Born in Liverpool in 1950, Whitehead gave up a career as a barrister in 1976 to give his full commitment to playing and writing music. The following year South of the Border a quartet he co-led with guitarist Glenn Cartledge, won the Greater London Arts Association Young Jazz Musicians of the Year award, following which Whitehead was invited to tour with Ian Carr's Nucleus in Germany.

1978 saw him touring Europe again, this time with Graham Collier's 12-piece band. In 1980 he joined Jim Mullen for a spell in Morrissey-Mullen while Dick Morrissey took time out and here the relationship with Pete Jacobsen was formed. In 1981 he toured with Ian Carr again, this time in the UK, and performing a specially commissioned suite for a larger ensemble entitled Conversations with the Blues. At the same time his own new band Borderline was underway with Django Bates (Human Chain, Loose Tubes, Delightful Precipice) on piano, Mick Hutton (Bill Bruford's Earthworks) on double bass, and Nic France (Sunwind, Tanita Tikaram, Helen Watson, Loose Tubes, Nucleus) playing drums.

Whitehead's first album was recorded with this band in 1982, and the work was toured for Jazz Services together with an exhibition of his paintings and recitation of poems and other writings. In 1984 Whitehead joined Loose Tubes and The Breakfast Band (Afro-Caribbean), and two years later formed a new quintet with John Parricelli (Loose Tubes), Nic France, Dudley Phillips (Annie Whitehead, Orphy Robinson, Andy Sheppard, Womack & Womack), and Steve Melling (Clark Tracey), recording their first album Decision for Editions EG in 1988.

In 1986 he also joined with trumpeter Harry Beckett in a quintet and Jim Mullen's Meantime, then in 1988 he joined the Martin Drew band before forming The Tim Whitehead Quartet in 1991. The Quartet first came together to play a week at Ronnie Scott's club in 1991. Such was the success of their musical relationship that they decided to record their first album immediately. Authentic, recorded live at the club, was consequently released on the Ronnie Scott's own Jazz House label, to much critical acclaim.

On the strength of the album, Whitehead received a commission from the Arts Council of Great Britain to write and develop a suite of music on the south-western island of St. Agnes in the Isles of Scilly. The commission enabled the quartet to spend time on the island playing and collaborating on new material. The resulting work formed the core of the band's second CD Silence Between Waves, which was recorded in studio and live at Ronnie Scott's club.

In 1995 the quartet was invited to play at the Pori International Jazz Festival in Finland and the Appleby Jazz Festival which was broadcast live on BBC Radio. Critics have been quick to recognise the unique qualities of Whitehead's music in their excellent reviews of Tim's performances and recordings. As well as twice-yearly appearances at Ronnie Scott's Club and regular gigs at other London clubs, the band has toured the UK extensively since 1991 recording broadcasts for BBC Radio and conducting jazz workshops. Whitehead's continued commitment to the artform has included serving on the jazz section committee of the Musician's Union and as chairman of Jazz Umbrella (94-95). He joined the Arts Council Review of Jazz Funding during the same period. In 1996 Tim was commissioned by Jazz Umbrella, with funding from the Arts Council of England,

to compose Nine Sketches for solo saxophone. This was performed at the Purcell Rooms in November 1996 as part of The London Jazz Festival a performance of which Chris Parker wrote in the Times

"Whitehead has more than justified his growing reputation as one of Britain's most thoughtful composers and improvisers".

1997 saw the tour of Nine Sketches continuing, including performances at the Royal Academy of Music, The Hull Jazz Festival and The Old Isleworth Music Festival, and a live performance for BBC Radio 3, and workshops at The Royal Academy of Music, London, and the Birmingham Conservatoire. He was subsequently commissioned by Jazz North East to compose (with pianist Pete Jacobsen) Heart and Soul for their 30th Anniversary.

In 1998 Tim won the Andrew Milne Award for Jazz to write and tour Soundtracks.

'I explored the words and lives of my mentors and fellow players. I followed their tracks, mostly by instinct, and discovered something of myself as a result'.

Soundtracks toured in Autumn 98 accompanied by a series of masterclasses taken by Whitehead.

In 1998 he was also commissioned to write and record the music for the CD Rom recording of the multi-media work The Arches, a series of collages by the artist John Digby, 24 accompanying poems by Welsh poet Tony Curtis to be performed at St David's Hall, Cardiff, and other festivals including Ty-newydd Poetry festival.

In the same year he co-wrote a work for a sixteen piece ensemble with the contemporary classical composer Colin Riley, performed at Isleworth Music Festival as work in progress.

1999 saw the release of the CD - Personal Standards.

Soundtracks continues to be toured, and in February the performance at The Artezium arts and media centre in Luton was recorded and broadcast by BBC Radio 3 - Jazz on Three.

Tim also teaches weekly jazz workshops for Brunel University's Music Department and conducts workshops and saxophone masterclasses throughout the country.

Early in 2000 Tim was commissioned to write a CD collection of big band and ensemble swing music for media publishers "Music House" which was recorded in May.

Tim's most recent work includes a piece in progress entitled 'Tides'. This work, due for completion at the end of this year, is a collaboration with the contemporary classical composer Colin Riley. Colin and Tim are the recent recipients of the Peter Whittingham Award for this project. An album of the same title is due for release in March 2001 on the "Home Made" label.

TIM WHITEHEAD 2000-2004

In early 2000 Tim was commissioned to write a collection of music for big band ,tentet, octet and septet for the Music House publishing group.

At the same time he won, with Colin Riley, The Peter Whittingham Award, and matching funding from Brunel University to complete and record “Tides”with The Homemade Orchestra, a 13 piece ensemble of classical and jazz musicians including strings, woodwind, piano marimba and vibes, trumpet and flugelhorn saxophone and kit drums.

The work was developed and rehearsed between September 2000 and February 2001 when it was recorded.

Tim’s album “Personal Standards” was critics choice Jazz Album for 2000 in The BBC Music Magazine

In 2001 Tim was commissioned by The Teignmouth Jazz Festival to compose “Let Her Rave”, a work for sextet and choir which was performed at the festival in November 2002 and featured the voice of Kathleen Willison, pianist Gwilym Simcock and guitarist Mike Outram.

In September 2002 “Tides” was launched on Homemade Records at Ronnie Scott’s Club, described by critics as “some of the most beautiful music you will hear this year” (Birmingham Post) and “intelligent, confident and accessible” (The Guardian)

Further performances of “Tides” followed in London at the Spitz in October and The Purcell Rooms in March 2003 (which included a short film with orchestration and live video jockeying of the performance) Brunel University and The Bloomsbury Theatre as part of The Festival Of Music And The Mind.

In early 2003 The Society For The Promotion of New Music Commissioned two composers to write and develop for the Homemade Orchestra two works to be performed as part of the London Jazz Festival at the Southbank in November.

In the same month the orchestra recorded “Inside Covers”, a collection of popular songs arranged by a wide cross-section of composers from within and outside the band.

The album was launched on Homemade records at the Pizza Express in Soho London in February 2004 and the band toured in England through March and April. Critics said of the album and performances "Modern pop is now a legitimate source for jazz. The trend reaches a peak with the album Inside Covers by the Homemade Orchestra. …devilishly inventive” The Metro

“……..Treasure troves of harmonic and rhythmic possibilities…moon bright clarity“ (The Guardian)

“Mining a characteristically British seam of surrealist humour, it prompted me to ask when was the last time a CD had made me laugh out loud” (Jazzwise Magazine)

Tim and Colin are developing material for the next album to be released in 2005, and Tim is working on the score for a new saxophone concerto by Colin Riley to be premiered with the Orchestra Viva at The Derby Assembly Rooms 31st January 2005

'For my money, the finest tenor player in Britain today'' Andy Hamilton - Jazz Review

'Whitehead more than justified his growing reputation as one of Britain's most thoughtful composers and improvisers.'
Chris Parker - The Times

'Whitehead is one of the most creative, exciting and passionate saxophonists in Europe and also one of the finest small-group composers'. Ian Carr - A Rough Guide

'Tim Whitehead is one of the finest contemporary British saxists, at least the equal of better-known players like Andy Sheppard and Courtney Pine.' Andy Hamilton - Jazz on CD

'There are many fine tenor players on the current British scene but Tim Whitehead is undoubtedly one of the best we have'
Peter Lund - Crescendo

'He is a prodigious tenor player whose graceful compositions always rise above the mere technicalities of the conservatoire... Amid the crowd of anonymous, garrulous and hard-edged tenor saxophonists, Tim Whitehead's music is marked by a sense of grace and economy.' Clive Davis - The Times

'His is a sound of controlled power, sinewy and vigorous, but imbued with great tenderness in both the singing tone and the ravishing high note trills with which he decorates his ballads.' Chris Parker - The Times

'Whitehead glides ethereally into his phrases like a jazzier Jan Garbarek at times, although the playing is often stronger.'
John Fordham - The Guardian

'...restrained, considered construction of solos'... John Fordham - The Guardian

'It is his overall approach...that distinguishes Whitehead from many contemporaries. Sticking more closely to the tune's melody than is customary these days, he succeeds in drawing unaffectedly on all his stylistic influences - from Soul and Funk through mainstream Jazz to Coltrane-like rhapsodising...' Chris Parker - The Times

'His repertoire takes in Latin music, straight ahead neo bop, and a clipped neat small band funk...' (of CD Authentic 1991)'...reveals his eye to be on wider horizons, with a substantial chunk of the music an evocative slow suite...'
John Fordham - The Guardian

(of CD Silence Between Waves 1995) 'Silence Between Waves... benefits from the presence of gifted pianist Pete Jacobsen, whose subtle, atmospheric support is a constant delight.' Linton Chiswick - Time Out

'...The consistently high standard of the two absorbing hour-long sets Whitehead's quartet played...' Chris Parker - The Times

'...but above all, it is as a coherent, integrated unit that the greatest impression is made.' Chris Yates - The Jazz Rag

'Attractive, accessible yet finely crafted music.' Chris Parker - The Times