Christopher Rees(I)
- Composer
- Music Department
San Francisco may sound an unlikely place for a young 21 year old from
Llanelli (South Wales) to start his musical career but that's where the
story begins for self taught guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer
Christopher Rees.
However in 1994, after playing guitar and developing his song writing skills during his time at Cardiff University he packed his bags and like his hero John Cale bought a plane ticket to New York.
A period of self discovery followed with a Zen-like summer spent teaching Kayaking and Canoeing on the lakes and rivers of Vermont before a Kerouac-inspired journey across America. It was on his travels from The Big Apple through Chicago (where he quite literally bumped into Blues legends Buddy Guy and Otis Rush playing pool!) to Montana, Seattle, San Francisco and everywhere in-between that he acquired the anonymous confidence to perform his own songs in public.
Making his solo debut at a low key hippie hangout on Haight-Ashbury, he was so encouraged by the response that he went on to make other memorable performances in bars and coffee houses all over Southern California. Sleeping rough or on the floor of people who had come to see him play he even woke up one morning to find himself having breakfast with acclaimed LA keyboard player Dave Palmer (Fiona Apple, Chris Isaak, AIR) and Austin drummer Earl Harvin (Richard Thompson, The The). Constantly searching for the experience and inspiration that influenced so many of his heroes (from Jack Kerouac to John Cale, Neil Young to Nina Simone and Tim Buckley to Tom Waits) it was a time of enlightenment for Rees who quickly realized what it was he wanted to do with his life.
Upon his return to Wales he immediately launched himself onto the fledgling Cardiff music scene where after only his first local gig was spotted by a senior producer of BBC arts programme `The Slate' which led to television appearances alongside Stereophonics and a number of radio sessions.
Without the support of a band he gigged his way around the country as he had done in America feeling more comfortable effectively stripped bare on stage with just his battered acoustic guitar and passionate voice to depend on.
Slowly but surely he began to expand his musical palette seeking out musicians one at a time who could compliment and enhance his material. It began with a cello, growing steadily piece by piece to include violin, double bass, slide guitar, piano and finally drums to complete the powerfully dynamic and highly textured 7 piece line up.
His exciting development did not go unnoticed attracting the attention of Cardiff label FFvinyl who released the critically lauded `Kiss Me Kill Me' EP in December 2001.
Hailed by the NME as "Seriously amazing stuff", he was nominated for `Best Male Solo Artist' at The Welsh Music Awards 2001 alongside the god-like Tom Jones. After being nominated once again in 2002 it proved third time lucky for Rees as he won the title in 2004.
He became the first and only act in over a decade to support former Velvet Underground legend John Cale during his 2001 UK tour and has performed a number of national radio sessions for the likes of Janice Long on Radio 2 and Radio 1's Evening Session.
Fuelled by the spirit of independence he set up his own recording studio in 2002 and established a film music production company and record label called Red Eye Music with fellow composer, pianist and band member Dave Stapleton.
After two painstaking years of refining his musical vision and technical skills he finally produced the debut album he always wanted to make with `The Sweetest Ache' in 2004. An extremely ambitious, profoundly passionate, bombastic and sophisticated record The Sweetest Ache marked the arrival of a truly exciting and unique voice in British music.
His second album Alone On A Mountain Top (The Ty Bach Twt Sessions) is a very different story. Recorded entirely alone in a beautiful 200 year old cottage in the mountains just outside Aberystwyth in just six days, it exudes a very different sound to that of his critically acclaimed debut album The Sweetest Ache as lavish strings are replaced by rustic resonator slide guitar, wailing blues harp and country banjo.
Reflecting his love for Blues and Country artists like Son House, Townes Van Zandt, Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley it represents another distinct side to him that is made all the more engaging, immediate and exciting in such a stripped down manner.
With work on the next full band record already underway, as well as various instrumental film projects, Christopher Rees is proving to be one of Wales' most prolific, engaging and talented artists.
However in 1994, after playing guitar and developing his song writing skills during his time at Cardiff University he packed his bags and like his hero John Cale bought a plane ticket to New York.
A period of self discovery followed with a Zen-like summer spent teaching Kayaking and Canoeing on the lakes and rivers of Vermont before a Kerouac-inspired journey across America. It was on his travels from The Big Apple through Chicago (where he quite literally bumped into Blues legends Buddy Guy and Otis Rush playing pool!) to Montana, Seattle, San Francisco and everywhere in-between that he acquired the anonymous confidence to perform his own songs in public.
Making his solo debut at a low key hippie hangout on Haight-Ashbury, he was so encouraged by the response that he went on to make other memorable performances in bars and coffee houses all over Southern California. Sleeping rough or on the floor of people who had come to see him play he even woke up one morning to find himself having breakfast with acclaimed LA keyboard player Dave Palmer (Fiona Apple, Chris Isaak, AIR) and Austin drummer Earl Harvin (Richard Thompson, The The). Constantly searching for the experience and inspiration that influenced so many of his heroes (from Jack Kerouac to John Cale, Neil Young to Nina Simone and Tim Buckley to Tom Waits) it was a time of enlightenment for Rees who quickly realized what it was he wanted to do with his life.
Upon his return to Wales he immediately launched himself onto the fledgling Cardiff music scene where after only his first local gig was spotted by a senior producer of BBC arts programme `The Slate' which led to television appearances alongside Stereophonics and a number of radio sessions.
Without the support of a band he gigged his way around the country as he had done in America feeling more comfortable effectively stripped bare on stage with just his battered acoustic guitar and passionate voice to depend on.
Slowly but surely he began to expand his musical palette seeking out musicians one at a time who could compliment and enhance his material. It began with a cello, growing steadily piece by piece to include violin, double bass, slide guitar, piano and finally drums to complete the powerfully dynamic and highly textured 7 piece line up.
His exciting development did not go unnoticed attracting the attention of Cardiff label FFvinyl who released the critically lauded `Kiss Me Kill Me' EP in December 2001.
Hailed by the NME as "Seriously amazing stuff", he was nominated for `Best Male Solo Artist' at The Welsh Music Awards 2001 alongside the god-like Tom Jones. After being nominated once again in 2002 it proved third time lucky for Rees as he won the title in 2004.
He became the first and only act in over a decade to support former Velvet Underground legend John Cale during his 2001 UK tour and has performed a number of national radio sessions for the likes of Janice Long on Radio 2 and Radio 1's Evening Session.
Fuelled by the spirit of independence he set up his own recording studio in 2002 and established a film music production company and record label called Red Eye Music with fellow composer, pianist and band member Dave Stapleton.
After two painstaking years of refining his musical vision and technical skills he finally produced the debut album he always wanted to make with `The Sweetest Ache' in 2004. An extremely ambitious, profoundly passionate, bombastic and sophisticated record The Sweetest Ache marked the arrival of a truly exciting and unique voice in British music.
His second album Alone On A Mountain Top (The Ty Bach Twt Sessions) is a very different story. Recorded entirely alone in a beautiful 200 year old cottage in the mountains just outside Aberystwyth in just six days, it exudes a very different sound to that of his critically acclaimed debut album The Sweetest Ache as lavish strings are replaced by rustic resonator slide guitar, wailing blues harp and country banjo.
Reflecting his love for Blues and Country artists like Son House, Townes Van Zandt, Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley it represents another distinct side to him that is made all the more engaging, immediate and exciting in such a stripped down manner.
With work on the next full band record already underway, as well as various instrumental film projects, Christopher Rees is proving to be one of Wales' most prolific, engaging and talented artists.