Didier Lockwood
(1956-2018)
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Didier Lockwood had a diverse career, ranging from progressive rock to fusion to swing and advanced hard bop. He was a member of French avant-prog outfit Magma in the 1970s, and in the '80s he was considered the next in a line of great French violinists after Stephane Grappelli and Jean-Luc Ponty. Lockwood began studying violin when he was six. Ten years later, he stopped his formal training and joined a rock group. He played in Paris with Aldo Romano and Daniel Humair, among others, and met Grappelli and toured with him. He had a fusion group called Surya and recorded with Tony Williams around the same period of time (1979). Lockwood played in the United States on various occasions and recorded an acoustic album in 1986 with fellow violinists John Blake and Michal Urbaniak. He continued to perform and record, with a large discography as leader or collaborator extending well into the first two decades of the new millennium. Didier Lockwood died in Paris in February 2018 at the age of 62. ~ Scott Yanow Similar artists
Albums
23
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Jazz - Released February 1, 2017 | Dreyfus Jazz
Violinist Didier Lockwood tackled a formidable task by dedicating an entire CD to the legendary violinist Stephane Grappelli, who died just shy of his 90th birthday in December, 1997. Although Grappelli's influence on his playing is obvious at times, he is no carbon copy. He generally has a darker tone and doesn't use nearly as many up-tempo runs. With two brilliant partners, bassist Niels Pedersen (who worked with Grappelli on a few dates) and guitarist Birelli Lagrene, Lockwood does a credible job. The opener is an obscure Grappelli original, "Les Valseuses," a gentle swinger that opens with Lockwood playing pizzicato, not something one immediately associates with Grappelli. The leader contributed two originals, the easygoing "Barbizon Blues" and a light samba, "The Kid." His high-pitched opening to "Someday My Prince Will Come" is more reminiscent of Jean-Luc Ponty in the early '70s, while "Beautiful Love" features the intricate interplay of the trio. Sonny Rollins' "Pent-Up House" was a favortie of Grappelli's, and this lively bop vehicle features brilliant solos by Pedersen and Lagrene as well as the leader. Lockwood captures the spirit of Grappelli beautifully in his rendition of "My One and Only Love" while retaining his own sound. There's also material dating from the beginning of Grappelli's career that he continued to play to the end of his life. The sensual ballad "Nuages," the plucky "Minor Swing," and the somewhat dark "Tears" all come from the period of the Quintet of the Hot Club of France, which he co-led with the equally brilliant guitarist Django Reinhardt. This recording will also hold up well when compared to the late violin master's own versions. Recommended. ~ Ken Dryden
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Jazz - Released November 24, 2017 | Okeh
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No stranger to paths less trodden, Didier Lockwood brought out a genuinely surprising, fascinating album in 2016 with Apesantar - recorded in a single take. We enjoyed this jazz fusion record in a single sitting, like an immersive space opera filmed in zero-gravity... With Open Doors on the other hand, she returns to the fundamentals of jazz. At the head of a luxurious quartet made up of André Ceccarelli on drums, Romanian pianist Antonio Farao and Darryl Hall on double-bass, Lockwood delivers tremendously inspired improvisations. No frills, just jazz which is passed through a strict swing filter (the Ceccarelli/Hall rhythms are outstanding), and which serves as a reminder of the beauty of an instrument which lately has been quite rare in jazz: the violin. © CM/Qobuz
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Contemporary Jazz - Released January 1, 1989 | JMS
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Jazz - Released June 1, 2016 | Frémeaux & associés
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Jazz - Released June 1, 2015 | Frémeaux & associés
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Jazz - Released February 1, 2017 | Dreyfus Jazz
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Jazz - Released April 10, 2015 | MPS
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Contemporary Jazz - Released October 9, 2006 | JMS
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Contemporary Jazz - Released January 1, 1985 | JMS
Violinist Didier Lockwood showed great potential when he first arrived on the scene, but despite some good sessions, he has not yet become the pacesetter one originally expected. This is one of his better recordings, a quartet outing with pianist Gordon Beck, bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Billy Hart. Other than "'Round Midnight" and an obscurity, all of the music is by either Lockwood or Beck, although much of it is fairly straight-ahead (as opposed to Lockwood's earlier fusion-oriented dates). Worth searching for. ~ Scott Yanow
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Jazz - Released April 10, 2015 | MPS
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Contemporary Jazz - Released January 1, 1995 | JMS
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Jazz - Released January 31, 2014 | MPS
Violinist Didier Lockwood's early MPS recordings were made available in the U.S. by Pausa, but are currently out of print. His 1981 quartet (which also includes keyboardist Francis Lockwood, electric bassist Jean-Michel Kajdan and drummer Kirt Rust) is joined on some cuts by tenorman Bob Malach. Other than Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely," all of the music is by band members. Despite some power by the ensembles and creative ideas, nothing very memorable occurs. ~ Scott Yanow
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Contemporary Jazz - Released January 1, 1984 | JMS
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Jazz - Released February 1, 2017 | Dreyfus Jazz
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Jazz - Released November 12, 1996 | Dreyfus Jazz
This is a diverse CD that rewards repeated listening. Violinist Didier Lockwood's most rewarding recording in several years also features Joey DeFrancesco on organ and trumpet, bassist James Genus and guest Steve Wilson (doubling on alto and soprano) on the first three numbers. The biggest revelation of the set is that Lockwood takes a credible alto solo on "Serie B." Performing his originals along with a few obscurities, the violinist shows a great deal of versatility, sometimes distorting his tone to get a rockish sound and other times swinging hard. The music (well worth checking out) is fresh and contains its share of surprises. ~ Scott Yanow
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Film Soundtracks - Released June 17, 2003 | MK2 Music
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Jazz - Released April 10, 2015 | MPS
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