featuring:
Snake Davis: Saxes, Flute, Shakuhachi
Jayne Coyle: Viola
Damion Browne: Cello
Adam Robinson: Violin
Raymond Lester: Violin
This new album is set for general release at the end of October but we will be playing a special preview track in our "Best Kept Secrets In Conversation" show on Preston FM on Friday 23rd September between 7 and 8pm!
SnakeStrings Volume one will be available at gigs at a cost of £10 per copy or through Snake directly for £12 (extra £2 for post and packing).
Request a paypal link by email or send a cheque made payable to Skin Records Ltd to 5 Chapel Mews, Wootton, Ulceby, DN39 6RL. Don’t forget to mention that it’s for SnakeStrings and include your return address.
For more information, including latest gig dates - visit the official website at http://www.snakedavis.com/
The Background To SnakeStrings
At what point in time did music get classified into genres? According to Wikipedia "The term classical music did not appear until the early 19th century, in an attempt to canonize the period from Johann Sebastian Bach to Beethoven as a golden age." Jazz was a west coast of America slang term for music from Chicago in the period around 1915 and the funk genre; a blend of soul, jazz, and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable form of music was coined in the mid to late 1960's.
It's rare to meet someone who only likes music from a strict genre and it's sad that there's a need to classify as such. Music is more about passion, emotion and yes, if it moves your soul then shouldn't it be considered as soul music?
Meet SnakeStrings, a group of 5 dedicated, passionate and soulful musicians who have been drawn together through the love of their craft. Their combined credentials are impressive, having worked with some of the worlds finest conductors and soloists as well as major names in popular music.
The brainchild behind this new project is the saxophonist Snake Davis. Although he has recorded classical music before, he's better known for his sax riffs with bands such as Lisa Stansfield, M-People or even that haunting melody in Take That's "A Million Love Songs" or for his work with his own bands; The Snake Davis Band, Snake Davis & The Suspicions and The Burden of Paradise. He's known in the industry as being on the speed dial for studio session work and has worked with stars from Tom Jones to Dionne Warwick, Paul McCartney to Kylie.
The SnakeStrings project is a huge departure from Snake's normal performances and offers something completely new to the classical music arena. Finding a string quartet with the right sound and attitude for his ideas was hard but the players whose credentials include the Mercury nominated album "The Sea" by Corinne Bailey Rae, The Halle, Opera North, The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, The Pet Shop Boys and Sting to name a few knew exactly what Snake was trying to achieve.
Snake will be leading these highly accessible performances on Saxes, Flute and the Japanese Shakuhachi. They will be performing a mix of funky, classical, soulful and world music (to coin a few genres) all with the hallmark Snakey twist. Expect to hear tunes ranging from classics by Albinoni, Faure and Bach to popular tunes such as "River Deep, Mountain High" and "A Little Respect" as well as self penned numbers "Sugar Loaf Mountain" and "Shiro Sunset" Snake Davis is a respected and consummate musician who loves his craft. He's known for his passionate performances and accessible music and SnakeStrings promises to deliver again.
Their first public performance was at Hull Truck Theatre as part of the Hull Jazz Festival on July 22nd. A sold out house, standing ovations and fabulous feedback. Further dates are being scheduled for a tour starting in the Autumn.
A full list can be found at: http://www.snakedavis.com/
