Byron Wallen
Byron Wallen | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Born | July 1969 (age 54) London, England |
Genres | Jazz |
Occupation(s) | Musician, composer and educator |
Instrument(s) | Trumpet |
Labels | FMR Records, M.E.L.T. 2000, Twilight Jaguar |
Website | www |
Byron Wallen (born July 1969)[1] is a British jazz trumpeter, composer and educator. He was described by Jazzwise as "one of the most innovative, exciting and original trumpet players alive".[2] As characterised by All About Jazz, "He does not fit into any pigeonhole, however, and is also something of a renaissance man: he has long been involved in cognitive psychology and also travels widely, spending extended periods in South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Morocco, Indonesia and Belize (his parents' homeland)."[3]
Biography
Wallen was born in London, England, to parents from Belize,[4] and was brought up in a musical family – one of his three siblings is composer Errollyn Wallen.[5] After beginning to learn classical piano as a young child, also playing euphonium, he went on to study the trumpet in New York in the mid- to late 1980s with Jimmy Owens, Donald Byrd and Jon Faddis.[4]
Wallen graduated from
Forming his own band Sound Advice in 1992, Wallen released his debut album in 1995, which has been followed by five further albums.[8]
As a composer Wallen has had commissions from such organisations as London's
In 2018, Wallen joined the staff of Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.[9]
Awards and recognition
In 2003, Wallen received a
His 2007 album, Meeting Ground, was nominated for Best Band and Best Album in the 2007 BBC Jazz Awards and Best Jazz Act in the 2007 MOBO Awards.[12]
In 2017, Wallen received a Paul Hamlyn Award.[13]
Discography
- 1995: Sound Advice
- 1997: Bambaraka - Automatic Original
- 1997: Earth Roots
- 2002: Indigo
- 2007: Meeting Ground
- 2020: Portrait: Reflections On Belonging
References
- ^ a b "Staff: Byron Wallen". Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.
- ^ a b c "Byron Wallen". Jazz Award Judges 2016. BBC.
- ^ May, Chris (16 February 2020). "Byron Wallen: Portrait". All About Jazz.
- ^ a b "Biography". Byron Wallen website.
- ^ Duchen, Jessica (21 July 2014). "Errollyn Wallen's 'Anon': Manon Lescaut for the 21st century". The Independent.
- ^ "Tomorrow's Warriors Jazz Jam – Get noticed!". Tomorrow's Warriors.
- ^ "Links". Byron Wallen. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
- ^ a b "The Composer". Byron Wallen website.
- ^ "Trinity Laban welcomes new staff to the Jazz Department". Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. 26 September 2018.
- ^ "Winners of the BBC Jazz Awards 2003". BBC. 30 July 2003.
- ^ Walters, John L. (8 May 2004). "Byron Wallen". The Guardian.
- ^ "Byron Wallen - new album and UK tour dates". The Jazz Mann. 13 February 2020.
- ^ "NEWS: Byron Wallen receives 2017 Paul Hamlyn Award". London Jazz News. 9 November 2017.
External links
- Official website
- Le Gendre, Kevin, "A Meeting Of Minds", Echoes, 2007.
- Byron Wallen discography at Discogs