Kit Downes

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Kit Downes at a concert with his trio on January 22nd, 2016 in the Stadtkirche Darmstadt 

Kit Downes (born May 26, 1986 in Norwich ) is a British jazz musician (piano, organ, keyboards).

Live and act

Downes was educated at the King Edward VI Grammar School in Norwich , the Purcell School in Bushey , Hertfordshire and the Royal Academy of Music in London. Downes formed his trio in his first year at the Royal Academy in 2005. He has performed with the band at various UK festivals since 2008. First he became known as a member of Empirical , on whose debut album of the same name he was active, which was hailed as album of the year by both Jazzwise and Mojo in 2007 . With this band he performed at the North Sea Jazz Festival as well as at the JVC Festival New York and the Vancouver Jazz Festival .

Since 2009 he has been running the group Troyka as a second trio , in which he plays the organ and other keyboards, accompanied by guitarist Chris Montague and drummer Joshua Blackmore. With Troyka , he presented three albums that are somewhere between progressive rock, minimalism and jazz.

The first album of his piano trio with bassist Calum Gourlay and drummer James Maddren was also released in 2009 . Downes also worked with Stan Sulzmann , Sam Crockatt and Clark Tracey , Joe Locke , Gilad Atzmon , Gerard Presencer , Iain Ballamy , Sarah Gillespie , Peter Ind , Gwyneth Herbert, John Warren , Acoustic Ladyland , Nostalgia 77 , Dennis Rollins ' Badbone , Sylvain Darrifourcq and Veronika Morscher .

Prizes and awards

In 2008 he won the BBC Jazz Award and in 2010 the British Jazz Award in the "Rising Star" category. In 2009 he was awarded the Yamaha Jazz Scholarship Award .

Discographic notes

  • Troyka (Edition, 2008-09)
  • Keith Downes / Tom Cawley Homely (Impure, 2009)
  • Golden (Basho 2009)
  • Neon Quartet Catch Me (Edition, 2010; with Stan Sulzmann, Jim Hart, Tim Giles )
  • Quiet Tiger (Basho, 2011)
  • Troyka Moxxy (Edition 2012)
  • Light from Old Stars (Basho, 2013, with James Allsopp , Lucy Railton, Calum Gourlay, James Maddren)
  • Kit Downes / Tom Challenger Wedding March (Loop, 2013)
  • Little Moon Man (2013, solo)
  • Troykestra Live at the 2013 Cheltenham Jazz Festival (Impossible Ark, 2013; with Chris Montague, Joshua Blackmore, Reuben Fowler, Alex Bonney, Noel Langley, Imogen Hancock, Kieran Stickle McLeod, Patrick Hayes, Tom Green, Courtney Brown Bass, Mike Chillingworth, Nadim Teimoori, Sam Miles, James Allsop, Sam Rapley, Louis van der Westhuizen, Ralph Hero Wyld)
  • Troyka Ornithophobia (Naim, 2013)
  • Dreamlife of Debris (ECM, 2019)
  • Max de Wardener, Music for Detuned Pianos, performed by Kit Downes (Village Green, 2020)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Jazz breaking news: Kit Downes Trio Nominated For The Mercury
  2. ^ Jazz musician Kit Downes to perform in Norwich for Young Norfolk Arts Festival
  3. ↑ John Fordham Troyka: Ornithophobia Review - Take-No-Prisoners fusion . The Guardian , Jan. 22, 2015.
  4. ↑ Ian Mann Little Moon Man - Played by Kit Downes . thejazzman.com
personal data
SURNAME Downes, kit
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British jazz musician (piano, organ, keyboards)
DATE OF BIRTH May 26, 1986
PLACE OF BIRTH Norwich