Snowboy

Snowboy (Mark Cotgrove) is a latin percussionist, band-leader, Afro-Cuban jazz recording artist, author, journalist and DJ.

He was born in Hadleigh, Essex 3rd of July 1961.

He got his interest and education in jazz and latin music through the DJ’s Chris Hill at the Goldmine, Canvey Island and Bob Jones at the Countryman, Chelmsford in the late-70’s and followed his passion becoming the first student of the UK’s Godfather of British Latin Music, Robin Jones, in early 1983.

Snowboy’s first tour was with the legendary accordionist and King of Tex Mex music, Falco Jimenez, from San Antonio, Texas in 1985. In the same year he made his debut release, and following three more latin jazz singles, he came to his prominence as one of the major artists in the fledging Acid Jazz movement of the late-80’s.

To date he has released 16 albums and 21 singles, playing and touring all over the world, in over 22 countries - from Holland to Australia, from Japan to Scotland, from the USA to Turkey. He has appeared at Jazz and Rock festivals such as Montreux, North Sea, Cheltenham, Love Supreme, Brecon, London and Glasgow, and concerts at venues such as Ronnie Scott’s (over 40 times), The 100 Club, Jazz Cafe and The Blue Note and Billboard (Japan). He has established his band, Snowboy and The Latin Section, as Europe’s leading Afro-Cuba Jazz group.

His powerhouse group literally features a who’s-who of the UK’s most exciting and fiery jazz and Latin players such as Sid Gauld, Gary Plumley, Neil Angilley, Nico Gomez, Dave Pattman, Davide Giovannini, and Paul Taylor and regularly features Paul Booth, Pete Wareham, Lisa Graham, David Mantovani and Tristan Banks. Even their sound technician is the head of sound at Ronnie Scotts, Miles Ashton!

Snowboy has also recorded or performed percussion with many jazz and Latin artists such as Airto Moreira, Deodato, Jon Lucien, Makoto Kuriya, James Taylor Quartet (JTQ), Big John Patton, Incognito, Jools Holland, Shakatak, Johnny Lytle, Ray Gelato, Emily Saunders, Nigel Price, Flaco Jimenez, Joe Bataan, Jack Costanzo, Pucho and Herman Olivera as well as many from the pop, soul and rock world such as Lisa Stansfield, Amy Winehouse, Rod Temperton, mark Ronson, Simply Red/Mick Hucknall, Imelda May, Basia mica Paris, Darrel Higham, Patti Austin and many, many more.

You can learn more about Snowboy on his website https://www.snowboy.info/.