Mike Westbrook

The Profile

British jazz pianist, composer and bandleader active since the 1960s, known for ambitious large-ensemble projects and collaborations with vocalist/tenor horn player Kate Westbrook, exploring literature and opera through jazz.

British jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader; active from the 1960s to the present. Frequently collaborates with Kate Westbrook. Notable for large-scale works such as Metropolis, The Cortège, On Duke's Birthday, The Westbrook Blake (Bright As Fire), and his Rossini projects.

A single, glowing review celebrates Westbrook’s live Rossini project from Zurich 1986, praising its spontaneous New Orleans-inflected brass band energy. The write-up notes Kate Westbrook’s vocals, vivid solos (spotlighting Lindsay Cooper), and the playful, songlike rhythms. It frames the album as a lively bridge between opera and jazz, past and present.