Mornington Lockett
Encyclopedia
Mornington Edward Lockett (b. November 19, 1961) is an English jazz
saxophonist.
Lockett began playing clarinet at age 14 before switching to tenor sax. He studied at Dartington College of Arts
, graduating in 1981, then undertook further study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
in 1984-85. He has played in the bands of Jim Mullen
(1988-93), Ronnie Scott
(1990-94), Arturo Sandoval
(1993), Ian Shaw
(1994), Andrea Vicari (1994), Martin Drew
(1995-2010), Stan Tracey
(1996-2010), Don Weller
(2000), Sarah Jane Morris
(1985-2009) and Jimmy Smith
(2002-4), among others. From 2000 until 2004 Mornington was involved in a group called "Celebrating The Jazz Couriers" playing the music of Ronnie Scott
and Tubby Hayes
. The group was co-led by Martin Drew
and won the British Jazz Award for "Best Small Group" in 2002. The band was reformed in 2004 as "The New Jazz Couriers".
Lockett incorporates elements of serialism
and the modes of Olivier Messiaen
into his improvisations, in addition to more conventional jazz techniques.
Mornington Lockett now works at Christ's Hospital School in Horsham, West Sussex, UK; and the Royal College of Music
in London teaching jazz saxophone. He has also taught at Trinity College of Music
, Leeds College of Music
and is a visiting tutor at the Dordogne Jazz Summer School.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
saxophonist.
Lockett began playing clarinet at age 14 before switching to tenor sax. He studied at Dartington College of Arts
Dartington College of Arts
Dartington College of Arts was a specialist arts institution near Totnes, Devon, South West England, it specialized in post-dramatic theatre, music, choreography, Performance Writing and visual performance, focusing on a performative and multi-disciplinary approach to the arts. In addition to this,...
, graduating in 1981, then undertook further study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama is an independent music and dramatic arts school which was founded in 1880 in London, England. Students can pursue courses in Music, Opera, Drama and Technical Theatre Arts.-History:...
in 1984-85. He has played in the bands of Jim Mullen
Jim Mullen
Jim Mullen is a Glasgow-born jazz guitarist with a distinctive style, like Wes Montgomery before him, picking with the thumb rather than a plectrum.-Biography:...
(1988-93), Ronnie Scott
Ronnie Scott
Ronnie Scott was an English jazz tenor saxophonist and jazz club owner.-Life and career:Ronnie Scott was born in Aldgate, east London, into a family of Russian Jewish descent on his father's side, and Portuguese antecedents on his mother's. Scott began playing in small jazz clubs at the age of...
(1990-94), Arturo Sandoval
Arturo Sandoval
Arturo Sandoval is a jazz trumpeter and pianist. He was born in Artemisa, in the newest renamed Artemisa Province, Cuba....
(1993), Ian Shaw
Ian Shaw (singer)
Ian Shaw is a Welsh jazz singer, record producer, and former stand up comedian.Shaw was born at St. Asaph, Wales, and his career in performance began on the Alternative Cabaret Circuit, alongside such performers as Julian Clary, Rory Bremner and Jo Brand.In his music career he has recorded and...
(1994), Andrea Vicari (1994), Martin Drew
Martin Drew
Martin Drew was an English jazz drummer, who played with Ronnie Scott and Oscar Peterson .-Career:...
(1995-2010), Stan Tracey
Stan Tracey
Stanley William Tracey CBE is a British jazz pianist and composer, most influenced by Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk.-Early career:...
(1996-2010), Don Weller
Don Weller (musician)
Don Weller , is a British jazz musician, tenor saxophonist and composer.-Career:...
(2000), Sarah Jane Morris
Sarah Jane Morris (singer)
Sarah Jane Morris , is a pop music, jazz, rock and R&B singer and songwriter.In 1982, Morris joined The Republic as lead singer. A London-based Afro-Caribbean-Latin band with leftish tendencies, they received enormous publicity from the music press including cover stories with NME and City Limits...
(1985-2009) and Jimmy Smith
Jimmy Smith (musician)
Jimmy Smith was a jazz musician whose performances on the Hammond B-3 electric organ helped to popularize this instrument...
(2002-4), among others. From 2000 until 2004 Mornington was involved in a group called "Celebrating The Jazz Couriers" playing the music of Ronnie Scott
Ronnie Scott
Ronnie Scott was an English jazz tenor saxophonist and jazz club owner.-Life and career:Ronnie Scott was born in Aldgate, east London, into a family of Russian Jewish descent on his father's side, and Portuguese antecedents on his mother's. Scott began playing in small jazz clubs at the age of...
and Tubby Hayes
Tubby Hayes
Edward Brian "Tubby" Hayes was an English jazz multi-instrumentalist, best known for his tenor saxophone playing in groups with fellow sax player Ronnie Scott and with trumpeter Jimmy Deuchar. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest British jazz instrumentalists.- Early life :Hayes was born...
. The group was co-led by Martin Drew
Martin Drew
Martin Drew was an English jazz drummer, who played with Ronnie Scott and Oscar Peterson .-Career:...
and won the British Jazz Award for "Best Small Group" in 2002. The band was reformed in 2004 as "The New Jazz Couriers".
Lockett incorporates elements of serialism
Serialism
In music, serialism is a method or technique of composition that uses a series of values to manipulate different musical elements. Serialism began primarily with Arnold Schoenberg's twelve-tone technique, though his contemporaries were also working to establish serialism as one example of...
and the modes of Olivier Messiaen
Olivier Messiaen
Olivier Messiaen was a French composer, organist and ornithologist, one of the major composers of the 20th century. His music is rhythmically complex ; harmonically and melodically it is based on modes of limited transposition, which he abstracted from his early compositions and improvisations...
into his improvisations, in addition to more conventional jazz techniques.
Mornington Lockett now works at Christ's Hospital School in Horsham, West Sussex, UK; and the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
in London teaching jazz saxophone. He has also taught at Trinity College of Music
Trinity College of Music
Trinity College of Music is one of the London music conservatories, based in Greenwich. It is part of Trinity Laban.The conservatoire is inheritor of elegant riverside buildings of the former Greenwich Hospital, designed in part by Sir Christopher Wren...
, Leeds College of Music
Leeds College of Music
Leeds College of Music, located in Leeds’ Quarry Hill cultural quarter, is the largest music college in the United Kingdom, with over 1,000 full-time and 1,000 part-time students. The college is best known for its leading role in jazz education and started one of the first jazz degrees in Europe...
and is a visiting tutor at the Dordogne Jazz Summer School.
Further reading
- John ChiltonJohn ChiltonJohn James Chilton is a British jazz trumpeter and writer. During the 1960s he also worked with pop bands, including The Swinging Blue Jeans and The Escorts....
, Who's Who of British Jazz.