The Dixie Beats

JOHN PERCIVAL (Trumpet)

Originally classically trained, John entered the world of competitive brass bands at the age of twelve as an aspiring cornet player and went on to play under the direction of some of the country's leading conductors. His tendency to improvise and play in a swinging jazzy style earned him numerous rebukes from his teachers and musical directors until in 1986, tired of the stiff competitive nature of the brass band world, he formed his own brass group, playing a more upbeat, jazzy type of music. The group achieved some success and was asked to entertain Her Majesty The Queen on a Royal Visit to Bolton in 1990. Other members of the band included Terry Walsh, Karen Johnson (nee Barlow), and latterly Allan Riley, all of whom later became members of the Bourbon Street Roof Raisers. In 1990, John visited New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz, where he found his true musical vocation and was inspired to become a jazz trumpeter. John is the leader and founder of THE DIXIE BEATS.