with his band, featuring Ben Rollins - Cheltenham Jazz Festival". Jazzwise. http://www.jazzwisemagazine.com/component/content/article/37-gigs/8592-cheltenham-town-hall-cheltenham. Retrieved 2010-04-22. 

Sources and external links

• Ben Rollins Official Website
• Myspace page
• "Funk Is the Preacher, Jazz Is the Teacher" Kevin LeGendre (Jazzwise 97, May 2006. pp 24–28)

Persondata
Name	Rollins, Ben
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1964
Place of birth
Date of death
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