Jason Yarde

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Jason Yarde
Born1970 (age 54–55)
Beckenham, England
Genres Jazz
Occupation(s)Musician, composer, arranger, producer, music director
InstrumentSaxophones
Formerly of Jazz Warriors; Tomorrow's Warriors

Jason Yarde (born 1970) is an English jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger, producer and music director. He has worked with a wide range of artists and music ensembles, including Denys Baptiste, The Blind Boys Of Alabama, McCoy Tyner, Andrew Hill, Jack DeJohnette, Hugh Masekela and the London Symphony Orchestra. [1] [2]

Contents

Early life and education

Yarde was born in 1970 in Beckenham, England, to Guyanese parents. [3] While still a teenager at school, [4] he began playing alto and soprano saxophone with the Jazz Warriors, and went on to become their music director. [5]

He studied at Middlesex University, obtaining a BA (Hons) in Performance Arts; the degree incorporated a year at William Paterson College, New Jersey, studying orchestration, studio engineering, jazz performance and saxophone under Joe Lovano, Gary Smulyan and Steve Wilson. [5]

Music career

Yarde was member of Anthony Tidd's Quite Sane band, which won the Capital Radio band of the year award in 1992. [6] He has also been associated with Tomorrow's Warriors since it was started, [7] including leading the J-Life quintet, featuring vocalist Julie Dexter. [8] [9]

In 2007, his work All Souls Seek Joy was premiered by Hugh Masekela and the London Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican Centre. [10]

Yarde's BBC Proms composition Rhythm and Other Fascinations, for piano trio and the BBC Concert Orchestra, won the inaugural BASCA award for Contemporary Jazz Composition in 2009, [11] [12] with the judges describing his work as "innovative, accomplished and entertaining. It achieves that difficult double act of looking back in homage to a bye-gone era and at the same time, achieving a very contemporary vision." [13]

In 2010, Yarde was a recipient of a Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award, "the most generous arts prize in the UK". [14]

References

  1. ↑ "Jason Yarde". Hyperion. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  2. ↑ "JASON YARDE alto/baritone saxophones". Hexagonal. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  3. ↑ Le Gendre, Kevin (23 November 2007). "Instruments of change: Black performers are still a rarity on the classical stage in Britain, but the LSO's new collaboration with Hugh Masekela is a welcome sign of progress". The Guardian .
  4. ↑ Fordham, John (1 June 2005). "Review | Jason Yarde | Queen Elizabeth Hall, London". The Guardian.
  5. 1 2 "Jason Yarde". AllAboutJazz . 26 November 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  6. ↑ "About Quite Sane", quitesane.com.
  7. ↑ "Andrew McCormack and Jason Yarde… new album". Tomorrow's Warriors. 6 October 2011. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  8. ↑ "Julie Dexter/J-life Never Will I Marry .mov". 1998. Retrieved 1 January 2024– via YouTube.
  9. ↑ "Awards & Recognition". Tomorrow's Warriors. 10 January 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  10. ↑ "Hugh Masekela Concert With LSO And Jason Yarde". Jazzwise . 2 November 2007.
  11. ↑ "Jason Yarde | Jazz Adjudicator". BBC Young Musician 2022. BBC Four.
  12. ↑ Ferguson, Tom (2 December 2009). "Jazzer Jason Yarde Honored At British Composer Awards". Billboard . Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  13. ↑ "Jazz breaking news: Jason Yarde Scoops Composer Award". Jazzwise . 2 December 2009. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  14. ↑ Flynn, Mike (11 October 2010). "Jazz breaking news: Jason Yarde Wins Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award" . Retrieved 6 November 2024.
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