Malcolm Edmonstone
Encyclopedia
Malcolm Edmonstone is a jazz pianist, arranger and educator, born in Perth, Scotland
in 1980. In 1998 he moved to London to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
, where he gained Bachelors and Masters degrees. Today, Malcolm is a key professor in the Guildhall jazz faculty and Artistic Director of Jazz for the National Youth Orchestras of Scotland
. He has forged a career as a modern jazz musician, working as a pianist, educator, arranger and musical director in many high profile situations.
to cover the piano chair on an international tour with his wife, the late jazz legend Marion Montgomery
. Since then Malcolm has continued to work with Laurie on various projects, including the first three series of the BBC1 show Strictly Come Dancing
, where he played piano and arranged a significant portion of the music. During this time Malcolm was writing prolifically and having his arrangements performed live on television to audiences upwards of 10 million.
and soon became her Musical Director. Together they have toured the world and been involved in numerous recording projects, including albums Detour Ahead and Back to you. In 2009, Malcolm had the honour of working alongside the late Sir John Dankworth
on Jacqui's 2011 album It Happens Quietly. They worked together on the arrangements on what proved to be the last of many occasions in which Sir John mentored Malcolm’s development as a writer.
’s Madhouse band, and has played with many of the UK’s leading jazz musicians, including Mark Lockheart
, Stan Sulzmann
and Iain Dixon. At the 19th meeting of the International Association of Schools of Jazz, Dave Liebman
invited Malcolm to play in his only appearance during that conference. In 2011 he appeared at the Royal Opera House in a Masterclass with legendary jazz drummer Peter Erskine
and later the same year at the Royal College of Music, as part of their Festival of Percussion.
. His extensive work ranges from recording for BBC Radio 3
with conductor Lorin Maazel
to playing on live television with Tony Bennett
. He has recorded extensively as a sideman in the jazz and commercial music worlds. He has twice been commissioned by the National Youth Jazz Orchestra of Scotland, the second of which is featured on the disc Scotland Suite. His first album as a leader, featuring Mark Lockheart
and Mike Walker
, will be released in 2011. As a session musician he has performed with Tony Bennett, Liza Minnelli, Michael Bolton
, Cliff Richard
, Robin Gibb
, David McAlmont
, David Arnold
, Donny Osmond
, Bruce Forsyth
, Madeline Bell
, Vernon Kaye, Denise Van Outen
, Tony Christie
and Kenny Lynch
.
, Trinity College of Music
, Middlesex University
and Birmingham Conservatoire. He is often employed by ABRSM to work with classical peripatetic teachers exploring jazz music.
the offering has progressed from a 5 day summer school with a small tour to five distinct yet integrated strands - the NYOS Jazz Summer School, open to young improvisers from 12-21; NYJOS Access, a training ensemble for improvisation; NYJOS itself, a flagship jazz orchestra who in recent years have toured with Jacqui Dankworth
, Mark Lockheart
, Mike Walker
, Chris Batchelor
and Iain Dixon; and NYJOS Collective, a smaller, advanced and flexible ensemble which is open to conservatoire and university aged alumni of the program. In 2010 the Collective toured with Julian Arguelles
. The fifth strand is a series of ongoing workshops in schools across Scotland, led by the directors and other prominent Scottish jazz musicians to encourage improvisation at grass-roots level, both as a support to students and teachers.
“combines a mathematical Bach-like precision with a sensuous touch" The Guardian
"masterful skill as [an] accompanist" Bruce Lindsay, All About Jazz
'the Malcolm Edmonstone trio is so effortlessly good" Robert Sutton, All About Jazz
"Edmonstone again excellent throughout" Ian Mann, The Jazzmann
with Laurie Holloway
with Jacqui Dankworth
with Michael Bolton
with Laurie Holloway
with Frank Holder
with Tom Rust
with Kate Dimbleby
Perth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
in 1980. In 1998 he moved to London to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama is an independent music and dramatic arts school which was founded in 1880 in London, England. Students can pursue courses in Music, Opera, Drama and Technical Theatre Arts.-History:...
, where he gained Bachelors and Masters degrees. Today, Malcolm is a key professor in the Guildhall jazz faculty and Artistic Director of Jazz for the National Youth Orchestras of Scotland
National Youth Orchestra of Scotland
The National Youth Orchestras of Scotland has provided music education and performance experience for young musicians throughout Scotland since its formation in 1979....
. He has forged a career as a modern jazz musician, working as a pianist, educator, arranger and musical director in many high profile situations.
Early professional life
Whilst studying at GSMD, he was called on by Laurie HollowayLaurie Holloway
Laurie Holloway is a British pianist and composer from Oldham, Lancashire. He is perhaps best known as the Musical Director for Michael Parkinson's chat show firstly on the BBC and more recently on ITV...
to cover the piano chair on an international tour with his wife, the late jazz legend Marion Montgomery
Marion Montgomery
Marion Montgomery was a United States born jazz singer who lived in the United Kingdom.Born Maud Runnells in Natchez, Mississippi, she began her career in Atlanta working clubs, and then in Chicago where singer Peggy Lee heard her on an audition tape and suggested she should be signed up by...
. Since then Malcolm has continued to work with Laurie on various projects, including the first three series of the BBC1 show Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
, where he played piano and arranged a significant portion of the music. During this time Malcolm was writing prolifically and having his arrangements performed live on television to audiences upwards of 10 million.
Dankworth family
At 21, he met Jacqui DankworthJacqui Dankworth
Jacqui Dankworth is a British jazz singer. She is the daughter of the jazz musician, arranger and composer Sir John Dankworth and the singer Dame Cleo Laine.-Career:...
and soon became her Musical Director. Together they have toured the world and been involved in numerous recording projects, including albums Detour Ahead and Back to you. In 2009, Malcolm had the honour of working alongside the late Sir John Dankworth
John Dankworth
Sir John Phillip William Dankworth, CBE , known in his early career as Johnny Dankworth, was an English jazz composer, saxophonist and clarinetist...
on Jacqui's 2011 album It Happens Quietly. They worked together on the arrangements on what proved to be the last of many occasions in which Sir John mentored Malcolm’s development as a writer.
Jazz musician
Malcolm works with some of the most original musicians in the UK. He is a member of Mike Walker (jazz guitarist)Mike Walker (jazz guitarist)
Mike Walker , is a jazz guitar player from Salford, England. Walker has played and recorded with George Russell, Peter Erskine, Steve Swallow, Kenny Wheeler, John Taylor and performed with Dave Holland, Tal Farlow, Anthony Braxton, Bill Frisell and many others.-Biography:Mike Walker was initially...
’s Madhouse band, and has played with many of the UK’s leading jazz musicians, including Mark Lockheart
Mark Lockheart
Mark Lockheart is a British jazz tenor saxophonist who came to prominence as a member of the Loose Tubes big band during the 1980s....
, Stan Sulzmann
Stan Sulzmann
Stanley Ernest Sulzmann is an English jazz saxophonist.Sulzmann began on saxophone at age 13 and played in Bill Ashton's London Youth Jazz Orchestra, later the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music from 1969-1972...
and Iain Dixon. At the 19th meeting of the International Association of Schools of Jazz, Dave Liebman
Dave Liebman
Dave Liebman is an American saxophonist and flautist. In June 2010, he received a NEA Jazz Masters lifetime achievement award from the National Endowment for the Arts.-Biography:...
invited Malcolm to play in his only appearance during that conference. In 2011 he appeared at the Royal Opera House in a Masterclass with legendary jazz drummer Peter Erskine
Peter Erskine
Peter Erskine is an American jazz drummer and composer. He has enjoyed a long and successful career as a session drummer, recording and touring with many famous jazz and rock artists, including Steely Dan and Weather Report...
and later the same year at the Royal College of Music, as part of their Festival of Percussion.
Recording musician
In 2011 Malcolm appeared on live TV with Liza MinnelliLiza Minnelli
Liza May Minnelli is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of singer and actress Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli....
. His extensive work ranges from recording for BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...
with conductor Lorin Maazel
Lorin Maazel
Lorin Varencove Maazel is an American conductor, violinist and composer.- Early life :Maazel was born to Jewish-American parents in Neuilly-sur-Seine in France and brought up in the United States, primarily at his parents' home in Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood. His father, Lincoln Maazel , was...
to playing on live television with Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....
. He has recorded extensively as a sideman in the jazz and commercial music worlds. He has twice been commissioned by the National Youth Jazz Orchestra of Scotland, the second of which is featured on the disc Scotland Suite. His first album as a leader, featuring Mark Lockheart
Mark Lockheart
Mark Lockheart is a British jazz tenor saxophonist who came to prominence as a member of the Loose Tubes big band during the 1980s....
and Mike Walker
Mike Walker (jazz guitarist)
Mike Walker , is a jazz guitar player from Salford, England. Walker has played and recorded with George Russell, Peter Erskine, Steve Swallow, Kenny Wheeler, John Taylor and performed with Dave Holland, Tal Farlow, Anthony Braxton, Bill Frisell and many others.-Biography:Mike Walker was initially...
, will be released in 2011. As a session musician he has performed with Tony Bennett, Liza Minnelli, Michael Bolton
Michael Bolton
Michael Bolton is an American singer and songwriter. Bolton originally performed in the hard rock and heavy metal genres from the mid 1970s to the mid 1980s, both on his early solo albums and those recorded as the frontman of the band Blackjack...
, Cliff Richard
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
, Robin Gibb
Robin Gibb
Robin Hugh Gibb, CBE is a British singer and songwriter. He is best known as a member of the Bee Gees, co-founded with his twin brother Maurice , and elder brother Barry....
, David McAlmont
David McAlmont
David McAlmont is a British vocalist and songwriter.-Early years and Thieves:...
, David Arnold
David Arnold
David Arnold is an English film composer best known for scoring five James Bond films, the 1994 film Stargate, the 1996 film Independence Day, and the television series Little Britain.-Film and television career:...
, Donny Osmond
Donny Osmond
Donald Clark "Donny" Osmond is an American singer, musician, actor, dancer, radio personality, and former teen idol. Osmond has also been a talk and game show host, record producer and author. In the mid 1960s, he and four of his elder brothers gained fame as the Osmond Brothers on the long...
, Bruce Forsyth
Bruce Forsyth
Sir Bruce Joseph Forsyth-Johnson, CBE , commonly known as Bruce Forsyth, or Brucie, is an English TV personality...
, Madeline Bell
Madeline Bell
Madeline Bell is an American soul singer, who became famous as a performer in the United Kingdom during the 1960s, having arrived from the US in the gospel show Black Nativity in 1962, with vocal group The Bradford Singers.-Career:She worked as a session singer, most notably backing for Dusty...
, Vernon Kaye, Denise Van Outen
Denise van Outen
Denise van Outen is an English actress, singer and television presenter. Her most notable roles to date are as a presenter on The Big Breakfast, and as Roxie Hart in the musical Chicago on both the West End and on Broadway.- Early life :Born Denise Kathleen Outen in Basildon, Essex, she is the...
, Tony Christie
Tony Christie
Tony Christie is an English musician, singer and actor. He is best known for his track, "Is This The Way To Amarillo", a double UK chart success.-Career:Tony Christie has sold over 10 million albums Worldwide...
and Kenny Lynch
Kenny Lynch
Kenny Lynch, OBE is an English singer, songwriter, entertainer and actor from London. Lynch appeared in many variety shows in the 1960s...
.
Professor
Education has always been a large part of Malcolm’s life – as well permanent positions at the National Youth Jazz Orchestra of Scotland (NYJOS) as a Professor at the Guildhall, he has held many visiting teaching positions, including stints at the Royal Academy of MusicRoyal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
, Trinity College of Music
Trinity College of Music
Trinity College of Music is one of the London music conservatories, based in Greenwich. It is part of Trinity Laban.The conservatoire is inheritor of elegant riverside buildings of the former Greenwich Hospital, designed in part by Sir Christopher Wren...
, Middlesex University
Middlesex University
Middlesex University is a university in north London, England. It is located in the historic county boundaries of Middlesex from which it takes its name. It is one of the post-1992 universities and is a member of Million+ working group...
and Birmingham Conservatoire. He is often employed by ABRSM to work with classical peripatetic teachers exploring jazz music.
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
in 2010 Malcolm was appointed senior professor and is one of three salaried members of the jazz department. The school is regarded as one of Europer's leading conservatoires and has a jazz department of considerable repute. As well as teaching piano and ensembles, Malcolm delivers the department's Harmony curriculum, an in depth course broken down into three parts - functional, modal and beyond - a book on the subject has been commissioned and is expected in 2012.National Youth Orchestras of Scotland
Since 2006 Malcolm has developed the jazz provision of this long standing organisation. With fellow NYJOS alum Andrew Bain (drummer)Andrew Bain (drummer)
Andrew Bain was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and began studying percussion and drumset at the age of twelve. Equally talented in both disciplines, Andrew showed early progress in many classical and jazz ensembles including The National Youth Orchestra of Scotland and The National Youth Jazz...
the offering has progressed from a 5 day summer school with a small tour to five distinct yet integrated strands - the NYOS Jazz Summer School, open to young improvisers from 12-21; NYJOS Access, a training ensemble for improvisation; NYJOS itself, a flagship jazz orchestra who in recent years have toured with Jacqui Dankworth
Jacqui Dankworth
Jacqui Dankworth is a British jazz singer. She is the daughter of the jazz musician, arranger and composer Sir John Dankworth and the singer Dame Cleo Laine.-Career:...
, Mark Lockheart
Mark Lockheart
Mark Lockheart is a British jazz tenor saxophonist who came to prominence as a member of the Loose Tubes big band during the 1980s....
, Mike Walker
Mike Walker
Mike Walker is the name of:*Mike Walker , gossip columnist for the National Enquirer*Mike Walker , jazz guitar player from Salford in England*Mike Walker , American football player...
, Chris Batchelor
Chris Batchelor
Chris Batchelor is a jazz trumpeter and composer. He gained his first professional experience with Dudu Pukwana's Zila aged 17, at the suggestion of Harry Beckett. He subsequently became a founder member,composer and soloist with Loose Tubes, contributing many pieces to the repertoire of the band...
and Iain Dixon; and NYJOS Collective, a smaller, advanced and flexible ensemble which is open to conservatoire and university aged alumni of the program. In 2010 the Collective toured with Julian Arguelles
Julian Argüelles
Julian Argüelles is a saxophonist. He is currently a member of the HR Big Band in Frankfurt am Main, Germany....
. The fifth strand is a series of ongoing workshops in schools across Scotland, led by the directors and other prominent Scottish jazz musicians to encourage improvisation at grass-roots level, both as a support to students and teachers.
Press
“truly an astonishing musician” The Daily Telegraph“combines a mathematical Bach-like precision with a sensuous touch" The Guardian
"masterful skill as [an] accompanist" Bruce Lindsay, All About Jazz
'the Malcolm Edmonstone trio is so effortlessly good" Robert Sutton, All About Jazz
"Edmonstone again excellent throughout" Ian Mann, The Jazzmann
Broadcast
with Liza Minelli- Loose Women - MD, piano, arranger - ITV (2011)
with Laurie Holloway
Laurie Holloway
Laurie Holloway is a British pianist and composer from Oldham, Lancashire. He is perhaps best known as the Musical Director for Michael Parkinson's chat show firstly on the BBC and more recently on ITV...
- Strictly Come Dancing - piano, synths, arranger - Series 1, 2 & 3 - BBC TV (2004-6)
with Jacqui Dankworth
Jacqui Dankworth
Jacqui Dankworth is a British jazz singer. She is the daughter of the jazz musician, arranger and composer Sir John Dankworth and the singer Dame Cleo Laine.-Career:...
- RTE New Year Concert, with orchestra - piano, arranger - RTE (2011)
- Jazz Line-up - Cleo Laine and Friends - MD, piano, arranger - BBC Radio 3 (2011)
- The Paul O'Grady Show - MD, piano, arranger - ITV (2009)
with Michael Bolton
Michael Bolton
Michael Bolton is an American singer and songwriter. Bolton originally performed in the hard rock and heavy metal genres from the mid 1970s to the mid 1980s, both on his early solo albums and those recorded as the frontman of the band Blackjack...
- The Dame Edna Treatment - arranger - ITV (2007)
Recordings
with Jacqui DankworthJacqui Dankworth
Jacqui Dankworth is a British jazz singer. She is the daughter of the jazz musician, arranger and composer Sir John Dankworth and the singer Dame Cleo Laine.-Career:...
- Detour Ahead - MD, piano, fender rhodes, arranger - Candid Records (2004)
- Back to You - MD, piano, synth, hammond, arranger - Audacious Records (2009)
- It Happens Quietly - piano - Proper Records (2011)
with Laurie Holloway
Laurie Holloway
Laurie Holloway is a British pianist and composer from Oldham, Lancashire. He is perhaps best known as the Musical Director for Michael Parkinson's chat show firstly on the BBC and more recently on ITV...
- Strictly Come Dancing - piano - Sony Music / BBC TV (2005)
with Frank Holder
- I Love being here with you - piano - Mainstem Records (2007)
- Ballads, Blues and Bop - MD, arranger, piano - Mainstem Records (2009)
with Tom Rust
- Saints and Singers - MD, piano, arranger - Feelerhead Records (2004)
- Are we there yet? - MD, piano, arranger - Feelerhead Records (2010)
with Kate Dimbleby
- Things as they are - MD, piano, arranger (2007)
TV Themes
with Laurie HollowayLaurie Holloway
Laurie Holloway is a British pianist and composer from Oldham, Lancashire. He is perhaps best known as the Musical Director for Michael Parkinson's chat show firstly on the BBC and more recently on ITV...
- Strictly Come Dancing - piano - BBC (2004)
- The Dame Edna Treatment - synth - ITV (2007)