BJ Cole is a pedal steel guitarist from Enfield, United Kingdom, born in 1946. He builds a career as both a session musician and an artist in his own right, and releases five solo albums.

Early work

Cole is a founder member of Cochise, a British post-psychedelic band. He also writes and records The New Hovering Dog, a seminal experimental album released on United Artists in 1973.

Session work and touring

During the 1970s, he establishes his session career with recordings for Steve Marriott, Elton John, Dave Edmunds and Gerry Rafferty. He also tours extensively with the bands of Kiki Dee and Andy Fairweather Low. He later records with artists including Marc Bolan, Scott Walker, Beck, Björk, Sting and David Sylvian, and appears on tour dates with The Verve, R.E.M. and Sting.

Labels and collaborations

Cole founds Cow Pie Records, which leads to a long-term association with Hank Wangford. In the 1980s he continues session work with Shakin’ Stevens, David Sylvian, Deacon Blue and Depeche Mode.

Solo albums and experimental music

He returns to his own recording career in 1989 with Transparent Music on Hannibal Records. The album combines his own ambient compositions with works by Debussy, Satie and other classical repertoire, and helps establish his work in avant-garde and ambient music. This leads to recording projects with Harold Budd and Hector Zazou, and touring with John Cale in Europe and America.

In 1995, with The Transparent Music Ensemble, he releases Heart of the Moment on Resurgence, a follow-up centred on original compositions.

Dance music and later collaborations

For the next ten years, Cole works closely with DJs and programmers in dance music. His album with Luke Vibert, Stop the Panic, appears on Cooking Vinyl and Astralwerks and is promoted internationally. He then records Trouble in Paradise for Cooking Vinyl, working with electronica figures including Groove Armada, Bent, Kumo, Alabama 3 and Luke Vibert.

He remains active on the recording and live circuit, and collaborates with Davy Spillane, Roger Beaujolais and Michael Messer. More recently, his work with cellist Emily Burridge focuses on chamber and classical material, including pieces by Debussy, Satie and Purcell, alongside new music in a similar impressionistic style.