Russell Bave

I started playing guitar in the 1970's and have been in several bands over the years. For many years I recorded material in the privacy of my bedroom using a home studio. From 1997 to 2002 I ran the Live Acoustic Music Club, with help from all its members and especially Maya (my wife, who tragically died in 2002). It would be her wish to keep alive a friendly forum for musicians who play contemporary music and home written songs and who are just starting out and may find the whole process of standing up in front of total strangers and performing really stressful.

Never really having a favourite group or musician, I tended to like songs and then find out who played. This led me down some very strange roads (musically); Alice Cooper, Nick Drake, early John Martyn, The Who, Yes, Elvis Costello, Ian Dury, Michael Hedges, Ozark Mountain Daredevils. But it wasn't until I met Maya (my wife-to-be) that I discovered that my real love was jazz - especially contemporary, like Monty Alexander when he recorded with Milt Jackson.

I currently play guitar, bass, mandolin, bowed psaltery (a medieval instrument), bansuri (Indian flutes) and standard flute and occasionally Indian Tabla and keyboards. I have also just started learning the Dulcimer.

I have played with Alan Springate as ‘Last bus Home’ for nearly ten years and have a great musical fusion with him. Over the years we have busked regularly at Cowes Week, on the Isle of Wight.

After living on the Isle of Wight for nearly 37 years (!) my family and I have decided to move to Devon. It will be quite sad to leave the Alan, the music club and other musician friends behind, although I have threatened to come back and play at the club when I visit the Island.

The Jamming Dodgers was set up to help young people, and it has done this really well. It is really good to leave the club in the caring hands of Alan and Mark.

All the best, Russell.