Dan Forshaw (born 19 May 1981) is an English
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
musician and
music educator
Music education is a field of practice in which educators are trained for careers as elementary or secondary music teachers, school or music conservatory ensemble directors. Music education is also a research area in which scholars do original ...
who started his career aged sixteen. He plays the
tenor
A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors is wide ...
,
soprano and
alto saxophone and has also recorded on
bass clarinet and the Electronic Wind Instrument or
EWI. He is a passionate advocate for improving and facilitating music education for both adults and children, and is a figure in the digital revolution sweeping through music education.
Background
Forshaw was born in
Blackpool, Lancashire, into a musical family. He grew up in nearby
Fleetwood
Fleetwood is a coastal town in the Borough of Wyre in Lancashire, England, at the northwest corner of the Fylde. It had a population of 25,939 at the 2011 census.
Fleetwood acquired its modern character in the 1830s, when the principal lando ...
and began playing piano at an early age. He attended
Stanah Primary School, in
Thornton, where he first started playing the
clarinet aged seven. He progressed onto the saxophone aged ten,
before attending
St. Aidan's C of E High School in
Preesall
Preesall is a town, civil parish and electoral ward in Lancashire, England. The parish (until 1910 known as Preesall with Hackensall) covers the eastern bank of the estuary of the River Wyre, including Knott End-on-Sea, Pilling Lane and the vi ...
near
Poulton-le-Fylde
Poulton-le-Fylde (), commonly shortened to Poulton, is a market town in Lancashire, England, situated on the coastal plain called the Fylde. In the 2001 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 18,264. There is evidence of human habitation i ...
,
and then onto the
Blackpool Sixth Form College, where he starred in their big band. He later studied music and politics at
Lancaster University.
Career
Forshaw's first professional gig was with 'The Amazing
Blues Brothers
The Blues Brothers are an American blues and soul revivalist band founded in 1978 by comedians Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as part of a musical sketch on ''Saturday Night Live''. Belushi and Aykroyd fronted the band, in character, respecti ...
Soul Revue' with whom he appeared across the UK and Europe. Dan then became director of Big Party, an event management and promotion company, before leaving in 2002 when he was appointed Director of Jazz studies at the
Beecham Music School,
Rossall School
Rossall School is a public school (English independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania ...
in
Fleetwood
Fleetwood is a coastal town in the Borough of Wyre in Lancashire, England, at the northwest corner of the Fylde. It had a population of 25,939 at the 2011 census.
Fleetwood acquired its modern character in the 1830s, when the principal lando ...
.
In 2005 Dan traveled to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
, where he studied with saxophonist, composer and
bandleader,
Branford Marsalis, saxophonist
Eric Alexander and
post-bop
Post-bop is a genre of small-combo jazz that evolved in the early to mid 1960s in the United States. Pioneers of the genre, such as Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, John Coltrane and Jackie McLean, crafted syntheses ...
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
saxophonist,
Ravi Coltrane. Upon returning from New York, Dan moved from Blackpool to London. During his time in London he studied at the
London School of Theology
The London School of Theology (LST), formerly London Bible College, is a British interdenominational evangelical theological college based in Northwood within the London Borough of Hillingdon.
History
During the 1930s A. J. Vereker, secreta ...
(LST). Whilst at LST he was also the music co-ordinator at Beechen Grove
Baptist Church in
Watford
Watford () is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne.
Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal encouraged the construction of paper-making mills, print works, and ...
and a private music tutor in
Harefield
Harefield is a village in the London Borough of Hillingdon, England, northwest of Charing Cross near Greater London's boundary with Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the north. The population at the 2011 Census was 7,399. Haref ...
.
In January 2008 the Dan Forshaw Quartet performed their ''Jazz: Loving the Supreme'' project, which was the culmination of Dan's studies at
London School of Theology
The London School of Theology (LST), formerly London Bible College, is a British interdenominational evangelical theological college based in Northwood within the London Borough of Hillingdon.
History
During the 1930s A. J. Vereker, secreta ...
. The work was based on the seminal
John Coltrane
John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music.
Born and raise ...
album ''
A Love Supreme
''A Love Supreme'' is an album by American jazz saxophonist John Coltrane. He recorded it in one session on December 9, 1964, at Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, leading a quartet featuring pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Jimmy ...
'' and was performed in the chapel at the LST.
In February 2008, Dan was appointed as Artistic director, and Artist in residence at Urban Soul, May Street Church,
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...
in Northern Ireland.
Whilst living in Northern Ireland Dan also toured with Pop artist
Yazz
Yazz (born Yasmin Evans; 19 May 1960) is an English pop singer, who remains perhaps best known for her 1988 UK number one single "The Only Way Is Up". Some of her records are credited to Yazz and the Plastic Population.
Career
Yazz was born i ...
and was active on the small, but vibrant Irish Jazz Scene. Forshaw continued to perform at many jazz festivals across the UK, including the Southport International Jazz festival from 2002 - 2012.
In 2011 Forshaw returned to England, where he joined the King / Cave project, an experimental liturgical group fusing
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
,
progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. In ...
and
Anglican Liturgy
The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the name given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christianity, Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The original book, published in 1549 ...
. The group have performed all over the UK and beyond, notable performances being at
St. Paul's Cathedral, London,
Hereford Cathedral and
Greenbelt Festival
Greenbelt Festival is a festival of arts, faith and justice held annually in England since 1974. Greenbelt has grown out of an evangelical Christian music festival with an audience of 1,500 young people into its current form, a more inclusive f ...
. Dan also created his own Jazz Vespers project which traces the history of jazz and blue music using readings, poetry and song to tell the story of lament and redemption, this was most notably given at Ely Cathedral in October 2013 and Methodist Central Hall, Westminster as part of Black History Month in October 2014. In 2016 Dan released 'Jazz Vespers' which features some of the best UK Jazz talent alongside Dan.
In 2015 Dan was part of the critically acclaimed 'Passion - a contemporary journey to the cross' which fused Dance, Poetry and Music which toured six UK cathedrals and appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Forshaw now lives in
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a county in the East of England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the ...
where he has founded a Music Education programme called 'Cambridge Saxophone.com,' which enables students from all over the world, (including one student in Antarctica) to study with Dan via Skype and videos. Forshaw also teaches saxophone for
Cambridge University
The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III of England, Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world' ...
and maintains an active performing schedule across the UK and Europe.
Discography
As leader
*2003 ''Question 21'' - ReHab Records
*2005 ''Live at the Villa'' - ReHab Records
*2005 ''Time Stood Still'' (with Mike Taylor) - 4shaw Music
*2006 ''Message'' (with Chris Smith) - 4shaw Music
*2007 ''Language of Emotion'' 4shaw Music
*2008 "Live in London EP" 4shaw Music
*2009 "No Jazz Please, We're British" 4shaw Music
*2011 "Metanarrative" 4shaw Music
*2011 "Come Sunday" 4shaw Music
*2013 "What if Rupert Murdoch Liked Jazz?"
*2014 "#jazztrio"
*2016 "Jazz Vespers"
As a sideman
*2001 K:OLN ''Espionage''
*2003 Jamestown Sound ''Didn't realise I was so close to the edge''
*2005 The Sound of Superstring ''Meanwhile, back at the Ranch''
*2011 DJ Yammin
*2014 "Darn Funk Orchestra"
*2015 Frankly Finbarr
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Forshaw, Dan
1981 births
Living people
English jazz saxophonists
British male saxophonists
Musicians from Blackpool
People from Fleetwood
British jazz musicians
Alumni of the London School of Theology
21st-century saxophonists
21st-century British male musicians
British male jazz musicians