John Greaves (musician)
John Greaves ( born January 23, 1950 in Prestatyn, Wales ) is a British musician (bass guitar, piano, vocals), who was best known for his time with the art-rock band Henry Cow and his collaboration with Peter Blegvad. He was also a member of National Health. He has released several solo albums, particularly Accident ( 1982), Parrot Fashions ( 1984), The Caretaker (2001) and Greaves Verlaine (2008).
Life and work
Greaves grew up in Wrexham in north-west Wales. At the age of 12 he received from his father, who led a Welsh dance band, a bass guitar. As a teenager, he played in his father's orchestra. From 1968, he attended Pembroke College; In 1971 he finished his studies with a Masters in English Literature at Cambridge University. During his studies, he became in 1969 a member of Henry Cow, where he remained until 1976. With Peter Blegvad and the singer Lisa Herman he founded in New York Kew. Rhone .. Then he returned to England, where he worked as a musician and actor in the theater. In 1978 he became a member of the National Health and remained until the dissolution of this band. From 1977 to 1988, he also played with Elton Dean, Pip Pyle and Mark Hewins in the formation Soft Heap. During this time he began his solo projects, but also occurred with the Penguin Cafe Orchestra and the Michael Nyman Band. In further their own projects, he worked with Sophia Domancich, François Ovide and Paul Rogers. On his album songs and Robert Wyatt, Susan Belling, Kristoffer Blegvad and Caroline Loeb were involved. In addition to his electric trio Roxongs he founded an acoustic trio jazz songs with Sophia Domancich and Vincent Courtois, the album The Trouble with Happiness submitted 2003. With Élise Caron Album Chansons followed ( 2004). He has also set to music poems by Paul Verlaine ( Greaves Verlaine, 2008). With Hélène Labarrière he founded interpreted the project Dedicated to You or Dondestan, the songs of Robert Wyatt with Karen Mantler, Dominique Pifarély, Sylvain Kassap, Jacques Mahieux and other musicians.