DIDIER LOCKWOOD

Didier Lockwood (born February 11, 1956) is a French jazz violinist.

He was born in Calais and studied classical violin and composition at the Calais Conservatory. However, his brother Francis made him receptive to forms of music other than the classical and he quit his studies in 1972. Didier was entranced by the improvisation of Jean-Luc Ponty on Frank Zappa's King Kong album and took up the amplified violin. He joined the progressive rock group Magma, touring and notable featured on their 1975 Live/Hhaï album. Lockwood was also influenced by Polish violinist Zbigniew Seifert and Stéphane Grappelli, whom he joined on tour.

He has also played with Québécois fusion group Uzeb on their Absolutely Live album.

He is famous for exploring new musical environments and for performing various sound imitations on his amplified violin, such as seagulls or trains.

On July 23, 1982, in Montreux, Switzerland, he performed in concert with guitarist Allan Holdsworth, drummer Billy Cobham, bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, and keyboardist David Sancious.

Didier Lockwood created a string instruments improvisation school, CMDL (Centre des Musiques Didier Lockwood), in 2001.

He has also composed several film scores, like Les Enfants de la Pluie.

He is married to singer Caroline Casadesus.

Throughout 2006 Didier has been touring with Martin Taylor the Jazz guitarist. In these performances it is noticeable to see that he is very involved in improvisation.

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Born: February 11, 1956 

Didier Lockwood (born February 11, 1956) is a French jazz violinist.

He was born in Calais and studied classical violin and composition at the Calais Conservatory. However, his brother Francis made him receptive to forms of music other than the classical and he quit his studies in 1972. Didier was entranced by the improvisation of Jean-Luc Ponty on Frank Zappa's King Kong album and took up the amplified violin. He joined the progressive rock group Magma, touring and notable featured on their 1975 Live/Hhaï album. Lockwood was also influenced by Polish violinist Zbigniew Seifert and Stéphane Grappelli, whom he joined on tour.

Didier Lockwood in concert (1992)He has also played with Quebecois fusion group Uzeb on their Absolutely Live album.

He is famous for exploring new musical environments and for performing various sound imitations on his amplified violin, such as seagulls or trains.

On July 23, 1982, in Montreux, Switzerland, he performed in concert with guitarist Allan Holdsworth, drummer Billy Cobham, bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, and keyboardist David Sancious.

Didier Lockwood created a string instruments improvisation school, CMDL (Centre des Musiques Didier Lockwood), in 2001.

He is married to singer Caroline Casadesus

Throughout 2006 Didier has been touring with Martin Taylor the Jazz guitarist. In these performances it is noticeable to see that he is very involved in improvisation.

Source: http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php?id=8831

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Didier Lockwood has had a diverse career, ranging from fusion to swing and advanced hard bop. In the 1980s, he was considered the next in a line of great French violinists after Stephane Grappelli and Jean-Luc Ponty, but he maintained a fairly low profile in the 1990s. Lockwood began studying violin when he was six. Ten years later, he stopped his formal training and joined a rock group. He played in Paris with Aldo Romano and Daniel Humair, among others, met Grappelli and toured with him. He had a fusion group called Surya and recorded with Tony Williams around the same period of time (1979). Didier Lockwood played in the United States on several occasions in the 1980s and recorded an acoustic album in 1986 with fellow violinists John Blake and Michal Urbaniak.

Source: Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

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Jazz: Didier Lockwood Plays

By John S. Wilson 

Didier Lockwood, a French jazz violinist who came to the United States two months ago trailing an impressive array of achievements (twice named European Jazz Musician of the Year, two records selected as Record of the Year in Europe, 150 concerts in Europe last year) is leading a trio at Lush Life (Bleecker and Thompson Streets) through tomorrow with two American musicians, the pianist Bill O'Connell and the bassist Harvie Swartz. 

At the age of 29, Mr. Lockwood has moved from early classical training through an enthusiasm for fusion music to his current involvement in jazz. 

His playing reflects all three aspects of his career. His classical grounding has given him a virtuousity that covers both rhapsodic interludes and some dazzling, fiery flights. But, possibly as a result of his fusion experience, he is still rather tentative in his approach to jazz. 

Mr. Lockwood's opening set on Tuesday concentrated on compositions by members of the trio (Cole Porter's ''I Love You,'' not one of the more notable foundations for a jazz performance, was the only standard piece). In these circumstances, Mr. Swartz made the strongest and most consistent jazz contributions. Mr. Lockwood found his happiest groove in a gentle violin and bass duet on Mr. Swartz's composition ''Falling.''

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b. 11 February 1956, Calais, France. Lockwood studied classical violin at the Conservatoire de Musique de Paris, but exposure to the blues of Johnny Winter and John Mayall persuaded him to cut short formal study in 1972 and form a jazz rock group with his brother, Francis. A three-year stint with Magma followed, but Lockwood was more excited by the improvising of Jean-Luc Ponty, whom he heard on Frank Zappa's "King Kong". He listened to other jazz violinists, particularly Zbigniew Seifert and the veteran Stéphane Grappelli. The latter quickly realised the talent in Lockwood and played with him whenever possible. During the late 70s Lockwood played and recorded with many major European and American artists including Tony Williams, Gordon Beck, John Etheridge, Daniel Humair and Michal Urbaniak. In 1981, Lockwood recorded Fusion, which typified the approach he was to follow in later years: a solid rock-based rhythm with plenty of soloing room for lightning improvisations on his 160-year-old violin.

Source: http://www.nme.com/artists/didier-lockwood

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Discography

New World - 1979 (MPS) 
Live In Montreux - 1980 (JMS) 
Fasten Seat Belts - 1981 (JMS) 
Fusion - 1981 (JMS) 
The Kid - 1982 (JMS) 
Trio - 1983 (JMS) 
Out Of The Blue - 1985 (JMS) 
Live At The Olympia Hall - 1986 (JMS) 
Rhythm & BLU - 1986 (Gramavision) 
1,2,3,4 - 1987 (JMS) 
Phoenix 90 - 1990 (Gramavision) 
DLG - 1993 (JMS) 
Martial Solal - 1993 (JMS) 
Storyboard - 1997 (Dreyfus) 
'Round About Silence - 1998 (Dreyfus) 
New York Rendevous - 1999 (JMS) 
Tribute To Stephane Grappelli - 2000 (Dreyfus) 
Omkara - 2001 (Dreyfus) 
Mondo Dificile - 2004 (Virgin) 
La Reine Soleil - 2007 (Pid) 
Waltz Club - 2007 (Universal)