Pete Strange

Who was Pete Strange?

Pete Strange was an English jazz trombonist.

Strange played violin as a child before switching to trombone. His first major gig was with Eric Silk when he was 18 years old. In 1957, Silk's clarinetist Teddy Layton split off and formed his own band, and Strange went with him. Following this Strange played with Sonny Morris, Charlie Gall, and Ken Sims, then joined Bruce Turner from 1961 to 1964.

After 1964 Turner went into partial retirement, 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 in 1974, and in 1978 co-founded the Midnite Follies Orchestra with Alan Elsdon. In 1980 he founded the five-trombone ensemble Five-A-Slide which featured Roy Williams and Campbell Burnap.

Strange joined Humphrey Lyttelton's band in 1983, and remained with him up until Strange's death in 2004. He also played with his own side group, the Great British Jazz Band, alongside his time with Lyttelton.