An active jazz guitarist for over 30 years, Charles Alexander performs with several groups on the London jazz scene and is Jazz Guitar Tutor at Richmond Adult and Community College.

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Charles took up guitar at the age of 14, inspired by early rock ‘n’ roll, R & B, and the music of Django Reinhardt. He played his first gig at 15 on a Hofner bass guitar and later supplemented his student grant playing with local rock bands, dance bands, and jazz groups. In 1973 he moved to London to become Director of the Jazz Centre Society, a non-profit organization that produced hundreds of jazz events ranging from weekly club gigs to full-scale festivals.

From 1980 to 1988 he was President of the International Jazz Federation. In 1984, he founded the company Jazzwise Publications, which markets printed jazz music and study materials and organizes jazz courses, including the Jamey Aebersold Jazz Summer School. He is publisher of the monthly Jazzwise magazine.

As a radio broadcaster, Charles wrote and presented the 12-part series "The Guitar in Jazz" for BBC Radio 3 and presented seven series of "Six Silver Strings" programs for BBC Radio 2, featuring a wide range of guitar music from classical to jazz, from blues to flamenco, and from Brazilian to country. He is a partner with co-author Nick Freeth in the independent radio production company Gleneagle Productions.