Tristan has built a reputation as a knowledgeable, versatile and authentic world-class drummer and percussionist throughout his 30-year career as a recording artist and session musician. He has worked with many artists covering a wide field of musical genres including Roy Ayers, Steve Winwood, Dave Valentin, Beverley Knight, Hexagonal, David Gilmour, Peter King, Lewis Taylor, Guy Barker, Marcos Valle, Liane Carroll, Snowboy, Terry Callier, Da Lata, Jim Mullen, Carleen Anderson and Mayra Andrade, Ben Hillier (U2, Depeche Mode, Blur), Mike Lindup (Level 42), Hamish Stuart (Average White Band), Steve Howe (Yes), The Lion King (UK tour), Thriller Live (European, Brazilian tours), MC Conrad, Alexander O'Neal, Ive Mendes, Chico Cesar and Joe Lee Wilson (Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins) and many more.
As a touring artist he has performed in many of the world’s top venues including Royal Festival Hall, Central Park (NYC), Royal Albert Hall, Joe’s Pub (NYC), Queen Elizabeth Hall, Hammersmith Odeon, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, North Sea Jazz Festivals, Shepherds Bush Empire, Blue Note (Tokyo), V Festival, Reading Festival, WOMAD Festivals and Glastonbury Festival.
Since 2021, Tristan has also been curator and venue manager at The Verdict Jazz Club in Brighton, UK, restarting the venue after its closure due to the global pandemic of 2020, The Verdict has already received a nomination for Parliamentary Jazz Award Venue of the Year 2022. Many top UK and International Jazz artists have most recently played the club including Larry Goldings, Sarah Jane Morris, Ari Hoenig, Jim Mullen, Tony Kofi, David Binney, Gary Crosby, Claire Martin, Tony Remy, Liane Carroll, Jean Toussaint, Laurence Cottle, B D Lenz, Yolanda Charles, Ivo Neame, Tom Ollendorff, Simon Spillett, Hexagonal, Ant Law, Emma Rawicz, Alex Hitchcock, Sultan Stevenson, Jackson Mathod as well as a number of outstanding Ubuntu Music recording artists--Quentin Collins, Matt Ridley, Paul Booth, Alina Bzhezhinska, Brandon Allen, Nigel Price, TRYPL, QOW Trio, Andrew McCormack, HOOP and Dave O’Higgins to name a few.
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In 2023 he released his long anticipated debut album 'View From Above" to critical acclaim. Mixing influences from the jazz, Latin jazz and fusion idioms, the music is a unique combination of high-octane virtuosic performance and sublimely melodic composition. Banks brings together his long-standing musical friends Paul Booth - woodwinds, John Crawford - piano and Davide Mantovani basses to articulate his musical vision.
Artists he has performed/recorded with include:
Steve Winwood, David Gilmour (CBE), Robin Millar (CBE), Sir Brian May, Van Morrison, Ronnie Wood, Mike Howlett (Strontium 90, Gong) Guy Barker (MBE), Steve Cropper, James Burton, Dave Valentin, Roy Ayers, Mike Lindup (Level 42), Beverley Knight, Samantha Barks (Les Miserables), Catherine Tyldesley, Armando Peraza (George Shearing, Cal Tjader, Carlos Santana), Carleen Anderson, Mayra Andrade, Mitch Winehouse, Kuldip Bhamra, Andy Sheppard, Marcos Valle, Pucho and the Latin Soul Brothers, Da Lata, Hamish Stuart (AWB), Steve Howe (Yes), The Lion King (UK tour), Thriller Live (European,Brazilian tours) MC Conrad, Alexander O’Neal, Ive Mendes, Smoke City, Chico Cesar, Turin Brakes, Lewis Taylor, Robert Miles, Fischer-Z, Alex Wilson, Snowboy and the Latin Section, Bah Samba, Jim Mullen, Terry Callier, Reel People, BGP Allstars, Idris Mohammed (Pharaoh Sanders, Ahmed Jamal), Orlando Le Fleming (Antonio Sanchez, Mark Guiliana,) Steve Pearce (Vinnie Colaiuta, Steve Gadd), Arnie Lawrence (Tito Puente, Blood,Sweat and Tears), Janek Gwizdala (Mike Stern, Pat Metheny, Peter Erskine), Dale Davis (Amy Winehouse), Micheal Mondesir (Billy Cobham, Jeff Beck), Byron Wallen (George Benson, Freddie Hubbard, Chaka Khan), Joe Lee Wilson (Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins), Tony Remy (Steps Ahead, Lonnie Liston Smith), Miles Bould (Sting), Laurence Cottle (Seal, Black Sabbath), Dennis Rollins (Courtney Pine, Jamiroquai), Nick Cohen (The Bays, Massive Attack), Karl Vanden Bossche (Sade, Mark Ronson), Thomas Dyani Akuru, Bosco d’Olivera, Ralph Salmins, Roberto Pla, Bobby Wellins, Robin Jones King Salsa, Cubana Bop, Pete King, Don Weller, Nigel Hitchcock, Gerard Presencer, Negrocan, Nitin Sawhney, Ben Castle, Mornington Lockett, Neil Yates, Derek Nash, Paul Clarvis, Tom Cawley, Roger Beaujolais, Joe Hubbard, Julian Crampton, Steve Hamilton, Simon Carter, Martin Shaw and others.
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Venues of note include:
Royal Festival hall, Central Park NYC, Royal Albert Hall, Joes Pub NYC, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Hammersmith Odeon, The London Palladium, Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club, North Sea Jazz Festivals, Shepherds Bush Empire, Blue Note Tokyo, V festival, Reading Festival, Womad Festivals, Glastonbury Festival
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