Mark Wingfield

Mark Wingfield
Background information
Origin	UK
Genres	Jazz
Occupations	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 a number of albums as a leader, and has recorded or performed with Iain Ballamy,^[3] Jeremy Stacey, Robert Mitchell, Yaron Stavi, Jane Chapman,^[4] René von Grünig,^[5] Christoph Leistner.^[6]

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,^[7] has collaborated with Christian Kuntner [1] and Roberto Di Martino, among others.

Biography

As a performer

As a guitarist, Wingfield cites^[8] 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 [2], 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.^[9][10] He is currently recording on the Dark Energy Music label [3].

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 [4] 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,^[11] SPNM’s Sound Source, the European Commission funded Waterways Celebration, Jane Chapman, Kate Ryder, Elaine Funaro [5], Geoffrey Burgess, McFall’s Chamber [6] 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.^[12]

Background

Wingfield was brought up in America, and played in and around Boston when young.^[13] Later moving to England, he played in groups in Bristol and London. 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

"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"^[14] 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

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: [7]
• Mark Wingfield's MySpace page: [8]
• Mark Wingfield and Jane Chapman: [9]
• Dark Energy Music website: [10]
• Biography at All About Jazz: [11]

References

1. ^ Mark Wingfield's mySpace page
2. ^ The AllAboutJazz biography of Mark Wingfield
3. ^ The official website for the collaboration between Wingfield and Chapman
4. ^ The official list of Chapman's collaborations
5. ^ Official list of projects von Grünig is involved with
6. ^ Leistner's biography on the Scaptrace project website
7. ^ The official Scapetrace website
8. ^ Wingfield's official website
9. ^ Mark Wingfield Guitarist Composer
10. ^ Information about upcoming album Three Windows
11. ^ Concert listing
12. ^ The AllAboutJazz biography of Mark Wingfield
13. ^ Mark Wingfield
14. ^ Guitar Player Magazine feature on Mark Wingfield

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Name	Wingfield, Mark
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