Chris Hodgkins

Chris Hodgkins recently retired after 29 years as the Director of Jazz Services, the national support charity for jazz music and musicians. During his time at the organisation, he was honoured for his Services to Jazz at the 2002 BBC Jazz Awards and in July 2013 at the British Jazz Awards. Chris was awarded the Services to Jazz Award at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards in March 2015. Despite his successes championing British jazz he still found the time to play himself, and as a musician released several great albums with his various groups, including 2009’s Boswell’s London Journal, which was reviewed as ‘CD of the Week’ in the Evening Standard. With his days of administration behind him, Chris now takes to the road, the radio and the recording studio to focus on playing the music he loves.

Hodgkins was raised in Cardiff. He co-founded the Welsh Jazz Festival and was instrumental in establishing the Welsh Jazz Society. As a professional trumpeter, Chris has toured the UK and Europe, appearing at the Sacramento Jazz Festival in the USA. The Chris Hodgkins Band made a name for itself supporting the likes of Buddy Tate, Humphrey Lyttelton, Kathy Stobart, Bud Freeman and Wild Bill Davison.