Recorded  first album at the age of sixteen with the acclaimed Scottish saxophonist Tommy Smith and has subsequently recorded over 30 albums as a leader and side man including two BBC Jazz Albums of the Year (2004 and 2003).

Before coming to New Zealand, John was one of Britain's top musicians and band leaders.

As a leader Ihe has recorded The Big If Smiles Again, Celtic Feet, Beware the Feet, Magic Feet and Miraculous Meetings.

From 2000-2003, was the drummer for the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra and in 2005 was awarded a prestigious 'Herald Angel' at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

As an educator he has taught for many years and has a vast experience of running workshops and clinics.  He is a member of the International Association of Jazz Educators In 2003, in partnership, he formed a company - Thick-Skinned Productions. The objective of the business is to specialize in music education programmes focused around jazz and improvisation.

In 2004   formed a 35 piece ensemble Big Feet and was commissioned to write the music for a full performance.  It was an amalgamation of a jazz big band with a traditional Scottish pipe band and a unique opportunity to mix two diverse music styles. Big Feet was performed on the island of Islay (Scotland) with the Isle of Islay pipe band and went on to perform in Glasgow and Edinburgh concert halls.

Was appointed the Musical Director and composer for a specially commissioned and choreographed modern dance piece in 2004. Commissioned by the national school of dance in Scotland, Dance Base , this critically acclaimed production entitled Off Kilter was performed at the Edinburgh Festival Theatre and mixed Scottish traditional dancing with modern dance, hip-hop and traditional Indian dance. Part of this piece was performed at the opening ceremony of the Scottish National Parliament and in New York.

Playing Experience:

Toured all over the world with a number of musicians and groups and was a founding member and writer for;

Giant Stepping Stanes : ground breaking cross-cultural group bringing together modern jazz musicians with traditional Celtic musicians.

Power of Scotland Big Band : 17 piece big band featuring the cream of Scottish jazz musicians

John Rae Collective seminal : 6-piece contemporary jazz group in the 1980’s

John Rae's Celtic Feet : A group that morphed from The Giant Stepping Stanes concept using traditional Celtic players and modern jazz players

New Jazz  : 6 piece contemporary jazz band featuring a new wave of young Scottish jazz musicians alongside older more established players

Afro Celtic Jazz Ensemble : contemporary group featuring a mixture of Scottish jazz musicians and Afro/American jazz musicians

Magic Feet : 8 piece group featuring traditional Scottish musicians, Hungarian Gypsy musicians and jazz musicians

Miraculous Meetings : An All-Star Balkan group with a jazz rhythm section

Brian Kellock Trio : Scotland’s leading modern jazz trio

As a drummer has performed with:

Tal Farlow

Joe Levano

Lee Konitz

Igrid Janson

George Connigan

Dave Liebman

Maria Schneider

BBC Radio Big Band

Tony Scott

Charles MacPherson

Dave Berkman

Shelia Jordan

Art Farmer

Ethan Iverson

Jamie Cullum

Warren Vache

Findlay Macdonald

Julian Arguelles

Guus Janssen

Buddy de Franco

Red Rodney

Julio Pacheco

Mark Murphy

Pete King

Scott Hamilton

Jim Mullen

Barney Kessel

Kenny Wheeler

Ken Paploskie

Martin Taylor,

Tommy Smith

Vijay Iller

Jessie Davies

Pepe Torres

Carol Kidd

Commissions

1999 - Scottish Arts Council commission to compose music for Scotland’s leading jazz musician; Brian Kellock to be played in a trio format.

2000 - Scottish Arts Council commission to compose new music for traditional Celtic instruments and jazz instruments . This was recorded for Caber Music and released as ‘Celtic Feet’ Caber 010.

2001- Scottish National Jazz Orchestra commission to compose a piece based around the nine planets; The Planets Suit. My piece was about Uranus, entitled ‘Your Highness Uranus’ which was performed at the Queens Hall Edinburgh and the RSAMD Glasgow.

2002 - National Youth Jazz Orchestra of Scotland commission to compose a new piece of music to be played by the Youth Orchestra during the Edinburgh Jazz Festival. Piece entitled ‘Root’s to Fruits’.

2003 - Scottish Arts Council New Music Commission to compose new music for ‘Big Feet’ . This was a 17 piece jazz big band with 6 traditional musicians plus the 20 piece Isle of Islay pipe band. This was performed at the Islay Jazz Festival, Queens Hall Edinburgh and the RSMAD Glasgow. 

2003 - Scottish National Jazz Orchestra commission to compose new music based around Famous Scot’s. My piece was a tribute to Jock Stein entitled ‘Jock Stein A Love Supreme’ and was performed throughout Scotland by the SNJO.

2004- Dance Base commission to write music to accompany a professional modern dance company for a new choreographed production called  Off Kilter. The production was a mix of traditional Celtic dance, traditional Indian dance, modern dance, street dance and classical ballet. Premiered at the Festival Theatre Edinburgh and pieces were performed at the opening ceremony of the Scottish National Parliament and in New York.

2005 - Serious Music Productions commission to compose new music for  ‘Magic Feet’ Tour. This group was a mix of Hungarian and Scottish musicians and toured throughout  the UK, Hungary and France. 

2005 - Scottish National Jazz Orchestra commission via Scottish Arts Council for A Tribute to Monk. The piece was called ‘Skippy’ and was performed by the SNJO in the Edinburgh Jazz Festival.   

Television and Radio Performances

Performed a number of times for BBC Radio Three, BBC Radio Scotland, Channel 4, and Scottish TV , plus on TV in Spain, Hungary and France.

Selected Discography

Warren Vache - Just Hold Me INN10

Fionna Duncan - Body and Soul  TentoTen records

Ronnie Rae - Cradle to the groove  TentoTen records

Tommy Smith - Giant Strides  G.R.P 322

Martin Taylor - Change of Heart  Linn AKD

Spike Robinson - Stairway To The Stars  Hep 03

Tom Bancroft Orchestra - Tom Bancroft Caber 001

Hue and Cry - Stars Crash Down  EMI

Brian Kellock Trio - Something's got to Give Caber 003

Brian Kellock Trio - Live at Henry's Caber 020

            (BBC Album of the Year 2003)

Suzanne Bonnar - Empty Tables JB CD9001

John Rae Collective - The Big If Smiles Again Caber 022

John Rae's Celtic Feet - Celtic Feet Caber 010

John Rae's Celtic Feet - Beware The Feet Caber 018

John Burges - Urge to Burge Caber 011

Findlay Macdonald - Findlay Macdonald Foot Stompin Records

Colin Steele - Twilight Dreams Caber 021

            (BBC Album of the Year 2004)

Scottish National Jazz Orchestra - Kind of Blue, Sparticus Records

Colin Steele – The Journey Home Caber 029

Teaching Experience:

As an educator , has taught for many years in schools and have run workshops and clinics throughout.

Currently teaching in various schools in the Hawke's bay region and privately

A member of the International Association of Jazz Educators and has attended and played at the World Conference in New York in 2006.

In 2003, in partnership, formed a small business -  Thick-Skinned Productions - a company that was specifically set up to specialize in music education programmes.

The Arts Council of Scotland specifically requested that they focus on developing a business model in order to try and address the need for more hands-on music education focusing on jazz an improvisation for young people in schools in Scotland. The Arts Council of Scotland seed-funding the business. The focus of the business was to teach young players the principles of jazz and improvisation , a topic which many music teachers are not comfortable about teaching. It was also designed to give young people an introduction to jazz music as an alternative to classical and pop music curriculum-led music education.

Thick-Skinned Productions is still active in various projects in the U.K.  In New Zealand, they  presented percussion and voice workshops at the Cuba Street carnival in Wellington in 2007.