Ray Butcher

Ray is a jazz musician who has been influenced by Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and many more. He started playing piano at 7, cornet at 8 and then trumpet at 16, where he studied at Peter Symonds’ college, Winchester. He later studied music at Kingston University. He studied trumpet with Ray Allen (Royal Academy of Music) for two years and Colin Clague (principal trumpet English National Opera) and later took up jazz piano and jazz trumpet. Ray has since played for Princess Diana, worked for Mica Paris, Robbie Williams, Frank McComb (Buckshot Le Fonque) jazz great Jean Toussaint and recorded on Ivor Novello winner Scott Matthews’ second album ‘Elsewhere’ (which also featured Robert Plant). He has also played with many of the top names in the jazz field including Jean Toussaint, Phil Robson and Julian Seigel and Liam Noble.