Marc Parnell

At the age of 6 I started playing the piano. Then I started playing the violin aged 10, and at 12 I won a music scholarship from Bryanston School where I studied till I was 17. I started teaching myself drums at the age of 16, and have been at it ever since! I've been lucky enough to work with many top recording and touring artists. I played with Brit funk band The Inversions and the Latin fusion band Cayenne in the early 80s. I toured the world when I was 23 with Joan Armatrading, and in 1994 joined Jethro Tull for their summer tour of Norway and Austria . At that time I also recorded the album with Martin Barre A Trick of Memory... I worked with Francis Dunnery on the Fearless album contributing drumming and programming and was a key member of Francis Dunnery's first post-It Bites Band. I have played with British saxophonist, flautist and composer Theo Travis for 10 years and am featured on four of his albums including Passion Dance- Live at Ronnies, recorded live at Ronnie Scotts club in London. In 2003/4 I recorded drums on Damien Rice's Radio Mix of Cannonball and The Blowers Daughter (despite what the credits say... ) In 2005 I toured the USA and Japan with Matt Bianco (the original line-up of Basia, Danny White & Mark Reilly) to full houses. In 2006 I performed with smooth jazz legend Peter White in London and Poland to sold out audiences. Also in '06 I recorded drums for Basia's new album which is soon to be released (due 2009). I have played with UK jazz artists Dave O'Higgins, Mornington Lockett, Annie Ross and Liz Fletcher amongst many others. With avant garde saxophonist Trevor Watts I toured all over the world and made an album recorded live in Athens. I am currently recording my own album (with kind assistance from engineer John Lundsten who recorded and mixed the tracks) of my own music which I composed, arranged and play the drums on, as well as vocals and keyboards. Three of the "mixes so far" you're probably listening to now. The Hardy Dub co-features two great vocalists Symon James and Dean Dyson. Allo Vera features Marcelo Andrade on Sax. Near the end of 2007 I appeared in the live Top Gear Show (called MPH) at Earl's Court and the NEC Birmingham with the three presenters (Jeremy, Richard & James) playing a drum solo on a kit made entirely of car parts. Have a look at the video clip. I played one track on the Girls Aloud album 'Tangled Up'. I also played four tracks on the LJC (London Jazz Collective) album 'Dark Humour', and I recorded four tracks with Gabriella Cilme for her debut album 'Lessons To Be Learned' including the single 'Sweet About Me'. Four new albums that I play on are 'Big City Calling' by John Heavens, a lovely debut soon to be released by Louise Sofield called 'Things In Life', a rock album by Ashley Griggs called 'Playin' The Edge', and a really luvly album by the talented Paul Downing (check the tracks on Paul's myspace... the song 'Way That I Feel' was the toughest drum take I've ever done... I kid you not!) Feb 2009: I toured with Top Gear Live in Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong playing the car-part drum kit again... Good fun!