Chris Allard's 'Dreamweavers' - Album Launch
"Dreamweavers” is a new project led by jazz guitarist Chris Allard and featuring Jim Watson-keys (Katie Melua, Manu Katché), Dudley Phillips-electric/upright bass (Mark Knopfler, Loreena McKennitt) & Nick Smalley-drums/percussion (Jason Yarde, Gareth Lockrane). Describing it as ‘cinematic eclectic and mercurial’, their debut album “Woven in Time” showcased this evening has a ‘contemporary jazz sensibility’ as well as rock, folk, blues, Latin & Eastern influences. This is Allard’s seventh release, previous recordings garnering critical acclaim including four stars in Guitarist Magazine, Jazzwise, Jazz Journal, and BBC Music Magazine. He has performed at major venues including the Royal Albert Hall, the Pyramids and Great Sphinx in Cairo, the Barbican, Montreux Jazz Festival, Nuremberg Festival, O2 Arena London, the Queen Elizabeth Hall working with among others, Jacqui Dankworth MBE, Charlie Wood, Dame Cleo Laine, Sir John Dankworth, Omar Kamal, the BBC Big Band, Jamie Cullum, Lea Salonga, Alison Balsom OBE and Gwilym Simcock. An exciting group of musicians at the very top of their game, the quartet expertly balances complexity with a sense of melody, accessibility and groove.
"borders on genius" Jazz Journal ★★★★; “Chris Allard was impeccable” London Jazz News