Born in Derby, and after a brief stint in the Middle East, Gareth spent the majority of his childhood up in the county on the Suffolk Essex border in the Dedham vale. Started playing Saxophone at the age of 11 studying with Malcolm Miles, with whom he continued to study with when he left school and attended Colchester Institute where he obtained his National Diploma in Music and Performance. Whilst at college Gareth joined and was involved in many bands one of which was called the ‘Jazz Jumpers’, a very successful jazz trio playing all sorts of contempory jazz/funk/pop.

He then was offered a place at the prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London to study Jazz Saxophone where now is coming to the end of the 4-year course. Here he has had the opportunity to study/attend workshops and play with Martin Hathaway, Ben Castle (who he is currently studying with), Gary Keller (Head of Jazz-Miami University), Andrew McCormack, Trevor Tomkins, John Patitucci, Branford Marsalis, Steve Melling, Tim Garland, Jean Toussaint, Rufus Reid, Henry Lowther and Martin Speake.

Current Bands/Projects I play regularly with. And Recent History

Uncle Funk and the Retrostalkers

The ‘Jazz Jumpers’

‘Half Past Sax’ (saxophone 4tet)

Tokamak (jazz fusion project)

The Suffolk Jazz Collective

Heart and Soul (function bands)

Tracy Mepham Jazz Vocalist

Andrea Hopgood Quintet

Gareth Lumbers Quintet

And lots of different duo combinations……..

Recently went on tour with Great British Jazz Collective, where he played at Kaunus Jazz Festival alongside American star jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove.

Played at Boxford Fleece Jazz Club, Hugo’s Jazz, Vilnus Jazz Café, Royal Festival Hall

Inspiration
Chris Potter-Wayne Shorter-Ornette Coleman-Stan Getz-Dave Holland-Radiohead-Medeski Martin and Wood-Duke Ellington-Count Basie-Dexter Gordon-Sonny Rollins-Charlie Parker-Thelonious Monk-Bob Berg-Earth Wind and Fire-Tower of Power-James Brown-Miles Davis-James Moody-Dizzy Gillespie-Danilo Perez-Arturo Sandoval-Paquito D’Riveria……..the list goes on…..oh…and Alan Partridge…