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Chris Biscoe is also on MySpace: 2007 has been a notable year for Chris Biscoe, with debut gigs from several new bands. The first was British Standard Time, an exploration of British show tunes of the pre-Beatles era, with a couple of folk tunes thrown in for good measure. Next came the Chris Biscoe/Tony Kofi Quartet in a tribute to woodwind virtuoso Eric Dolphy. 2008 is the 80th anniversary of Dolphy’s birth. Third came Miles vs Monk, a stand off inspired by the 50th anniversaries of two remarkable and vividly contrasting records: Miles Ahead and Monks Music. On November 7th Chris is inviting Bobby Wellins to join him and the Liam Noble Trio in an evening of standards and Monk tunes. The Chris Biscoe Band, with Pete Hurt, Liam Noble, Dave Whitford and Dave Wickins first performed in 2004. The 2006/7 tour included Swanage Jazz Festival and a return visit to the Ram Jam Club in Kingston upon Thames, the musical home of Way Out West, the collective of West London musicians spearheaded by Tim Whitehead of which Chris Biscoe is a member. Starting in October 2004 Way Out West has expanded its activities to present Jazz every Wednesday. The collective now has over 20 members, including bebop legend Tony Kinsey, as well as musicians quite new to the national jazz scene. Starting November 2007 Way Out West will present monthly gigs at the Questors Theatre in Ealing (www.questors.org). Way Out West was also the venue for the genesis of the new Biscoe/Edwards/Marsh trio. The first gig included saxist Ingrid Laubrock. Drawing on old standards - including a waltz by Ivor Novello, some material from the freer end of the jazz repertoire - Ornette Coleman, Mike Osborne, Thelonious Monk - and improvisation, the success of this gig led Chris to imagine the trio with John and Tony as the foundation for a series of gigs with invited guests from across the jazz spectrum. In September 2005 the trio performed with Evan Parker at Way Out West, followed by gigs with Ben Davis and Ingrid Laubrock, in which more original material has been incorporated into the repertoire. Chris Biscoe is self taught, starting on sax then alto clarinet. He played with Ben Sidran at Sussex University. After experience of modern, fusion & free jazz he played with Red Brass from 1975-78. He started working with Mike Westbrook in 1979 and has played in many of Mike's projects including The Westbrook Blake, The Cortege, On Duke's Birthday, London Bridge and Chanson Irresponsable. He has also toured & recorded with George Russell, Andy Sheppard, Grand Union, Chris McGregor, Didier Levallet & worked with Hermeto Pascoal, Dewey Redman, Kenny Wheeler & the New York Composers Orchestra, co-led by Wayne Horvitz and Marty Erlich. He formed the improvising group, Full Monte in 1988 in collaboration with Brian Godding, Marcio Mattos & Tony Marsh. In 1998 Full Monte joined forces with The Blowpipes trombone trio for a project called Dialogic and gave performances and held workshops at a number of venues throughout the UK. The band has also toured with various guest trumpeters: Dick Pearce, Henry Lowther and Harry Beckett. From 1997 to 2000 Chris Biscoe performed alongside Harry Beckett in the Orchestre National de Jazz. In 1999 Chris joined forces with Harry in The Harry Beckett Band, a quintet featuring Liam Noble, Fred T Baker & Tony Marsh. Chris can also be heard in the sextet Mingus Moves, which is inspired by the small group music of the late Charles Mingus. The band also features Henry Lowther and Veryan Weston. He also appears in the Ben Davis, Liam Noble and Loz Speyer Groups where he uses both alto & soprano saxes along with the rarely heard alto clarinet. LozSpeyer's Inner Space Music has completed a record and details on its release should be available soon. In 2003 Chris played in two new Mike Westbrook Projects, Turner in Uri and Art Wolf, joined Loz Speyers's Inner Space and participated in the Monk Liberation Front at the Royal Festival Hall on November 23rd 2003, when all Thelonious Monk's compositions were played in one (very long) afternoon. Inner Space Music has completed a record and details on its release should be available soon, while Art Wolf is available now on Altrisuoni records. In 2004 Chris played baritone in The Hermeto Pascoal Orchestra, Graham Collier's 40 Years On, and Keith Tippett's The Monk Watches the Eagle, following this in 2005 with more baritone work in the Dedication Orchestra (Vancouver Festival) and depping for Tony Kofi in Tim Richards' Great Spirit. He toured Austria and Switzerland with the Pierre Favre European Chamber Ensemble, an unusual formation including harp, tuba, and 2 basses. The Chris Biscoe/Tony Kofi Quintet, with John Horler, Dave Green and Dave Barry, first appeared at Appleby Festival and is available for bookings in 2007. More information about some of these groups can be seen on their individual pages.
Reviews: Reedsman Biscoe attained a particularly urgent state, delivering several magisterial solos, visibly wired by the lust for winkling out fresh alto saxophone sounds, bending, popping and filtering notes in an unpredictable chase
Leonard Feather/Ira Gitler - The Biographical Dictionary of Jazz (Oxford Press)
DISCOGRAPHY - RECENT RECORDINGS A more complete Discography can be viewed on the Biography/Discography page. FOR BOOKINGS, MORE INFORMATION, OR A RECORDING, CONTACT:
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