Chris Garrick is an improvising violinist and a composer with an international reputation. His father, the pianist and composer Michael Garrick, gave him a valuable early insight into jazz music, while on the classical side he gained equal inspiration from the heroic recordings of the great Russian virtuoso Jascha Heifetz. But it was jazz that prevailed and by eleven he was performing with Johnny Dankworth and Cleo Laine, and jamming with Nigel Kennedy!
He studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London from 1989 to 1994 and became the first jazz musician ever to be awarded their highest accolade – the DipRAM. Now based in the Pyrenees Orientales close to Prades, with its annual Festival de Pablo Casals, he charts a multi-musical life in jazz, pop and rock, gypsy, tango and film.
His solo violin can be heard on various soundtracks including those of Chicago, Moulin Rouge, Chocolat, Big Fish and Tomorrow Never Dies. He has worked and recorded with many different artists including Julian Joseph, Bireli Lagrene, Dolly Parton, All About Eve, Simon Mulligan, Angelo Debarre, Luka Bloom, Szapora, Caesari Cremonini and Brian Ferry. He has made tours of the Far East and Australia with guitarist John Etheridge in their critically acclaimed ‘Tribute to Stephane Grappelli’. In 2001 he toured Israel with Cleo Laine and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. He also leads his own quartet – the Christian Garrick Quartet.
‘Chris Garrick is the best young violinist in jazz today.’ The Observer
‘Chris Garrick is simply the most accomplished and expressive jazz violinist on today’s jazz scene ... consistently inventive.’ Charles Alexander
‘That was great maestro … do you play any viola?’ Nigel Kennedy
‘Would you have a mo to do us some more tracks?’ Audio Network
View tracks by Christian Garrick