...................................David McAlmont began singing at 13 in a church in Georgetown, Guyana and he has been doing so ever since. His enthusiasm for getting under the skin of a good tune has led to a lively and diversely collaborative career.The plaudits began 1n 1992 when he was one half of the brilliantly acclaimed pop duo Thieves, with Saul Freeman later of Mandalay, and continued with the release of his critically lauded McAlmont album in 1994. A collaboration with the revered guitarist and producer Bernard Butler followed creating a Top 40 album, The Sound Of McAlmont And Butler and the Top 20 hits Yes ( nominated for a Brat) and You Do.Hereafter, he came to the attention of the legendary, Grammy winning, film composer David Arnold. Together they re- recorded Diamonds Are Forever for Arnold’s popular 1997 release Shaken and Stirred. It was another top 40 smash for the two Davids that famously ruffled Dame Shirley Bassey’s boa when some critics ventured that the new version rivalled the original. This collaboration also led to David co-penning the song Surrender ( nominated for an Ivor Novello Award ) with Arnold and Don Black, performed by KD Lang for the Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies and in 2004 the two Davids contributed a haunting performance of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas to Mojo magazine’s Blue Christmas Album.In 1998 David released his personal favourite, A Little Communication, an album that featured a dizzying array of collaborators including, Craig Armstrong, David Arnold, Jeff Goldblum on piano, Max Beesley on percussion and BJ Cole. Produced by Tommy D The album was hailed by Mojo Magazine as an unassuming masterpiece and Time Out magazine as the finest vocal performance of that year.In 2001 it was again David’s privilege to collaborate with Golden Globe winning composer Craig Armstrong. Together they created the song Snow for Armstong’s 2002 set As If To Nothing, released on Massive Attacks Melankolic Label. David then went on to join Craig and his Orchestra on a European Tour and to appear at the Flanders Film Festival with the Flemish National Orchestra at a celebration of Armstrong’s film music. Craig has called David a national treasure.In 2002 McAlmont and Butler regrouped for further Top 20 success with the album Bring It Back including the single Falling. The album was a Radio Two Album Of The Week. After a national tour David decided that he hadn’t heard enough of the Great American Songbook and inadvertently became a Jazz DJ after discovering an enthusiasm for vintage Jazz. It was, interestingly, around this time that British Jazz giant Courtney Pine invited David to participate in a live celebration of the music of John Coltrane at the Barbican and to contribute to his 2003 release Devotion. Together they revisited John Martyn’s Bless The Weather. Also that year David had the honour of joining filmmaker Spike Lee and composer Terence Blanchard in a live celebration of their work at the Barbican.........................In 2004 David went on to create a stylish, Cassandra Wilson and Betty Carter inspired standards collection called Set One You Go To My Head which led to live performances with Guy Barker, Jamie Cullum and the London Community Gospel Choir, recordings with Jools Holland and numerous television appearances and radio performances. He has also appeared at Soul Britannia with the Brand New Heavies, written for The Guardian and Observer Music Monthly, performed memorably on Radio Two’s Friday Night is Music Night Dusty Springfield special alongside Madeleine Bell, Kiki Dee and Marc Almond, presented his own show on Resonance fm, guested on Beverley Knight’s Gospel series and DJed for The Puppini Sisters, The London Jazz Festival, The Big Chill Festival and Dita Von Teese.Currently, he is intentionally creating a masterpiece. MD.
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YOU GO TO MY HEAD by Haven Gillespie and J Fred Coots LIVE@THE JAZZ CAFE 210806
