Tristan Banks

Tristan Banks on ubuntu music

Ubuntu Music is delighted to announce the upcoming release of View From Above, the debut album from UK drummer/composer/producer Tristan Banks, which will be released on 31st March 2023.

Tristan draws on over 30 years of experience as a sideman for many Grammy award-winning and platinum selling artists. Mixing influences from the jazz, Latin jazz and fusion idioms, the music is a unique combination of high-octane virtuosic performance and sublimely melodic composition. Banks brings together his long-standing musical friends--Paul Booth (saxes), John Crawford (piano) and Davide Mantovani (bass)--to articulate his musical vision.

Tristan explains: “The idea was to push the acoustic jazz quartet format to the limit, being able to re-image the possibilities that the classic saxophone, piano, bass, drums line-up can manifest, and by being conscious of the sonic traditions that are typically replayed to confirm the listeners tastes while avoiding the genres timbral clichés.”

Tristan continues: “I have always had an interest in music that makes you move as well as simulating the mind with musical interplay and deeper compositional concepts, so the idea was to select tunes that I had written over the last 15 years and record them in a live performance setting with no click track or isolation recording techniques. This created a perfect environment to generate and capture the musical energy of the performance.”

Concerning his new relationship with Ubuntu Music, Tristan elaborates: “Ubuntu feels like the perfect fit for me, with many of my musical friends releasing their music through the label, and as the UK jazz scene goes from strength to strength, I’m really happy to be working with Martin (Hummel) to bring my music into the world.”

Martin Hummel, Director of Ubuntu Music, concludes: “I’ve been well-aware of Tristan’s excellent musicianship for some time. He had a key role in TRYPL’s debut album last year, and frequently plays with Paul Booth, who has released a number of albums on the label. We’re thrilled to have Tristan join the Ubuntu Music Family for his debut release. With an outstanding line-up of musicians, this will be one for all to thoroughly enjoy.”

BIOGRAPHY

Tristan Banks has built a reputation as a knowledgeable, versatile and authentic world-class drummer and percussionist throughout his 30-year career as a recording artist and session musician. He has worked with many artists covering a wide field of musical genres including Roy Ayers, Steve Winwood, Dave Valentin, Beverley Knight, Hexagonal, David Gilmour, Peter King, Lewis Taylor, Guy Barker, Marcos Valle, Liane Carroll, Snowboy, Terry Callier, Da Lata, Jim Mullen, Carleen Anderson and Mayra Andrade, Ben  Hillier (U2, Depeche Mode, Blur), Mike Lindup (Level 42), Hamish Stuart (Average White Band), Steve Howe (Yes), The Lion King (UK tour), Thriller Live (European, Brazilian tours), MC Conrad, Alexander O'Neal, Ive Mendes, Chico Cesar and Joe Lee Wilson (Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins).

As a touring artist he has performed in many of the world’s top venues including Royal Festival Hall, Central Park (NYC), Royal Albert Hall, Joe’s Pub (NYC), Queen Elizabeth Hall, Hammersmith Odeon, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, North Sea Jazz Festivals, Shepherds Bush Empire, Blue Note (Tokyo), V Festival, Reading Festival, WOMAD Festivals and Glastonbury Festival.

Since 2022, Tristan has also been curator and venue manager at The Verdict Jazz Club in Brighton, UK, restarting the venue after its closure due to the global pandemic of 2020, The Verdict has already received a nomination for Parliamentary Jazz Award Venue of the Year 2022.  Many top UK and International Jazz artists have most recently played the club including Larry Goldings, Sarah Jane Morris, Ari Hoenig, Jim Mullen, Tony Kofi, David Binney, Claire Martin, Tony Remy, Liane Carroll, Laurence Cottle, B D Lenz, Yolanda Charles, Ivo Neame, Tom Ollendorff, Simon Spillett, Hexagonal, Ant Law, Emma Rawicz, Jackson Mathod as well as a number of outstanding Ubuntu Music recording artists--Quentin Collins, Matt Ridley, Paul Booth, Alina Bzhezhinska, Brandon Allen, Nigel Price, TRYPL, QOW Trio, Andrew McCormack and Dave O’Higgins.