DaveStapleton.com

About

Biography

Composer and pianist, Dave Stapleton graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in 2002 with a BMus Degree in classical piano. Inspired by the freer and more expressive world of European jazz, he has subsequently dedicated himself to a fusion of improvisation, jazz and contemporary classical music, rapidly becoming a rising star on the UK jazz scene and tagged as ‘a name to watch’ by both Jazzwise and the Independent on Sunday.

Dave’s music touches on the language of contemporary classical music and jazz and has powerful riffs, melodic hooks and intriguing and surprising turns of phrase. In 2003 he founded the label Red Eye Music with award winning singer-songwriter Christopher Rees, as vehicle to promote his own work and to promote other forms of creative music currently emerging out of the jazz, rock, avant-garde and contemporary classical scenes in the UK. The label has grown quickly and has six critically acclaimed releases as well as world-wide distribution.

Dave’s beautifully evocative music and his multi-functional approach to the business of music led to him being accepted onto the second edition of the prestigious Jerwood/PRS Foundation ‘Take Five’ Initiative produced by the international music producers Serious. ‘Take Five’ is designed to give some of the UK’s most talented young jazz musicians the unique opportunity to take ‘time out’ to develop their craft, and out of this has grown an exciting performing and recording project which features some of his ‘Take Five’ colleagues in collaboration with a string quartet.

Dave’s industriousness and imagination has seen him write for and record with a variety of ensembles in the past few years. In 2003 he was inspired by Keith Tippett's dedication and passion for free improvisation and formed his first group - Full Circle - a quartet featuring Deri Roberts (saxophones, trombone, didgeridoo and percussion), Dave Stapleton (piano), Matthew Lovett (double bass and guitar) and Elliot Bennett (drums and percussion). Following the release of a critically acclaimed debut album, Explorations, the group toured the UK, playing to capacity crowds.

The Dave Stapleton Quintet (DSQ) was formed in 2004 and features Ben Waghorn (saxophones), Jonny Bruce (trumpet), Dave (piano and Fender Rhodes), Paula Gardiner (double bass) and Elliot Bennett (drums). This band has captivated audiences from The Barfly (where they supported Acoustic Ladyland) to Brecon, Cheltenham (as part of the Jerwood Rising Stars) and London Jazz Festivals, and their debut album, When Life Was In Black & White was recorded at the Wales Millennium Centre and released in 2005 to much praise. It also features British Jazz legend Paul Dunmall as special guest on the closing track Lazy Blinker.

In February 2005, Dave teamed up with Deri Roberts and recorded The Conway Suite. Devised as a project for church organ and saxophone, it includes music that crosses the boundaries between classical and spiritual music, jazz and contemporary minimalism. What started as an experiment with partly composed, partly improvised music turned into a highly acclaimed album. BBC Radio 3’s 'Mixing It' compared it to the Jan Garbarek and Hilliard Ensemble recordings and the Independent on Sunday awarded it a four star review describing it favourably as a mix of “Terry Riley type drones leading into late-Coltrane wails”.

Based in Wales, and a driving force behind that emerging jazz scene, Dave has developed a rapport with an exciting breed of young animators and film-makers including Matt Brown, Gareth Blayney, Keri Collins and Virginia Head. Inspired by the likes of Philip Glass, Yann Tiersen, James Newton Howard, Michael Nyman and the Cinematic Orchestra, as well as wide variety of jazz, blues, rock, classical and avant-garde, Dave has developed a deeply emotional, profoundly atmospheric and exciting approach to film music that both connects with and enhances the visual image. Recent projects have included a commission by animator Virginia Head for the S4C animated shorts based on the Pellegrina (5-string viola), which was performed by principal violist of Welsh National Opera, Philip Heyman and Zoë Smith. Dave also won 'Best Sound' at the International Film School Awards, Newport 2005 for his work on Conscious Vein by Edward Loades.

You can visit his website dedicated to his film work by clicking on image below.

In June 2007 he produced the a live recording of the Keith Tippett Tapestry Orchestra for release on Red Eye Music, the formation of an improvised duo with clarinetist Tom Jackson, a commission to compose music for piano and The Lunar Saxophone Quartet, which will be recorded in February 2008 for a future release. In Sept 2007 he released his second quintet album 'The House Always Wins' to rave reviews from Jazzwise, Independent on Sunday as well as BBC Radio 3 'Jazz on 3'. Featuring Ben Waghorn (Saxophones), Jonny Bruce (Trumpet), Paula Gardiner (Bass) and Elliot Bennett (Drums) the Guardian described the band as "UK jazz revelation". DSQ are currently touring through the UK and Europe and forthcoming performances include London Jazz Festival and a Tour of the Balkans.

General Press quotes:

“Dave Stapleton is a real find for British Jazz…a young musician of real maturity and vision…it’s the breadth of his talent that’s most encouraging. He writes exceptionally well drawing on his classical training as well as jazz and he’s hungry to explore the possibilities of free improvisation…There’s something refreshingly unstuffy about Dave Stapleton’s sources of inspiration. There’s Jarrett and Hancock, of course, Dave Holland and Joshua Redman but also the American Minimalists like Phillip Glass, Steve Reich and Terry Riley”.Jazzwise

"Stapleton is one of the most refreshing, sophisticated and intelligent young jazz composers working today. Innovative, infectious and utterly compelling, the future of new British jazz is in safe hands". The Western Mail

On When Life Was In Black and White:
"Dave Stapleton's quintet performed tunes from their current CD, 'When Life Was In Black and White'. Allowing his European classical background to shine through in compositions of arresting melodic continuity, his band succeeded not so much through individual voices, but by the strength of their collective musical personality." The Observer

“Idiosyncratically powerful reappraisal of both post-bop and free-jazz” The Guardian

“ECM-ish, filmic originals from distinctive Cardiff-based pianist as heard on his excellent recent album, 'When Life Was Black And White'”. Time Out

“This music is vital and fresh…full of powerful riffs, melodic hooks and intriguing and surprising turns of phrase…this is up there with the Barkers, Sheppards and Baptistes of the UK scene”. Jazzwise

On The House Always Wins:
"...hooks that could hardly be more accessible but which none the less avoid any formulaic references...quality and fiery, fearless soloists...A real UK jazz relevation." The Guardain (4 Stars ****)

"There's some excellent thematic writing here...stays in the memory long after the record has finished". Jazzwise(4 stars ****)

"know how to build a groove...bold and catchy compositions" BBC Radio 3 'Jazz on 3'

"Fiery, blusey...A cracking band...Fast establishing a formidable rep...whether in acoustic or proggy Fender Rhodes there's a steely strength" The Independent on Sunday

"Deft melodies and hard hitting grooves make his music genuinely kick-ass". Timeout

On The Conway Suite:

“Don’t let anyone tell you that there isn’t any interesting music scenes’ happening in Wales. There is definitely something interesting happening around Dave Stapleton. The Conway Suite reminds me of that Hilliard Ensemble and Jan Garbarek album ‘Officium’ but not as self consciously ecclesiastical and I actually prefer it for that reason”. ‘Mixing It’, BBC Radio 3

“Were this a Jan Garbarek album, it would sell by the cartload. The combination of organ and saxophone favourably recalls John Surman’s Proverbs & Songs. The music feels as if it’s swirling around you and has an almost tactile quality, it’s so rich in texture. Quite charming and quite moving”. Jazzwise

… with Terry Riley-type drones leading into late-Coltrane wails, creating a satisfying natural sense of space and place…what’s more striking is the strong, spiritual feeling of the slowly unfolding form”. Independent On Sunday

For more information:

www.myspace.com/davestapletonquintet
www.redeyemusic.co.uk
www.newnote.com
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/dave_stapleton/

Discography:
Explorations, Full Circle (Red Eye Music, 2004)
The Conway Suite, Dave Stapleton & Deri Roberts (Red Eye Music, 2005)
When Life Was In Black & White, Dave Stapleton Quintet (Red Eye Music, 2005)
The House Always Wins, Dave Stapleton Quintet (Red Eye Music, 2007)