Biography
Job Title: Principal Lecturer
Courses Taught: BA (Hons) Music (Jazz)
Specialisms: Drums
Drummer Tim Giles is an award-winning musician. Living in London, he is known for his collaborations with saxophonist James Allsopp, producer Ben Lamdin and other leading lights of the UK jazz and improvised music scene.
A musical prodigy, (winning a Telegraph Jazz Award for his childhood prowess), Tim started out backing jazz musicians that visited his home county of Suffolk. Whilst still in his teens, Tim was performing internationally with saxophonists Iain Ballamy and Stan Sulzmann at events such as the Copenhagen Jazz Festival, and St Louis Jazz Festival, Senegal (providing support for the late Joe Zawinul). He left school at sixteen, and moved to London to be a full-time musician.
Whilst studying at the Royal Academy of Music in London, Tim met saxophonist James Allsopp. The two musicians connected in their aims to blend improvisation with composed music, and in spring 2005 Allsopp and Giles formed Fraud. The breakthrough gig for Fraud came at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival (voted Best Gig 2006 by Jazzwise magazine), whereafter Fraud recorded their eponymous debut album. This was nominated for “Best Album” at the 2007 BBC Jazz Awards and received the award for “Best New Act” at the 2007 Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Awards. In July 2008, Fraud won the BBC Jazz Award for Innovation. Further collaborations with Allsopp include The Golden Age of Steam, James Allsopp Organ Trio and Allsopp Vosloo Stanley Giles.
Tim has had the opportunity to play with many great musicians in his career ranging from American jazz greats such as Art Farmer and Charles McPhearson to international improvising musicians such as Peter Brotzmann, Ingrid Jensen, Myra Melford and Ben Goldberg. He has worked with many celebrated players of the UK
jazz scene such as Kenny Wheeler, Norma Winstone and Bobby Wellins. His current regular projects include Ben Lamdin’s Nostalgia 77, Stan Sulzmann’s Neon
Orchestra, Iain Ballamy’s Constellation, The Ed Jones Quartet, Sara Mitra Band, and The Tori Freestone Trio. He also co-leads experimental electronics trio Leverton Fox, improv/folk-influenced Twelves, also Impermanence Trio and Gameshow with Matthew Bourne. He has played on Jamie Cullum’s critically acclaimed album
‘Interlude’. As a counterpoint to his drumming he is also a qualified teacher of the Alexander Technique. Tim has also had the recent privilege of being included in the
Royal Academy of Music honours list 2016, being made Associate of the Academy for his work in the field of jazz drumming.
"Cutting edge jazz drummer"
www.telegraph.co.uk
"Fraud is, frankly, brilliant, your album is scary and thrilling and it swings."
John Gill, Wire Magazine critic.
“high energy and powerful… In fact, across the album as a whole it's Giles who impresses most—he's always empathic, never overwhelming and plays with obvious enthusiasm.”
Bruce Lindsay, All About Jazz
“Giles's remorseless groove”
John Fordham, The Guardian
"Giles slipped from softly dreamlike dynamics to a lightning crack with pace to
boot”
London Jazz News
Find out more about Tim Giles: Website
