Jaz Coleman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Jaz Coleman | ||
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 Jaz Coleman on the cover of the Killing Joke album Brighter Than a Thousand Suns
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| Background information | ||
| Born | February 26, 1960 (age 47) | |
| Origin | Cheltenham, England | |
| Genre(s) | Post-punk, industrial metal, classical music | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, conductor | |
| Years active | 1979 – present | |
| Label(s) | China Records, Philips | |
| Website | none | |
Jeremy "Jaz" Coleman (born February 26, 1960) is a musician, singer/song-writer and music producer. He is notable for his vocal contributions to post-punk/metal/industrial band Killing Joke. In addition, he has composed orchestral and soundtrack pieces and produced diverse musical groups, such as Oceania.
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[edit] Biography
Coleman was born in Cheltenham, England to an English father and an Indian mother who are both academics. He began piano and violin lessons at the age of six, and was a member of several cathedral choirs in England. He won prizes for violin throughout his teens, and in adulthood has studied opera, composition, and orchestration. Coleman once studied International Banking for three years in Switzerland.[1]
He is a supporter of the concept of sustainability and has invested in creating two eco-villages in the South Pacific and in Chile.[2] Coleman holds four passports and has residences in Prague, Switzerland and New Zealand, where he has his own studio. He has been married twice and has children.
[edit] Killing Joke
Main article: Killing Joke
In 1979 he founded Killing Joke with drummer Paul Ferguson in Notting Hill, London. The group released its first single in October 1979 and their self-titled first album was released in 1980. With Coleman's lead vocals and keyboard skills, the group were pioneers of a post-punk heavy guitar sound that became a precursor to industrial rock and some metal subgenres. Known for controversial political and social opinions, the events of Coleman's public life are intertwined with his colourful association with Killing Joke, and are sometimes difficult to distinguish from anecdote. He is known for his aggressive and powerful stage presence, and sense of ritualistic pageantry in movement and dress. He remains active in both recording and touring with the band.
[edit] Solo composition and recordings
Coleman has studied and played music from many cultures, and is a multi-instrumentalist. He studied Arabic music at the Cairo Conservatoire and has a passion for Czech folk music and Māori music, among others. One of his Māori pieces is the "Second Symphony for Māori Voice and Orchestra".
Along with Anne Dudley of Art of Noise fame, in 1990 Coleman co-wrote and co-performed the middle-eastern instrumental album called "Songs From the Victorious City" (which is a reference to Cairo, Egypt). In 1995 he released his first of three albums of symphonic rock music. Us and Them: Symphonic Pink Floyd and Kashmir: The Symphonic Led Zeppelin were both written and produced by Coleman with Peter Scholes conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1999 he produced and arranged an album of Doors material for orchestra, performed by various classical musicians including Nigel Kennedy and the Prague Symphony Orchestra, called "Riders on the Storm: The Doors Concerto CD" (released in 2000). He has worked with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, who have issued a CD of his Symphony No. 1 "Idavoll", with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, and as composer in residence to the Prague Symphony Orchestra.
In October 2006 it was announced that Coleman had been chosen as Composer in Residence for the European Union. As Composer in Residence he will be given a grant to write and perform music for the EU on special occasions. [3]
[edit] Film
In 2002 Coleman starred in a multiple award-winning Czech film by Petr Zelenka Rok ďábla (Year of the Devil). Switching to yet another artistic role, he has been co-directing a documentary-style music film called "The Death And Resurrection Show", named after a song on Killing Joke's 2003 album.
[edit] Trivia
- He was involved in adding a verse in Māori to the New Zealand national anthem; it was sung by Māori singer Hinewehi Mohi at the 1998 Rugby World Cup match, and after some controversy the verse was officially added.
- He claims that he has an IQ of over 190. [4]
[edit] Notes
- ^ "Killing Joke's Jaz Coleman Takes No Prisoners!"; interview with Jaz Coleman, by The-Raft.com staff
- ^ Video Interview with Jaz Coleman, recorded June 2005; extracted November 21, 2006
- ^ http://www.gloucestershireecho.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=139331&command=displayContent&sourceNode=139314&contentPK=15808526&moduleName=InternalSearch&formname=sidebarsearch
- ^ “We’re all gonna die!”; interview with Jaz Coleman by Mike Kyselka, Prague TV
