BIOGRAPHY
Nguyên Lê, Joachim Kuhn, Dhafer Youssef, El Gusto traditional Chaâbi orchestra, Gregory Privat Trio, Aynur, Titi Robin “Nargis,” Céline Bonacina, Macha Gharibian…
Chris Jennings “5 Ways Home”
Chris Jennings “Drum’n Koto Trio”
Chris Jennings “Solo Double Bass”
Nguyên Lê/Chris Jennings Duo
Jennings/Perchaud “Acoustic Guitar Duo”
Chris Jennings “Banff String Quintet”
Chris Jennings – double bassist
Based in Paris France since 2002, Canadian bassist CHRIS JENNINGS was chosen alongside Christian McBride & Vincent Archer as “best foreign double bassist” by France’s main JazzMagasine/JazzNews “Best of the Year 2023/24.” He has established himself as double bassist with the Dhafer Youssef Quartet with Tigran Hamasyan and Mark Guiliana, with guitarist Nguyên Lê in his “Streams” Quartet, “Fire & Water Trio” and other formations including Rita Marcotulli, Danny Gottlieb, Roberto Gato, Rick Margitza, Karim Ziad, Bojan Z, the Thomas Enhco piano trio as well as with renowned Turkish nay master Kudsi Erguner and renowned Kurdish singer Aynur Dogan. He is bassist in pianist Joachim Küh’s New Trio with Eric Schafer with the ACT Music record label, the Gregory Privat Trio, the Titi Robin “Nargis Trio,” the Céline Bonacina quartet with pianist Gwilym Simcock and the renowned ‘El Gusto’ Algerian traditional chaabi orchestra to name a few.
An international performer having performed worldwide to all corners of the globe with jazz and world music projects, he is composer, leader, arranger and teacher, playing a wide variety of musical genres and styles on both upright and electric basses. Mr. Jennings projects as a sideman have included the Jacek Kochan/Dave Liebman Quartet, the Lee Konitz/Giovanni Ceccarelli Quartet, with Rick Margitza, Paul McCandless, Seamus Blake, Aaron Parks, Enrico Rava, Gary Husband, Benjamin Koppel, Marilyn Mazur, Kenny Werner, John Hadfield, Ari Hoenig, Eivind Aarset, Ziv Ravitz, Marko Crncec, Yaron Herman, Mark Shim, John Hadfield, Ludwig Afonso, Rudy Royston, Ferenc Nemeth, Omri Mor, Terumasa Hino, Kiyohiko Semba, Hüsnu Senlendirici, Ingrid Jensen, Valgeir Sigurosson (Bjork), Adrean Farrugia, Mike Murley, Dave Restivo, Phil Dwyer, Andy Milne, Marçin Wasilewski, Satoshi Takeishi, Nelson Veras, Airelle Besson to name a few.
After 7 extremely varied albums released under his own name, his last release with the CHRIS JENNINGS “DRUM’N KOTO,” (disc of the month Jazz Magazine, disc of the week FIP Radio France) features Nguyên Lê and Kudsi Ergüner as special guests. With a new album in progress with his latest CHRIS JENNINGS PIANO QUARTET +. Past releases include his self-titled CHRIS JENNINGS QUARTET CD featuring French musicians Manu Codjia (el. gtr), Pierre Perchaud (ac. gtr), Patrick Goraguer (drums), and leading a trio with renowned American drummer Leon Parker for years. Mr. Jennings has always continued his longstanding “JENNINGS / PERCHAUD” duo with acoustic guitar, a “SOLO DOUBLE BASS” project evolve for over a decade now, as well as the “CHRIS JENNINGS STRING QUINTET” featuring musicians of the London Symphony Orchestra. His 8th album of his latest Chris Jennings Piano Quartet + features Patrick Goraguer, Kalle Karim, Eric Schaefer and Hayden Chisholm.
Since 1996, Mr. Jennings completed numerous self-study/project residencies at the Banff Centre for the Arts Canada, a Bachelors (B.A.) in Jazz Performance from the University of Toronto, Canada (2000), and a Masters (M.A.) in Music from the Royal Conservatory of the Hague, Holland (2004). Teaching extensively at the Didier Lockwood Music School since 2005 and having taught at the Conservatory of Chelles France for 7 years, he is always actively giving master classes in conservatories and with the generous help of d’Addario Strings and David Gage pickups, alongside pursuing his energy in multicultural and original projects internationally.