The London-based saxophonist and composer Theo Travis has made a name for himself on the British jazz scene for his virtuosity and soulful style as well as his fine compositions.
Born in Birmingham, Theo studied classical music at the University of Manchester whilst playing in various jazz and rock bands. He signed to 33 Records in 1993, has released 3 solo albums on the label to date and has just finished the improvised album Bodywork with drummer John Marshall and guitarist Mark Wood. In Oct 1996 Travis released Secret Island, his third CD on 33 Records which also features guitarist John Etheridge. The album has several blues-oriented tracks and a tune inspired by the Iain Banks novel The Crow Road. Following the release of Secret Island, Travis and his band undertook a 27-date UK tour. His performance at the 1996 Glasgow International Jazz Festival was voted "Outstanding Concert as Voted by the Audience" for which he won the prestigious Scotrail Jazz Award.
In addition to working with his own groups, Theo has worked with musicians including Jim Mullen, Norma Winstone, Dick Heckstall-Smith (including on his recent acclaimed CD Celtic Steppes), Tony Coe, John Marshall, Mick Karn and the late Slim Gaillard. He has performed at the Brecon, Edinburgh, London, Glasgow, Bradford, Llangollen and Swanage Jazz Festivals, and at jazz venues nationwide as well as on local and national radio. In August 1997 he toured Japan with Mick Karn, Steve Jansen, Richard Barbieri and DJ Krush. Travis has been awarded three Jazz Services touring grants and was commissioned by West Midlands Arts to compose a suite for jazz septet, Broad Street Changes, which he performed on a short tour of the Midlands.
Theo tours regularly with the Theo Travis Quartet which has performed 12 separate weeks at Ronnie Scotts Club, London, at the Red Sea Jazz Festival, in Eilat , Israel and at jazz clubs and festivals all over the UK from Cornwall to the North tip of Scotland.
In 2006 he replaced Elton Dean in the Soft Machine Legacy with whom he has performed internationally and recorded the album Steam (for which he contributed three orignal compositions).
Theo continues to write and record with his experimental ambient band Cipher (with Dave Sturt).See www.cipher.f9.co.uk They have made 3 CDs and written scores for many classic silent films of the 1920s and toured all over the UK performing them live in independant cinemas accompanying the films.
Theo's 2007 project Double Talk features the soulful hammond organ of Pete Whittaker, the guitar of Mike Outram and the drums of Roy Dodds. Their new album Double Talk is released in 2007 and the band will be touring extensively in 2007/2008.
Theo also performs with ambient and progressive rock artists and has performed or recorded with Robert Fripp, David Sylvian, Bill Nelson, Hatfield and the North, Richard Sinclair, Porcupine Tree, Harold Budd, Jah Wobble, the Tangent, John Foxx, Gong, Porcupine Tree, Anja Garbarek, Kangaroo Moon, No Man and Bass Communion.
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