The
David Rees-Williams Trio was formed in 1988 and features David
Rees-Williams (piano), Neil Francis (bass guitar) and Phil Laslett (drums).
Based in Canterbury, they have performed in an interesting variety of concerts
and festivals over the years both in England and Spain, and now specialise in a
programme that unites the best of classical and jazz. David's arrangement of
Purcell's When I Am Laid In Earth from their CD Classically Minded
was first played on Radio 3 during the summer of 2001 on Sean Rafferty’s
programme In Tune. The response was extraordinary, resulting in the BBC
being inundated with enquiries, and subsequently inviting them to record a
commercial disc on their new Late Junction label.
Hidden
Colours,
released in May 2002, features arrangements of Purcell, Bach, Grieg, Fauré,
Franck, Debussy and Ravel. It received excellent reviews in The Times and
the Independent on Sunday and shortly after its release, was Editor's
Choice in HMV Choice Magazine. It was then to become No.2 of HMV's 10
best Classical discs of 2002. It was also rated best of its genre by the Financial
Times in its end of year disc review on world music of 2002.
In
September 2004, Time Scape was released and includes arrangements of
works by Ravel, Bach, Chopin, Stanford, Purcell, Buxtehude, Elgar, Warlock and
Bossi. It received 4-star reviews in The Sunday Times, The Independent On
Sunday and Jazzwise Magazine. It was also featured as one of the top
ten CDs of 2004 by Clive Davis in the Sunday Times Culture magazine in
December 2004.
The
Trio's latest CD Thinking Allowed was released in February 2007.
Featuring regularly on BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM's new station, theJazz,
it has been widely and unanimously acclaimed as one of the outstanding albums of
its genre.
‘The
David Rees-Williams Trio have just got better and better …… their new
recording of jazz forays into the classical repertoire is just magical.'
Guy
Dammann, The Guardian
‘Rees-Williams
can cast a Bach prelude in exotic colours, but he and his colleagues are equally
at home with Scarlatti, Grieg and Cesar Franck.’
Clive
Davis, Sunday Times
David Rees-Williams (piano) began his musical career as a chorister at New College Oxford, where the rich variety of musical styles performed by choir and organ made strong and lasting impressions. From here he won the top music scholarship to Cranleigh School where he studied piano, oboe and organ. He graduated from the Royal College of Music in 1981 with a B.Mus. While still a student, he held posts as organist at two London churches. Apart from his concert work with the trio, and as a soloist on piano and organ, he teaches piano in Canterbury, both privately, and at The King’s School, and Christ Church University College.
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Until 2002, Neil Francis (electric bass) enjoyed a dual career as teacher and freelance bass guitarist. He now devotes his time entirely to his playing. His performance work has embraced disciplines as diverse as improvised trio jazz, blues, rock, studio sessions, and, most recently, the classically inspired cross-over style featured by the David Rees-Williams Trio. |
Over the last three decades, Phil Laslett (drums) has built a solid reputation as a versatile player backing a variety of international artists in his own right, and also as part of the David Rees-Williams Trio. He has also led his own quartet specialising in modern jazz arrangements. Recent reviews of the Trio have complimented his playing for its subtlety and musicianship. |
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Forthcoming
events include:
Horsham Music Circle - 13 June 2009
Cheltenham Festival - 8 July 2009
Gower Festival - 25 July 2009
Fleece Jazz at Stoke by Nayland Club - 6 November 2009
Frant Church - 20 November 2009
Ripon Cathedral - 7 December 2009
Music at St Peters, Canterbury - 17 April 2010
Plaxtol Music Festival - 12 June 2010
Previous events include:
Bury St Edmunds Festival - May 2009
Town Hall, Birmingham - May 2009
Pizza Express, Dean Street, London - May 2009
Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin - April 2009
Pizza Express, Maidstone - March 2009
Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury - January 2009
St Georges, Bristol - December 2008
Pizza Express, Maidstone - November 2008
Cheltenham Festival Launch - November 2008
Fleece Jazz at Kersey Mill - November 2008
Marlowe Cafe Bar, Canterbury - October 2008
Dorset Music House Concerts, Sherborne - September 2008
Worcester Three Choirs Festival - August 2008
Harrogate International Festival - July 2008
Fishguard International Music Festival - July 2008
Dillington House, Ilminster - June 2008
Wellington College, Berkshire - June 2008
Brook Theatre, Chatham - June 2008
Newbury Spring Festival - May 2008
Pizza Express, Maidstone - April 2008
Holder's Season, Barbados - March 2008
Winter Festival, Norway - March 2008
Music
at St Peter's,
Jacqueline Du Pre Music Building, Oxford - February 2008
The Norwich Forum - February 2008
Jazz at the Fleece, Boxford - January 2008
St
Alban's
Canterbury Festival - October 2007
Sutton
Marlborough
Pizza Express, Maidstone - September 2007
Brighton College, Brighton - September 2007
Charterhouse School, Godalming - September 2007
Holy
Petworth
Festival - July 2007
HMS
President, City of
Marlowe
Cafe Bar,
Fitzwilliam
Brabourne Church, Kent - June 2007
Tonbridge
School
,
Brook
Theatre,
Pizza
Express Music Room,
Champs
Hill,
The
Ship Theatre, Sevenoaks, November 2006
Ripon
Cathedral, October 2006
Pizza
Express Music Room,
St.David's
Cathedral Festival, June 2006
City
Music Society, February 2006
Barbican,
July 2005
Petworth
Festival, July 2005
Deal
Festival, July2005
Residency,
Pizza On The Park, Knightsbridge, May 2005
Daneby
Hall Arts & Music Centre, Fordcombe,
Sounds
New Festival, Gulbenkian Theatre, February 2005
Gould
Trust, Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. December 2004
Sherborne
Concert Series 2004/5, October 2004
Pizza
On The Park, Knightsbridge, October 2004
Ship
Theatre, Sevenoaks, September 2004
Petworth
Music Festival, July 2004
Chelsea
Festival, June 2004
Brockenhurst
Music Society, May 2004
Pizza
Express,
Pizza
On The Park, Knightsbridge, March 2004
Sounds
New Festival, Gulbenkian Theatre
Pizza
On The Park, Knightsbridge, January 2004
