Alexander Hawkins

Alexander Hawkins (born 3 May 1981) is a British jazz pianist and composer. Three of the main groups he has led or co-led are the Alexander Hawkins Ensemble; the Convergence Quartet (with Taylor Ho Bynum, Harris Eisenstadt, and Dominic Lash); and the Hammond organ-based Decoy (with John Edwards and Steve Noble).

Early life Hawkins was born in Oxford on 3 May 1981. His father played piano and clarinet and introduced Hawkins to jazz through early Duke Ellington recordings. He decided to concentrate on piano practice when he was 18.

The Convergence Quartet was formed in 2006 by Hawkins and Lash, as the latter knew drummer Harris Eisenstadt and Hawkins and Lash invited cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum to play with them. It was released in 2014, at the same time as Step Wide, Step Deep by the Alexander Hawkins Ensemble, containing Otto Fischer on electric guitar, Shabaka Hutchings on reeds, violinist Dylan Bates, bassist Neil Charles and Tom Skinner on drums and percussion.

This version of his Ensemble emphasises, in Hawkins' view, rhythm more than the previous one did. Hawkins was commissioned to write and perform pieces for BBC Radio 3's Baroque Spring series in 2013. The music was written for the specific members of the nonet that performed it, included trumpeter Peter Evans. Hawkins has often played with Louis Moholo-Moholo, who "has never once told me what to play or suggested what to play", according to the pianist. In 2015, Hawkins was asked to "write a new book of arrangements for London's Dedication Orchestra". From that year, he collaborated with vocalist Elaine Mitchener.

Influences As a pianist, Hawkins has been influenced by a large number of jazz pianists, all of whom, in his view, had a unique sound.

The Daily Telegraphs Ivan Hewett described Hawkins' playing in a trio as containing a tension between composition and improvisation and several forms of expression: "from radiant innocence to turbid chromaticism not so far from Viennese classical music at the turn of the last century. Far from being a noise merchant, Hawkins has a fondness for straightforward single lines in octaves. He can tease away at a mere handful of intervals for minutes at a stretch, [...] then, just when you think you've got Hawkins pinned down as a quasi-classical pianist, he'll break into a playful Monk-like bebop figure."

Critic Brian Morton wrote in 2010 that Hawkins' Hammond playing was "essentially pianistic. Even the clustered chords and wheezy shimmers [...] have the attack and articulation of piano", and that Hawkins was "The most interesting Hammond player of the last decade and more, he has already extended what can be done on the instrument and how far 'out' it can be pushed".

Discography An asterisk (*) indicates that the year is that of release.

As leader/co-leader

As sideman