Al Swainger
Настоящее имя: Al Swainger
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Born in 1972, Al began playing the cornet and piano at the age of 6; he also tried the trumpet & tenor horn before finally settling on the french horn at 11. His teen years were spent in a wide variety of ensembles and stylistic settings – classical, jazz, pop and rock – often 4 or 5 days a week throughout his schooling. Mainly performing on french horn at this time but also on piano and self taught electric guitar and bass. He also developed an enthusiasm for computer music, composing & arranging extensively using sequencing software and home recording equipment. Al earned his degree in music from Colchester institute in 1993 and a teaching certificate the following year from Bretton Hall. Whilst studying for his degree he held the piano chair in the university big band as well as continuing to play orchestral french horn. After completing formal studies Al became a part time instrumental teacher for Devon Youth Music. At the same time he started to build a reputation as an electric bass player, musical director & arranger amongst the local soul & big bands, spent several years with world music improv band Rifiki and a short spell with heavy rock band Aesculus Hipp. With the collapse of the teaching arm of the music service in 2004 Al took the opportunity to become a full time self-employed musician and to expand his skills into playing double bass as well. Since then Al has run a jazz jam session at the Globe in Exeter for 3 years, an improvisation / composition workshop called The Other Compass, the E.S.P. jam session in Bristol and the successful Blue Vanguard Jazz Club with Coach York & Craig Milverton since 2011. His own bands (Monkey’s Uncle, Time Wasters, Power of Time Monkeys, Mother Popcorn, the Art Trip and most recently The Al Swainger Q'tet) have always met with critical approval and delighted audiences. Al's reputation as a sideman is formidable and is well known as someone able to slip easily into any context and sound like he's been doing it all his life at a moment's notice. He has been awarded 5th place in the British Jazz Awards three times from 2012-14. See below for a full rundown of collaborations through the years. He continues to break new ground as a freelance artist and has released albums with the Art Trip (Music of Art Pepper), art rockers Grice (Alexandrine), omni-fusion trio Snow Giants (UN), his own solo project Pointless Beauty (A Lonely Vigil / After & Before / Shall Brothers Be) and Biophosmos : The Music of Chick Corea.