Finn Peters

Born around 1975 in Devon, England, Peters began on recorder and flute at five before taking up alto saxophone in his preteen years. His father’s collection, above all the work of Wayne Shorter, shaped his early listening. After the family spent time living in Spain, he pursued formal studies at Durham University and entered the Guildhall School of Music in London in 1996, where he concentrated on jazz while training for studio work. Throughout those years he performed jazz and contemporary dance music in London clubs. Once his studies ended he toured as backing musician for visiting American soul singer Jhelisa Anderson and appeared on recordings with Carl Cox, Joey Negro and DJ Spinna.

By the close of the decade he had started his own contemporary jazz ensemble, Dr. Seus, and issued EPs on his Mantella Records imprint. In the same stretch he composed and performed Latin music chiefly alongside Trip Do Brazil and Grupo X, and he co-founded the contemporary classical outfit Nosferatu. Beyond his engagement with a wide span of Western traditions, he also examined the music of the Gnaoas in Morocco. That breadth is reflected in the range of projects he sustains and in the musicians with whom he has collaborated, among them the Deal, Sam Rivers, Bembe Segue and SA-RA Creative Partners. On his 2006 debut album he situated himself more squarely in jazz settings and drew support from members of the F-IRE Collective, including David Okumu and Tom Herbert of Jade Fox.