Peter's career as an entertainer, recording artist and television personality began over 45 years ago. Born in England, he moved with his family to Australia, where, at age 10, he began six years of study in classical piano. At age 16, he moved to Sydney to begin a career as a commercial artist. However, a successful appearance on "Australia's Amateur Hour" at age 17 proved to be the turning point, and he became a professional musician, using the name Chet Clark.

He began playing with jazz and pop groups in the Sydney area after studying recordings by Fats Waller, Oscar Peterson, George Shearing, and Nat Cole, all major influences. He appeared all over the Sydney area in 1955-57 appearing with many other emerging performers such as Johnny O’Keefe and Barry Crocker. At the same time he performed with top jazz musicians, becoming the first Australian artist to have simultaneous careers in Jazz as well as Pop Rock. In 1957 he opened at "El Morocco" in Brisbane with his trio, and a year and a half later moved to Surfer's Paradise Hotel on the Gold Coast, where he became nationally known. At this time he also began to make guest television appearances. An engagement at the "Embers" in Melbourne followed, where he opened for top jazz artists Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Eckstine, Oscar Peterson and others. Returning to Sydney, he took over the big band at "Andre's" working with Shirley Bassey, Billy Daniels, Dorothy Dandridge and others.

Also at this time, several of his songs were hits for some of Australia's top recording artists. He was then signed as host on one of Australia's top TV shows "Six O'Clock Rock" on ABC Television for a year and a half. He left Australia for California in 1963.

Using the name Chet Demilo, he formed a pop/jazz group and began appearing in the Los Angeles area, followed by engagements in Las Vegas, Reno and Lake Tahoe, and major clubs on the West Coast. One memorable booking was a five-year engagement at "Donkin's" in Marina del Rey. During this time his songs were recorded by such artists as Jerry Butler, Don Ho, Eartha Kitt, Jack Jones and others. In 1974, Peter formed a new group "Aries Rising" featuring vocalist Randy Crawford, which toured the West Coast and Canada over the next three years. In 1977, he appeared at "Sneeky Pete's" on the Sunset Strip for a six-month engagement.

Following five years of engagements in Palm Springs, Hawaii and Vancouver, British Columbia, he returned to Los Angeles in 1983 for live appearances and the founding of his recording studio "Music '88". During this period he was engaged to play at hundreds of private parties and special functions at all the major downtown and westside hotels and private homes using his original name, Peter Clark.

He was a featured performer on the Royal Viking "Sky" while cruising to Brazil, the Mediterranean, and London to Leningrad, during the summer of 1989. In 1990 he appeared at Vicki's of Santa Fe in Indian Wells and Ron's in Palm Desert during the high season. Returning to Santa Barbara, he was featured jazz pianist/singer at the City Broiler jazz club/restaurant for 8 months.

In February of 1991, Peter and his wife, Dallas, acquired the famous Santa Barbara restaurant "Andria's Harborside." After remodeling they featured a piano bar where Peter performed regularly along with friends and special guests. The Santa Barbara Jazz Society also met there for their monthly jam session on the waterfront. In 2001 the restaurant was sold to the Beachside Inn Hotel.

Also in 1991 Peter joined "Monday Madness" a jazz orchestra led by Dr. Chuck Wood at Santa Barbara City College, playing jazz festivals and concerts in California, and accompanying artists such as Stan Getz, Frankie Laine, George Burns, Jon Faddis and others. In 1993 his CD "Santa Barbara" was recorded, followed by the "The Last Live Band" recorded in 1997.

In 1998 Peter appeared in a series of concerts in Russia, playing his original compositions with the top jazz musicians of Moscow and St. Petersburg. Also in 1998 and 1999 Peter produced and directed the Santa Barbara International Jazz Festival bringing artists such as Dave Brubeck, Tito Puente, Lalo Schifrin, Kenny Burell, Mose Allison, Les McCann, John Foreman from Australia, Oleg Lundstrem and The Moskats from Russia, and many others to the Santa Barbara Jazz scene at Ledbetter Beach.

In June and July, 2000, Peter accompanied movie actress and singer Jane Russell on a Mediteranean cruise aboard the “Crystal Symphony”, played jazz clubs in England and Italy, and toured China with a jazz trio. Appearances in Beijing, Weihai, Qingdao and Shanghai were extremely well received, and a future tour is planned. Peter returned to Moscow, Russia, in April 2001 appearing with the Oleg Lundstrem Orchestra. Three new CDs were released in 2001/02 – “Full Circle” and “Piano and Vocals” featuring new compositions. "Messenger of Music" (The Singer's Sing) a new boxed set of four CDs came out in late 2002. He also arranged and produced an album for Santa Barbara singing star, Leslie Lembo. In September he played "The Basement" jazz club in Sydney, Australia and appeared on "Good Morning Australia" with old friends Bert Newton, Barry Crocker and John Foreman. He returned to Russia in December appearing in Moscow, Tatliatti, Samara and Ulyanavosk. In July 2002 he returned to Moscow appearing with Russia's leading saxophonist Igor Butman at "Le Club" and performed three concerts in the Moscow area. In February, 2003 he performed in Australia, and returned to Moscow in April, where his new CD, "Live In Moscow" was recorded.

In 2004 he performed at Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow with the Oleg Lundstrem Orchestra and made appearances at Soho Music Club in Santa Barbara. In 2005 he started working with songstress Lois Mahalia on her new CD project " This Is Lois Mahalia", as well as working on his own projects "The Songs That Worked For Me" and "Who Is This Guy?" which will be released in 2007. He continued to tour with Jane Russell at concerts in California, and in 2007 will arrange and produce a CD with local artist, Ross Borden.

In December 2006 his art was featured in a show at Tours De Arte, a gallery in Santa Barbara, and he was the featured artist at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum in April, 2007. Other shows are scheduled during the year in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Seattle, Washington.

more info at www.artjazz88.com