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Garland’s diverse output and skill as a collaborator with others has surprised and captivated listeners for many years now, as well as making him a character harder to define or pin down. His works for orchestra and various ensembles have challenged some jazz listeners used to hearing him tearing around at Ronnie Scott’s club with Chick Corea and others, but he remains committed to the notion that all his music is essentially the same language, calling it a “diverse unity” in which certain uses of harmony and rhythm are merely prioritised to suite the players and the piece.

Garland was the 2006 “Musician Of The Year” in the UK’s parliamentary Jazz Society Vote. He also won a major BBC award for innovation, for his Lighthouse project and the highly acclaimed CD “If The Sea Replied”

Lighthouse Trio (click to enlarge) CELEBRATING BACH
Northern Sinfonia
Tim Garland (saxophone)
Bradley Creswick (violin)

Concertos by Bach, Stravinsky and Garland
UK release date: 26 October 2009

Celebrating Bach is a new CD release from Audio-B celebrating the enduring legacy of J.S. Bach which continues to inspire composers into the 21st Century. The bookends on this Bach-inspired shelf are the well-loved Oboe Concerto in D minor BWV 1059 and the Double Concerto in C minor BWV 1060 performed here by Tim Garland on soprano saxophone, joined by Northern Sinfonia leader Bradley Creswick for the double concerto.
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"Clean, stylish and honest, with a lovely tone"
Classic FM Magazine

"Tim Garland is arguably one of the finest players in the world on soprano saxophone. The album is recorded and engineered to the highest standard"
Gramophone Magazine


The Lighthouse Project

“Sure-footed virtuosity ... a dazzling standard”. The Times (See review section)
Born from Garland’s award winning project from 2005 –
(“If The Sea Replied” where this unique trio is joined by a string orchestra, and magical recorded solo improvisations inside a lighthouse) the trio has become Garlands main focus for live performance.

The core trio, Asaf Sirkis – (playing a custom built percussion set of frame drums, bass Udu, Hang drum and more), Garland on saxes and bass clarinet, and celebrated young pianist Gwilym Simcock, are an orchestra unto themselves.

Mixing a range of rhythms from the Middle East, Spain and South America with highly interactive and lyrical jazz. The trio have collaborated with a range of diverse artists from various cultural backgrounds with an openness toward jazz. Concerts have featured superb dancer Sheron Wray, known for her improvisational solo work and with Jazz Xchange (see gallery page) and Carles Benenvent, bass player with Flamenco maestro Paco DeLucia and Chick Corea.

As Garland is known also for his work with orchestras, this trio is designed also for integration with orchestral forces, Asafs percussion being half the volume of a standard drum kit. The brand new CD “LIBRA” features the trio at their very best and also includes the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in a set of pieces called Frontier, recorded at the worlds most famous studio, Abbey Road Studio Two. Release date due in 2008.

Acoustic Triangle this active and hugely respected trio led by bassist Malcolm Creese plays in churches, abbeys, cathedrals and historic buildings, beautifying the shared ground between jazz and classical music. See Diary page for the Magical Space Tour , featuring 6 string players alongside the trio, playing in Cathedrals throughout 2008.
www.acoustictriangle.com

Bach Project
A new orchestral experience:
Garland plays the Bach D minor oboe concerto on soprano sax, followed by his own “Homage To Father Bach” in which themes are explored and attention is drawn to the improvisation links with Bach’s music. Often preceded by public talks and discussion on the links with Bach’s music and the present day.
2007 Nine piece tour - MOMENTUM. Look out for a Contemporary Music Network Tour feat: Joe Locke (vibes), Geoffrey Keezer (pno) – (together with Garland forming the Storms/Nocturnes trio) and John Patitucci, fellow composer Graham Fitkin and other top artists in a classical/jazz collaboration of top international standard! UK – March 07.

The Underground Orchestra Garland’s long standing 9 piece band too its name from the below ground- level club in Soho London – The Pizza Express, where the band had a residency. An explosive little-big band, gigs usually feature a host of top soloists who are band leaders in their own right. Some of the charts are published by Boosey and Hawkes. A 13 piece version of the band “The Northern Underground Orchestra” celebrates jazz talents from the regions in the UK and often features the amazing vocalist Hannah Jones, their CD is called “Due North”.

The New Crystal Silence ( CONCORD RECORDS- CCD2-30630)

Chick Corea commissioned Tim Garland to write five arrangements for this celebrated duet and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. These are creative re-workings of Chicks classics tunes such as Duende and La Fiesta. Garland is given full blessing to expand and make full use of this exceptional orchestra whilst tailoring the whole to perfectly uplift and support these legendary soloists.

Packed Sydney Opera House heard two nights of this music in May 07, with the Sydney Morning Herald reporting:
“The composer Chick Corea and orchestrator Tim Garland have raised the bar in integration and quality of orchestral writing in a jazz context”.
“…Tim Garland’s magnificent and creative arrangements”
Pat Metheny


Storms/Nocturnes Garland- saxes, bs clarinet/Keezer- pno/Locke- vbs. This transatlantic "chamber" trio featured Garland's music for piano,mallets and woodwind. An exuberant and riveting trio of virtuosi, Geoffrey Keezer (USA) first made a name for himself with Art Blakey and since worked with many jazz legends. Joe Locke (USA) is fast becoming the most talked about mallets player in jazz. They have played to full houses at NY's Blue Note and toured the UK several times, making two CD’s.

Last Update Oct 2009.