Stephen Large

Stephen Large

Keyboardist, composer and arranger
Website
stephenlarge.com

Stephen Large is an English, London-based keyboard player, composer, arranger, and long term member of UK band Squeeze.[1]

Biography

Stephen Large is Musical Director (MD) for pop artists Caro Emerald, Rebecca Ferguson and Duffy. 2014 performances included a tour with Caro Emerald at arenas such as London's O2 recording and touring with Babyshambles and Paul Heaton, formerly of The Housemartins and The Beautiful South. Other MD positions include: Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, James Brown's sax legend Pee Wee Ellis and his own 1960s-influenced combo, Lord Large.[2]

As a keyboard player, Large has worked with: Paloma Faith, Rumer, Imelda May, Quantic Soul Orchestra with Spanky Wilson, Terry Reid, Pete Doherty, Baby Shambles, the Noisettes, Johnny Depp, music hall with Colin Firth, and others, as well as being a founder member of jazz outfits The Rag 'n' Bone Club and Ronnie Scott's Rejects.

Large received web notoriety after an appearance with Squeeze on the US Jimmy Fallon Show, during which he played a keyboard solo on the new Apple iPad for the song "Pulling Mussels (From The Shell)". This appears to be the first use on live TV of the iPad as a musical instrument.[3] Further TV credits include The Jay Leno Show with Duffy, Britain's Got Talent with Rebecca Ferguson, The Ellen DeGeneres Show with Squeeze, Parkinson with Rod Stewart, dueting with Glenn Tilbrook on Later With Jools Holland, and appearing in CBBC's Big Babies.[4]

He left Christchurch College, Canterbury with a first class degree in art and music, and had an early breakthrough with the band Koot, who were initially signed to the Warner Records label, releasing a single album Skyjacked through Some Bizarre in 2001. Koot also contributed the song "Sunshine at Last" to the soundtrack of the film Saving Grace. After a spell as keyboard player for the Mercury Award nominated and Q Award winning band The Electric Soft Parade, Large contributed his skills to recordings by The Ordinary Boys, Graham Coxon, The Shortwave Set, Sonny J, Simply Red, Lucky Soul and Marina and the Diamonds, amongst others. He is also a long-term member of Glenn Tilbrook's The Fluffers,[5] for whom he has co-written songs with the Squeeze frontman. Further MD experience includes work with Clare Teal, Gary Kemp, Ali Campbell, Nerina Pallot, Wreckless Eric and others.

Co-writing credits include music for Billy Connelly's Billy's Route 66 (2011), the CBBC TV show Big Babies,[6] and the BBC's Wimbledon coverage (2008 and 2009), as well as song writing with Chris Difford, Andrea Britton, Imelda May, Connor Reeves and his own band Lord Large. Large has worked with a range of producers including: John Williams, Liam Howe, Jon Kelly, Steve Booker, Andy Wright, Jim Abbiss, Stephen Street, Dangermouse and others.

Stephen Large has also produced string and brass arrangements for Noisettes, CocknBullKid, Marina & the Diamonds, Squeeze and Clare Teal.

Lord Large is the result of a collaboration with drummer, writer and producer Andrew J Jones, with whom Large has worked since their days in Koot. The group's debut album The Lord's First XI, released on the Acid Jazz Records label, has been championed by Paul Weller, Mark Lamarr, Robert Elms and Gary Crowley, and has seen Large working with a range of soul singers, including Clem Curtis of The Foundations, Dean Parrish, Linda Lewis and The Peddlers' Roy Phillips, as well as the more contemporary talents of Squeeze's Glenn Tilbrook, Andrea Britton and ex-Freakpower trombonist Ashley Slater.

During a short break from Squeeze starting September 2010, Large was temporarily replaced by Steve Nieve (previously of Elvis Costello and the Attractions), before re-joining the band for a performance at the Royal Albert Hall, as part of the annual Teenage Cancer Trust concerts on 22 March 2011.[7]

Selected discography

Keyboards

A collector and player of vintage and other keyboards, Stephen 'Lord' Large uses the following instruments:

References

  1. ↑ "Line-Up". Squeeze Official. 5 July 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  2. ↑ "Lord Large | Listen and Stream Free Music, Albums, New Releases, Photos, Videos". Myspace.com. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  3. ↑ "Squeeze perform using iPad as keyboard". Telegraph. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  4. ↑
  5. ↑ "Home". Glenn Tilbrook. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  6. ↑ "Big Babies – Production Details & Cast and Crew – British Comedy Guide". Comedy.co.uk. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  7. ↑ "Squeeze – 22 March 2011– live at the Royal Albert Hall". Packet of Three. 22 March 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2014.

External links