Harpist

Benjamin Creighton Griffiths

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About Benjamin

Benjamin Creighton Griffiths is an Internationally renowned Electro Acoustic Jazz Harpist, Classical Harpist, and Pianist based in Cardiff
Harpist
Cardiff
Public liability insurance of £10 million

Ben Creighton Griffiths is a touring Jazz and Classical musician based in South Wales, UK. He made his International debut at the 2004 1er Concours International de Harpe in Nantes, France where, aged 7, he came second in the Under 18 division. In 2006 he won the Under 13 Division of the Wales International Harp Festival before going on to win the 2008 Junior Lily Laskine competition in Paris, winning a concert harp in the process. Other competitions include runner up in the 2009 Texaco Young Musician of Wales, second place in the Elias Parish Alvars Competition 2008, and multiple 1st prizes throughout age categories at the Urdd Eisteddfod of Wales. International engagements include the Rio De Janeiro Harp Festival (2010, 2011, 2012), International Harp Festival of Sentmenat, Spain (2010, 2016), International Jazz Harp Academy, Netherlands (2010, 2013, 2016), 2nd International Harp Festival of Szeged, Hungary (2010), Arpa Plus Salamanca, Spain (2013), 1st Zagreb International Harp Festival, Croatia (2013), Journees De La Harpe en Caribbean, Guadeloupe & Martinique (2013, 2016), 1st International Prague Harp Festival, Czech Republic (2014), Dutch Harp Festival, Netherlands (2016), New Orleans Jazz and Pop Harp Weekend, USA (2017), ABRSM Summer Harp Academy, Louisville USA (2017), Camac Musikene, Spain (2018), Camac Tour, Netherlands (2018), Achill International Harp Festival (Ireland 2019), Godollo International Harp Festival, Hungary (2018), and Confluence New Delhi by HCL (India 2020). Benjamin has also performed at four World Harp Congress’ - Amsterdam (2008) with a performance alongside Russian harpists Andres and Artemy Izmaylov, Vancouver (2011) with a complete solo recital and participation in the memorial concert for Ceren Necipoglu, and Hong Kong (2017) with a complete solo jazz recital, solo performances in a presentation by Vanderbilt Music, and a duet with Catrin Finch during the handover ceremony. In Cardiff (2022) he performed with the Adrien Chevalier and Don Sweeney as the Transatlantic Hot Club, performed in A Tribute to Ann Griffiths, and gave a recital on the Camac Exhibition stand. Closer to home Ben has performed as a soloist at International and local festivals including the European Harp Symposium, Edinburgh International Harp Festival, Wales International Harp Festival, Summer Harp Festival, The Monmouth Festival, The East Anglia Harp Festival, The Trinity Harp Festival, The Ludlow Festival, Vale Jazz Festival, Cambridge Jazz Festival, Glasbury Arts Summer School, Harp on Wight, The Urdd Eisteddfod, The National Eisteddfod, Cardiff Camac Harp Weekend, Wall2Wall Jazz Festival, Aberjazz, Llandudno Jazz Festival, and Brecon Jazz Festival. Benjamin has worked with many charities over his career. He is an Official Ambassador for City Hospice (formerly George Thomas Hospice Care), The British Heart Foundation Cymru, and St. John Cymru Wales. On 1st March 2010 he performed at Clarence House for HRH the Prince of Wales at a reception for George Thomas Hospice Care. In the corporate market Ben has performed at numerous events, dinners, receptions, and presentations for companies and organisations across the world including HCL India, Cardiff Council, The Senedd (Welsh Parliament), Welsh Water, The Anglo/French Medical Society, The Catholic Bishop's Conference, The Draper's Company London, Marston's Brewery, and many more. As an Orchestral Musician Ben is the Principal Harp of Orchestra De Cymru and Orchestra West. He has also performed with The Welsh Sinfonia, Llandenny Strings, Cardiff Philharmonic, Chandos Symphony Orchestra, Taunton Sinfonietta, Hereford Sinfonia, Trowbridge Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Cymru, Les Alizés, the orchestra of Le Garde Républicaine, and more. He has also performed with numerous choirs as both a soloist and accompanist. Whilst continuing his classical work, Ben is now in increasing demand for his jazz performances, working as both a soloist and with bands, singers, and other artists. His jazz repertoire covers all genres, including Swing, Latin, Funk, Electronic and Fusion, Gypsy, and more. He works as both an acoustic artist and also makes extensive use of electronics. He has also been teaching a series of very successful 'Introduction to Improvisation' workshops as both one off events and at Harp Festivals worldwide, aiming to encourage harpists of all ages and abilities into the world of jazz. Benjamin has released several jazz CD's including his 'Incomplete A-Z of Jazz Harp', 'Pedals & Paws', and '1 Man Band'. His latest solo recording ‘La Vie an Rose’ (released September 2021) is an exploration into Gypsy Jazz, Swing, and French Chanson. Ben has also published numerous sheet music arrangements, both classical and jazz, including his popular 'Jazz Harp Series'. Ben works extensively with Avignon born and New York based gypsy jazz violinist Adrien Chevalier as part of their group – The Transatlantic Hot Club. Ben is also a founding member of Electro-Acoustic fusion group ‘Chube’ alongside percussionist Jon Bradford-Jones and bassist Ashley John Long.

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8th Anniversary
This act has been working with Encore for over 8 years
Musicianship
Genres:
Jazz, Christmas, Traditional church music, Classical, Baroque, Classical crossover, Early music, Contemporary classical, Film / TV music, Medieval music, Musical theatre, Opera, Renaissance, Electronic, Ambient, Electronica, 1920s era music, 1930s era music, 1940s era music, 1950s era music, 1960s era music, 1970s era music, Folk, Welsh folk, Folk rock, Blues, Modern jazz, Latin jazz, Jazz fusion, Gypsy jazz, Ragtime, Swing, Experimental, Originals, Easy listening, Light music, Avant garde, Pop, Covers, Acoustic, Ambient pop, Funk, Disco, Funk rock, Hip Hop, Soul, Rock, Alternative rock, Synth rock, Progressive rock, World music, Balkan, Bossa nova, Caribbean music, Calypso, Brazilian music, Choro, Cuban music, Flamenco, French music, German music, Italian music, Mariachi, Polish music, Polka, Salsa, Reggae, Samba, Skiffle, Scottish music, Tango, Spanish music
See all genres
Instruments:
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Event types:
Concert, Wedding, Virtual event, Church service, Hotel / Restaurant event, Recording session, Charity event, Corporate event, Private event, Bar / Club / Venue event, New Year's Eve, Christmas party, Theatre / Show
See all event types
Other skills:
Accompanist, Arranger, Composer, Songwriter, Producer, Orchestrator, Transcription, Fluent improviser, Fluent sight-reader, Live looping, Instrumental teaching, Theory teaching, Music therapy, Composition teaching
See all skills

Benjamin's Song list

Gypsy Jazz/Hot Club/Swing Examples:
Minor Swing
Black Orpheus
Charleston
Time on my Hands
Joseph Joseph
Nuages
Coquette
Ma Premiere Guitare
Swing Gitan
Almost Like Being in Love
Dark Eyes
J’Attendrai
Clair de Lune
Exactly Like You
Bossa Dorado
Blue Drag
Sweet Sue
Blue Skies
I Found a New Baby
Indifference
La Vie en Rose
Anouman
Shine
Avalon
Bernie’s Tune
Sinii Platochek (le Chale Bleu)
Seul ce Soir
I Love Paris
Bei Dir War Es Immer So Schoen
Bei Mir Bist du Schoen
La Mer
Billet Doux
Brise Napolitaine
Chicago
China Boy
Cocktails for Two
Tea for Two
Daphne
Django
Gin Gin
Hot Lips
Limehouse Blues
Menilmontant
Midnight in Moscow
On a Slow Boat to China
Russian Lullaby
Undecided
Syracuse
Tchavolo Swing
Tears
Sheik of Araby
Que Reste-t-il de nos Amours?
Example Jazz Standards:
Blue Bossa
Out of Nowhere
The Way You Look Tonight
What a Wonderful World
Take the A Train
Smoke Gets in your Eyes
Song for my Father
Stella by Starlight
Summertime
On the Sunny Side of the Street
Over the Rainbow
Pure Imagination
I Should Care
I Wish you Love
Brasil
Concierto de Aranjuez
Girl from Ipanema
I’ll Remember April
I’ve Got You Under My Skin
You Look Good to Me
It Had to be You
It’s Only a Paper Moon
L-O-V-E
Let’s Get Lost
Blue Moon
Come Fly with me
Days of Wine and Roses
Caravan
Confessin
I Saw Stars
Moon and Sand
Moonriver
New York New York
No Moon at All
East of the Sun
All of Me
Dream a Little Dream of me
My Favourite Things
Besame Mucho
Misty
Fly Me To The Moon
Someday My Prince will Come
Nature Boy
My Funny Valentine
Georgia on my Mind
I Can't Give you Anything but Love
So What
All the Things You Are
Autumn Leaves
Maiden Voyage
Chameleon
Alice in Wonderland
Flor d’Luna
The Odd Couple
After You’ve Gone
You Can Depend on Me
Yesterdays
Mas Que Nada
Oye Como Va
Waltz for Debby
All Blues
Morning
A Night in Tunisia
Example Classical Work:
Premiere Arabesque (Debussy)
La Source (Hasslemans)
The Harmonius Blacksmith (Trad/Handel)
Claire de Lune (Debussy)
Prelude in E Minor (Chopin)
Sonata in C (Mozart)
Sciciliana (Salzedo)
Ave Maria (Bach)
La Fille aux Cheveux de Lin (Debussy)
Trad Welsh
Bugeilio’r Gwenith Gwyn
Merch Megan
Nos Galan
Pop/Rock
When the Levee Breaks (Zepplin)
Stairway to Heaven (Zepplin)
Hey Ya (Outkast)
Isn’t She Lovely (Stevie Wonder)
Mad World (Tears for Fears)
September (Earth Wind and Fire)
You’ve Got a Friend in Me (Toy Story)
Christmas
Chestnut’s Roasting on an Open Fire
Interlude from Ceremony of Carols (Britten)
Rudolph
Nos Galan
Santa Baby
Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring
We Three Kings
Customer questions

What do your clients love most about your performances?

Generally the very unique repertoire I am able to perform - in particular my specialism in jazz and improvisation on the harp. Very few other harpists offer this, and fewer also offer top class International level classical repertoire alongside it.

Which venues have you performed at in the past?

Wales Millenium Stadium, Wales Millenium Centre, St Davids Hall, Llandaff Cathedral, Brangwyn Hall, Salle Gaveau (Paris), Clarence House (London), Godollo Palace (Budapest), Leela Palace (New Delhi), Draper's Hall (London), Stationer's Hall (London), Galeri (Caernarfon), Cardiff Castle, RWCMD, Villa Mazotti (near Milan), Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts.

Which artists have you been most influenced by?

Many. In particular Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, Django Reinhardt, and Bill Evans. Classically Beethoven, Bach, Rachmaninov. I am also influenced by my colleagues and regular collaborators - Dr Ashley John Long (Bass), Adrien Chevalier (Violin), Dennis Rollins MBE (Trombone).

What is the most high profile gig you've performed?

I was the half time entertainment at a Wales Rugby International at the Millenium Stadium in 2008 - performing to a full stadium audience of over 76,000 people.

What if my timings change after I've booked you?

Please don't hesistate to get in contact if there are any changes after bookings are agreed. I am always flexible and adaptable and most changes can be accomodated as long as advanced notice is given.

How much time do you need to set up?

This depends exactly on the nature of the set up and the venue however I like to arrive to private/corporate style events no later than an hour before due to start playing. For concert recitals the timings will vary and so are agreed on a gig by gig basis. I will always work with clients and the venue to ensure plenty of time is allowed to be ready.

Is the transport of your harp included in your quote?

As long as I am driving to your event - yes. Freight transport or hire of another instrument can be arranged for International work.

Do you need any equipment provided to play outdoors?

I have all of my own amplification suitable for most events, however the harp must be on a hard standing, shaded from the sun, and be protected from any adverse weather. Playing outdoors must be agreed upon prior to confirming a booking, due to the extreme value of my instruments I must be aware of any plans like this.

Can I pick the pieces you play from the set list?

I usually craft my set lists to your chosen genres and styles as opposed to a specific set list, however special requests can always be considered with advanced notice.

Can you learn specific pieces before the event?

Absolute. Please be aware that the Harp is a very unique instrument and not all pieces will work as you might expect, however I specliase in performing very alternative repertoire on the instrument and will always do my best to realise any requests.

Benjamin's Prices

Note: prices may vary based on travel distance. For an exact quote, click “Check availability”.

Standard Prices
Performance durationPrice
Short performance (up to 15 min)£250
Up to 1 hour£325
Up to 2 hours£350
Up to 3 hours£400
Packages
Freelance Symphony Orchestra
Freelance Orchestral Symphony performance. Rehearsal on the day included. Travel to be negotiated depending on location. Please contact for further details.
£200
Chamber Recital (Ensemble)
Freelance Chamber performance within an ensemble. Final price depends on exact nature of performance. Rehearsal on the day included, for local events prior rehearsals are possible to organise. Travel to be negotiated depending on location. Please contact for further details.
£200
Drinks Reception
Performance at a drinks reception for private events including corporate, wedding, celebration, and other events. This is for a duration of up to 60 minutes performing as background music. Amplification provided as neccessary as part of the cost. Travel included for local performances only. Please contact for further details.
£325
Chamber Recital (solo)
Freelance solo classical recital. Exact price depends on details of work, travel included for local performances. Please contact for further details.
£350
Jazz Recital (solo)
Freelance solo jazz recital. Exact price depends on details of work, travel included for local performances. Please contact for further details.
£350
Benjamin
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5 out of 5
2 verified reviews
Satisfaction
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5.0
Professionalism
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5.0
Communication
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5.0
Punctuality
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5.0

Benjamin's Reviews

From Encore customers:

SS
Sarah S
8 months ago
Full starFull starFull starFull starFull star
5 out of 5

Ben did a beautiful job at our wedding - we loved his music, and so did our guests. Ben was very good at communicating with us beforehand so that we had a plan for music as our guests arrived, our processional, hymns and recessional. We wish Ben all the best in his career, and would thoroughly recommend him as a talented musician with a professional and helpful approach.

GF
Gabriela F
1 year ago
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5 out of 5

Ben was amazing! From our first communication until the day of our wedding, everything went very smooth. We highly recommend Ben.

Reply from Benjamin
1 year ago

Thank you very much Gabriela and Patrick - I had a great time performing at your lovely day and was delighted to be a part of it. Congratulations on your wedding!

From other customers:

IM
Ian R
2 years ago

The quality of the playing was exceptional throughout and some of the soloing quite breathtaking. The unusual instrumental combination helped to put a new spin on the established gypsy jazz repertoire Transatlantic Hot Club, Brecon Jazz Club, The Muse Arts Centre, Brecon, 17/04/2022 Ben Creighton-Griffiths – harp, Adrien Chevalier – violin, vocals, Ashley John Long – double bass Brecon Jazz Club’s latest event took place on Easter Sunday and the organisers were rewarded with a large and enthusiastic audience for this truly international collaboration featuring local heroes Ben Creighton-Griffiths (harp) and Ashley John Long (double bass), who were teamed with French born, New York based violinist and vocalist Adrien Chevalier. Creighton-Griffiths and Chevalier first met in 2013 when Creighton-Griffiths was performing at ‘Journées de la Harpe’, a harp festival that takes place in the French Caribbean islands of Martinique, Guyane, Guadeloupe, St Anne, and St Lucia. Both musicians come from musical families and Chevalier’s mother was part of the orchestra accompanying the harpists. She introduced Creighton-Griffiths to her son, who was of a similar age to the young harpist. Creighton-Griffiths and Chevalier soon developed a strong musical support and an equally firm friendship. In 2014 they began an annual tradition of performing together in Cardiff and adopted the Transatlantic Hot Club name in 2019 as they began to tour more widely. Creighton-Griffiths and Chevalier represent the core of the ensemble but the ranks of the Transatlantic Hot Club have also included Franck Billot (clarinet), Linus Wyrsch (clarinet) Tatiana Eva-Marie (vocals), Roberto Gervasi (accordion) and Sara Labriola (guitar). A whole string of players have filled the bass chair, namely Don Sweeney, Matheus Prado, Philip Ambuel, Julian Smith, Aeddan Williams and currently Ashley John Long. In 2020 a version of Transatlantic Hot Club featuring its co-leaders alongside Ambuel Wyrsch and Labriola performed a special online show as part of that year’s ‘Virtual’ Brecon Jazz Festival. Creighton-Griffiths was recorded at his home in Cardiff, playing with four musicians recorded at their individual residencies in New York. It all cohered remarkably well and clearly helped to whet the appetite of the Brecon jazz audience for tonight’s live performance. My account of this special livestream event can be found as part of my 2020 Festival coverage here; https://www.thejazzmann.com/features/article/saturday-at-virtual-brecon-jazz-festival-08-08-2020 The 2021 Brecon Jazz Festival, subtitled “Wherever You Are”, was a ‘hybrid’ event featuring a mix of online and genuine live performances, the majority of the latter taking place in the ballroom of the Castle Hotel. Among the live events was a performance by the Swing Strings Trio, a project assembled specifically for the festival and featuring Creighton-Griffiths and Long alongside violinist Xenia Porteous. This proved to be a resounding success and the trio hope to work together again. My review of that performance forms part of my 2021 Festival coverage and can be found here; https://www.thejazzmann.com/features/article/wherever-you-are-brecon-jazz-festival-2021-the-castle-hotel-brecon-sunday-22nd-august-2021 Astute readers will have noted that the instrumental configuration of Swing Strings Trio and Transatlantic Hot Club is exactly the same, so it’s not too surprising that Creighton-Griffiths and Long both seem so at home in each of these line ups. The current edition of the Hot Club contains an extra ingredient with Chevalier also adding vocals, but more on this later. Tonight’s performance was part of a short tour that had already seen the trio performing in Edinburgh, Caernarfon, Fishguard and Cardiff with Creighton-Griffiths and Chevalier also scheduled to play a duo date in Norwich. The tour had been twice postponed, first in 2020 and then in 2021 and the trio were clearly delighted to be playing in front of live audiences again. Tonight’s performance was generously supported by the Arts Council of Wales’ Noson Allan or Night Out touring scheme. As the group’s name suggests its primary influence is the Quintette du Hot Club de France and its most famous members, guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stephane Grappelli. Tonight’s material was largely sourced from the classic ‘gypsy jazz’ repertoire immortalised by Reinhardt. First up was “Dark Eyes”, a traditional gypsy tune originally arranged by Reinhardt but with the trio giving it their own twist via an atmospheric opening passage featuring the sound of unaccompanied harp and later the eerie bowing of violin and arco bass. Eventually the piece mutated into a more conventional Hot Club style with Chevalier’s violin taking the lead and delivering the first solo. He was followed by Creighton-Griffiths and then by Long, all three quickly establishing themselves as genuine virtuosos of their respective instruments. These solos were genuinely dazzling and there was still a series of sparkling violin and harp exchanges to come. Another staple of the gypsy jazz / Reinhardt repertoire followed, “J’Attendrai”, which saw the introduction of Chevalier as a vocalist, delivering the lyric in his native French. Creighton-Griffiths then provided the first instrumental solo as Chevalier’s pizzicato violin provided an additional rhythmic component alongside Long’s double bass. Chevalier was later to shine with the bow and Long was to deliver another jaw-droppingly dexterous double bass solo before Chevalier reprised the lyrics. As Creighton-Griffiths explained the trio’s version of “Claire de Lune” was not the classical composition by Claude Debussy but the French ballad by Joseph Kosma, also the composer of the jazz standard “Autumn Leaves”. Introduced by a violin and harp duet this piece also featured Creighton-Griffiths and Long exchanging solos and taking it in turns to accompany each other as Chevalier looked on. The jazz standard “Exactly Like You” picked the pace up once more with a genuinely swinging performance featuring virtuoso solos from all three musicians, with Long’s playing centred around the bridge of his double bass. He then reverted to a more supportive anchoring role as Creighton-Griffiths and Chevalier enjoyed a series of dazzling harp / violin exchanges. Chevalier’s vocals were re-introduced for “East of the Sun, West of the Moon”, with the lyrics this time delivered in English and with instrumental features for harp and double bass. Solo harp introduced another gypsy jazz staple, guitarist Dorado Schmitt’s “Bossa Dorado”. Delivered by the trio at a suitably fast clip this featured the dizzying bowing of Chevalier and the lightning fast finger work of Creighton-Griffiths and Long. Written in 1932 by Joe Myrow and performed by Django Reinhardt “Blue Drag” was a genuine blues and saw Chevalier wrestling some appropriately bluesy sounds out of his violin as he and Creighton-Griffiths shared the solos above the earthy undertow of Long’s bass. The bassist was then rewarded with his own feature towards the close. An excellent first set concluded with the jazz waltz “Indifference”, pronounced by Creighton-Griffiths in an authentically French fashion. This was very much a showcase for the brilliant bowing of Chevalier as the trio gradually accelerated the tempo of the tune. During the interval the band enjoyed a curry from the nearby Nepalese restaurant, which served to fuel them for a similarly exceptional second half. This commenced with another Hot Club standard, a ferociously swinging “Minor Swing” that featured some dazzling unison passages, fiery individual instrumental solos from Chevalier, Creighton-Griffiths and Long, and a further series of fiery violin and harp exchanges. “Confessing” was the first vocal item of the second set, with Chevalier again singing in English before taking the first full instrumental solo. The piece had been introduced by a short passage of unaccompanied harp from Creighton-Griffiths, who was to follow Chevalier here. Finally we heard from Long at the bass. Solo harp also introduced the trio’s version of Luis Bonfa’s “Black Orpheus” as the music took a Brazilian turn. Chevalier played with great flamboyance as he shared the solos with Creighton-Griffiths and Long. The performance then ended in atmospheric fashion with the bowed sounds of both violin and double bass on the outro. Long sat out as Creighton-Griffiths and Chevalier performed a lyrical ballad as a duo, alternating the roles of soloist and accompanist. I suspect that the title may have been unannounced, I’ve just found that I haven’t got a note of it, so apologies for that. Long returned as the trio turned up the heat for a blistering version of “Joseph Joseph” with the bassist’s propulsive lines fuelling the virtuoso solos of both Creighton-Griffiths and Chevalier, with the violinist bowing in particularly bravado fashion. An authentically swinging version of “Coquette” maintained the momentum with all three musicians featuring as soloists. “Swing Gitane” was even faster, with all three protagonists again featuring and with Chevalier arguably delivering his most dazzling solo of the evening. He was to feature as a vocalist on the concluding “Almost Like Being In Love”, delivering the verses in English before sharing the instrumental solos with Creighton-Griffiths and Long. A hugely supportive and wildly enthusiastic audience gave the trio a terrific reception and the performance of a deserved encore was never in doubt. This was to be “Shine”, another Reinhardt associated number which was ushered in by a passage of unaccompanied harp and which later featured more conventional jazz solos from Chevalier, Creighton-Griffiths and Long. Like everybody else present at the The Muse I was hugely impressed by Transatlantic Hot Club. The quality of the playing was exceptional throughout and some of the soloing quite breathtaking. The unusual instrumental combination helps to put a new spin on the established gypsy jazz repertoire. This was the fifth night of the tour and the members of the trio were right on top of their game, both individually and collectively. In addition to the quality of the playing Creighton-Griffiths handled the announcements with a growing confidence and maturity. I’ll admit to not being quite so keen on the singing, but this is very much a matter of personal preference. There’s no doubt that it added a degree of variety to the performance and also served as a timely reminder that many of the gypsy jazz tunes that we now think of as instrumentals began life as songs, much as many of the American jazz standards did. It is hoped that Transatlantic Hot Club will be able to record an album at some point. It will be keenly anticipated by anyone lucky enough to have seen the group on this current tour. My thanks to Ben, Ashley and Adrien for speaking with me, and also to Ben’s mother and aunt, who I enjoyed talking with during the interval. I’m also grateful to Lynne Gornall of Brecon Jazz Club for giving The Jazzmann a name check as she wrapped up the evening’s proceedings. It’s heart warming for me to know that my work is appreciated by the wider jazz community. A memorable evening all round and a reminder of just how much we’ve all missed live music.

IM
Ian P
5 years ago

CHUBE featuring DENNIS ROLLINS Wall2Wall 2019 was very much about returning heroes (and heroines) and this unique collaboration between harpist Ben Creighton-Griffiths and his trio Chube with the great trombonist Dennis Rollins was one of the most keenly anticipated events of the entire Festival. Cardiff based Creighton-Griffiths has established the Welsh harp as a valid jazz instrument, both through his solo performances and with his exciting Chube trio featuring Aeddan Williams on acoustic and electric bass and the unrelated Matthew Williams on drums. Creighton-Griffiths first appeared at Wall2Wall in 2016 when he played a solo set in the bar that was very well received. Among the onlookers were the musicians Christian Garrick, David Gordon and Dennis Rollins, who were all hugely impressed, with Rollins declaring “I want to work with this guy!”. Having made an impression with his performance in the bar Creighton-Griffiths returned later in the year to the more formal setting of the Melville Theatre as he played a second solo set as part of a double bill with Duski, the band led by Cardiff based bassist and composer Aidan Thorne. A further solo show in the bar at Wall2Wall 2018 saw Creighton-Griffiths making reference to his ‘electro-fusion’ trio Chube, a prospect that intrigued everybody. Sure enough Chube were soon invited to play a BMJ club night and absolutely wowed the audience with their performance in the Theatre in March 2019. The trio’s self titled EP, which features much of the music played both in March and today, represents vital and highly enjoyable listening. Dennis Rollins has also been a regular and popular visitor to BMJ having brought his Velocity Trio to both the Club and Festival in recent years. Velocity’s unique line up of trombone, Hammond organ and drums/percussion suggests that Rollins likes playing in unusual instrumental configurations, so this alliance with Chube seemed like a very natural move for him. With Creighton-Griffiths doubling on keyboards there was a direct link between the music of the two bands and today’s performance comprised of material sourced from the repertoires of both Chube and Velocity Trio. If Chube’s tunes predominated this was partly because they had more members numerically, but also because the accommodating Rollins, an acclaimed jazz educator, was happy for his youthful collaborators to be given their head. Things kicked off with “Shift”, the opening tune from the Chube EP and one which emphasised the ‘electro-fusion’ element of the trio’s sound. With Creighton-Griffiths playing both synthesiser and electric piano in addition to harp this was music that embraced jazz, rock and electronics. Rock and funk rhythms drove the piece, with Creighton-Griffiths soloing on synth. “Black Orpheus”, written by the Brazilian composer Luiz Bonfa, has been part of Ceighton-Griffiths’ solo repertoire. Here the harp was more in evidence as Creighton-Griffiths soloed on the instrument. Aeddan Williams featured on melodic electric bass and Rollins found more space within the music as he delivered his first full length trombone solo. From the Chube EP “Chrysalism” was the first tune that the trio wrote collaboratively. Tonight it was introduced by a dialogue between harp and double bass before Aeddan switched to electric to help provide the grooves that fuelled Rollins’ trombone solo. With the members of the quartet based in different parts of the country (Cardiff, London, Doncaster) finding time to rehearse had been difficult. However with Rollins having been ensconced in Abergavenny since Thursday time was found for some intense wood-shedding on the days prior to the concert. The members of Chube opted to tackle two items from Rollins’ Velocity Trio programme commencing with “The Rose”, a song written by Amanda McBroom and made famous by Bette Midler. This was introduced by a duo of harp and trombone with subsequent solos coming from Creighton-Griffiths on harp, Aeddan Williams on melodic double bass and finally Rollins on trombone, his warm tone bringing out the full beauty of McBroom’s melody. Next came the trombonist’s “Symbiosis”, the title chosen to express the deep musical understanding between the members of the Velocity Trio, a quality also shared by the members of Chube and their illustrious guest. Here Creighton-Griffiths’ keyboards simulated the sound of the Hammond as he soloed. Meanwhile Matt Williams enjoyed an extended drum feature. Following the performance Rollins praised his young band mates, complementing them on expertly negotiating the complex changes of meter that characterised the piece. It was back to the Chube repertoire for “Interlude”, another tune from their eponymous EP. Here bass and drums were very much to the fore as Creighton-Griffiths coaxed a range of colours and textures from his keyboards. Creighton-Griffiths revealed that the new tune “Ligma” had been played on BBC Radio 3’s Jazz Now programme as part of the regular ‘BBC Introducing’ feature. It’s good to hear of the guys getting some much deserved national recognition. Perhaps because of its newness this piece was played by the core Chube trio as Rollins sat out. Bright and melodic, but with tight grooves, the performance featured Creighton-Griffiths doubling on harp and keys while Aeddan soloed on electric bass. Rollins rejoined the group for their take on the Outkast hit “Hey Ya”, which saw Creighton Griffiths carrying the melody on harp as Aeddan moved to double bass. Rollins’ warm toned trombone solo was complemented by Creighton-Griffith’s harp counter melodies in this unique interpretation of the song. “Salty Tongue”, another new Chube original added a hint of hip hop courtesy of Matt Williams’ broken beats, but it was the quartet’s version of Led Zeppelin’s “When The Levee Breaks” that really brought the house down. This had been a big crowd pleaser when the trio played it back in March. With Rollins on board as well it was irresistible as Matt Williams again nailed that John Bonham drum groove and Creighton-Griffiths deployed pedals to conjure fuzzed up, heavily distorted sounds from the harp. Aeddan then took over the melody on monstrous electric bass before Rollins’ authentically bluesy trombone soloing finally took the tune into another dimension. Appropriately the piece was played in front of the Chicago banner from BMJ’s ‘Jazz Through The Ages” exhibition. Next came the Chube composed companion piece “When The Reggae Breaks” with its quasi-Caribbean grooves generated by keys, drums and electric bass and with Rollins adding Rico style trombone. To close we heard Herbie Hancock’s “Watermelon Man” played in Headhunters style, with Aeddan on electric bass and with solos from Rollins on trombone and Creighton-Griffiths doubling on both keyboards, with Rollins also tapping out rhythms on cowbell. A near capacity audience gave this unique collaboration a terrific reception and an encore was inevitable. Here Rollins pulled rank and took charge, co-ordinating an audience clap along on his infectiously funky tune “Boneyard” as the concert ended in a party atmosphere. Solos here came from Aeddan on double bass, Creighton-Griffiths on synth, Rollins on trombone and Matt Williams with a suitably rousing drum feature. This gig was another triumph and a total vindication of the decision of Chube and Dennis Rollins to work together. Musical skill combined with a genuine sense of give and take, and the quality of the playing and writing was complemented by the charismatic presence of the ebullient Rollins. Criticisms were few, I would have liked to have heard a little more harp, Creighton-Griffiths seems to specialise increasingly on keyboards these days, but this is perhaps inevitable given the primarily electric nature of the Chube trio. Nevertheless it’s the presence of the harp that makes this trio so unique, something they’d do well to bear in mind. That said I predict that Chube’s star will continue to rise. They have the potential to appeal to a broad audience, including adventurous rock listeners. Jazz, rock and electronics were all promised, and all were brilliantly delivered by this unique quartet, an alliance that may yet prove to be more than just a one off.