Iain Ballamy

Bio:

Saxophonist and composer Iain Ballamy has come to be recognised internationally as an uncompromising and forward-thinking musician of considerable originality. His work is eclectic, contemporary and un-encumbered by formality and tradition as is clearly evident in his recent writing commissions for Arve Henriksen and the London Sinfonietta, The Henri Oguike Dance Company and the soundtrack for ‘Mirrormask’ the highly acclaimed movie directed by Dave McKean for the Jim Henson Company. For more than a decade Iain Ballamy has forged strong and ongoing musical relationships with musicians around the globe, especially in the Scandinavian countries where he continues to work with many of the cutting-edge figures of today’s contemporary Jazz scene. The group named ‘Food’ which he co-formed with drummer, composer and electronics wizard Thomas Stronen has recently signed to ECM records for it’s sixth release – a much anticipated recording featuring Austrian guitarist Christian Fennesz and the hugely acclaimed Norwegian trumpeter Nils Petter Molvaer. Ballamy leads his own quartet ‘Anorak’ featuring Gareth Williams on piano and continues to tour and record with the virtuoso button accordionist Stian Carstensen as a duo known as ‘The little radio”. Other ongoing projects include a third CD recording with Danish pianist and composer Jakob Davidsen and a trio called ‘Quercus’ with pianist Huw Warren featuring the legendary folk singer June Tabor. Iain’s current writing projects include a film score ‘Luna’, a double brass quintet to be premiered in Scotland at Glenborrodale and arrangements of the music of Billy Jenkins for the BBC Radio big band to be premiered at the London Jazz festival in November. Since becoming a professional musician in 1982, Iain Ballamy has performed and recorded worldwide with notables including Loose Tubes, Bill Bruford, Hermeto Pascoal, Django Bates, Kenny Werner, Gil Evans, George Coleman, The Karnataka college of percussion, John Taylor, Ian Shaw, Claire Martin, Britten Sinfonia, Gay dad, Everything but the girl, Guy Chambers, Mike Gibbs, Carla Bley John Dankworth, etc. Iain Ballamy is a specialist tutor at The Royal Academy of Music and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff. He also counsels the nation through his shrink column ‘In the saxophonists chair’ for Jazz UK magazine’. Ballamy's is a melodic thoughtful style, born out in beautiful original tunes." Linton Chiswick, Time Out "Intensly melodic, eventful and full of surprises... The beauty of tone that Iain Ballamy gets is certainly one of the joys of the current scene, and his concern with creating it echoes Stan Getz's." Andy Hamilton, Jazz on CD

Member Since:

February 11, 2007

Record Label:

ECM / Rune Grammofon / Bashomusic / Feral