Jon Neilson: One of the founder organisers of the UK boogie woogie festival. Drummer with The Stuff boogie woogie band and will be conducting the drumming workshop again this year.

Jon has been playing the drums since his school days, although at one point he sold his drums to buy a bass guitar because the band he was in at the time needed a new bass guitarist!  He sold his bass guitar to buy a motor bike and drums went on to the back burner whilst he pursued a career in bike racing.  However, by the 1980s he was back on the drums and through the 80s and early 90s he played in several local bands, including Rock Bottom, The Lager Louts, Logan#s Run, Bedrock, Dr Graham’s Boogie Brothers and The Blues Bandits.  He was a founder member of The Stuff when they began in 1992 and has been playing with them ever since.  An all-round drummer, Jon also plays with a modern jazz quarter, and has assisted them with their recording and development work – at one time he played for a season with the Gillingham Imperial Silver Band.   Jon ran a successful Boogie Woogie Drumming Workshop at last year’s festival and is very much  looking forward to this year’s workshop.