ALEXANDER HAWKINS

Although better known as a pianist, Alexander Hawkins was called in a recent review ‘[t]he most interesting Hammond player of the last decade and more’, where it was commented that he had 'already extended what can be done on the instrument’ (Brian Morton, Point of Departure). In 2010, he was named on the official ballot for the 75th Annual Downbeat Reader’s Poll in the organ category. Writers in the Spanish journal El Intruso voted him #1 in the keyboard category, and #5 in the piano category, in their end of year poll for the same year.

His first album as leader, 'no now is so' (FMR), met with critical acclaim, featuring in various 'top ten albums of the year' lists; its sequel, 'all there, ever out' is due for release shortly on Babel. He also co-leads the collaborative Convergence Quartet, featuring American Taylor Ho Bynum, Canadian Harris Eisenstadt, and fellow Briton Dominic Lash, whose second album, 'Song/Dance', recently appeared on the Clean Feed label.

He has performed with the likes of Evan Parker, Louis Moholo-Moholo, Joe McPhee, Sonny Simmons, and many others, and is the pianist in the band of the master Ethiopian composer, Mulatu Astatke. He has performed across the UK, Europe, and beyond.