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STEVE BOYLAND - Extended Biography
Born in Liverpool in
1957, Steve Boyland sang with several local rock and blues bands
during the mid-70s, before joining jazz-rock quartet FUSION in 1976.
Led by former KING CRIMSON/ PETE SINFIELD drummer ALAN MENNIE, and
featuring a number of SINFIELD/MENNIE originals in its repertoire,
the band toured extensively over the course of the next 3 years. In
1980, embarked on period of study at University of York where, in
addition to specialising in IMPROVISED MUSIC, broadened his interest
in CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL MUSIC, in particular the vocal music of
STOCKHAUSEN, NONO, BERIO and MADERNA, as well as in WORLD MUSIC, most
particularly the INDIAN CLASSICAL tradition. Formed electric-jazz
quintet STREETS AHEAD with saxophonist JULIAN NICHOLAS in 1980. The
band, which also featured GARY BOYLE rhythm team, PAUL and TONY
STIPETIC, toured widely between 1980-1983, recording numerous
sessions for BBC radio, including live performances from HULL and
BRADFORD JAZZ FESTIVALS alongside the PETER KING and BOBBY WATSON
quartets respectively.
Moved to London in
1983, at the invitation of vocalist MAGGIE NICOLS. Attended FREE
IMPROVISATION workshops led by drummer JOHN STEVENS and by Nicols
herself, playing alongside many of the capital’s leading
improvisers, including LOL COXHILL, PETE NU and PAUL ROGERS. This
period of intensive contact with free improvised music and, in
particular, the creative association established with mentor Maggie
Nicols, was to prove of seminal importance. Indeed, the relationship
between the two artists continues in the form of a number of
acclaimed collaborations.
Returned to York in
1984, attending harmony and improvisation workshops with Jazz
Composer-in-Residence BOBBY WELLINS and his successor, RICK TAYLOR,
while extending vocal studies with ROBERT LEE at York Minster.
Performances with Wellins and Taylor led to a series of broadcasts
for BBC radio and to the formation, with trombonist Taylor (Gil Evans
Big Band; Onward International), of the quintet SONG CYCLE. The
band, which also featured pianist PAUL FLUSH ( TOMMY SMITH QT;
KATHRYN TICKELL BAND), drummer ADRIAN TILBROOK ( BACK DOOR) and
bassist GARY CULSHAW (GARY BOYLE; FREE PARKING), recorded several
sessions for BBC radio 2’s NIGHTRIDE as well as appearing on BBC
2’s ARTSCENE. The album WINTER SONG, a collection of songs
composed by Boyland and Taylor, was recorded in 1988.

Following
his return to his native city in 1992, developed teaching and
performance activities through organisations like LIVERPOOL MUSIC
CENTRE and the annual LIVERPOOL SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL, establishing
links with local and international musicians from a variety of
different traditions. These included projects with improvisers like
MAGGIE NICOLS, JULIE TIPPETS and KEITH TIPPETT, as well as with World
Music specialists such as LOUISE SCHULTZ-WANSELIUS and SURINDER
SANDHU. The association with sarangi player Sandhu continues through
the ensemble SAURANG ORCHESTRA, which, in addition to appearances
with the ROYAL LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC and BIRMINGHAM SYMPHONY
ORCHESTRAS, has also featured soloists ANDY SHEPPARD, STEVE VAI and
GEORGE BROOKS. In 2000, the ensemble was invited to contribute to
Millennium celebrations across Europe via a live EUROPEAN
BROADCASTING UNION transmission from PHILHARMONIC HALL, Liverpool.
In 2007,
Boyland and Sandhu combined again, this time in a small group context
alongside pianist JONATHAN RAISIN. This association led to a series
of trio collaborations at ST. BRIDES CHURCH, Liverpool, featuring
Boyland and Raisin together with a number of acclaimed soloists from
different musical traditions, including RLPO principal cellist,
JONATHAN AASGAARD, free-improvising sax player, RAY DICKATY and
Cologne-based soprano and Early Music specialist, MARIA JONAS.
Raisin and Boyland were to combine again in 2007 as an improvising
duo and, in 2008, in a recital of songs by American classical
composer NED ROREM. The performance, at LIVERPOOL HOPE UNIVERSITY,
included the U.K premiere of several Rorem songs and was given with
the composer’s support and permission.
However, despite the
range and diversity of the singer’s activities, the main focus of
his work in recent years has been in the field of FREE IMPROVISATION,
where he continues to synthesise and distil rich and disparate
musical elements, both through his solo work and through
collaborations with international practitioners in PERFORMANCE,
DANCE, VISUAL and SOUND ART as well as in IMPROVISED MUSIC. As a
SOLO improviser, he increasingly chooses to locate his work in
architecturally and acoustically-inspiring spaces, such as churches
and galleries. The 2008 album ‘JOURNEYING WITH RESTRAINTS ‘was
recorded live in Liverpool’s celebrated GUSTAV ADOLFS KYRKA, while
he appears regularly in both VERNISSAGE and INTERVENTION performances
in galleries throughout Europe. Recent appearances include solo
performances at LIVERPOOL BIENNIAL in 2008; KUNSTHAUS RHENANIA,
COLOGNE in 2008 and 2009, the latter at the invitation of HEINRICH
BOELL FOUNDATION; SERRALVES EM FESTA in 2009, with improviser MAGGIE
NICOLS; and KUNSTHAUS SALZAMT, LINZ in 2010.
SALZAMT was also the
location for a collaboration with visual artist JENNIE CUNNINGHAM in
the installation, ‘CONDEMNATION –STATION OF THE CROSS 1’. The
second part of the commission, a VIDEO and SOUND installation
featuring an improvised vocal score, will be completed later in 2011.
The PHILOSOPHICAL and SPIRITUAL elements which contextualise much of
the singer’s solo work also underpinned ‘KHOREIA; DEVOTIONAL
CHOREOGRAPHY’, a 2007 collaboration with German artist BIRGIT
DEUBNER at LIVERPOOL CATHEDRAL and provide the inspiration for ‘COR
INQUIETUM’, a project devised by the singer to commemorate the 60th
anniversary of the twinning of Cologne and Liverpool in 2012.
Located in devotional spaces, secular as well as religious,
performances will consist of improvised explorations of the nature
and practice of SPONTANEOUS CREATIVITY and will involve visual
artists, musicians and dancers from both cities.

In fact, the singer
has been a regular visitor to Cologne in recent years, establishing
several important creative associations with key performers and
artists in the city. In addition to the solo appearances listed
above, there have been a number of notable collaborations, not least
with trombonist PAUL HUBWEBER for the OFFICIAL LAUNCH of Liverpool’s
year as EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE at the RATHAUS in 2008 and with
TANZTHEATER 687 in their 2009 multi-media piece ‘MONDKIND’. The
production, which was conceived and directed by dancer/choreographer
ANDRE JOLLES and visual artist CLAUS-DIETER GEISSLER and which
premiered at ALTE FEUERWACHE, saw the singer create live, improvised
scores with acclaimed Berlin guitarist CASPAR BROETZMANN. This
association with Tanztheater 687 has since led to a number of other
collaborations with dancers and DANCE ensembles, including the
development of an ongoing creative association with Liverpool - based
dance collective, LIC. This relationship has resulted in a number of
recent collaborations, including a series of improvised interventions
at INTERNATIONAL DANCE FESTIVAL, ECITE 2009 and subsequent
performances at A-FOUNDATION and at RAW ROAR RARE in 2010.
The relationship with
colleague and mentor MAGGIE NICOLS, an association that spans almost
30 years, continues to play an important role in the singer’s work,
not least in the form of NICOLS and BOYLAND, an intervention-based
project incorporating elements of free improvisation, performance art
and physical theatre, and the trio MINTON/NICOLS/BOYLAND, featuring
long-term colleague, PHIL MINTON. Notable recent performances for
the duo include appearances at HAPPENSTANCE 2008 and SERRALVES EM
FESTA in 2009, while in 2011, the duo will create an improvised
response to the work of visual artist DAVID JACQUES at Bluecoat in
Liverpool. This collaboration, which will reference the work of
socialist writer ROBERT TRESSELL, will be part of ‘DEMOCRATIC
PROMENADE’, an exhibition of politically- inspired art.
MINTON/NICOLS/BOYLAND
has its roots in exchanges by the three singers at HEARING VOICES in
2007. Following an acclaimed appearance at RAW ROAR RARE in 2010, the
trio will tour later this year and in October, will combine with
pianist VERYAN WESTON in a programme of RADICAL SONG for Liverpool’s
‘CITY OF RADICALS’ festival. 2011 will also see the release of
live solo recordings made by the singer at the historic BLUECOAT ARTS
CENTRE in Liverpool. Conceived as an exploration of the acoustic
properties of the building’s internal and external spaces, the
recordings also feature a series of duets made with saxophone/flute
player PHIL HARGREAVES during the course of 2010.
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