Chris Abrahams

Chris Abrahams

James Waples, Mike Majkowski and Chris Abrahams
Background information
Born 1961
New Zealand
Instruments Piano, DX7 Synthesiser
Years active 1985-present
Associated acts The Necks, Benders, the Laughing Clowns, The Sparklers
Notable instruments
Piano

Chris Abrahams (born 1961 in New Zealand[1]) is a Sydney-based pianist,[2] best known for his jazz work.

Abrahams has been a member of the Benders, the Laughing Clowns, The Sparklers and The Necks.[3] He has recorded several solo albums, as well as collaborations with Melanie Oxley from the Sparklers. Abrahams has also been a session musician on albums for artists such as The Church, The Whitlams, Midnight Oil, Wendy Matthews, Skunkhour and Silverchair.[4]

Chris Abrahams produced and arranged the music for the Australian film "The Tender Hook" which was released in 2008.[5][6] In 2008, Chris Abraham's work on the film's soundtrack was nominated for the "Best Original Music Score" AFI Award.[7]

Some of Abrahams music is experimental in nature—The Necks are an improvisational trio, and Abraham's performance at the Room40 Tenth Anniversary in London was labeled "ambient", "free-jazz" and "industrial noise" by (UK) Financial Times reviewer, Mike Hobart.[8] Chris Reid from RealTime Arts Magazine wrote of his Germ Studies collaboration with Clare Cooper, an organizer of the NOWnow Festival who played the Chinese zither on the album, ". . . it represents an extensive investigation into the endless range of sounds that can be created by combining the venerable DX7 synthesiser and the even more venerable Chinese zither, the guzheng. . . a deep exploration of musical language".[9]

Contents

Solo discography

Discography with Melanie Oxley

Other collaborations

References

  1. ^ "Chris Abrahams". The Necks. The Necks. http://www.thenecks.com/bio#chris. Retrieved 27 May 2011. 
  2. ^ Rose, Jon (17/01/2003). "Forte Piano Solo - Chris Abrahams". Australia Adlib. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. http://www.abc.net.au/arts/adlib/stories/s857576.htm. Retrieved 27 May 2011. 
  3. ^ Swift, Brendan. "Chris Abrahams - Biography". All Music. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/chris-abrahams-p359222/biography. Retrieved 27 May 2011. 
  4. ^ Holmgren, Magnus. "Chris Abrahams - Session musician". Australian Rock Database. http://hem.passagen.se/honga/database/a/abrahamschris.html. Retrieved 27 May 2011. 
  5. ^ "The Tender Hook (2008)". IMDB - The Internet Movie Database. 2008. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0452692/fullcredits#cast. Retrieved 27 May 2011. 
  6. ^ "The Tender Hook (sound recording) : motion picture soundtrack.". State Library of New South Wales. http://library.sl.nsw.gov.au/record=b2786495~S2. Retrieved 27 May 2011. 
  7. ^ "Awards for The Tender Hook (2008)". IMDB - The Internet Movie Database. 2008. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0452692/awards. Retrieved 27 May 2011. 
  8. ^ Hobart, Mike (08/11/2010). "Chris Abrahams, Café Oto, London". Financial Times (UK). http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/0b7ec290-eb56-11df-b482-00144feab49a.html#axzz1NZX0QTI4. Retrieved 27 May 2011. 
  9. ^ a b Reid, Chris. "Earbash - Sound/Music CD Reviews - clare cooper & chris abrahams". RealTime Arts Magazine. http://www.realtimearts.net/feature/Earbash/9619. Retrieved 27 May 2011. 
  10. ^ Schaefer, Max (September 2005). "Chris Abrahams - Thrown (Room40/Couchblip)". Cyclic Defrost Magazine - Issue #012. Cyclic Defrost Magazine. http://www.cyclicdefrost.com/review.php?review=991. Retrieved 27 May 2011. 
  11. ^ Laing, Oliver (27/07/2010). "Chris Abrahams – Play Scar (Room40)". Cyclic Defrost Magazine. http://www.cyclicdefrost.com/blog/2010/07/27/chris-abrahams-%E2%80%93-play-scar-room40/. Retrieved 27 May 2011. 
  12. ^ Meggitt, Joshua (06/04/2009). "Chris Abrahams and Clare Cooper – Germ Studies for Guzheng and DX7 (Splitrec)". Cyclic Defrost Magazine. http://www.cyclicdefrost.com/blog/2009/04/06/chris-abrahams-and-clare-cooper-germ-studies-for-guzheng-and-dx7-splitrec/. Retrieved 27 May 2011.