About Robin

Robin Sunflower started playing the harmonica in the 80s, joining the legendary blues act Victor Brox and the Blues Train, gigging extensively throughout the UK. In the early 90s he made the transition to chromatic harmonica after hearing the amazing playing of Toots Thielemans.

His next project was “The Identical Twins” – an avant garde jazz-tinged comedy folk duo who made veggie rasher muffins, gazpacho and popcorn as part of an interactive stage show.   In 1997 he put together a 6 piece band for a 1 off stint at the Edinburgh Festival. The Woodbank Streetband went on to play 5 years running at Edinburgh, 4 years at Marlborough Jazz Festival, twice at Solfest, Castlebar Blues Festival (Ireland) and gigs in France from Tours to Bordeaux.

A personnel change a few years ago saw Woodbank become The Robin Sunflower Band.  2016 will see Robin’s band clocking up a 15 year resident slot at top Manchester club Big Hands.This year’s band features Dan Broad (guitar-Happy Mondays), Iain Mellor (Drums-Global Grooves) and occasional guests…John Ellis (keys-Baked A La Ska,Lily Allen,Tom Jones).Guest bass players including Matt Owens(baked A La Ska) in June, Danny Blomeley(Kyla Brox Band/ ex-Woodbank Streetband) in july…The Big Hands band is never the same twice(well hardly ever)

Robin has increasingly been invited to guest/session with other acts. Notable gigs include: Castle Howard banqueting hall with John Heliwell (Supertramp), Glastonbury Festival World Jazz Stage with Suns of Arqa, Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall with Kirsty Almeida, support to Elbow with Indigo Jones.

Since 1999 Robin has also run a weekly night (Quack) currently at The White House, Stalybridge (Monday) and Beer Traders, Marple (Tuesday). The night consists of an invited guest playing a 40 minute set from 9pm, followed by an hour or so of open mic. The guest returns for a shorter closing set around 11pm. Robin plays with all the invited guests and some of the open mic contributors too.

“Baked a la Ska” is Robin’s latest band. The line-up of this football team sized super-group reading like a who’s who of the North West jazz scene. Their ska versions of 70s & 80s pop classics have resulted in packed dance floors at Manchester’s Band on the Wall, Kendal Calling festival and Liverpool’s Mathew Street fest.To date they have released four albums: Baked A LA Ska; Just Deserts; Gas Mark 3-The Slow Burner; Ska of Wonder (Christmas album).

A chance meeting at the Big Hands residency has resulted in Robin working with comedian Sophie Willan (2015 Magners new comedy award winner, BBC new comedy awards finalist)…Check out “The Wiggle Song”- More to come:)

2016 will see the 5th anniversary tour of the Toots Thielemans Birthday Tribute Band.This band re-forms at the end of April each year for one week only to play music from Toots’ repertoire (Midnight Cowboy, Bluesette…) Toots’ first major gigs were with Benny Goodman in 1949. He went on to play with George Shearing,Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans, Jaco Pastorius, Oscar Peterson and pop acts such as Paul Simon, Billy Joel and Julian Lennon. A man at the top of his game for over six decades. He retired from public performance aged 91 in 2013.

2015 saw Robin playing sessions for all manner of recording projects from spaghetti western library music to trance groove dance music (with Balaphonic) to dub reggae with Bakery Studio (expect a harmonica dub album in 2016 with Al “Breadwinner” Monkey). Other exciting recording projects are being planned for 2016 – Listen to this space!

Gigs

Date Band/Artist City Venue Country
Tour: Quack-Open mic & Guest.
12 Jun 23 Phil Middleton Stalybridge, Manchester White House UK
Time: 8:05pm. Admission: Free. Age restrictions: All Ages/Licensed. Address: Water Street.
13 Jun 23 Phil Middleton Marple, Stockport Beer Traders UK
Time: 8:30pm. Admission: Free. Age restrictions: All Ages/Licensed. Address: 113 Stockport rd. Guitar and vocals original songs and Beatles and soul classics
17 Jun 23 Baked A-La-Ska Liverpool Liverpool Philharmonic Theatre UK
Time: 7:00pm. Admission: £12–15?. Age restrictions: All Ages/Licensed. Address: Hope Street. Full 11 piece stage riot
Tour: Quack-Open mic & Guest.
19 Jun 23 Kathy and John Dyson Stalybridge, Manchester White House UK
Time: 8:00pm. Admission: Free. Age restrictions: All Ages/Licensed. Address: Water Street.
20 Jun 23 Kathy and John Dyson Marple, Stockport Beer Traders UK
Time: 8:30pm. Admission: Free. Age restrictions: All Ages/Licensed. Address: 113 Stockport rd. Sax and guitar jazz duo.top class
26 Jun 23 Stevie Williams Stalybridge, Manchester White House UK
Time: 8:00pm. Admission: Free. Age restrictions: All Ages/Licensed. Address: Water Street.
27 Jun 23 Stevie Williams Marple, Stockport Beer Traders UK
Time: 8:30pm. Admission: Free. Age restrictions: All Ages/Licensed. Address: 113 Stockport rd. Manchester institution singer songwriter guitar and bass
Tour: Monthly Residency since 2001
28 Jun 23 The Robin Sunflower Band Manchester Big Hands UK
Time: 10:00pm. Admission: Free. Age restrictions: All Ages/Licensed. Dan Broad Guitar John sandham bass Iain mellor drums Me harmonica and vocals Great freewheeling gig reggaerjazzrockskabluueslatingoodtime
Tour: Quack-Open mic & Guest.
03 Jul 23 Kirk Mcelhinney Stalybridge, Manchester White House UK
Time: 8:00pm. Admission: Free. Age restrictions: All Ages/Licensed. Address: Water Street.
04 Jul 23 Kirk Mcelhinney Marple, Stockport Beer Traders UK
Time: 8:30pm. Admission: Free. Age restrictions: All Ages/Licensed. Address: 113 Stockport rd. Guitar picker blues folk and his own songs
09 Jul 23 Robin Dewhurst Manchester Saison UK
Time: 3:00pm. Admission: Free. Age restrictions: All Ages/Licensed. Address: Burton Road, Didsbury. Two Robins in the same place Piano and harmonica jazz duo
09 Jul 23 Sunflower and Ingram quartet Stockport The Railway, UK
Time: 9:00pm. Admission: Free. Age restrictions: All Ages/Licensed. Address: Heaton Norris. Jazz guitars and bass quartet featuring Adrian Ingram
Tour: Quack-Open mic & Guest.
10 Jul 23 Sunflower and Ingram quartet Stalybridge, Manchester White House UK
Time: 8:00pm. Admission: Free. Age restrictions: All Ages/Licensed. Address: Water Street.
11 Jul 23 Sunflower and Ingram quartet Marple, Stockport Beer Traders UK
Time: 8:30pm. Admission: Free. Age restrictions: All Ages/Licensed. Address: 113 Stockport rd. Featuring Adrian Ingram jazz and blues guitar from Duke Ellington to Fleetwood Mac
16 Jul 23 Sunflower and Ingram quartet Stockport, Gtr Manchester Bakers Vaults UK
Time: 3:00pm. Admission: Free. Age restrictions: All Ages/Licensed. Address: Market place. Jazz guitars and bass quartet featuring Adrian Ingram
Tour: Quack-Open mic & Guest.
17 Jul 23 Kessena Ringland Stalybridge, Manchester White House UK
Time: 8:00pm. Admission: Free. Age restrictions: All Ages/Licensed. Address: Water Street. One of my favourite voices sings her own songs and a few Pop picks
18 Jul 23 Sarah Winton and Colin Rocks (The Cogs) Marple, Stockport Beer Traders UK
Time: 8:30pm. Admission: Free. Age restrictions: All Ages/Licensed. Address: 113 Stockport rd. Blues and soul piano and xdrums with etheric vocals
24 Jul 23 My birthday eve Stalybridge, Manchester White House UK
Time: 8:00pm. Age restrictions: All Ages/Licensed. Address: Water Street. My last gig in my 50s… With a few musical friends
25 Jul 23 My 60th birthday Marple, Stockport Beer Traders UK
Time: 8:30pm. Admission: Free. Age restrictions: All Ages/Licensed. Address: 113 Stockport rd. Nothing set in stone yet but some Baked People are expected
Tour: Monthly Residency since 2001
26 Jul 23 The Robin Sunflower Band Manchester Big Hands UK
Time: 10:00pm. Admission: Free. Age restrictions: All Ages/Licensed. I will be celebrating my 60th birthday by doing the same thing as usual Reggaerjazzrockskabluueslatingoodtime
Tour: Quack-Open mic & Guest.
31 Jul 23 Sarah Winton and Colin Rocks (The Cogs) Stalybridge, Manchester White House UK
Time: 8:00pm. Admission: Free. Age restrictions: All Ages/Licensed. Address: Water Street. Blues and soul piano and xdrums with etheric vocals original songs too.
01 Aug 23 Kessena Ringland Marple, Stockport Beer Traders UK
Time: 8:30pm. Admission: Free. Age restrictions: All Ages/Licensed. Address: 113 Stockport rd. One of my favourite voices sings her own songs and a few Pop picks
26 Apr 30 PRIVATE PARTIES (weddings, birthdays, etc) ARE NOT SHOWN on above list any town any place UK
Time: 10:00pm. Age restrictions: All Ages/Licensed. Private bookings are not shown on this list

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Get in Touch

You can get in touch with Robin by calling him or emailing him on:

 

07747 117 698

 

Or drop in to one of his gigs and say hello!