Calum Gourlay
Scottish jazz bassist, composer, and band leader
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Calum Gourlay is a Scottish jazz bassist, composer, and band leader.
Calum Gourlay | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | Glasgow, Scotland |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument | Double bass |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Website | calumgourlay |
Career
The son of a music teacher, Gourlay grew up in Glasgow.[1] At the age of ten he began learning the cello, then four years later started playing double bass.[1] He heard Scottish jazz musicians at workshops taught by his father on Saturday mornings.[1] He moved from Glasgow to Dunfermline, participating in the Fife Youth Jazz Orchestra and the Strathclyde Youth Jazz Orchestra.[1] He played in a youth band led by Tommy Smith until 2004 when he traveled to London to attend the Royal Academy of Music.[1] At the school he met three people who would become bandmates: Trish Clowes, Kit Downes, and Freddie Gavita.[1] Gourlay has taught at the Royal Academy and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance[2]
Discography
As leader
As sideman
With Kit Downes
- Golden (Basho, 2009)
- Quiet Tiger (Basho, 2011)
- Light from Old Stars (Basho, 2013)
With Tommy Smith and the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra
- American Adventure (Spartacus, 2013)
- Embodying the Light (Spartacus, 2017)
- Sweet Sister Suite by Kenny Wheeler (Spartacus, 2018)
With others
- Arild Andersen, Celebration (ECM, 2012)
- Richard Rodney Bennett, Saxophone Concerto/Reflections On a 16th Century Tune (BBC, 2018)
- Kurt Elling, Passion World (Concord Jazz, 2015)
- Makoto Ozone, Jeunehomme: Piano Concerto No. 9 (Spartacus, 2017)
- Colin Steele, Joni (Marina, 2020)
- Anthony Strong, Stepping Out (Naive, 2013)