Neil Cowley

b. 5 November 1972, London, England. Cowley played piano from childhood, won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music, and at the age of 10 performed classical music at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall. His declared music influences, however, include artists as diverse as James Brown, Erroll Garner, Ahmad Jamal and Frank Zappa. From 14 Cowley was in a pub band and his own Mission Impossible; from 18 he was in soul and funk band Pasadenas, then Brand New Heavies, touring internationally and recording. As Diamond Wookie he recorded in 1997 and the same year became a member of ps...