John Warren (born September 23, 1938) is a composer and musician known for his contributions to the jazz genre.

Career

Warren studied saxophone and flute during his university years, and his initial forays into composition were encouraged by the celebrated Canadian trumpet player, Herbie Spanier, leading to early performances of his work on CBC radio and TV. In 1962, Warren relocated to England, where he made connections with notable musicians like

Kenny Wheeler Kenneth Vincent John Wheeler, Order of Canada, OC (14 January 1930 – 18 September 2014) was a Canadian composer and trumpet and flugelhorn player, based in the U.K. from the 1950s onwards. Most of his performances were rooted in jazz, but he w ...

, Art Ellefson, and

John Surman John Douglas Surman (born 30 August 1944) is an English jazz saxophone, Clarinet family, clarinet, and synthesizer player, and composer of free jazz and modal jazz, often using themes from folk music. He has composed and performed music for danc ...

. By 1968, Warren had formed his own big band, featuring talents like Surman, John Taylor, Wheeler, and

Alan Skidmore Alan Richard James Skidmore (born 21 April 1942) is an English jazz tenor saxophonist, and the son of saxophonist Jimmy Skidmore. Career He was born in London, England. Skidmore began his professional career in his teens, and early in his care ...

. The band gained recognition through performances on the ''BBC Jazz Club'' and ''Jazz in Britain'' programmes, alongside appearances at various London clubs. The 1970s marked a productive period for Warren, with the recording of his suite '' Tales of the Algonquin'' and compositions for the John Surman Octet, the Alan Skidmore Quintet, and vocalists Norma Winstone and

Karin Krog Karin Krog (born 15 May 1937) is a Norwegian Vocal jazz, jazz singer. Life and career Krog began singing jazz as a teenager and attracted attention while performing in jam sessions in Oslo. In 1955, she was hired by the pianist Kjell Karlsen ...

. He also received commissions from ensembles like the

Kurt Edelhagen Kurt Edelhagen (; born 5 June 1920 – 8 February 1982) was a German big band leader. Biography Edelhagen was born in Herne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Edelhagen studied conducting and piano in Essen. In 1945, he started a trio, then a big ...

Big Band and the Danish Radio Big Band. The John Warren Band continued with tours in Germany, Switzerland, and the UK throughout the mid-70s. The 1980s saw Warren collaborating with John Surman on '' The Brass Project,'' an ensemble featuring a brass choir and Surman’s trio. The Brass Project toured extensively and recorded for ECM Records in 1992. During this decade, Warren also delved into arranging

Chet Baker Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for major innovations in cool jazz that led him to be nicknamed the "Prince of Cool". Baker earned much attention and ...

's solos with lyrics by

Georgie Fame Georgie Fame (born Clive Powell; 26 June 1943) is an English R&B and jazz musician. Fame, who had a string of 1960s hits, is still performing, often working with contemporaries such as Alan Price, Van Morrison and Bill Wyman. Fame is the only B ...

for performances with the NDR Big Band. In the 1990s, Warren took on the role of director for the Voice of the North Jazz Orchestra, showcasing musicians from the North East of England. The turn of the millennium brought a commission for a suite featuring Surman, resulting in the suite ''Chain Reaction'', premiered at the Hull Jazz Festival and subsequently performed in Italy. Warren's career continued into the 2000s with the recording of two CDs, ''Finally Beginning'' and ''Following On'', featuring prominent British jazz musicians. He also revisited his earlier work, performing ''Tales of the Algonquin'' with the Bohuslän Big Band and presenting the suite with the AltSys Jazz Orchestra in Montreal. In 2019, Warren's composition ''The Traveller's Tale'' was performed by John Surman and The Brass Project at the EFG London Jazz Festival, followed by the release of a live recording of the piece. Throughout his career, Warren has shared his knowledge and passion for music through workshops and performances at prestigious institutions like the

Guildhall School of Music and Drama The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a music school, music and drama school located in the City of London, England. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz al ...

, the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is one of the oldest music schools in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the firs ...

, the Royal Northern College of Music, and the

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Royal Birmingham Conservatoire is a music school, drama school and concert venue in Birmingham, England. It provides education in music, acting, and related disciplines up to postgraduate level. It is a centre for scholarly research and docto ...

. He also served as a lecturer in Harmony and Composition at

Newcastle College Newcastle College is a large further education and higher education college in Newcastle upon Tyne, with more than 16,000 students enrolled each year on a variety of full time, part time, and distance learning. It is the largest further education ...

for eight years.

Discography

*'' Tales of the Algonquin'' ( Deram, 1971), with

*''John Warren Bigband - Live'' (Sparkasse Bremen, 1976) *'' The Brass Project'' (

ECM Records ECM (Edition of Contemporary Music) is an independent record label founded by Karl Egger, Manfred Eicher and Manfred Scheffner in Munich in 1969. While ECM is best known for jazz music, the label has released a variety of recordings, and ECM's a ...

, 1993), with

*''Finally Beginning'' (Fuzzy Moon Records, 2008) *''Following On'' (Fuzzy Moon Records, 2009) *
The Traveller's Tale
' ( Fledg'ling Records, 2017)

References

1938 births 21st-century Canadian male musicians 21st-century Canadian saxophonists Anglophone Quebec people Canadian jazz musicians Canadian jazz saxophonists Living people Canadian male jazz composers Canadian jazz composers Canadian male saxophonists Musicians from Montreal {{jazz-saxophonist-stub