| |
Biography:
Chris has performed with Jaqui Dankworth, Jamie Cullum, John Helliwell (Supertramp), Mark Heart (Crowded House), Sir John Dankworth, Dame Cleo Laine, Jacob Magnusson, Gwyneth Herbert, Jim Watson, Mike Walker, Steve Brookstein, Dudley Philips, Alec Dankworth, Eileen Hunter, Mike Outram, Gareth Williams, Carleen Anderson(James Brown), Laurence Cottle, Steve Waterman, Dave O Higgins, and Kate Dimbleby amongst others.
Has performed at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Hackney Empire, Giverny Festival, Ronnie Scotts, The Royal Festival Hall, The Old Vic, Her Majestys Theatre, Nuremberg Festival, Pizza Express Jazz Club Soho, the Royal Academy of Music, the Camden Jazz Cafe, the Royal Academy of Arts, The 606 Jazz Club, Pizza on the Park Jazz Club, The Astoria 2, Edinburgh Festival, Brecon Jazz Festival, Scarborough Jazz Festival, Midem Festival (Cannes), Montreux Jazz Festival, Bicester Festival, Teignmouth Festival, Snape Maltings, The Barbican Centre, Harrogate Jazz Festival, and many other venues in Britain and around Europe.
Born into a musical family, Chris played classical piano as a child before starting at the guitar aged 13. By 15 he was performing regularly in local bands, and by 16 led his own band. He went on to study jazz and classical guitar at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (London), gaining an honours degree in guitar, and a first for his final recital. Chris also studied at the Malmo Conservatoire (Sweden).
In 2000 he was joint winner of the Ovation Guitar Prize, winning a guitar, and performances for Ovation at Guitar shows.
He received an award of a classical guitar from the John Barbarolli Foundation in 2002.
In Summer 2004 he was a finalist in the Montreux Jazz Guitar Competition at the Montreux Jazz Festival, winning a guitar.
Chris has received tuition and masterclasses from many great musicians including Michael Gibbs, Phil Robson, Jeff Ballard, John Parricelli, Joe Locke, Tim Garland, Rufus Reid, Peter Erskine, Colin Oxley, Billy Cobham, Chuck Israels, Allan Holdsworth, Martin Taylor, Avashai Cohen and Geoff Keezer.
Primarily a jazz musician, he is also at home in numerous other settings ranging from solo guitar to rock, folk, blues, funk.
He has performed in musical theatre productions, including The Who show Tommy on tour.
He has performed with numerous Jazz Orchestras, including the Guildhall Jazz Band, the Dave O Higgins Biggish Band, the Tom Richards Jazz Orchestra, with whom recorded debut album Smoke and Mirrors on Candid records in 2006, the Edd Puddick Big Band, The Michael Garrick Big Band, and the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, with whom he toured and recorded, and held the guitar chair from 2002-2004.
Chris played in showband and as solo guitarist on Carnival cruiseships around Europe and Scandinavia, summer 2001.
He has also performed with orchestras including the Guildhall Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra, and the BBC Concert Orchestra, with whom he played on a BBC Radio recording with the Gwyneth Herbert band 2004.
Also for the BBC, Chris recorded duo with Jacqui Dankworth on Courtney Pines radio show in the summer 2006.
Recorded live concert as the opening of Nuremberg festival, Germany as part of Jacqui Dankworths Band, late september 2007
Chris appeared as featured guest on the Mike Parlett Radio Show, Solar Radio, live in Los Angeles California, 27th september 2009, playing live in the studio.
Also active as an aducator, Chris has been involved in workshops with Jacqui Dankworth, as part of the Dave O Higgins band, and with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. He has accompanied students in exams at the Academy of Contemporary Music. In autumn 2008 Chris was employed by the Guildhall School of Music and Drama for coaching sessions, and again to judge their postgraduate guitar final recitals in summer 2009. He teaches regularly at Devonshire House Preparatory School, Hampstead, and privately.
|
