Stephen Large
Stephen Large | |
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Keyboardist, composer and arranger | |
Website | stephenlarge.com |
Stephen Large is an English, London-based keyboard player, composer, arranger, and long term member of UK band Squeeze.[1]
Biography
Stephen Large is Musical Director for pop artists Caro Emerald, Rebecca Ferguson and Duffy.
As a keyboard player, Large has worked with Paloma Faith, Rumer, Pete Doherty, Babyshambles, the Noisettes, Johnny Depp, music hall with Colin Firth, and others, as well as being a founder member of jazz outfits The Rag 'n' Bone Club and Ronnie Scott's Rejects.
Large received web notoriety after an appearance with Squeeze on the US Jimmy Fallon Show, during which he played a keyboard solo on the new Apple iPad for the song "Pulling Mussels (From The Shell)". This appears to be the first use on live TV of the iPad as a musical instrument.[2] Further TV credits include The Jay Leno Show with Duffy, Britain's Got Talent with Rebecca Ferguson, The Ellen DeGeneres Show with Squeeze, Parkinson with Rod Stewart, dueting with Glenn Tilbrook on Later With Jools Holland, and appearing in CBBC's Big Babies.[3]
He left Christchurch College, Canterbury with a first class degree in art and music, and had an early breakthrough with the band Koot, who were initially signed to the Warner Records label, releasing a single album Skyjacked through Some Bizzare in 2001. Koot also contributed the song "Sunshine at Last" to the soundtrack of the film Saving Grace. After a spell as keyboard player for the Mercury Award nominated and Q Award winning band The Electric Soft Parade, Large contributed his skills to recordings by The Ordinary Boys, Graham Coxon, The Shortwave Set, Sonny J, Simply Red, Lucky Soul and Marina and the Diamonds, amongst others. He is also a long-term member of Glenn Tilbrook's The Fluffers,[4] for whom he has co-written songs with the Squeeze frontman.
Co-writing credits include music for Billy Connelly's Billy's Route 66 (2011), the CBBC TV show Big Babies,[5] and the BBC's Wimbledon coverage (2008 and 2009), as well as song writing with Chris Difford, Andrea Britton, Imelda May, Connor Reeves and his own band Lord Large. Large has worked with a range of producers including: John Williams, Liam Howe, Jon Kelly, Steve Booker, Andy Wright, Jim Abbiss, Stephen Street, Dangermouse and others.
Stephen Large has also produced string and brass arrangements for Noisettes, CocknBullKid, Marina & the Diamonds, Squeeze and Clare Teal.
Lord Large is the result of a collaboration with drummer, writer and producer Andrew J Jones, with whom Large has worked since their days in Koot. The group's debut album The Lord's First XI, released on the Acid Jazz Records label, has been championed by Paul Weller, Mark Lamarr, Robert Elms and Gary Crowley, and has seen Large working with a range of soul singers, including Clem Curtis of The Foundations, Dean Parrish, Linda Lewis and The Peddlers' Roy Phillips, as well as the more contemporary talents of Squeeze's Glenn Tilbrook, Andrea Britton and ex-Freakpower trombonist Ashley Slater.
During a short break from Squeeze starting September 2010, Large was temporarily replaced by Steve Nieve (previously of Elvis Costello and the Attractions), before re-joining the band for a performance at the Royal Albert Hall, as part of the annual Teenage Cancer Trust concerts on 22 March 2011.[6]
Selected discography
- 2015 Squeeze - Cradle To The Grave (produced by Glenn Tilbrook and Laurie Latham)
- 2014 Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott - What Have We Become? (produced by John Williams)
- 2013 Babyshambles - Sequel To The Prequel (produced by Stephen Street)
- 2013 Rebecca Ferguson - Freedom (arranger and keyboard credits)
- 2011 Rebecca Feruson - Heaven (production and kekboard credits)
- 2011 Squeeze Spot the Difference (produced by Jones/Tilbrook)
- 2010 CocknBullKid Adulthood (produced by Liam Howe)
- 2010 Marina & the Diamonds The Family Jewels (produced by Liam Howe)
- 2010 Lucky Soul A Coming of Age (produced by Andy Laidlaw)
- 2009 Noisettes, Film Soundtrack for Nine (produced by Steve Booker)
- 2009 Simply Red (new album demos produced by Andy Wright)
- 2009 Noisettes Wild Young Hearts (produced by Jim Abiss)
- 2009 Pete Doherty Grace/Wastelands (produced by Stephen Street)
- 2009 Glenn Tilbrook & the Fluffers Pandemonium Ensues (produced by Tilbrook/Clearmountain)
- 2008 Soundtrack for film Definitely, Maybe (solo piano, produced by Adam Brooks)
- 2008 Sonny J Disastro (produced by Kyle/Farrell)
- 2008 Squeeze Quintessential (produced by Difford/Tilbrook)
- 2008 The Shortwave Set Replica Sun Machine (produced by Dangermouse)
- 2007 Lord Large The Lord's First XI (produced by Jones/Large)
- 2007 Babyshambles Shotter's Nation (produced by Stephen Street)
- 2006 Graham Coxon Love Travels at Illegal Speeds (produced by Stephen Street)
Keyboards
A collector and player of vintage and other keyboards, Stephen 'Lord' Large uses the following instruments:
- Wurlitzer Electric Piano
- Rhodes Mk.1 Electric Piano
- Hohner Clavinet Mk.1
- Hohner Clavinet Mk.2
- Kawai MP5 Electric Piano
- Kawai MP9500 Electric Piano
- Elysian Upright Piano
- Hammond Organ L100
- Nord C1 Combo Organ
- Nord Stage 2 SW73
- Kawai MP10
- Korg CX3 Organ
- Roland VK7 Organ
- Moog Prodigy Synthesiser
- Korg MS2000 Synthesiser
- Roland Juno 6 Synthesiser
- Various Hohner Melodicas
- Various Leslie Speakers
- B&H Euphonium
- Yamaha Valve Trombone
References
- ↑ "Line-Up". Squeeze Official. 5 July 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
- ↑ "Squeeze perform using iPad as keyboard". Telegraph. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
- ↑
- ↑ "Home". Glenn Tilbrook. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
- ↑ "Big Babies – Production Details & Cast and Crew – British Comedy Guide". Comedy.co.uk. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
- ↑ "Squeeze – 22 March 2011– live at the Royal Albert Hall". Packet of Three. 22 March 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
External links
- Lord Large
- The Rag 'n' Bone Club
- BBC Radio 4 Front Row & Oxford Jazz Festival accompanying jazz viola play David Lasserson
- Record Collector Magazine (Glenn Tilbrook & The Fluffers)
- Ronnie Scott's Rejects biography