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Human Chain is Django Bates' quartet. The current line up features Iain Ballamy on saxophones, Michael Mondesir on electric bass and Martin France on drums with Django on keyboards and tenor horn. This band has evolved over the years from the first enigmatic episode which was a duo of Django and drummer Steve Argüelles. Since then Human Chain toured in South America, including dates in Chile, Colombia and Argentina in 1991; and in 1992 played at a number of festivals in Europe including the Belfast International Festival, the Delta International Jazz Festival in the Hague in Holland and the Outside In International Contemporary Music Festival in Crawley. In 1993 Django Bates was commissioned by the Bath International Festival to write a new piece of work for the band and concert pianist Joanna MacGregor and toured extensively in the UK as well as receiving rave reviews for their performances in Canada and Europe. Human Chain have recorded two albums, Human Chain and Cashin' In, and a number of tracks on the albums - summer fruits (and unrest) and winter truce (and homes ablaze) - are by Human Chain. They are also playing alongside the London Sinfonietta on Django's album Good Evening... Here is the News "The music's commitment,
spontaneity and intensity gave us a feeling of being witnesses
to the very moment of creation" Iain Ballamy (Tenor, Alto and Soprano Saxophones) An outstanding musician and writer, Iain Ballamy has been Django's creative foil and sparring partner for many years. Sharing Django's anarchic, surrealist but eminently fun loving approach to music and life, Iain has played a major role in many of Django's previous projects, including Loose Tubes, Bill Brufords Earthworks and his own band Balloon Man. Ballamy has been variously described as " A face to watch for the nineties" American magazine, Downbeat " One of the generation of young musicians who have created the wave of fresh popularity which has invigorated British jazz in recent years" Penguin Guide to Jazz 1992 He has recorded three solo albums, the most recent for B&W Music entitled "ACME" which is to be released in autumn 1996. His other musical work has given him scope to use his talents to the full. Ballamy has recorded and toured with Hermeto Pascoal, Dewey Redman, Gil Evans and Carla Bley amongst others and has been recently comissioned to write pieces for harpsichordist Jane Chapman, and the Apollo Saxophone Quartet. In the past year he has performed with the Karnataka College of Percussion in Germany, Britain and India. Michael Mondesir (Electric Bass) This self taught bass guitarist began his professional music career in 1983 with EMJIEM (with brother Mark on drums and Hawi Gondwe on Guitar). Exploring music in every idiom has led Michael to collaborate with such diverse artists a Billy Cobham, Des'ree, Trilok Gurtu, Neneh Cherry, Eddie Harris, Hermeto Pascoal, Pee Wee Ellis and Melle Mel. Joining Django Bates Human Chain in 1991 and Delightful Precipice in 1993, Michael continues to explore the boundaries of music. Other projects include Infinitum featuring pianist/composer Nikki Yeoh and drummer Keith Le Blanc, an album with singer Oumou Sangare and Iain Ballamy's new band ACME with Mark Mondesir and John Parricelli. Martin France (Drums, Percussions, Electrics) Martin began performing at the age of twelve backing singers in Working Mens clubs with Organ Trios in and around Manchester. In 1983 he began his recording career performing on several records for ECM and later joined Loose Tubes. Since then Martin has worked in over forty countries world-wide with many of Europe's finest musicians as well as some of America's leading players. He is also active as a session musician working on TV and Film soundtracks. Martin's talents have been very much in demand, he is featured on many recordings and his discography is extensive. Some of the musicians he has performed with include Kenny Wheeler, Steve Swallow, Ralph Towner, Lee Konitz and Dave Holland. His involvement with the best English musicians has led to many accolades - the recently release Home Truths with Julian Argüelles was voted Best Jazz Album of the Year by two leading English Newspapers (The Guardian and The Observer). "Martin France is that near mythical rarity, a powerhouse drummer"The Guardian, 1994 Jazz Journal, 1995 |
