The Chris Whiter Quintet Debut Album - The Borderline Suite

Chris Whiter - A Short Intro

An emerging talent on the jazz scene, Chis Whiter has already been listed as 'one to look out for' in Jazzwise magazine. Chris's layering of instrumental textures and rhythmic patterns has become a trademark of his compositions, with works being featured at the BBC Proms and Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club. He has performed at top UK venues and international jazz festivals (Montreux, Vienne, North Sea), and in 2014 he won a place on the Metropole Orchestra Arrangers’ Workshop, working with renowned composer Vince Mendoza, and Grammy award winning vocalist Gregory Porter.

"He is a hot prospect if jazz composing is where he focuses his many talents" - John Fordham, The Guardian.

The Project

My quintet project features original works with a fresh, challenging sound. Formed in late 2013, we have performed at venues across Britain, including the Cheltenham Jazz Festival. In September 2015 we recorded our debut album. The album consist of seven original compositions, and will feature The Borderline Suite - a five part suite composed for jazz ensemble and electronics.

I feel the live element of music is crucial. When writing The Borderline Suite I ensured that it would work acoustically, to avoid over-reliance on the electronic element, while still conveying the same amount of intensity and depth. As a result I use effects that can be used in real time and draw on the sounds of the live ensemble to develop electronic material.

More details about the quintet, including the line up, can be found on our website -

http://www.chriswhitermusic.co.uk/quintet/

The Funding

The project is self funded with no label backing. We've already done the hard bit and recorded the session at Eastcote Studios last September thanks to a small amount of financial support from Royal Holloway University. It is now in the final stages of being mixed, and will soon be ready to go in to production.

The funding will be used to cover the cost of mastering and producing the artwork and physical copies of the CDs, which doesn't come cheap. We need your support to put these finishing touches to the album. I obviously want the The Borderline Suite to be best it possibly can be, and by effectively pre-ordering your copy of the CD, you are making that happen. Any support you are able to offer will be invaluable in helping this project reach it's full potential.

As a little treat, here is an exclusive preview of one of the tracks from the debut album -

Thanks for reading, listening and watching, and I hope you are able to pledge your support to the project!