Byron Wallen (UK)
Trumpet
One of the most dynamic jazz voices on the British scene, Byron has had a prolific musical career. Widely recognised as a seminal figure in world jazz, he won the BBC prize for Innovation in Jazz in 2003 for his Indigo album. He has performed with rap outfits such as The Roots, Digable Planets and Us3, worked with African pioneers Hugh Masekela, Manu Dibango and Ammampondo; Lonnie Liston Smith, Ronnie Laws, Chaka Khan, David Murray, Butch Morris, Wynton Marsalis, Freddie Hubbard and many more. He has recorded with George Benson, Jean Toussaint, Courtney Pine and Brice Wassy and has collaborated with Talvin Singh on his Mercury prize award-winning album “OK”; with Craig David on the title track “Slicker Than Your Average”; and the BBC with Mica Paris, Caron Wheeler, Shola Ama, Roland Gift, Desmond Decker, Janet Kay and Grace Jones. He has also appeared in Paramount’s “The Talented Mr Ripley” Stephen Fry’s film “Fine Young Things” and “The Cole Porter Story”. Byron has been with Grand Union since 1993.
