Dennis Rollins FUNKY-FUNK! / Velocity Trio

From Jamiroquai, The Brand New Heavies and Courtney Pine to funk icons Maceo Parker and Pee Wee Ellis, Rollins has showcased his signature trombone sound alongside some of the greatest names in jazz, funk and groove. With "FUNKY-FUNK!", he unleashes a powerhouse six-piece band, firing off driving bass lines and lush, soulful horn riffs in a show that’s as explosive as it is irresistible.

Fresh from the school of Funk that fed the likes of James Brown, Dennis joins an elite lineage of trombone players responsible for changing its perceptions.

From The Brand New Heavies, Jamiroquai, Courtney Pine, to Maceo Parker and PeeWee Ellis, Dennis has lent his trombone skills to an array of jazz, funk and groove personalities.

A chameleon in the jazz world, here he presents ‘FUNKY-FUNK!’ an electrifying 6-piece outfit exploring funky grooves, fat bass-lines and sumptuous melodies.

A passionate performer and educator, British trombone player Dennis Rollins MBE has established a reputation as an artist of excellence, and has lent his unique and stylish talents to some of this country’s, and indeed the world’s top jazz and pop personalities such as Courtney Pine, Maceo Parker, Jamiroquai, US3, The Brand New Heavies, Blur, Monty Alexander, Pee Wee Ellis and Jean Toussaint, amongst others.

As a bandleader, in 2006 his jazz/funk outfit Badbone & Co won a prestigious BBC Jazz Award in the Best Band category. In the following year he picked up both Trombonist of the Year at the British Jazz Awards and Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Awards. Dennis was nominated twice in the 2008 Parliamentary Jazz Awards for Jazz Musician of the Year and for Jazz Education; he won the latter.

Other awards include British Trombone Society (BTS) Player of the year Award 2013 and JazzYorkshire Award 2012 Best Band for his band Velocity Trio.

In his hometown of Doncaster UK, Dennis was given Honorary Freedom of the Borough in recognition of his successful musical career and for his constant inspiration to the regions musical youth.

• As part of Her Majesty the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2018, Dennis was honoured with an MBE for Services to music.
• Most recently in June 2022, he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Wales, UK.

A sought after jazz educationalist, Dennis has worked in collaboration with many of the UK’s university and colleges delivering a wide range of music programmes and performance workshops.

As a recording artist he’s currently recorded 5 critically acclaimed albums. Three with his award-winning band Badbone & Co, and two with his progressive jazz organ-trio, Velocity Trio.

He’s proud to be an exclusive endorsee of UK brass instrument maker, Michael Rath Trombones and Argentinian mouthpiece maker Boqar Baro Mouthpieces.

Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Awards Best Trombone, British Jazz Awards Best Trombone, Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Award, Freedom Of The Borough, for supporting and inspiring young Doncaster Musicians, Parliamentary Jazz Award for jazz education. Honorary Fellowship – Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama