Tobias Delius (born 15 July 1964) is a tenor saxophonist and clarinettist.

Early life

Delius was born in

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the Un ...

, England, on 15 July 1964. His mother was German and his father was Argentine. Delius was brought up largely in England and Germany. He switched from clarinet to tenor saxophone at the age of sixteen, and played with local bands.

Later life and career

Delius played in Mexico for eight months before joining the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam in 1984. He did not complete his studies there, which included lessons with

Misha Mengelberg Misha Mengelberg (5 June 1935 – 3 March 2017) was a Dutch jazz pianist and composer.Feather, Leonard & Gitler, Ira (2007) ''The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz'', p. 459. Oxford University Press. A prominent figure in post-WWII European Jazz ...

and Paul Stocker, but developed his reputation with improvisers in the area. He joined Available Jelly in 1989, Trio San Francisco and other bands that included Daniele D'Agaro and Sean Bergin in 1992, and toured with

Louis Moholo Louis Tebogo Moholo (born 10 March 1940), is a South African jazz drummer. He has been a member of several notable bands, including The Blue Notes, the Brotherhood of Breath and Assagai. Biography Born in Cape Town, Moholo formed The Blue ...

in 1992–93. He also co-founded a quartet with

Han Bennink Han Bennink (born 17 April 1942) is a Dutch drummer and percussionist. On occasion his recordings have featured him playing soprano saxophone, bass clarinet, trombone, violin, banjo and piano. Though perhaps best known as one of the pivotal fig ...

, Larry Fishkind and Tristan Honsinger in 1990. Fishkind was later replaced by Joe Williamson in this band, which employs a "method of improvising suites utilizing written themes introduced democratically by any member". Delius was awarded the 2003 VPRO/Boy Edgar Award.

Playing style

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'' wrote: "Delius produces a sumptuous timbre reminiscent of

Coleman Hawkins Coleman Randolph Hawkins (November 21, 1904 – May 19, 1969), nicknamed "Hawk" and sometimes "Bean", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.Yanow, Scot"Coleman Hawkins: Artist Biography" AllMusic. Retrieved December 27, 2013. One of the first p ...

and

Ben Webster Benjamin Francis Webster (March 27, 1909 – September 20, 1973) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Career Early life and career A native of Kansas City, Missouri, he studied violin, learned how to play blues on the piano from ...

, which he combines with a decidedly modern and slippery harmonic and rhythmic conception. He phrases over bar-lines as his harmonic extensions blur the edges of chord changes, and he uses varied dynamics to dramatic effect. He is a consistently deft improviser in both traditional and free settings."

References

External links

CD reviews - Tobias Delius

ICP Orchestra Homepage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Delius, Tob 1964 births Living people English jazz saxophonists British male saxophonists English jazz clarinetists 21st-century saxophonists 21st-century clarinetists 21st-century British male musicians 21st-century English musicians 20th-century saxophonists 20th-century British male musicians 20th-century English musicians British male jazz musicians ICP Orchestra members