I play soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet and flute. I play many different styles of music, specialising in jazz and bossa nova and have performed with some of the finest musicians in British jazz and world music at many of London’s leading venues, including Ronnie Scott’s.
I have also worked as a composer, arranger and musical director for film, television, theatre and dance. Currently I work in duos (sometimes augmented to trios and quartets) with the jazz guitarist Richard Bolton and the bossa nova singer and guitarist Ife Tolentino.
Lament
John O’Neill
Sambada
John O’Neill
Saudade
Richard Bolton & Ife Tolentino
My equipment
Yanagisawa S880 soprano saxophone (1988); Selmer S80 D mouthpiece; Vandoren Traditional #3 reeds
Selmer Mark VII alto saxophone (1977); Meyer 5MM mouthpiece; Vandoren Traditional #2.5 reeds
Conn New Wonder Series II tenor saxophone, silver-plated (1927) with a Stephan Bösken handmade unlaquered crook TO68H; New York Otto Link 9 mouthpiece, gold-plated; Vandoren Traditional #2 reeds
Conn New Wonder Artist Special tenor saxophone, gold-plated (1928) with fully-articulated G# mechanism added by Freddie Gregory; 6M crook, hand-finished by Freddie Gregory and gold-plated; New York Otto Link mouthpiece, gold-plated #9; Vandoren Traditional #2 reeds
Conn 12M ‘Crossbar’ baritone saxophone, silver-plated (1967); Berg Larsen ebonite mouthpiece with extended shank, formerly belonging to Ronnie Ross, dimensions unknown; Vandoren Traditional #2 reeds
Buffet R13 clarinet (1980); Selmer D mouthpiece; Vandoren Traditional #2.5 reeds
Selmer bass clarinet to low ‘C’; Selmer C85 120 mouthpiece; Vandoren Traditional #3 reeds
Muramatsu flute