Jimi was the most important factor in me becoming a professional musician, recording music and touring the world as a guitar player.

Jimi is the best mentor and teacher I have ever come across in my 32 years playing the guitar and working in many of the country's top institutions. In my early development as a musician, Jimi was able to provide me with valuable knowledge about technique, ear training, time feel, tone, composition, recording approaches, memorising tunes, jazz harmony, and all of the various genres associated with modern guitar playing.

Jimi has an incredible amount of enthusiasm for music and is an absolute expert at passing this onto his students, as well as being an incredible guitar player himself. His communication skills are the best I have every witnessed by any music educator.

Jimi became an important mentor for me at an early age, and he was the first professional musician I'd ever met. As a result of his knowledge and encouragement I was able to start performing in many bands and write my own music.

I am forever grateful for his invaluable insights into guitar playing, but also his determination for me to forge my own path and make a living as a professional musician also.

Chris Montague

About Chris

Chris Montague is widely recognised for his skills as a guitarist and composer. As a founder member of Troyka he has garnered a reputation for his distinctive approach to the guitar and has gained much acclaim for his contribution to many contemporary recordings as both player and producer. Chris’ new trio ‘Warmer than Blood’ with Kit Downes (ECM) on piano and acclaimed bassist Ruth Goller on bass released its debut album in May 2020 with Whirlwind recordings.

Chris was born in Gateshead (UK) and began playing guitar at an early age. Some of the musicians and bands Chris has worked with have included; Troyka, Squarepusher, Benny Greb’s Moving Parts, Kit Downes, Dave Douglas, Janek Gwizdala, Sarah Gillespie, Monocled Man, Charlie Watts, Darry Jones, Chuck Leavell, Django Bates, Shinya Fukumori, BJ Cole, Colin Town’s Blue Touch Paper, Nick Smart’s Trogon, Trish Clowe’s Tangent, BBC Concert Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Chris is also a Spitfire Audio recording artist.

As a composer Chris has received several commissions to write for different musicians, including: Royal Academy of Music Big Band, Threads Orchestra, EFG London Jazz Festival, Brother Tree string quartet, and several large guitar ensemble pieces for Hull and London Jazz Festivals. As a producer Chris has contributed to many releases, including the Sarah Gillespie album ‘Half Cut’ due to be released on Pastiche records in February 2024.