Andy Sheppard

Andy Sheppard (born 20 January 1957) is a British jazz saxophonist and composer. He has been awarded several prizes at the British Jazz Awards, and has worked with some notable figures in contemporary jazz, including Gil Evans, Carla Bley, George Russell and Steve Swallow. In 2019 he was presented the degree of Doctor of Music honoris causa by the University of Bristol.[1]

This article is about the British jazz musician. For the Canadian radio broadcaster, see Andy Sheppard (broadcaster).

Andy Sheppard
Sheppard at the Moers Festival, 2012
Sheppard at the Moers Festival, 2012
Background information
Born (1957-01-20) 20 January 1957
Warminster, Wiltshire, England
GenresJazz
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)Tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone
Years active1978 – present
WebsiteOfficial website
Andy Sheppard at Aarhus Jazz Festival (Denmark 2009)
Andy Sheppard (r) in Monaco with Carla Bley and Paolo Fresu

Biography
Sheppard performing in 2008 with Carla Bley

Sheppard was born in Warminster, Wiltshire, England, in 1957.[2] At the age of 19 he emerged as a musician in the Salisbury-based contemporary quartet Sphere in the late 1970s, gigging only three weeks after picking up the saxophone.[2][3] He honed his skills in the wine bars and jazz clubs of the UK and Europe in the early 1980s. He also played with world music groups[4][5][6] and with more established improvisers such as Keith Tippett. While still with Sphere, Sheppard moved to Paris, working with French bands Lumière and Urban Sax. In the mid-1980s Sheppard returned to the UK, playing often on Ki Longfellow-Stanshall's and Vivian Stanshall's Bristol, England-based Old Profanity Showboat, and released his self-titled debut solo album, featuring Randy Brecker and Steve Swallow, who also produced the album. The record was well received and led to Sheppard being awarded the Best Newcomer prize at the 1987 British Jazz Awards, followed by the Best Instrumentalist Award in 1988.[7] '87 also saw Sheppard join George Russell's Living Time Orchestra and tour with Gil Evans.[3] His second solo album, Introductions in the Dark, was released in 1989. Unusually for a jazz record, the album entered the UK pop charts. Off the back of this, Sheppard was awarded Best Album and Best Instrumentalist in 1989's British Jazz Awards,[7] became the subject of television documentaries for both the BBC and HTV, and toured the world, taking the first Western jazz group to play in Outer Mongolia.[7]

Sheppard formed his first big band, the Soft on the Inside Band, in 1990 for an album of the same name.[8] The band featured many notable players, including drummer Han Bennick, trumpeter Claude Deppa and trombonist Gary Valente. This band turned into In Co-Motion, which included keyboardist Steve Lodder and bassist Sylvan Richardson, who released an eponymous album in 1991.[9] After this Sheppard signed a deal with Blue Note Records, who issued Rhythm Method in 1993. The In Co-Motion band was expanded for this release and dubbed Big Co-Motion. Big Co-Motion recorded a live album at London jazz club Ronnie Scott's, Delivery Suite, which was released by Blue Note in 1994.[10]

The TV movie The Music Practice, based on Andy Sheppard's music, took part in the contest The Golden Prague, presented by Czech Television, in 1997 in Czech Republic.

Discography

As leader
  • Andy Sheppard (Antilles, 1987)
  • Introductions in the Dark (Antilles, 1989)
  • Soft on the Inside (Antilles, 1990)
  • 66 Shades of Lipstick with Keith Tippett (EG, 1990)
  • In Co-Motion (Antilles, 1991)
  • Inclassificable with Nana Vasconcelos & Steve Lodder (Label Bleu, 1994)
  • Delivery Suite (Blue Note, 1994)
  • Moving Image with Steve Lodder (Verve, 1996)
  • Learning to Wave (Provocateur, 1998)
  • Dancing Man & Woman (Provocateur, 2000)
  • Nocturnal Tourist (Provocateur, 2001)
  • Music for a New Crossing with Kathryn Tickell (Provocateur, 2001)
  • P.S. with John Parricelli (Provocateur, 2003)
  • Movements in Colour (ECM, 2009)
  • Trio Libero (ECM, 2012)
  • Surrounded by Sea (ECM, 2015)
  • Romaria (ECM, 2018)

With Carla Bley & Steve Swallow

As sideman

With Carla Bley

With Rita Marcotulli

  • Koine (Storie Di Note 2002)
  • On the Edge of a Perfect Moment (Incipit, 2005)
  • Us and Them (Casa Del Jazz 2008)
  • Basilicata Coast to Coast (Alice, 2011)

With John Martyn

  • The Apprentice (Permanent, 1990)
  • Cooltide (Permanent, 1991)
  • Couldn't Love You More (Gala, 1992)
  • No Little Boy (Gala, 1993)
  • Live at Bristol 1991 Official Bootleg (One World, 1998)
  • On the Cobbles (Independiente, 2004)

With George Russell

With Sphere[11]

  • Sphere (1981)
  • Present Tense (1985)

With Judie Tzuke

  • Ritmo (Chrysalis, 1983)
  • Turning Stones (Polydor, 1989)
  • Left Hand Talking (Cherry Red, 2008)

As sideman

References
  1. Williams, Justin. "Andy Sheppard". www.bristol.ac.uk. University of Bristol. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  2. Stephenson, Matt (20 July 2001). "Andy Sheppard is a hard man to pin down". Hull Daily Mail, archived at LexisNexis. Hull, England: Mail News & Media. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  3. Yanow, Scott. "Andy Sheppard: Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
  4. "Salisbury International Festival". Daily Echo, archived at LexisNexis. Salisbury, England: NewsQuest Media Group. 9 December 2008. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  5. Davis, Barry (31 August 2008). "Red Sea jazz veterans soar far beyond memory lane". The Jerusalem Post, archived at LexisNexis. Jerusalem, Israel: Mirkaei Tikshoret. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  6. "Jazz Jamaica to close Hull festival". Hull Daily Mail, archived at LexisNexis. Hull, England: Mail News & Media. 23 July 2008. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  7. "Classics with a twist". Bristol Evening Post, archived at LexisNexis. Bristol, England: Bristol News andMedia. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  8. "Andy Sheppard Soft on the Inside". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  9. "Andy Sheppard - In Co-Motion". Jazz Music Archives. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  10. "Andy Sheppard: The man who has emerged as one of Britain's foremost tenor and soprano saxophonists". Jazz Blues News Space. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  11. "Sphere". "Discogs". Retrieved 29 August 2022.
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