Mark Wingfield

Mark Wingfield

Background information
Origin	UK
Genres	Jazz
Occupation(s)	guitarist, composer
Instruments	guitar
Labels	Dark Energy Music, MR
Website	www.markwingfield.com

Mark Wingfield is a guitarist and composer based in the UK.^[1] Most of his output is rooted in jazz, but he is also active in contemporary classical music.

Highly respected among his peers for his original and distinctive electric guitar playing, much of his output is directed towards performing and studio work.^[2]

Wingfield cites other jazz, rock, Indian, Japanese, African and classical music as influences, and as a composer, has written over 70 compositions. Part of the hallmark of both his guitar playing and his composing, is that these influences are fused with western classical music, and integrated into a distinctive musical voice. His compositions blend lyrical melodies with a distinctive harmonic palette and sometimes complex rhythmic components.

He has recorded numerous albums as a leader, and has recorded or performed with internationally acclaimed musicians including Iain Ballamy, Kevin Kastning, Asaf Sirkis, Yaron Stavi, Thomas Strønen, Jeremy Stacey, Dwiki Dharmawan, Robert Mitchell, Nicolas Meier, Jane Chapman,^[3]^[4] René von Grünig,^[5] Christoph Leistner.

Wingfield was also involved with the ground breaking internet band ResRocket within which he played with such musicians as Tricky, Matt Black, Peter Gabriel, Elliott Randall, Todd Rundgren, and Dave Stewart. In addition to this, Wingfield, with jazz groups SMQ and Scapetrace.

Biography

As a performer

As a guitarist, Wingfield cites^[6] jazz influences such as John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Keith Jarrett and Jan Garbarek, as well as rock players such as Jimi Hendrix as forming part of the foundation of his musical pallet.

On his CD Fallen Cities, he collaborated with Lebanese singer Samia Afra, and continued his interest in non-western forms, working and performing with Turkish musicians such as Gökhan Özyavuz in Istanbul as well as Zambian musician KT Lumpa.

Wingfield’s interest in music technology came to the fore when he was asked by award winning songwriter Willy Henshall (of Londonbeat) to join ResRocket, a band made up of respected musicians from around the world who, using especially developed software, played together live over the internet. As a core member of ResRocket , as well as recording an album, he toured with the band, playing in London, Paris, LA, Oslo, and elsewhere. During concerts, some of the members were physically on stage, while others played live over the internet projected on giant screens on stage. This was the first time any of this had been done over the internet.

As a jazz guitarist, Wingfield has played widely in Europe with groups such as SMQ and Scapetrace. He now plays with his own band the Mark Wingfield Group and he has released six albums to date.^[7]^[8] He is currently recording on the NYC jazz label MoonJune Records but also records for the Dark Energy Music and Greydisc labels .

Composition

His compositions were the subject of a lecture at Goldsmiths College, London in 2006 to mark the opening of its new Contemporary Music Department and have also been featured in lectures and workshops at The Royal College of Music, London, Trinity College of Music, London, and Dartington College of Arts' music department.

The growing interest in his work has led to commissions for the BMIC’s Cutting Edge Series,^[9] SPNM’s Sound Source, the European Commission funded Waterways Celebration, Kathryn Stott, Jane Chapman, Kate Ryder, Elaine Funaro , Geoffrey Burgess, McFall’s Chamber and others.

His compositions have been performed in concert halls and festivals in cities across the UK including, London, Bath, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham and Southampton. His work has also been performed internationally including, New York City, Zurich and Luzern.^[10]

Background

Wingfield spent the first part of his childhood in England before moving to America with his family and then later returning to England. An interest in jazz lead him to begin playing in Europe where he worked as composer and performer, touring and recording with various jazz groups including SMQ, Scapetrace, as well as his own groups.

Though primarily self-taught, he studied orchestration with Colin Huens, music fellow at the University of Cambridge. He also studied western and non-western classical musical forms, and further developed his interest in Indian, African and Japanese music.

Critical reaction

His album Proof of Light received worldwide critical acclaim with over 60 reviews including four and a half starts in Downbeat.

"Mark Wingfield has created a unique electric guitar vocabulary his playing is characteristically deep, nuanced, and inventive." Guitar Player Magazine

His album Cinema Obscura was Selected by Chris Parker for the LondonJazz Best 10 albums of the year.

His album with Kevin Kastning, I Walked Into the Silver Darkness, was named as one of thefavourite albums of the year by New York City's radio station WFMU-FM

"A fantastic, expansive and adventurous album from two master musicians. Unquestionably, one of the best albums of this or any other year." Anil Prasad of Innerviews

"I found myself amazed" The WholeNote

Mark has been selected by Guitar Player Magazine's editor Barry Cleveland for his Top 40 Guitar Player Artist Interviews.

"Wingfield's guitar playing is mysterious, majestic, and blazing in turns" Guitar Player Magazine

On his album Three Windows: "This is a unique and sophisticated musical statement by three of England's most accomplished players, as well as one of the year's most engaging recordings." Guitar Player Magazine

"There are so many electric guitar virtuoso albums ...it's so easy to overlook some of the better of these ...Mark Wingfield is a case in point... uplifting... inspiration... engaging" Guitar Techniques Magazine

"His lyrical melody lines weave in and out of those sophisticated tonalities with the deftness of a London cabbie negotiating midtown traffic"^[11] Guitar Player Magazine

"Cinematic eloquence... command of electronic textures..." The Guardian

"Wingfield's musical eclecticism is well attested... very distinctive-sounding" Jazzwise

“Almost moved me to tears.” BBC

“Simply one of the best guitarists I’ve ever heard in my long career, essential listening” Richard Newman (Producer and presenter of a Channel 4 TV guitar documentary, and author of numerous books on music).

“One of today’s most creative transatlantic musical voices” BMIC

“One of the UK’s best new composers” SPNM

Compositions

(This is an incomplete list)

2007: Trango; Premonition at Dalston Junction
2006: Orange Sky : Blue Storm; Keyenta Ghosts; Serra Central; Naiads
2003–2007: over 50 jazz compositions for various albums recorded by himself and commissioned by others.
2004: Kayenta Spires
2003: Tryfan

Composing commissions

2007: Trango a piece for harpsichord and baroque oboe by Elaine Funaro and Geoffry Burgess.
2006: Commissioned to compose Orange Sky : Blue Storm, premiered at the BMIC Cutting Edge Series by renowned classical players Kate Ryder and Jane Chapman.; Commissioned to compose two pieces for SPNM’s Sound Source, premiered at Cargo in London. Keyenta Ghosts and Keyenta Ghosts for harpsichord and electronics; Commissioned by European Development Funded Waterways to compose Naiads, a piece for oboe harpsichord and piano.
2004: Kayenta Spires for Jane Chapman
2001: Tryfan string quartet for McFall's Chamber

Discography

2015

Proof of Light with Asaf Sirkis and Yaron Stavi

2014

In Stories with Kevin Kastning

2013

Dark Sonatas with Kevin Kastning

2012

Cinema Obscura with René von Grünig and Iain Ballamy

2012

An Illustrated Silence with Kevin Kastning

2011

I walked into the silver darkness with Kevin Kastning

2010

Sleeper Street with Iain Ballamy Jeremy Stacey, Robert Mitchell and Yaron Stavi

2008: Three Windows with Jane Chapman and Iain Ballamy
2007: Guitar Encryptions with René von Grünig
2006: Liquid Maps
2005: Fallen Cities
2003: Pulse
2001: Sedan's Mask

External links

Mark Wingfield's website:
Mark Wingfield and Jane Chapman:
MoonJune records website:
Dark Energy Music website:
Biography at All About Jazz:

References

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