"One of the most extraordinary sessions we've ever had, with some beautiful saxophone playing from Chris Cundy" - Jez Nelson BBC RADIO 3
"Intense and forthright" THE WIRE
"One of the highlights of the London Jazz Festival" TIME OUT (review of GANNETS)
Christopher Cundy is a self taught musician with a particular interest in improvisation as well as more experimental composition. When he was still in his teens he started out as a street busker, a profession which he still maintains to this day and which compliments his desire to explore music within a changing and urban environment.
He studied Fine Art at Cheltenham art college between 1996-99. Painting and drawing, particularly abstract line drawing, is something that still closely informs his distinctive and open approach to new music techniques be it within a classical, jazz or pop context.
Since the mid 1990’s his work with free improvisation has been mainly focussed around ‘Grace & Delete’, his long standing duo with live electronics player James Dunn. In recent years Cundy has received significant grants and awards from the National Lottery, Arts Council England, Friends of the Whitworth and Jazz Services for his work in promoting and performing improvised music in and around the UK. In 1998 he established the ‘Thinking Music Company’ with Simon Spencer and Melinda Lee, an independent, non profit making organisation aimed at promoting new music within the Cheltenham area. His work with the company brought critical acclaim for providing a platform for internationally touring musicians and ensembles such as ‘Muta’ from Norway, and Jeb Bishop from USA amongst many many others. An essential part of the companies activities has been providing workshops for young people and new-comers to experimental music-making resulting in broadcasts on independent radio stations and BBC Radio 3’s ‘Jazz on 3’ with Jez Nelson.
In 1999 he started to perform various concerts focusing on solo bass clarinet work by experimental English composers. This included Cornelius Cardew’s virtuoso piece ‘Mountains’ written in 1977. These rigorous explorations in new ways of playing led him to working more collaboratively with a number of younger composers, most significantly Mat Martin and Pete Wyer whose music he has performed within the UK. Recently Chris has performed with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra and also the Resonance FM Radio Orchestra.
Since 2005 Chris Cundy has been working exclusively as a live performer with Mercury Music Award nominated experimental pop group ‘Guillemots’ (Polydor Records). His collaborations with lead singer Fyfe Dangerfield date back several years. Their work together has mainly centred around music theatre, including commissions from Bristol-based ‘Voices Theatre’ and Cheltenham Literature Festival. In 2003 Cundy and Dangerfield toured California together with New York percussionist Stephen Flinn, again performing improvised music. Cundy’s current activity with Guillemots has seen him tour internationally with the band and has featured him in many TV and radio appearances including Top of the Pops.
Chris Cundy continues to work as a freelance artist maintaining close relationships with Guillemots (Polydor), Longstone (Ochre Records), Grace & Delete (Ochre Records) and Limn (4th Harmonic) as well as appearances as a solo performer. In addition to this he is currently working with the research department at Dartington College of Arts towards a practice based PhD exploring the compatibility of drawing and music.
In his own words here is a brief description of the music archive he has left us with on myspace...
DUO WITH PAT THOMAS Pat is one of my favourite pianists. We recorded this a few years back at Francis Close chapel in Cheltenham.
LIVE AT THE CONWAY HALL is an excerpt from one of the only surviving recordings of 'Transmissions of Not', an almost legendary, if rather short lived, group . We did actually make a tour of the UK. These particular recordings were made in 2001 at the LMC 'Free Fall' festival. I play bass clarinet. The other musicians were Fyfe Hutchins; electronics and glockenspiel, Aristazabal Hawkes; double bass, Sean de Conde; programmed drums and Luke Harney; drums. It captures the groups live energy and passion for bringing dance music to live audiences while still keeping a very free sound.
MOUNTAINS was composed by the late Cornelius Cardew (1936-1981) in 1977 for the Dutch bass clarinettist Harry Sparnay. This is a really good example of Cardew's music, often craggy in style and full of contradicting polar oppersites. Using a Bach-like counterpoint the extreme tonal range of the instrument is pulled further and further apart in concertina fashion as the first variation of the piece reaches its high plateau. I performed it at Pittville Pump Room in Cheltenham in 2003.
PIANO REMIXES AT APRIL COTTAGE this is taken from a series of recordings made by Chris Cundy at the Piano. April Cottage is also a very special place for Chris. It is a beautiful place to be and there is something magical about playing the two pianos while looking out to the wild gardens outside. These recordings have been remixed and treated in the studio by Mike Cross who has worked on editing vast collections of piano improvisations made at the cottage by Chris.
DEEP ROOM ENSEMBLE feature Chris Cundy on soprano saxophone, Mindy Lee on alto clarinet, Fyfe Hutchins at the piano, James Dunn Plays synthesisers and Matt Archibald plays trumpet. Recorded in Cheltenham in 2001
Christopher Cundy plays a RAMPONE & CAZZANI saxello handmade in Italy.
Playing with Guillemots live on Top of the Pops.. the day before the BBC announced they were to axe the programme!!!
With Guillemots at Mercury Music Awards:
Playing with Guillemots at the BBC Electric Proms:
Chris Cundy solo contrabass clarinet performance at Xposed Club in Cheltenham:
Gannets live at Monto Water Rats April Fools Day 2009:
playing with Longstone at Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2008:
Chris Cundy bass clarinet + Alex Ward clarinet 2009:
Here I am playing with the lovely Richard Sanderson:
hey chris, thank you ever so much for your kind words! makes us feel warmer inside (also because of that tea i just had a gulp of).. we'll be at the croft on the 14th dec, or we'll be square, but we're not square, so we'll be there.. erm.. yea =]
by the way, sofa bed + airbed + some flooring space is still on offer!
Hey Chris, thanks a lot for the sunny days, musicmaking, recording session and the jolly brewmaster, everything just wonderfully brewed in Cheltenham. All best wishes, Uuskyla
