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Tenor saxophonist Mornington Lockett studied at Dartington College Of Arts before moving to London to attend the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
As a member of the Ronnie Scott Sextet, Mornington worked extensively in Britain and abroad. He has recorded albums with Ronnie Scott, guitarist Jim Mullen, drummer Martin Drew, pianist Stan Tracey, and jazz singers Sarah Jane Morris, Claire Martin, Ian Shaw, and Lea Delaria.

 

In 1995 Mornington performed at the Barbican with Cuban trumpet supremo Arturo Sandoval and was subsequently asked to appear with the group at the Cork Jazz Festival. Mornington has also toured internationally with Oscar Peterson's long time sidemen, drummer Martin Drew and bassist Niels Henning Ørsted Pedersen, and toured Europe in the summer of 2004 with the legendary hammond organist Jimmy Smith.

Mornington has worked in a number of different combinations with Stan Tracey, including the memorable 'Continental Drift' Band formed to celebrate Stan's 75th birthday, and the 'Ellingtonia' sextet. Other Tracey collaborations include the 'Under Milk Wood Suite', and Big Band concerts celebrating the centenary of the birth of Duke Ellington and Ellington's 'Sacred Music', recently performed at Saint Paul's Cathedral in honour of Stan's own 80th Birthday.

In 2001 Mornington and Martin Drew formed the group: Celebrating The Jazz Couriers, which recreated Tubby Hayes and Ronnie Scott's late 1950s group. The other featured saxophonist in the band was the great Nigel Hitchcock, with Steve Melling (piano), and Andrew Cleyndert (bass) completing the line-up. Two CDs of this music are available now, Volume 1 and 2, both recorded at live gigs in the UK.

In 2004 the group disbanded, and reformed as The New Jazz Couriers with the phenomenal young vibes player Jim Hart replacing the second sax, and Paul Morgan joining the band on bass. The focus of the music has shifted slightly, taking in the Tubby Hayes Quartet repertoire and also the compositions of great British pianist and vibraphone player, Victor Feldman. There is a new album "Azule Serapé" currently available on Trio Records.

CLICK HERE to visit the band's web site and buy the CDs: www.jazzcouriers.co.uk.

CLICK HERE to read the Steve Rubie's write-up for Mornington's set at the 606 Club's 25th ANNIVERSARY GIG

HISTORY

Mornington Lockett was born in London, but grew up on the Isle Of Wight, where he began playing jazz, sitting-in with local traditional and mainstream bands whilst attending Cowes High School. At Dartington he studied saxophone with Bobby Wellins, classical clarinet with Lorna Lowe and the North Indian Sitar with Armanath Misra. He persuaded the college authorities to allow him to take Jazz Saxophone as a first study and became the first person in the UK to gain a degree qualification on the instrument in 1983. He moved to London in 1984 to study at the Guildhall and has lived and worked in the London area ever since.

QUOTES " One of the country's most accomplished contemporary improvisers ... with a fearsome technique and an advanced harmonic approach " Time Out " Locomotive tenorist outsteams the competition " The Guardian "Abrasive and roaring one moment, then cutting suddenly to a gentle caress - exciting stuff " The Venue " Sounds like Hendrix on sax " Noel Gallagher