Press Hub
The Barbican show as special guest with Wynton Marsalis was sweet. Read press reviews here CLICK
New album 'Flight Mode' to be released Autumn 2010
Sir John Dankworth died on February 6th 2010. Chris remembers: "My memories of one John Dankworth span back as early as I can remember. He was and remains like a second musical father to me. He helped me in so many ways and at so many times far too numerous to mention. Around 1979 he introduced me to Nigel Kennedy at one of the very first Wavendon jazz courses, he sponsored and played on my album Different Strokes and he wrote a violin concerto for me. But the extent of his influence on the musical world as a whole is colossal and impossible to quantify. Among the zillion things I shall miss are his spine-tingling alto playing and those sparkling effervescent incredible string arrangements: Skylark for example, which he arranged for Cleo, is pure ear lotion! Salut, Sir John."
Other new albums include the 3rd waxing from Sweet Chorus, entitled Small Hotel. Also in the pipeline is the next in the Elements series Breathe from enigmatic sound cosmologists, Deva, possibly set for release on Peter Gabriel's prodigious Real World label.
A short Scandanavian sojourn in March reunites Chris with old ally Ole Rasmussen in Copenhagen, Denmark for some workshops, gigs and recording. The tour concludes with Chris' first visit to Sweden for two concerts in the ice.
Chris wrote a special feature on electric violins for the Strad magazine out this January 2009. Past Strad features include the January 2006 6-page cover story and a masterclass on the Bird tune Donna Lee in 2007.
Daily Telegraph review of 80th birthday concert of Dame Cleo Laine & Sir John Dankworth with the LSO at the Barbican The Telegraph
Chris premiered the new Jazz Violin Concerto by Sir John Dankworth with his quartet & the Nottingham Youth Orchestra on March 1st 2008 at the Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham. The new music received a glorious reception from the capacity crowd. To top things off Sir John made a surprise appearance in joining the jazz band, orchestra & choir for Chris' rollocking A-Train score. All this on a borrowed instrument after John's own sax was sadly stolen earlier in the day.
Chris performed Piazzolla's Les Cuatro Estaciones Portenas (Four Seasons for Buenes Aries) with the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Barry Wordsworth at the Royal Festival Hall in February, using a violin by Spiritus Sorsana 1731 from the Royal Academy of Music's Italian Collection.
|
rig/gear
groups
gallery
links
