Andy Sheppard

Last updated

Andy Sheppard
Andy Sheppard 05N8765.jpg
Sheppard at the Moers Festival, 2012
Background information
Born (1957-01-20) 20 January 1957 (age 67)
Warminster, Wiltshire, England
Genres Jazz
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)Tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone
Years active1978–present
Website Official website
Andy Sheppard at Aarhus Jazz Festival (Denmark 2009) Andy-Sheppard DSC00803.jpg
Andy Sheppard at Aarhus Jazz Festival (Denmark 2009)
Andy Sheppard (r) in Monaco with Carla Bley and Paolo Fresu Carla-Bley-crop.png
Andy Sheppard (r) in Monaco with Carla Bley and Paolo Fresu

Andy Sheppard (born 20 January 1957) is a British jazz saxophonist and composer. He has been awarded several prizes at the British Jazz Awards, and has worked with some notable figures in contemporary jazz, including Gil Evans, Carla Bley, George Russell and Steve Swallow. In 2019 he was presented the degree of Doctor of Music honoris causa by the University of Bristol. [1]

Contents

Biography

Sheppard performing in 2008 with Carla Bley Andy Sheppard 2009.JPG
Sheppard performing in 2008 with Carla Bley

Sheppard was born in Warminster, Wiltshire, England, in 1957. [2] At the age of 19 he emerged as a musician in the Salisbury-based contemporary quartet Sphere in the late 1970s, gigging only three weeks after picking up the saxophone. [2] [3] He honed his skills in the wine bars and jazz clubs of the UK and Europe in the early 1980s. He also played with world music groups [4] [5] [6] and with more established improvisers such as Keith Tippett. While still with Sphere, Sheppard moved to Paris, working with French bands Lumière and Urban Sax. In the mid-1980s Sheppard returned to the UK, playing often on Ki Longfellow-Stanshall's and Vivian Stanshall's Bristol, England-based Old Profanity Showboat, and released his self-titled debut solo album, featuring Randy Brecker and Steve Swallow, who also produced the album. The record was well received and led to Sheppard being awarded the Best Newcomer prize at the 1987 British Jazz Awards, followed by the Best Instrumentalist Award in 1988. [7] '87 also saw Sheppard join George Russell's Living Time Orchestra and tour with Gil Evans. [3] His second solo album, Introductions in the Dark, was released in 1989. Unusually for a jazz record, the album entered the UK pop charts. Off the back of this, Sheppard was awarded Best Album and Best Instrumentalist in 1989's British Jazz Awards, [7] became the subject of television documentaries for both the BBC and HTV, and toured the world, taking the first Western jazz group to play in Outer Mongolia. [7]

Sheppard formed his first big band, the Soft on the Inside Band, in 1990 for an album of the same name. [8] The band featured many notable players, including drummer Han Bennick, trumpeter Claude Deppa and trombonist Gary Valente. This band turned into In Co-Motion, which included keyboardist Steve Lodder and bassist Sylvan Richardson, who released an eponymous album in 1991. [9] After this Sheppard signed a deal with Blue Note Records, who issued Rhythm Method in 1993. The In Co-Motion band was expanded for this release and dubbed Big Co-Motion. Big Co-Motion recorded a live album at London jazz club Ronnie Scott's, Delivery Suite, which was released by Blue Note in 1994. [10]

The TV movie The Music Practice, based on Andy Sheppard's music, took part in the contest The Golden Prague, presented by Czech Television, in 1997 in Czech Republic.

Discography

As leader

With Carla Bley & Steve Swallow

As sideman

With Carla Bley

With Rita Marcotulli

With John Martyn

With George Russell

With Sphere [11]

With Judie Tzuke

As sideman

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Swallow</span> American jazz bassist and composer

Steve Swallow is an American jazz bassist and composer, known for his collaborations with Jimmy Giuffre, Gary Burton, and Carla Bley. He was one of the first jazz double bassists to switch entirely to electric bass guitar.

David W. Bargeron is an American trombonist and tuba player who was a member of the jazz-rock group Blood, Sweat & Tears.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Mantler</span> Austrian jazz trumpeter and composer

Michael Mantler is an Austrian avant-garde jazz trumpeter and composer of contemporary music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claude Deppa</span> South African jazz trumpeter

Claude Deppa is a South African jazz trumpeter born in Cape Town, South Africa, probably best known for his work with the Brotherhood of Breath and Carla Bley.

Gary Valente is a jazz trombonist.

Karen Mantler is an American jazz pianist, singer, and composer. She is the daughter of Carla Bley and Michael Mantler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Lodder</span>

Steve Lodder, born Stephen John Lodder, is a British keyboardist, composer, and organist. He played piano as a child and took up organ at age 14. He studied organ at Gonville and Caius College, and after completing his studies he taught music and wrote for film and television.

<i>Fleur Carnivore</i> 1989 live album by Carla Bley

Fleur Carnivore is a live album by American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley recorded at the Jazzhus Montmartre in 1988 and released on the Watt/ECM label in 1989.

<i>The Very Big Carla Bley Band</i> 1991 studio album by Carla Bley

The Very Big Carla Bley Band is an album by American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley released on the Watt/ECM label in 1991.

<i>Big Band Theory</i> 1993 studio album by Carla Bley

Big Band Theory is an album by the American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley, recorded and released on the Watt/ECM label in 1993.

<i>Songs with Legs</i> 1994 live album by Carla Bley

Songs with Legs is a live album by the American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley with the saxophonist Andy Sheppard and the bass guitarist Steve Swallow recorded in Europe and released on the Watt/ECM label in 1994.

<i>The Carla Bley Big Band Goes to Church</i> 1996 live album by The Carla Bley Big Band

The Carla Bley Big Band Goes to Church is a live album by American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley recorded in Perugia, Italy as part of the Umbria Jazz Festival and released on the Watt/ECM label in 1996.

<i>4x4</i> (Carla Bley album) 2000 studio album by Carla Bley

4 x 4 is an album by American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley with a chamber ensemble recorded in Oslo in 1999 and released on the Watt/ECM label in 2000.

<i>The Lost Chords</i> 2004 live album by Carla Bley

The Lost Chords is a live album by American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley with Andy Sheppard, Steve Swallow, and Billy Drummond recorded in Europe in 2003 and released on the Watt/ECM label in 2004.

<i>Appearing Nightly</i> 2008 live album by Carla Bley and Her Remarkable Big Band

Appearing Nightly is a live album by American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley, recorded in Paris in 2006 and released on the Watt/ECM label in 2008. Bley's compositions and arrangements incorporate many references to big bands and jazz standards from the swing era. The album contains two compositions commissioned by the Jazz Orchestra of Sardinia, and a suite inspired by nightclubs and big bands of the 1950s commissioned for the Monterey Jazz Festival.

<i>The Lost Chords find Paolo Fresu</i> 2007 studio album by Carla Bley

The Lost Chords find Paolo Fresu is an album by American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley with Andy Sheppard, Steve Swallow, and Billy Drummond and Paolo Fresu recorded in Europe in 2007 and released on the Watt/ECM label.

<i>Trios</i> (Carla Bley album) 2013 studio album by Carla Bley / Andy Sheppard / Steve Swallow

Trios is an album by American composer and pianist Carla Bley with saxophonist Andy Sheppard and bass guitarist Steve Swallow, recorded in April 2013 and released on ECM later that year. This was the first occasion on which these longtime collaborators had worked as a trio since 1994's Songs with Legs.

<i>Andando el Tiempo</i> 2016 studio album by Carla Bley / Andy Sheppard / Steve Swallow

Andando el Tiempo is an album by American composer and pianist Carla Bley with saxophonist Andy Sheppard and bass guitarist Steve Swallow released on the ECM label. Though the musicians are longtime collaborators, this is their third album as a trio and second on the ECM label. It is Bley's first complete album of new compositions in eight years and is titled after a three part meditation on addiction and recovery, inspired by a friend's struggle with alcoholism.

This is a list of works by American jazz musician Carla Bley.

<i>Life Goes On</i> (Carla Bley album) 2020 studio album by Carla Bley

Life Goes On is a studio album by American composer and pianist Carla Bley recorded in May 2019 and released on ECM on February 14, 2020. The trio features saxophonist Andy Sheppard and bass guitarist Steve Swallow.

References

  1. ↑ Williams, Justin. "Andy Sheppard". www.bristol.ac.uk. University of Bristol. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  2. 1 2 Stephenson, Matt (20 July 2001). "Andy Sheppard is a hard man to pin down". Hull Daily Mail, archived at LexisNexis. Hull, England: Mail News & Media. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  3. 1 2 Yanow, Scott. "Andy Sheppard: Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
  4. ↑ "Salisbury International Festival". Daily Echo, archived at LexisNexis. Salisbury, England: NewsQuest Media Group. 9 December 2008. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  5. ↑ Davis, Barry (31 August 2008). "Red Sea jazz veterans soar far beyond memory lane". The Jerusalem Post, archived at LexisNexis. Jerusalem, Israel: Mirkaei Tikshoret. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  6. ↑ "Jazz Jamaica to close Hull festival". Hull Daily Mail, archived at LexisNexis. Hull, England: Mail News & Media. 23 July 2008. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  7. 1 2 3 "Classics with a twist". Bristol Evening Post, archived at LexisNexis. Bristol, England: Bristol News andMedia. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  8. ↑ "Andy Sheppard Soft on the Inside". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  9. ↑ "Andy Sheppard - In Co-Motion". Jazz Music Archives. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  10. ↑ "Andy Sheppard: The man who has emerged as one of Britain's foremost tenor and soprano saxophonists". Jazz Blues News Space. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  11. ↑ "Sphere". "Discogs". Retrieved 29 August 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.