Pete Strange

For those of the same or a similar name, see Peter Strange (disambiguation).

Peter Charles Strange (19 December 1938^[1] – 14 August 2004)^[2] was an English jazz trombonist, arranger and composer.

Pete Strange
Birth name	Peter Charles Strange
Born	(1938-12-19)19 December 1938 Plaistow, Newham, London, England
Died	14 August 2004(2004-08-14) (aged 65) Banstead, Surrey, England
Genres	Jazz, Dixieland
Occupation(s)	Musician Arranger Composer
Instruments	Trombone
Years active	1957–2004

Biography

Born in Plaistow, Newham, London, England,^[1] Strange played violin as a child before switching to trombone as a teenager.^[3]

His first major gig was with Eric Silk and his Southern Jazz Band when he was just 18 years old.^[1] In 1957, Silk's clarinetist Teddy Layton split off and formed his own band, and Strange went with him. He was called up for National Service in 1958 and became a bandsman in the Lancashire Fusiliers, whilst serving in Cyprus. Following this Strange played with Sonny Morris, Charlie Gall, and Ken Sims, then joined Bruce Turner from 1961 to 1964.^[1]

After 1964, Turner went into partial retirement for about 10 years, playing off and on with Freddy Randall, Joe Daniels, and Ron Russell, but not carrying any full-time associations. He returned to play with Turner again permanently in 1974, and in 1978 co-founded the Midnite Follies Orchestra with Alan Elsdon.^[1]

In 1980, he founded the five-trombone ensemble, Five-A-Slide,^[1] which featured Roy Williams and Campbell Burnap.^[4]

Strange joined Humphrey Lyttelton's band in 1983, and remained with the ensemble until he died.^[1][5] With the other members of the Lyttelton band, he performed on the 2001 Radiohead album Amnesiac.^[6][7] He also played with his own side group, the Great British Jazz Band.^[2]

Pete Strange died of cancer in Banstead, Surrey, in August 2004, aged 65.^[2][5]