What is the Gene Drayton Unit?
The Gene Drayton Unit is a five-piece instrumental group. Their sound is rooted in jazz, soul, blues and funk, but takes in elements of good music from all places and times.
GDU have released 3 albums on their own Disques Carmel record label, and many singles, but are at their best live - Toby Kinder drives the howling Hammond like a sports-car, and sax-player Mark Norton will find an empty table-top to play from, or join the crowd for a dance, tenor in hand. The dynamic rhythm section of Bleddyn Jones on Bass Guitar and Mark Claydon on Drums provide a rock solid foundation for the arrangements, and "Master of the Telecaster", Clinton Hough, proves that the Surrey delta has not yet borne its last prodigious blues-playing offspring.
You would normally expect to find this kind of Hammond-centred line-up jamming over extended grooves, or playing polite "real-book jazz"; what makes GDU so different is the original material that makes up most of their set, and their energetic live performances. Toby's knack for a melody, his skilful arranging and the the vital understanding that apart from jazz purists, not everybody enjoys listening to extended instrumental solos means that there is little danger of losing interest when listening to GDU, whether live or on record. Make no mistake, GDU are not dinner jazz, they are loud and make you want to dance, which can spoil dinner!
The infectious energy of a Gene Drayton Unit performance has enlivened venues across Europe, from tiny, sweaty basement clubs to massive festival stages; if you would like GDU to come and play for you, please contact us.
Who are these people?
 | Mark Norton (aka "Zoot") Instruments played: Sax, Flute, Harmonica, Occasional Vocals DOB: 24 March 1963 Likes: Old Minis, black music of all ages, vinyl records (all sizes), Pop Art, Blue Note, Stax, good food (cooking AND eating), Mojitos, Guinness, gamine women and shoes (but not necessarily in that order) Dislikes: Uncooked tomatoes (weird), heights. So I try to avoid tall salads Anything you'd like to say to the nice people in webland?: Come and see the GDU! |
 | Toby Kinder (aka "TK") Instruments played: Hammond Organ, Pianos, Punk Accordion (and Principal Writer) DOB: 18 July 1962 Likes: Gaggias / Vespas / Fiats, The East, a good red, the terraces, the stands, the park and the astro Dislikes: "R&B", racists, and rudeness; Charlton Athletic and Earl Grey tea Anything you'd like to say to the nice people in webland?: Don't just Google it, live it! |
 | Bleddyn Jones (aka "BJ") Instrument played: Bass DOB: 10 August 1983 Likes: Pretty much any type of music (playing and listening), travel, red wine, good food, bowling (but only if I win), gym, Sunday mornings in bed and meeting new and interesting people Dislikes: Marzipan, buses and Paris Hilton-type celebrity jokers Anything you'd like to say to the nice people in webland?: No |
 | Mark Claydon (aka "Animal") Instruments played: Premier Drums and Bosphorous Cymbals, Percussion, Studio Production DOB: 18 November 1979 Likes: Funk of many descriptions, good coffee, sleep, spending time with my wife and family, my job, flowery shirts, fast cars, a good cooked breakfast, Indian food and my sofa Dislikes: Playing music in dodgy pubs, idiots (the world is full of them), sushi and bad music Anything you'd like to say to the nice people in webland?: Be goodly bad or badly good |
 | Clinton Marvin Hough (aka "Clint") Instrument played: Guitar DOB: 18 September 1980 Likes: The (new) little worn out bit where my arm rests on my guitar, the old bluesmen, East West, time with Chloe, music books about the way it was, books/films/conversations/plays that require thought, dancing audiences, music that feels like they meant it Dislikes: Pre-noon activity other than breakfast and a book, fast food Anything you'd like to say to the nice people in webland?: Don't just read about us... |
History of the GDU
Way back in 2001, after a night at the Jazz Cafe, watching The Sugarman 3, Mark Norton rang Toby Kinder and said he was thinking of starting a new band, and wanted Toby to play Hammond. The material was gonna be seriously rooted in 60's instrumental music - "Blue Note meets Booker T in the Garage".
By this time, Mark and Toby had already been playing together for 13 years, on and off, and they already had a couple of guys in the sidelines, just right for just such a project. Clive Pearman, who had recently left instro surf-twang outfit The Charles Napiers, came in on guitar, with former TKO bandmate of Mark and Toby's, Jonny Pallot on drums. But no bass player.
Mark put the feelers out on the garage scene that a new Hammond based instrumental band was looking for a bass player. Parsley Lion, (Hammond player from just about every British garage group you have heard in the last 25 years) told him "I know someone. He's the best bass player I know, and he's looking for a new band".
Toby and Mark made plans to see him play - at the time, Phil Clark (for it was he) was playing in group called "Tea". They went to see him - they had never seen anything like it. He was very fast and animated, the complete opposite of the John Entwistle Ox type that they had been used to. He had some very nice bass guitars (a couple of Rickenbackers and a vintage Hagstrom). The typical exchange of phone calls and cassettes ensued, and we started to rehearse.
At the time, Toby didn't have a Hammond, he was using an old Casio that used to belong to Mark's Nan, but through some pedals it made a passable organ sound. It turns out that as well as being a superb bass-player, Phil was a part owner of a Hammond, and after a handshake, a brown envelope full of cash and few more quid spent on bringing it up to spec, Toby was the proud owner of his first REAL Hammond organ, a split 1966 L-100 in cherry wood.
The band started rehearsing a set of covers, and few originals from Mark and Toby's back-catalogue, and the GDU sound started to take shape. Unfortunately, before the band started gigging, Jonny quit, so they had to find a new drummer. An ad in Loot got lots of responses, tapes were sent out and auditions began. The first guy came through the door - tall, good looking, suited and booted and carrying a vintage Gretsch kit in deep plum metalflake. Toby and Mark exchanged knowing glances; if he played as good as he looked, they knew he would be right for the band. He did! And after sitting through an evening of listening to the other auditionees, already having pretty much already made up their minds, they knew they had been right, and Darren Moore became the new drummer in the Gene Drayton Unit.
Now, to look for some gigs...
To be continued...
How did the Gene Drayton Unit get its name?
