Who's in Jabadaw?
Ex-members of Jabadaw...
Gone but not forgotten. Take a nostalgic look at some of them in our Hall of Fame.
Martin Keates
Hurdy-Gurdies, Keyboards
Martin
is one of the two founder members of Jabadaw. He started learning the
piano at the age of 15, detoured by way of the hammered dulcimer, and
eventually took up the hurdy-gurdy in 1992.
He was once described by Nigel Eaton as a "teenage
hurdy-gurdy whizzkid", even though he was well into his 20s at the time.
He also plays drums and melodeon (but doesn't like to admit
it). Other interests include pinball, juggling and being obsessed with
(one of) the Spice Girls.
In his spare time he likes to appear in TV adverts with Bob
Mortimer.
Martin also played with
Jabadaw Trio, and currently plays in a
duo with Miranda Rutter.
Simon Dew
Soprano Saxophone, Flute, Octave Mandola
Simon
is the other founder member of Jabadaw. His
first instrument was the tin whistle, which he took up at the age of
17. He soon branched out into other woodwind instruments, including the
flute, before discovering the soprano saxophone in 1994.
He has a passion for vegetarian cuisine, which has earned him
the nickname "Greedy Bastard Man" from the other members of the band.
Simon also played with
Fika and
Jabadaw Trio and currently plays in a
duo with Jo Veal.
Helena Reynolds
Fiddle, English Half-Long Border Bagpipes
Helena joined the band in September 2001 and played her first
gig with us in the spring of 2002. She plays a Quinton 5-string fiddle
and English half-long border bagpipes by
Mark Gibbens.
(Purple and black bagpipes of course, to go with all her purple and
black clothes...)
A product of the irrepressible Sheffield folk scene, Helena
has been playing folk music since the age of 18: she is particularly
interested in French, Breton and English music. She also developed a
love of Galician folk music when she lived in Santiago de Compostela.
She's mad about all kinds of dancing: English Ceilidh, Morris, French,
Swedish, Galician... and anything else.
Helena also plays and sings with
Crucible
and dances with
Pecsætan.
Peter Kenney
Bass Guitar
Peter played his first public gig with us at the
Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival
in January 2003. His fretless bass adds more than a touch
of jazz to Jabadaw's rhythm section.
When not turning out a well-crafted bassline, Peter is also a
fine pianist, flautist and composer and is involved in the Sheffield
folk and jazz scenes too. (Yes, we now have two band members who live
in the White Rose County. Where will it all end?)
Peter has the distinction of being the first member of Jabadaw
to produce offspring. His daughter Amber Katja was born shortly after
he joined us.
Edwin Beasant
Drums, Percussion
Edwin
is the newest member of Jabadaw. Biography and picture to follow...
[Back to Jabadaw Home Page]