Between them, Rooks Yard founders Tim Aves and Pete Crisp been involved in music-making for more years than either cares to dwell upon. Both are successful musicians in their own right. Over the past four decades, they have worked – together and individually – to promote live and recorded music in Essex and way beyond, as performers, festival promoters, live sound providers and in Pete’s case, also as the acclaimed recording engineer behind the popular and sadly-missed Saint Studios in Burnham-on-Crouch.
Tim is well known and respected on the UK blues scene as a singer, guitarist and harmonica player, fronting high-octane r’n’b band, Automatic Slim through 17 years and more than 3,000 gigs across the UK and continental Europe. Tim went to perform for many years with The Rockin’ Armadillos, and in recent times, with the highly-acclaimed Tim Aves & WOLFPACK, sharing stages with many with nationally and internationally-recognised musicians in the process.
As well as playing music, Tim and Pete helped found and organise the long-running annual RIVERfest arts festival, bringing many well-known performers to Burnham-on-Crouch and showcasing the talents of hundreds of local musicians – many enjoying their first taste of performing on a festival stage. Tim is currently the driving force behind Blues at the Barns, a popular acoustic blues, folk-roots and Americana festival held each May on a farm near Burnham – with Pete’s engineering skills providing superlative-quality live sound.
Both now offer their wide knowledge of music and the music business – not to mention their enviable collection of classic valve amps, guitars, pedals and other equipment – to all those coming to make music at Rooks Yard.
