Age: 60
Courtney Pine
Age: 60
Courtney Pine CBE (born 18 March 1964 in London) is a British jazz musician. At school he studied the clarinet, although he is known primarily for his saxophone playing. Pine is a multi-instrumentalist, also playing the flute, clarinet, bass clarinet and keyboards. On his 2011 album, Europa, he plays almost exclusively bass clarinet.
In 1986 Pine's debut album Journey to the Urge Within entered the UK Top 40. He is the principal Founder of the seminal black British big band the Jazz Warriors which he established in 1985 through the community organisation The Abibi Jazz Arts (TAJA). The Jazz Warriors developed out of the Abibi All-Stars community band which did a series of performances at London's Royal Festival Hall foyer during the summer of the International Youth Year 1985. The Jazz Warriors recorded two albums under Pine's leadership: Out of Many, One People which was released on the Antilles division of the Island Records label in 1987 and Afropeans which was released on his own label, Destin-e Records for their 20th anniversary in 2007. The Jazz Warriors Afropeans project was commissioned by the Arts Council of England to commemorate the bicentennary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act. Thirty years after Pine planted his idea to start the Jazz Warriors, he put together the Venus Warriors all-female jazz band for a charity performance to raise awareness of the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal which has been established to erect the first statue of a black heroine outside of London's St Thomas's Hospital.
His recent music integrates modern British music like drum and bass and UK garage with contemporary jazz styles. He runs his own band and integrates many contemporary musicians in his performances. He also presents Jazz Crusade on BBC Radio 2, the seventh series of which was broadcast during spring 2007.
In 1988 he appeared as himself in a jazz quartet in the Doctor Who serial Silver Nemesis.
Pine was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2000, and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours for services to jazz music. He was also awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Westminster on 6 December 2004. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Southampton on 15 July 2010.
Pine appeared in August 2008 as an advocate for Pierre Boulez, on the BBC World News classical music programme, Visionaries.
Personal life
Pine's parents were Jamaican immigrants, his father a carpenter and his mother a housing manager. As a child he wanted to be an astronaut. He lives in London with his wife and their four children.
Discography
Albums
As Leader
- Journey to the Urge Within (1986) - UK No. 39
- Destiny's Songs (1988) - UK No. 54
- The Vision's Tale (1989)
- Closer To Home (1990)
- Within The Realms of Our Dreams (1991)
- To The Eyes of Creation (1992)
- Modern Day Jazz Stories (1995)
- Underground (1997)
- Back in the Day (2000)
- Devotion (2003)
- Resistance (2005)
- Transition in Tradition: En Hommage a Sidney Bechet (2009)
- Europa (2011)
- House of Legends (2012)
- Song (The Ballad Book) (2015)
As Sideman
- Mica Paris, So Good (1988)
- Trevor Jones, Angel Heart (Soundtrack) (1987)
- Jazz Warriors, Out of Many, One People (1987), Afropeans (2008)
- Harry Beckett, Les Jardins Du Casino (1993, ITM)
Singles
- "Children of the Ghetto" (1986) (Courtney Pine featuring the vocal of Susaye Greene)
- "Like Dreamers Do" (1988) - UK No. 26 (Mica Paris featuring Courtney Pine)
- "I'm Still Waiting" (1990) - UK No. 66 (Courtney Pine featuring Carroll Thompson)
- "Get Busy" (1992) produced by Gussie Clarke 12" vinyl, cd single
- "Too Much To Lose" (1999) - Elkie Brooks, featuring Courtney Pine
- "Lady Day (& John Coltrane)" (2000) - Courtney Pine featuring Lynden David Hall
EPs
- "Traditions Beckoning" (10"), (Limited Ed.) (1988)