![Tobias Delius 05n2489](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/Tobias_Delius_05n2489.jpg)
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 ...
, 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 The VPRO/Boy Edgar Award, is an annual award given to a Dutch jazz musician, composer, or bandleader. The individual must have made significant contributions to the Dutch jazz scene over a significant period of time. The award is a sculpture by Dutc ...
.
Playing style
''
Grove'' 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 DeliusICP 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