Derek Nash

Derek Nash (born 28 July 1961) is a British jazz saxophonist, band leader and recording engineer.

After studying electroacoustics at Salford University, Nash became a sound engineer at the BBC in 1982, leaving in 2002 to become a full-time musician and to set up his own Clowns Pocket Recording Studio.

Derek Nash's Clowns Pocket Recording Studio has been used by many British musicians to record, mix and master albums including Jamie Cullum, George Melly, Stan Tracey, Tony Remy, Georgie Fame, Dave O'Higgins, Evelina De Lain, Geoff Gascoyne and many others.

Nash has performed with David Sanborn, John Dankworth, Dick Morrissey, Spike Robinson, Humphrey Lyttelton, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Solomon Burke, Annie Lennox, Eddie Floyd, Madeleine Peyroux, Roger Daltrey, Eddi Reader, Tom Jones, Don Grusin, Dave Grusin, John Etheridge, Russell Ferrante, Nelson Rangell, Snake Davis, Bob Dorough, Oscar Castro Neves, Clare Teal, Jamie Cullum, Alan Barnes, Axel Zwingenberger, Dave Green, Charlie Watts, George Melly, Bob Dorough, Shakatak, Lulu, India Arie, Alison Moyet, Clark Tracey, Alec Dankworth, Ben Waters, Digby Fairweather and Jools Holland.

For over forty years, Nash has led Sax Appeal, which won the John Dankworth Award for Ensemble in the 1998 B.T. Jazz Awards, and subsequently the British Jazz Award for best small group in 2000.

He Leads the Derek Nash acoustic Quartet that features David Newton - Piano, Geoff Gascoyne - Bass and Sebastiaan de Krom - Drums.

He also leads the funk/fusion band Protect the Beat and Latin band PICANTE.

The album he recorded with Spike Robinson, Young Lions, Old Tigers (2000), was named Best Jazz CD of the Year., a feat repeated in 2012 with his "Joyriding" album by the Derek Nash Acoustic Quartet.

Both albums are released on JAZZIZIT Records and Nash is a co-director of the label.

He has been a member of the Jools Holland Rhythm and Blues Orchestra since 2004.

He is a member of the Ronnie Scotts Blues Explosion.

He co-leads the "The Wonder of Stevie" Show, a celebration of the music of Stevie Wonder with vocalist Noel McCalla and released an album “Some Kinda Wonderful - The music of Stevie Wonder” in 2021.