PAT CRUMLY was born in Oxford, England. He began to study the clarinet at the age of 14 and took up the saxophone two years later. PAT played with local jazz/dance/blues bands and gained much valuable experience through the University jazz scene, where his Quartet backed many of the top British jazz soloists, including Don Rendell, Tony Coe, Kenny Wheeler, Ian Carr, Joe Harriot, etc. (the Quartet’s lineup included such players as Spike Wells on drums and Brian Priestley on piano). Two other important events in PAT’s early career - still as a semi-pro - were a concert with Jimmy Witherspoon, with whom he worked again at a later date, and a call to stand in for Don Rendell on a John Dankworth Big Band tour. The Dankworth connection was to prove ‘instrumental’ in PAT’s eventual decision to turn professional. At this time, the early seventies, PAT was also presenting a weekly jazz programme on Radio Oxford and writing a jazz column in the Oxford Mail. During this period, prior to moving to London, PAT formed a more progressive band called EDGE, which mixed jazz standards with originals and included, during its 3 year duration, the pianists Frank Thoms, Michael Garrick and Pete Saberton, bassists Tony Moore and Paul Rogers, and drummer Nigel Morris. EDGE recorded one album, UNEASY PEACE. In 1978 PAT turned professional and, after a period of commuting from Oxford, finally made the move to London at the end of 1979. By 1984, after a year on the road with the Animals (World Tour) and Eric Burdon (Canada, Europe, Israel) PAT was becoming well established both on the jazz and R & B Scene, and in that year was awarded Jazz Bursaries from the Arts Council and GLAA with which he was able to write, perform, and eventually record the music for THIRD WORLD SKETCHES (Spotlite SPJ531, re-issued in 2000) with a sextet which included Dick Pearce, Pete Saberton, Dave Green, Trevor Tomkins and Simon Morton. During the nineties PAT was also to work extensively in Europe with R & B artists such as Chris Farlowe and Roger Chapman. In February, 1994, PAT, along with pianist John Pearce and bassist Dave Green, played two successful weeks at Ronnie Scott’s with the American drummer, Duffy Jackson (ex. Count Basie, Monty Alexander, Lena Horne, etc.). In the Spring of 1995 he recorded an album on flute with Salena Jones. During his career PAT has also co-led a sixteen-piece big band, various quartets, a ‘fusion’ group - Strata - with which he appeared several times at Ronnie Scott’s and toured Cuba in 1987, and has played with the Michael Garrick Sextet, John Dankworth Orchestra and Sextet, Ronnie Scott Quintet, and in many other musical situations.