Chris Jennings

Chris Jennings is a Canadian jazz (left handed) double bassist, composer, arranger and educator.

Biography

Early life and career Growing up in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, he began studying music early on piano and classical guitar before moving to electric bass and then double bass. He attended the Banff Centre for the Arts Jazz Workshop in 1996 under the direction of Kenny Wheeler.

He moved to Toronto, Ontario, in 1996 to complete a bachelor's degree in Music Performance at the University of Toronto.

European life and career (since 2002 to date)

Moving to Europe in 2002, he has established himself as an international Canadian double bassist based in Paris, France.

With guitarist Nguyên Lê he is currently in his "Fire & Water Trio" with percussionist Stephan Edouard and Nguyên Lê's "Streams" Quartet.

In 2015 he began as bassist with pianist Joachim Kühn's "New Trio", with drummer Eric Schaefer.

He also took on a melodic role, as well as bassist, in the creation of Titi Robin's "Nargis" Trio with Iranian percussionist Habib Meftah.

As leader Releasing in 2011 of his self-titled Chris Jennings Quartet CD on Promise Land Records featuring Manu Codjia (el. gtr), Pierre Perchaud (ac. gtr), Patrick Goraguer (drums), he also led the Country Jazz Trio with American drummer Leon Parker for three years. Jennings/Perchaud acoustic duo began 2006, and trio featuring guitarist/percussionist Kevin Seddiki and the young Belgium vocalist revelation Lynn Cassiers since 2011. A co-leader project with trombonist Karin Hammar was created in 2012 featuring Ingrid Jensen. As well as the Chris Jennings Solo Double Bass project and the Chris Jennings String Quintet, his group Drum'n Koto Trio featuring Mieko Miyazaki (Japanese koto) and Patrick Goraguer (drums/santour) whose album received disc of the Day (TSF Jazz Radio France), disc of the week (FIP Radio France) and disc of the month.

Studies and teaching

Since 1996, Jennings completed residencies at the Banff Centre for the Arts Canada, a Bachelors (B.A.) in Jazz Performance from the University of Toronto, Canada (2000) and a Masters (M.A.) in Music from the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, the Netherlands (2004).

He is on faculty at the Didier Lockwood Music School (Centre Musiques Didier Lockwood - CMDL), since 2005 and having taught at the Conservatory of Chelles France for 7 years.

Instruments and endorsements

Jennings plays a custom built left-handed Thomas Martin double bass (2004), a Croatian double bass circa 1880 converted into a neck off for air travel by David Gage, a "Lolita" electric double bass by Hervé Prudent (2011) as well as a Saz (Nino le Saz) by luthier Hervé Prudent and a custom made 6 string electric bass (1992) by Tak Hosono (Ibenez basses) designed and constructed with the help of his mentor, Canadian bassist Dale James.

Jennings is endorsed by d'Addario Bowed Strings and by David Gage Realist pick-ups.

Discography

Album as leader/co-leader Year Label Chris Jennings 5 Ways Home – Boy, She's the Dandy (Kalle Kalima, Patrick Goraguer, Eric Schaefer, Hayden Chisholm feat. Rachel Eckroth) 2024 Eden River Records & Promise Land (distr. Socadisc) Chris Jennings Drum'n Koto – Drum'n Koto (Mieko Miyazaki, Patrick Goraguer, feat. Nguyên Lê & Kudsi Erguner) 2013 MusicJustMusic (Digital) Chris Jennings Drum'n Koto – Drum'n Koto (Mieko Miyazaki, Patrick Goraguer, feat. Nguyên Lê & Kudsi Erguner) 2013 Promise Land (distr. Socadisc) Hammar/Jennings Group Land (featuring Ingrid Jensen) 2012 Skip Records Chris Jennings Drum'n Koto – From Tokyo to Tehran (feat. Mieko Miyazaki, Patrick Goraguer) 2012 MusicJustMusic Chris Jennings Quartet August – Special Edition (feat. Manu Codjia, Pierre Perchaud, Patrick Goraguer) 2012 MusicJustMusic Chris Jennings Quartet – Chris Jennings Quartet (feat. Manu Codjia, Pierre Perchaud, Patrick Goraguer) 2011 Promise Land Records Chris Jennings String Quintet – Works I 2010 MusicJustMusic Chris Jennings Solo Double Bass – Live at the Banff Centre 2010 MusicJustMusic Jennings/Perchaud Duo – Paris to the Rockies 2008 MusicJustMusic Chris Jennings Solo Double Bass – Left Turn Signal 2002 MusicJustMusic

Album as a sideman Year Label John Hadfield – Paris Quartet (feat.Sylvain Rifflet, Jozef Dumoulin, Chris Jennings, John Hadfield-drums) 2021 Outnote Records David Linx – Skin in the Game (feat.Gregroy Privat, Arnaud Dolmen-drums) 2019 Cristal Records Gregory Privat – Soley 2019 Buddham Jazz Nguyên Lê – Streams (feat.Ilya Amar-vibes, John Hadfield-drums) 2019 ACT Music Macha Gharibian – Joy Ascension (feat.Dré Pallemaerts-drums) 2019 Meredith Records Céline Bonacina – Fly Fly (feat.Jean Luc Di Fraya-drums/perc/voix, Guest-Pierre Durand-gtr) 2019 Cristal Records Joachim Kühn – Love & Peace 2018 ACT Music David Aubaile – Thinko (feat. Karim Ziad-drums) 2018 Promise Land Records Jeremy Hababou – Nuances (with Lukmil Perez-drums) 2018 Outhere Music Marko Churnchetz – Ruthenia (feat. Mike Moreno gtr., Rudy Royston drms) 2017 Fresh Sound Joachim Kühn – Beauty & Truth 2016 ACT Music Céline Bonacina Crystal Quartet – Cristal Rain (feat. pianist Gwilym Simcock) 2016 Crystal Records (France) Loïs Le Van – So Much More 2016 Hevhetia Alex Saada – Wefree 2016 Promise Land Records (France) Nguyên Lê/Thong Duong – Doc Dao 2014 Vietnam Francesco Nastro – Colors of Light 2014 Via Veneto Jazz (Italy) Thomas Enhco – Fireflies 2013 Label Bleu (France) Hervé Cercal – Bel Air for Piano 2013 Jazz Caribéen El Gusto Chaabi Orchestra – El Gusto 2012 Zylo Thomas Enhco Trio – The Window and the Rain (with guests Terumasa Hino & Kiyohiko Semba) 2011 Happinet (Japan) Lee Konitz feat. Giovanni Ceccerelli French Trio – Waxin' in Camerino 2011 Philology Records (Italy) Dhafer Youssef Quartet – Abu Nawas Rhapsody (feat. Tigran Hamasyan, Chris Jennings, Mark Guiliana) 2010 EmArcy Jean Becker – Deux Jours à Tuer (film music) 2008 StudioCanal Yabai Piano Trio – Yabai 2008 autoproduction Leila Olivesi – l'Etrange Fleur 2007 Plus Loin Music (France) Alex Saada Quintet – Be Where You Are 2005 Promise Land Records (France) University of Stockholm – Älskade Sånger 2003 (Sweden) Alex Saada – Éveil 2003 Promise Land Records (France) Barry Romberg – Three Blind Mice 2002 Romhog Records (Canada) Ronley Teper – Tales From the Tray 2001 autoproduction (Canada) Sound of Toronto Jazz Series – Hear the Color of Jazz 1999 CBC Radio (Canada) Silke Eberhard – Inspiration Expiration 1999 autoproduction (Germany)