Peter Ninnim -"New kid on the block"

I came across Peter Ninnim at Keith Crombie's wake and I was impressed with his drumming - he certainly can swing. After hearing him again at a couple of the Star jam sessions I persuaded him to come forward and tell us about himself. Lance.

"I was always interested in just being a swinging drummer so that seems to be working. Wish I could find more opportunities to play. I play drums with the Tyne Valley Big Band (third in the open section at Sunderland Big Band Festival!) and of course I was around and playing for most of Keith's wake. My real love though is small group jazz.

You wondered where I appeared from? Well I only started back playing just over two years ago following a house move from a flat in Hexham so it's been lots of hard work.

I moved to the North East back in the sixties to bring a band to play in a nightclub and never went back. After the nightclub scene went flat I stayed and took a regular job (three kids, wife etc).

Before coming here I had played all over London and Europe and wound up in the resident cabaret group at the Park Lane Hilton which was a brilliant experience, although six hours a night. I was lucky that at that time London was full of places to play and wonderful pianists and I played with Jimmy Maxwell, Brian Dee, Frank Willoughby and Norton York amongst others. I wound up doing a few TV gigs with the Norton York Trio (I was known as Pete Patrick back then).

The trio that came up to the North East varied a bit but included Geoff Young on reeds (now professor of music in France I believe) and Tony Lewis on piano (best I ever heard) and Roger "Butch" Potter who I believe wound up playing with the Mike Westbrook band until his early death."

Peter Ninnim.