Sax player swaps studio for cave

Snake liked the acoustic sound of the cavern

One of the UK's leading jazz saxophonists has recorded two new tracks - in a Lake District mine.

Snake Davis, who has played with M People, Paul McCartney and Take That, performed in a vast underground cavern at Honister Slate Mine near Keswick.

He discovered the mine when he was on holiday and realised the big space would creates a unique acoustic.

He is now also hoping to perform a concert in the cavern if health and safety issues can be ironed out.

Davis has recorded in some of the most famous studios in the world, including Abbey Road in London.

Honister is one of the last remaining working slate mines in the UK and is owned by Mark Weir who was keen on the idea of the recording.

Natural acoustics

Davis said: "Mark the boss had this vision and desire to turn one of the biggest caverns in the slate mine into a venue.

"It captured my imagination because I'm a lover of wild spaces and can often be found practising my wooden flute or saxo beside a river or in a woodland.

"I love to play in beautiful spaces which are unspoilt with a natural ambiance and a feel of their own.

"So I thought, why not go the whole hog and go into a huge natural space inside a lakeland mountain?"

Davis has also recorded with other famous artists including Smokey Robinson and Chaka Khan.

He added: "I loved the natural acoustics - the mine had a better natural reverberation than some of the most famous studios in the world."