Neil Ardley

Neil Ardley (1937-2004) was an English composer, bandleader and author, born in Wallington, Surrey. He led the New Jazz Orchestra in the 1960s and composed extended works for jazz orchestra, later also working with electronics. He is best known for the albums Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe and Kaleidoscope of Rainbows, and outside music for his popular science books, among them The Way Things Work. Neil Ardley studied chemistry at Bristol University, played piano with the John Williams Big Band and took lessons from Ray Premru and Bill Russo.