Veryan Weston

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Born: September 3, 1950 Primary Instrument: Piano

VERYAN WESTON - PIANIST

Born in 1950, moved from Cornwall to London in 1972 and began playing as a freelance jazz pianist as well as developing as an improviser at the Little Theatre Club.

1975 85: Residency & fellowship for Digswell Arts Trust (Hertfordshire). Activities included: Work on written theoretical material, commissioned by The Digswell Arts Trust. Co-ordinating music workshops, supported by Eastern Arts Association. Co-founded and composed for young local group - Stinky Winkles, First released recordings with Lol Coxhill, and collaborated on music for Derek Jarman Film.

Throughout 1980s and early 90s worked with Eddie Prévost Quartet, Trevor Watts’ Moiré Music and Lol Coxhill and Phil Minton. Major festivals have included Zurich, Berlin, Nickelsdorf, Karlsruhr, Warsaw, Wroclaw, San Sebastian, Bombay, Vancouver, Nancy, Aukland, Nevers, Washington, Lille, Houston, Le Mans, Strasbourg, Bologna and Victoriaville.

ENSEMBLE PROJECTS WITH PHIL MINTON HAVE BEEN: Duo “ Ways, Ways Past, and….Past “ - diverse songs, originals & improvisation structures. “Songs from a Prison Diary” French commission for 25 singers (Cardew comp. Prize 1991). “Naming the Animals” - a quartet with Lianne Carol and Ian Shaw, words by Adrian Mitchell. “Mouthfull of ecstasy” with John Butcher, Roger Turner, texts from Joyce’s Finnegans wake. “Makhno” for chamber choir commissioned by Taktlos Festival 1997. “4Walls” a quartet with Luc Ex and Michael Vatcher.

OTHER COLLABORATIONS HAVE BEEN WITH: Caroline Kraabel - duets that explore acoustic phenomena related to two instruments and how these sounds interact in specific acoustic spaces. Jon Rose - improvisations using different acoustic keyboards and violins with selected tunings derived from science, history and the imagination. Hugh Metcalfe - Films by Hugh, images of objects, animals, humans, holidays, journeys, unfold, transform, collide and provide the basis for accompanying duet improvisations.

CURRENT COLLABORATIONS ARE WITH: Luc Ex - “Sol6” Songs and Improvisations with Ingrid Laubrock, Hannah Marshall, Mandy Drummond and Tony Buck. Trevor Watts - recently described by Sara Villa as “Growing together as masters of the British free jazz scene….” Hannah Marshall & Ingrid Laubrock - “Haste” a highly interactive trio a 1st CD recording to be soon released by EMANEM.

CURRENT PERSONAL PROJECTS ARE: Tessellations I for solo piano, supported by Peter Whittingham Foundation. 1. TonArt Festival (for Swiss Radio in Basle), 2. Bordeaux, and talk to undergraduates at Bordeaux University Maths Faculty, 3. Brussels Museum of Musical Instruments on only original Lutheal Piano and 4. Granada, presentation of published paper titled New Pentatonic Scale Relationships with Visual Parallels at Joint Meeting of The International Society of the Arts, Mathematics, and Architecture and Bridges: Mathematical Connections in Art, Music, and Science. Tessellations II for 9 singers. Composition for Vociferous Choir, using cyles and layers that can be found in the polyphony of Renaissance contrapuntists and the Pygmies of Central West Africa. Broadcast on BBC Radio3, 2010.

Awards:

Nominated 'Young Jazz Musician 1979 by Greater London Arts Association. 3 First prizes with Stinky Winkles in Wroklaw, Dunkirk and San Sebastian Jazz Festivals Cornelius Cardew Composition Prize with Phil Minton for 'Songs from a Prison Diary - 1991

Last Updated: February 19, 2012

Tessellations II - There is nothing like this music, in recent memory - not, in fact, since Bach wrote his Goldberg Variations (RAUL D'GAMA ROSE - ALLABOUTJAZZ 2011 Solo piano - Allusions - “Absolutely spellbinding!” (JONATHAN PRICE - WPVM 2009) Weston commands the piano both in terms of raw technique and variety of pianistic devices. He also has ears the size of Alaska - DAVID DUPONT - CADENCE 2003 What a great combination!! This duo is incredible and are extremely connected - DUNCAN HEINING - JAZZWISE 2002

‘JOY OF PARANOIA’ (Ogun 525) with Lol Coxhill. ‘UNDERWATER CAROL’- This first solo album is a document from 1972-’87, a period when composition interested him (Matchless 13) ‘PLAYING ALONE’ (1996) - The second solo album is an example of work purely as an improviser (Acta 9) ‘DIGSWELL DUETS’ (Random Radar 005), and ‘THE INIMITABLE LOL COXHILL’ (Chabada OHR) are with Lol Coxhill whilst both at Digswell (1976-’84) ‘CONTINUUM’ (1983) with Eddie Prévost Quartet (Matchless 7), recently reissued on CD ‘TREVOR WATTS’ MOIRÉ MUSIC’ (1985) has some features for the pianist (Ark 02) and ‘WITH ONE VOICE’ (1988) re-issued on FMR (Legacy L1002) most recent – ‘Live in Karlsruhe (FMR CD232-0307). ‘WAYS’ (1987), ‘WAYS PAST’ (1992) and ‘…..past’ (2000) which are acclaimed duets which explore an extreme diversity of song repertoire and include original co-compositions (ITM & IDA Records). ‘Ways Out East, Ways Out West’ (Intakt 097) Two projects focus on Life of Ukrainian Anarchist Nestor Makhno as well as selected American Folks songs for voice & chamber organ ‘SONGS FROM A PRISON DIARY’ (1990) for 25 singers was awarded the Cornelius Cardew Prize in 1991 (Leo 196) ‘A MOUTHFULL OF ECSTASY’ (1996) is with a quartet with John Butcher (saxes) and Roger Turner (drums), using texts from Finnegans wake by James Joyce (Victo 041) ‘and the world aint square’ (2001) - 4Walls (red note no9) with Phil, Luc Ex - acoustic bass, Michael Vatcher – drums. ‘which side are you on’ (2003) – 4Walls new CD. Collaborations with Paul Haines more originals, arrangements of Brel, Schumann etc. ‘BOUNDLESS’ (1998) - 15 duo improvisations with Lol Coxhill (EMANEM 4021); ‘concert v’ (1998) - duets with drummer Eddie Prévost (Matchless 34) MERCURY CONCERT’ (1998) - a live trio recording with Mark Sanders & John Edwards (EMANEM4028) ‘GATEWAY TO VIENNA’ released March 2005 – double CD of live concert in Vienna as well as studio session in South London. ‘UNEARTHED’ (1998) - A quartet with John Grieve, Stu Butterfield and John Edwards explore jazz standards with their own contemporary perspective (33 Records) ‘5 SHADOWS’ (1999 – 2000) – Duets from five differing locations in England with saxophonist Caroline Kraabel (EMANEM 4048) ‘3 PIANOS’ (EMANEM 4064) - Steve Beresford, Pat Thomas and Veryan Weston make use of three good grand pianos at Gateway Studios in South London (2001) '6 DIALOGUES' (EMANEM 4069) - duets with Trevor Watts recorded in London - 2002, 'WORMS ORGANISING ARCHDUKES' (EMANEM 4074), further duets with Lol Coxhill, this time taken from recent live performances in Europe 'TEMPERAMENT' (EMANEM 4207) duets with Jon Rose - a selection of improvisations using different tunings derived from science, history and the imagination ‘TESSELLATIONS FOR LUTHÉAL PIANO’ – (EMANEM 4095) – solo piece recorded live in the Brussels Museum of musical Instruments – March 2003 ‘TRIO OF UNCERTAINTY’ – (EMANEM 4141) – features Hannah Marshall (cello) & Satoko Fukuda (violin) London 2007 ‘CAETITU’ – (EMANEM 4149) – with Marcio Mattos (D Bass), Yedo Gibson (Tenor Saxophone & Eb Clt), and Martin Blume (Drums/percussion) concert recorded live in Cologne August 2007 ‘DIFFERENT TESSELLATIONS’ – (EMANEM 5015) – Leo Svirsky plays Tessellations I on acoustic piano, and Vociferous Choir sing Tessellations II. (2011) ‘FIVE MORE DIALOGUES’ – (EMANEM 5017) – further dialogues with saxophonist - Trevor Watts (2011)

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