Iain Ballamy


Iain Ballamy is a British composer and saxophonist. He was featured as one of the world's all-time greats in BBC Music Magazines "100 Jazz Legends". The Guardian described him as "one of the world's distinctive saxophone voices". One of his closest musical collaborators is Django Bates.

Career

Ballamy was born in Guildford, Surrey, and educated at George Abbot School, Guildford, from 1975 to 1980. He then studied Musical Instrument Technology from 1980 to 1982 at Merton College. He took piano lessons from age of 6 to 14.
He discovered saxophone in 1978 with three lessons and his first professional gig was in 1980. He played Ronnie Scotts as Iain Ballamy Quartet at age 20. He was a founding member of Loose Tubes in 1984. First recording with Billy Jenkins in 1985, his first solo album, Balloon Man, was released in 1988. Clive Davis' review in The Times described it as "possibly the most assured session so far by any player of his generation"
During his career he has performed or recorded with a wide range of musicians including Gil Evans, Hermeto Pascoal, New York Composers Orchestra, Carla Bley, Dewey Redman, George Coleman, London Sinfonietta, Françios Jeanneau, Daniel Humair, Mike Gibbs, Randy Weston, Karnataka College of Percussion, Sax Assault, Jazz Train, Freebop, Nishat Khan, R.A.Ramamani, T.A.S. Mani, Clare Martin, Human Chain, Dr. L. Subramaniam, Tom Robinson, Charlie Watts Orchestra, Jeremy Stacey, Randy Weston, Joanna MacGregor, Delightful Precipice, Bill Bruford, Django Bates, Mark Wingfield, Jane Chapman, Bryan Ferry, Everything But The Girl, Food, Food for Quartet, Loose Tubes, Oxcentrics, Ian Shaw, Slim Gaillard, Ultramarine (band), Ashley Slater, Hungry Ants, Ronnie Scott, Gordon Beck, Britten Sinfonia, and Gay Dad.
In 1999, Ballamy founded the record label Feral Records, in partnership with graphic artist and filmmaker Dave McKean. In 2005, he composed the musical score for the movie MirrorMask. He also composed the score for Luna, which is also directed by McKean.
Ballamy is a visiting professor currently at the Guildhall [School of Music and Drama], Royal Academy of Music and the Royal Welsh [College of Music & Drama].
His latest musical endeavours include the Iain Ballamy Quartet, as well as 'Fascinada', a quintet playing the music of Brazil. The group plays textural improvisations that lead into compositions by the likes of Ivan Lins, Milton Nascimento, Antonio Carlos Jobim & Hermeto Pascoal. The group features Welsh pianist Huw Warren and guitarist Rob Luft.

Discography

As leader

;With Food
;With Quercus
With Loose Tubes
With Billy Jenkins
  • Greenwich
  • Uncommerciality Vol 1
  • Scratches of Spain
  • Motorway At Night
  • Jazz Cafe Concerts Vol 1
  • Jazz Cafe Concerts Vol 2
  • True Love Collection
  • First Aural Art Exhibition
With Bill Bruford's Earthworks
With Django Bates
With Ian Shaw
With Ray Russell
With others
Romania 1985, Morocco 1995, China 1997, Senegal 1997, India 1996 and 1998, Lithuania 1998, and Colombia 1998.

Television

Jazz 606, Meltdown, The Tube, Bergerac, Illuminations, Stay Lucky, Right to Reply, Wogan, and Ronnie Corbett Show.

Radio

2003 – 2004 Dance Ranjabiati Sircar/SAMPAD, SANKALPAM

Theatre

Out There, Riverside Studios

Reviews

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  • Articles

  • Balancing act, The Times 07/10/1989
  • Sax men find solutions, The Sunday Times 08/10/1989
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Category:1964 births
Category:Living people
Category:English jazz saxophonists
Category:British male saxophonists
Category:English jazz composers
Category:British male jazz composers
Category:English male composers
Category:Jazz tenor saxophonists
Category:Jazz alto saxophonists
Category:Jazz soprano saxophonists
Category:Academics of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama
Category:Musicians from Guildford
Category:E.G. Records artists
Category:21st-century British saxophonists
Category:21st-century British male musicians
Category:Loose Tubes members
Category:Earthworks (band) members
Category:Delightful Precipice members
Category:Human Chain members
Category:Voice of God Collective members
Category:Rune Grammofon artists
Category:La-La Land Records artists
Category:Basho Records artists
Category:Academics of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire