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Dave Saul (born 15 March 1937) was a jazz pianist and composer born in Bebington on the Wirral (England).

Background

He started learning classical piano at eight years old and continued studying piano. At age 16 he heard George Shearing playing "September in the Rain" on the radio program "Family Fortunes" and was truck by the music he heard, he would listen to a great deal to the George Shearing Quintet listening to American jazz musicians and subsequently taught himself to play piano as a jazz musician.

Early beginnings as a jazz musician and composer
==== Dave left school at sixteen and joined a firm of architects in Glasgow, during which time he became professionally qualified.(citation needed). Musically he first attended the jazz course at Barry Summer School, South Wales in 1968, 'he was a very inexperienced pianist and the course had only been under way a couple of years'. In 1975 Dave was now an accomplished jazz pianist and 'among his achievements is an appearance on Scottish Television with drummer Tony Oxley and bassist Ron Mathewson'. [p.24 Musician Journal of the musicians union, winter 1975]. Dave used to say "If you want to improve, always try and play with the best, it is the way to learn", and Barry gave him such a platform. Up to that point, he had started to compose in the early 1970s but suffered a lack of confidence,  studying there had really inspired him to do much more writing [ibid]. He found that jazz pianist and composer Gordon Beck and jazz drummer Tony Oxley gave him great encouragement with regard to composing. It is at Barry that he began to believe that his tunes "might have something to experiment on" as he used to say. His compositions were often dedicated to people he felt close to or had inspired him, his works frequently involved praise. ====

Development into Professional Jazz Musician
In 1974, at the age of 37, his father passed away and he returned to his native Wirral. Although he was always torn between carrying on in architecture and his love of music, on his return to the Wirral he felt he had reached the point where he must make music his career. He decided then to begin full time classical music studies at Sandown College Liverpool where in 1978 he gained the Sandown College Diploma in Music and a Licentiate Diploma of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (L.G.S.M.) in piano teaching. [citation needed]. Playing wise he drew from many influential jazz muscians and the musical approach drawn from classical music continuously developing his very individual melodic approach to playing. Nonetheless his deepest influence came from pianist Bill Evans. Dave Saul 'skilled playing led to three B.B.C. radio broadcasts under his own name and using his own original compositions and arrangements. They featured saxophonist/flautist Stan Sulzmann with Ron Mathewson on bass and Mark Taylor on drums and also with Kenny Wheeler using the same rhythm section. Later he also broadcast with Kenny Wheeler and Stan Sulzmann, with Ron Mathewson on bass again and Jeremy Stacey on drums. [ref. '''Broadcast 1: Program title: SOUNDS OF JAZZ Station: BBC RADIO 2 Transmission date: 22/07/1984 Recording date: 06/06/1984 Producer: LAURIE MONK Presenter: PETER CLAYTON Name of group: DAVESAUL QUARTET FEAT. STAN SULZMANN Musicians:DAVE SAUL (piano composer) STAN SULZMANN (saxes/flute) RON MATHEWSON (bass) MARK TAYLOR (drums) Broadcast 2: Program title: SOUNDS OF JAZZ Station: BBC RADIO 2 Transmission date: 22/01/1989 Recording date: 14/09/1988 at GOLDERS GREEN HIPPODROME Producer: KEITH STEWART Presenter: PETER CLAYTON Name of group: DAVESAUL QUARTET FEAT. KENNY WHEELER Recording date: 14/09/1988 at GOLDERS GREEN HIPPODROME Producer: KEITH STEWART Presenter: PETER CLAYTON Name of group: DAVESAUL QUARTET FEAT. KENNY WHEELER Musicians: DAVE SAUL(piano composer) KENNY WHEELER (trumpet/flugelhorn) RON MATHEWSON (bass)MARK TAYLOR (drums) Broadcast 3: Program title: JAZZ NOTES Station: BBC RADIO 2 Transmission date: 01/10/1993 at MAIDA VALE STUDIOS Producer TERRY CARTER Presenter: DIGBY FAIRWEATHER Name of group:  DAVE SAUL QUINTET FEAT. KENNY WHEELER and STAN SULZMANN Musicians: DAVE SAUL (piano composer) KENNY WHEELER (trumpet/flugelhorn) STAN SULZMANN (saxes/flute) RON MATHEWSON (bass) JEREMY STACEY (drums) ]'''

Discography
==== CD Reverence with Dave Saul (piano), Kenny Wheeler (trumpet, flugelhorn), Stan Sulzmann (saxes, flutes), Chris Laurence (bass), Stuart Laurence (drums) was recorded 09/09/1999 and released on the ASC label in 1999. The album received critical acclaim in the jazz press [Michael Tucker JAZZ JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2000 VOL 53 No9, Duncan Heining AVANT, Kenny Mathieson, JAZZWISE MAY 2001 ISSUE 42, Pete Martin JAZZ UK MARCH/APRIL 2000, Dave Gelly Master of Jazz Saxophone p183] ====

Death
Dave underwent a major oesophagus cancer operation in 2003 followed by developing Alzeihmer gradually getting worse. He passed away on 12 August 2013, his death being peaceful at the end, befitting the spirit with which he lived his life.