Biography
Alun Vaughan ( b.1974) is a UK bass guitarist who has played in a wide variety of settings from dixieland jazz through Turkish folk, pop, soul, funk and even thrash metal. At present, he is most widely known for his work with UK rock band Panic Room and as house bassist at the extremely successful Jazzland club in Swansea, South Wales.
Alun is also rapidly becoming known as an accomplished solo bass guitarist, receiving positive comments and accoloades from the likes of Seth Horan, Tom Kennedy, Trip Wamsley and Todd Johnson.
Read full biography ↓
Alun became interested in playing bass after seeing Gene Simmons with Kiss on TV in the late 80s ( that's right - it wasn't even the make up era, it was the dodgy wig Crazy Nights era!).
Unable to afford a bass, he set about dropping hints for the following Christmas ( this started in the Spring!) and set about learning everything he could about the bass and music . For reasons best known to himself, he strung a 15" ruler with four elastic bands and used that for nearly a year.
Alun later said that "Using the Ashbory (which has silicone rubber strings) feels like I've come full circle."
Alun started off playing in rock and metal bands which rehearsed a lot but never actually gigged until he met guitarist Ian Simmons (currently playing in Chasing The Monsoon) in the early 90's and joined Nothing Personal, a jazz-rock 5 piece featuring Ian's brother Steve on sax. This band played various festivals, including the Vienne Jazz Festival in'94, and played many club gigs ( often to no-one)
This band was then largely responsible for everything that followed...
Through Steve Simmons,he joined Fat Barry's Soul Band, a Welsh Commitments/Blues Brothers style act that he played with for several years,leaving in 1999.
Steve was also playing with rock group Karnataka, which ultimately led to friendships that led to Alun being asked to join Panic Room when Karnataka dissolved.
Through Nothing Personal, Alun also met jazz pianist Dave Cottle who runs the hugely successful Swansea Jazzland. This collaboration has led to Alun playing with some of the finest players on the UK jazz scene as well as backing visiting musicians from Europe and the US
CV
Alun has been fortunate enough to perform with some of the top UK and visting jazz musicians including:
Bruce Adams, Howard Alden, Simon Allen, Alan Barnes, Mark Bassey,Chris Biscoe
Modesto Briseno, Victor Brox,Ben Castle,Dave Cliff, Quentin Collins, Phil De Greg
Barnaby Dickinson,Hassan Erraji,Digby Fairweather,Graeme Flowers,Alex Garnett
Lee Gibson,Jim Hart,Jeff Hooper,Julian Jackson,Robin Jones,Tim Kliphuis
Mornington Lockett,Sarah Morrow,Danny Moss,Jim Mullen,Orla Murphy
Mark Nightingale,Dave O'HigginsDick Pearce,Gary Potter,Gerard Presencer
Don Rendell,Sax Appeal,Karen Sharp,Martin Shaw,Solid Airbag,Martin Speake
Simon Spillett,SWJO,Russell Van den Berg,Marlene Verplanck,Steve Waterman
Don Weller,Bobby Wellins,Annie Whitehead,Simon Willescroft
Discography
Mike Shouse - Alone On The Sun (one track - "Choices")
Pip Robinson - Footprints (two tracks - "Happy Street" and "corners")
Panic Room - Visionary Postion
Steve Waterman Jazz Orchestra - October Arrival
Steve Waterman Jazz Orchestra - New Jazz Wales ( compilation featuring a live version of "Call It A Day")
Amy Sinha -Heaven After Midnight
Fat Barry's Soul Band - Hits For Six (compliation EP featuring "Never A Day")
Fat Barry's Soul Band - You Had To Be There
Fat Barry's Soul Band - We Can Drive
Nothing Personal - Monkiam
Nothing Personal - Nothing Personal
Web linkage
Alun Vaughan.com
Official Blog
Myspace
ReverbNation
Youtube
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.