Iain Ballamy

Iain Ballamy
Background information
Born	February 20, 1964 (1964-02-20) (age 45)
Origin	UK
Genres	Jazz
Occupations	saxophonist
Instruments	soprano, alto and tenor saxophones
Years active	1980s to date
Labels	Basho Record, Rune Grammofon, Editions EG, Feral, B&W Music
Associated acts	Anorak, Balloon Man, ACME, Food for Quartet, The Little Radio, Loose Tubes, Bill Bruford's Earthworks, Django Bates' Human Chain, Delightful Precipice, Billy Jenkins' Voice of God.
Website	www.ballamy.com

Iain Ballamy (born February 20, 1964 in Guildford, Surrey) is a British composer, soprano, alto and tenor saxophone player.

Career

Ballamy was schooled at 1975-80 George Abbot School, Guildford. He then studied Musical Instrument Technology from 1980-1982 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 1985 and first solo album, Balloon Man, 1988.

During his career he has performed or recorded with a wide range of top 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, Django Bates, Mark Wingfield, Jane Chapman, Bryan Ferry, Everything But The Girl, Food for Quartet, Loose Tubes, Oxcentrics, Ian Shaw, Slim Gaillard, Ultramarine, 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.

Ballamy is an agony uncle for Jazz UK Magazine with his column "In the Saxophonists Chair".

Discography

As a leader

• Balloon Man, Editions EG EEG CD 63.

• The Little Radio Iain Ballamy with Stian Carstensen. Sound Recordings (sound 1005).

• All Men Amen, B+W Music BW065.

• Acme, B+W Music BW101.

• Food Food (1) with Thomas Stronen, Arve Henriksen and Mats Eilertsen. Feral ASFA 101.

• Pepper Street Interludes, Iain Ballamy with Stian Carstensen, Norma Winstone, Martin France, Matthew Sharpe. Feral ASFA 102.

• Signal To Noise, BBC Radio 3 Play Adaptation of the graphic novel by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean. Feral ASFA 103.

• Organic and GM Food Food (2) with Thomas Stronen, Arve Henriksen and Mats Eilertsen. Feral ASFA 104.

• Veggie Food (3) with Thomas Stronen, Arve Henriksen and Mats Eilertsen. Rune Grammofon RCD2027.

• Last Supper Food (4) with Thomas Stronen, Arve Henriksen and Mats Eilertsen. Rune Grammofon.

• Molecular Gastronomy, Food (5) with Thomas Stronen. Rune Grammofon.

• Mirrormask Soundtrack, Lala land records.

• Anorak, Basho Records.

As a sideman

• Earthworks, Bill Bruford's Earthworks. Editions EG EEG CD 48 (CD).
• Dig, Bill Bruford's Earthworks. Editions EG EEG CD 60 (CD).
• All Heaven Broke Loose, Bill Bruford's Earthworks. Editions EG EEG CD 2103-2 (CD).
• Stamping Ground, Bill Bruford's Earthworks. Virgin Venture CDVE 922 (CD).
• Heavenly Bodies, Bill Bruford's Earthworks. Virgin Venture 7243 8 44 28921 (CD).
• Loose Tubes, Loose Tubes. Loose Tubes LP 001 (CD).
• Delightful Precipice, Loose Tubes. Loose Tubes LP 002 (CD).
• Open Letter, Loose Tubes. Editions EG EEG CD 55 (CD).
• JazzBühne Berlin'87 Vol.16 Loose Tubes, Loose Tubes. Repertoire Records REP 4916-WZ (CD).
• By The Way, Mike Gibbs. AH-UM 016.
• Quiet Nights, Django Bates. Screw Gun (CD).
• Like Life (jazzpar prize), Django Bates. Storyville STCD 4221 (CD).
• Good Evening, Here is the News, Django Bates. Argo 452 099-2 (CD).
• Winter Truce (And Homes Blaze), Django Bates. JMT 514 023-2 (CD).
• Summer Fruits (And Unrest), Django Bates. JMT 514 008-2 (CD).
• You live and learn, Django Bates. Lost Marble LM0001.
• Stability, Clarke Tracey.
• True Love, Billy Jenkins, BABEL BDV 9821 (CD).
• Greenwich, Billy Jenkins,Wood Wharf WWR 852 (LP).
• Motorway At Night, Billy Jenkins, De Core Music DCM 18 (LP).
• Uncommerciality Vol 1, Billy Jenkins, VOTP VOCA 901 (Cass).
• Jazz Cafe Concerts Vol 1, Billy Jenkins, VOTP VOCA 902 (Cass).
• First Aural Art Collection , Billy Jenkins, VOTP VOCA 921 (CD).
• Scratches of Spain, Billy Jenkins, BABEL BDV 9404 (CD).
• Hungry Ants,The Hungry Ants. BABEL BDV 9504 (CD).
• Meeting in Brooklyn, John Donaldson/Ray Drummond/Victor Lewis. BABEL BDV 9405 (CD).
• Devil May Care, Claire Martin, LINN AKD 021 (CD).
• Ghost Songs, Ian Shaw. Jazz House JHCD 025 (CD).
• Taking it to Hart, Ian Shaw. Jazz House JHCD 036 (CD).
• Famous Rainy Day, Ian Shaw. EFZ 1017.
• In a New York minute, Ian Shaw. Fantasy.
• A Table Near The Band, Ray Russell, Last Chance Music LCM 001 (CD).
• At Montreux Jazz Festival, Ray Russell, B+W Music (CD).
• Like A River, Linda Sharrock, AMADEO 523 015-2 (CD).
• Southern Reunion, Mo Foster, Relativity Records 88561/1050-2 (CD).
• Blue, John Stevens.
• Hope and Glory, Tom Robinson.
• Span the Globe, Malaya Marutha, Bella Phon/Dogondke 290 25 009 (CD).
• BANG, Sax Assault, Band on the Wall BOW 1 (CD).
• Playing the Second Coolbook, Michiel Braam, BV Haast CD 9810/11 (CD).
• Dave McKean and Neil Gaiman BV Haast, CD 9810/11 (CD).
• Signal to noise, Feral records asfa 104 (CD).
• Vermeer, Louis Vidal.
• Plaza, With Iva Bittova.
• Three Windows", with Mark Wingfield and Jane Chapman, Dark Energy Music DEM07 (CD).

Compilations

• Music With No Name with Ultramarine, B+W Music (CD).

• Melt 2000 Vol 2, B+W Music (CD).

• Plaza with Iva Bittova, Digital Directions.

Commissions

• 1995 Estuary English - Apollo Saxophone Quartet
• 1996 Mirror Signal Manouvre - Apollo Saxophone Quartet
• 1996 ACME - Commissioned by Birmingham Jazz
• 1997 Oblique - Commissioned by SAMPAD/Birmingham Jazz
• 1998 Four and a half minutes late Jane Chapman, Solo Harpsichord
• 1998 Walpurgis Night Joanna MacGregor - Duet for Piano & Tenor Sax

Awards

• 1985 John Dankworth Cup, Best Soloist.
• 1995 BT British Jazz Award, Best Ensemble - Balloon Man.
• 2001 BBC Jazz Award for Innovation.

Group history

• Balloon Man 1983 - 1993
• Loose Tubes 1984 - 1990
• Billy Jenkins Voice of God 1985 to date
• Bill Bruford’s Earthworks 1986 - 1992
• Django Bates’ Human Chain and Delightful Precipice 1992 to date
• Iain Ballamy’s ACME 1996 to date
• Food For Quartet 1997 to date
• Anorak 2001 to date
• The Little Radio 2003 to date

British Council tours

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, Ronnie Corbett Show.

Radio

• "CASHIER NUMBER 6 PLEASE" Documentary exploring the world of the ubiquitous automated voice - on railway stations, in the post office, on the phone and even around the home. With the music of Iain Ballamy & Ashley Slater. Inc interviews. 23/05/2005

• Jazz on 3. Iain Ballamy and Stian Carstensen in session. 06/02/2004

• Late Junction. Iain Ballamy and Stian Carstensen play live in the studio. Radio Three 6/2/2004.

• Jazz Record Requests. Listeners' requests performed by Iain Ballamy, John Parricelli, Tim Harries and Ian Thomas. Live from the London Jazz Festival.

• Front Row. White Horses TV theme by Jackie Lee and its enduring appeal since 1968 discussed by Iain Ballamy, with clip [3.40] Date: 04/09/2003

• Between the Ears. Iain Ballamy improvises on the Drake song "It Was a Very Good Year". 29.12.02

• Jazz on 3. Howard Riley and Iain Ballamy duo. 1.11.02

• Jazz on 3. Iain Ballamy plays original compositions with his group Cob at Ronnie Scott's 21.12.01

• Jazz on 3. Norma Winstone performs with John Parricelli and Iain Ballamy. 4.3.00

• Jazz Notes. London Jazz Festival set by Ian Shaw, Cedar Walton, Iain Ballamy, Mark Hodgson and Mark Fletcher. 25.1.00

• Jazz on 3. Iain Ballamy's Food for Quartet - a new Anglo-Norwegian collaboration between Iain Ballamy, Thomas Stronen, Mats Eilerstein and Arve Henriksen. Recorded at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival.

• Signal to Noise, Dave McKean and Neil Gaiman, R4, 1997.

• Impressions. Iain Ballamy discusses his various projects and performs with his group Hungry Ants, with Richard Fairhust, Steve Watts and Tim Giles. 20.1.96

• "Jazz at the Bath Festival". Human Chain (Django Bates, Iain Ballamy, Stuart Hall, Martin France) with Joanna MacGregor. BBC Radio 3 10.7.93

• Straight Face. Group led by Mick Hutton featuring Claire Martin, Iain Ballamy, Nikki Iles and Steve Arguelles. BBC Radio 3 27.2.93

Film Sessions

• My Son the Fanatic
• Joseph Losey: The Man with Four Names
• Absolute Beginners
• The Last Days of General Patten
• MirrorMask

Dance

2003 - 2004 Dance Ranjabiati Sircar/SAMPAD, SANKALPAM.

Theatre

Out There, Riverside Studios

Teaching

Royal Academy of Music, Birmingham Conservatoire, Trinity College of Music, Rhythmic Music Conservatory Copenhagen, Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama.

External links

• Iain Ballamy's homepage
• Iain Ballamy's MySpace page
• Biography at Jazzcds
• Biography at Babel

Interviews

• Interview at BBC Music/Jazz
• Interview with Iain Ballamy at Innerviews
• Interview with Iain Ballamy in Jazzwise Magazine

Reviews

• Review of Veggie, The Guardian 11 October 2002
• Review of Veggie at All About Jazz
• Review of The Little Radio, The Guardian 6 February 2004
• Review of Little Radio, BBC Music/Jazz

Articles

• Balancing act, The Times 07/10/1989

• Sax men find solutions, The Sunday Times 08/10/1989
• Review of Organic and GM Food at All About Jazz