Dominic Alldis

Dominic Alldis is a jazz musician, orchestral conductor & arranger. He was born into a family of classical musicians; his mother a violinist and his father the renowned choral conductor John Alldis.

Alldis began his musical career in 1982 in Paris, studying jazz piano with Aaron Bridgers and Bernard Maury, while accompanying singers of French chanson. In 1984, he returned to the UK to become resident-pianist at London’s premiere jazz and cabaret venue, Pizza on the Park. During a two-year residency he played opposite many jazz and cabaret stars including Blossom Dearie, Steve Ross, Dave Frishberg, Bob Dorough, Teddy Wilson, Dave McKenna and Roger Kellaway.

In 1987-89, Alldis studied composition with Konrad Boehmer and Frederic Rzewski at the Royal Dutch Conservatory of Music in the Hague, and in 1988 he was invited by the Studio for Electro-Instrumental Music in Amsterdam (STEIM) to develop a performance using live electronics and the Yamaha MIDI Grand Piano. He then toured Europe during 1989-91 giving concerts using the revolutionary new instrument, culminating in the album Night Music for Lumina Records.

In 1996 he launched the record label, Canzona Music, to record a series of vocal-jazz albums: Turn Out The Stars - the songs of Bill Evans, If Love Were All - the songs of Noël Coward and Watch What Happens - the songs of Michel Legrand. These albums feature many of the UK's leading jazz musicians: Claire Martin (vocals), Geoff Gascoyne (bass), Adam Glasser (harmonica), Tim Garland (saxophone), Alec Dankworth (bass), Clark Tracey (drums), Colin Oxley (guitar), Iain Ballamy (saxophone) and Martin France (drums). All albums on Canzona Music are distributed by Proper Note.

In 2002 he formed the Dominic Alldis Octet comprising four jazz soloists and a classical string quartet: Iain Ballamy (saxophone), Malcolm Creese (bass), Martin France (drums) and the Pavao Quartet. Together they undertook a UK tour sponsored by the Arts Council of England in a programme of Alldis’s contemporary arrangements of themes from classic French films, such as "A Man and a Woman", "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" and "Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday", as well as songs by film composer Michel Legrand. Concert venues included the Wigmore Hall (London), the Adrian Boult Hall (Birmingham) and the Queen’s Hall (Edinburgh). This led to a fourth album on the Canzona Music label: Themes From French Cinema. This was followed in 2008 by the release of Scenes We Once Knew celebrating favorite jazz-singer pianists, and in 2009 Songs We Heard featuring contemporary arrangements of familiar nursery rhymes for jazz piano trio.

In 1998, he founded Music & Management Ltd to introduce the business world to music as a metaphor for leadership, teamwork, creativity and personal development. During his seminars, he describes how the conductor of an orchestra provides an artistic vision, inspirational leadership and a framework in which others can excel. He also examines how jazz mirrors the fast-moving turbulence of today's business climate, and how the creativity and spontaneity of jazz musicians provide an excellent model for today’s corporate player. His seminars often involve a live symphony orchestra or jazz band, or a solo piano performance. His client-base is worldwide and collaborates with some of the world's most successful business organizations and business schools.

Alldis is on the staff at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he teaches improvisation to classical pianists and opera singers. In 2006, he directed inaugurated a jazz singing masterclass at the RAM. He has also written two books, "A Classical Approach to Jazz Piano Harmony" and "A Classical Approach to Jazz Piano Improvisation", both published by the Hal Leonard Corporation.

In 2010 he founded the Canzona Chamber Orchestra to perform classical repertoire and crossover projects with leading jazz musicians. Their inaugural concert was at St. James' Church Piccadilly, London on 22nd April 2010.

In 2000 he was made an Honorary Associate of the Royal Academy of Music and in 2010 became a Steinway Artist.

Discography

 * NIght Music --  Lumina Music, 1989
 * Turn Out The Stars -- The Songs of Bill Evans - Canzona Music, 1996
 * IF Love Were All -- The Songs of Noel Coward - Canzona Music 2000
 * Watch What Happens -- The Songs of Michel Legrand - Canzona Music 2002
 * Themes From French Cinema -- Canzona Music 2004
 * Scenes We Once Knew -- Canzona Music 2008
 * Songs We Heart -- Canzona Music 2009