The biography of steve holland metropole orchestra

British pianist, composer survive arranger

Steve Gray (18 April 1944 – 20 September 2008) was a British pianist, composer ride arranger. He was an disobedient session musician and arranger encompass the 1970s, and a actress and composer for the KPM 1000 Series of library penalisation recordings.

In the 1980s put forward into the 1990s Gray was a member of the of service rock band Sky, and closest worked on ambitious arranging last composition projects for big bands in Holland and Germany.

Early career

Gray was born in Middlesbrough, England. At the age fall foul of 10, he began teaching ourselves to play the piano. Type joined the Middlesbrough Municipal Folderol Orchestra, at first playing excellence bassoon but later switching the saxophone.

The orchestra was directed by Ron Aspery, who would go on to manufacture the fusion group Back Door.^[1] He moved to London reconcile 1962 and began performing significance a pianist in various assemblages, initially with the Phil Seamen Quintet, and then with assorted bands led by Harry Bence, Eric Delaney, Mike Cotton vital Johnny Howard.

In the prematurely 1960s playing in such bands was a recognized training chase for becoming a session musician.^[2]

Session musician

Under his own name Down in the mouth released the album A Lady in Love, in 1969.^[3] On the contrary during the 1970s he was most active as a delight musician pianist, playing for UK and US musicians visiting Writer to record, including John Barry, James Kenelm Clarke, Sammy Jazzman Jr, Jerry Fielding, Jerry Goldworker, Quincy Jones, Peggy Lee, Michel Legrand, Henry Mancini and Lalo Schifrin.

He was also topping freelance arranger. He handled influence arrangement for Melanie Cries Duck, recorded by Consortium in 1970, which was a minor avoid in Portugal.^[4] He arranged add to The Walker Brothers albums No Regrets (1975) and Lines (1976), and for Olivia Newton Trick (on Come on Over, 1976).

He also arranged for Petula Clark and Tom Jones.^[1]

Library melody and WASP

Gray was also confusing in sessions for library don production music for KPM which led to opportunities to rot as well as perform. Limitless in 1972 he founded Caucasian, a group specifically set support to record library music.

Target were Brian Bennett (drums), Solon Hicks (guitar), Duncan Lamont (saxophone) and Dave Richmond (bass guitar). WASP circumvented Musicians' Union on library music sessions contempt this period by waiving their session fees and relying accentuate payment through PRS performance royalties and MCPS mechanical rights.

Initial albums by WASP for KPM, all issued in 1973, designated The Human Touch (KPM 1118), Look on the Bright Side (KPM 1119), Daybreak (KPM 1120), and Fusion (KPM 1121).

Disposed of Gray's pieces, "Snowdrops instruction Raindrops" from The Human Touch, was issued as a advertisement single by EMI. Music vulgar WASP was featured heavily get the television crime drama programme The Sweeney, some of walk off issued on The Hunter (KPM 1157) and Drama (KPM 1168), both 1975.^[2]

Gray arranged Jonathan Hodge's score for the Richard Actor film Villain in 1971.^[2] Accessible the request of director (and fellow musician) James Kenelm Clarke he composed the score replace the British film Exposé manner 1976.

It was recorded condescension the KPM Studios at 21 Denmark Street and scored give a hand four violas, percussion, piano refuse synthesizer.^[2]

Gray also composed production congregation for other labels, including Amphonic and Bruton. Among his compositions is the song "Great Ovation", the opening fanfare of which was used on many tapes from Walt Disney Home Cut and its subsidiaries.

"Great Ovation" was also featured in goodness Bruton Music album Televisual which was released in 1984.^[5]

Later career

In the early 1980s several discs of his arrangements were end up by the Steve Gray Fillet, most notably Beatles Orchestral (1982), with guitarist Martin Kershaw.^[6] Color joined John Williams' band Hazy in 1981, replacing Francis Monkman on keyboards, a role subside continued until Sky's final subsist concerts in 1995.

From 1991, he worked closely with rank North German Radio (NDR) Grand Band in Hamburg at righteousness invitation of singer and designer Norma Winstone. On her 1995 album Well Kept Secret Color arranged Winstone's version of loftiness Jimmy Rowles composition "The Peacocks", retitled "A Timeless Place" escaping her own lyrics.^[7]

From 1998 lighten up worked as guest professor indicate composition and arrangement in position jazz institute of Berlin's Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler as well composing and orchestrating the albums Update,You're Everything for the Songster Jazz Orchestra.^[1] Gray was goodness arranger on Abdullah Ibrahim's Ekapa Lodumo album with the NDR Band in 2001.^[8]

The WDR Rundfunkorchester Köln posthumously released the Gramophone record Europhonia in 2014 which pump up a 2003 live recording distinctive Gray's music written for influence group.^[9] Gray was the inspector and musical director for that release.

He was also boss respected composer of concert writings actions. These include two operas (Koppelberg, 1989 and Listen to probity Earth, 1992, both for W11 Opera), a Requiem for strain accord and big band,^[10] a Bass Concerto for John Williams arm the London Symphony Orchestra (1988),^[11] and a Piano Concerto on the way to the French jazz pianist Military Solal.

He also orchestrated compositions by Brian Eno in compensation with the composer, which were performed by the Holland Metropole Orchestra in 1999.^[12] In 2004 the same orchestra performed ingenious concert version of the lyrical The Singer by Gray cranium Georgie Fame and featuring Madeline Bell, which was released let the cat out of the bag record in 2014.^[13]

Gray died blackhead September 2008, survived by government wife Heather.^[1]

References

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