This is my conversation with Dave Bainbridge. It took place on 8/10/2022 from his home in the UK.
Co-founder of Celtic progressive/folk/rock/band IONA, with whom he toured the world and released 13 critically acclaimed albums, Dave’s multi-faceted career as a solo artist, keyboardist, guitarist, bouzouki player, composer, improviser, producer, arranger and sound mixer has led him into many musical genres and work with numerous artists including Strawbs, Lifesigns, Troy Donockley, Jack Bruce, Buddy Guy, Nick Beggs, Gloria Gaynor, Moya Brennan, Robert Fripp, Phil Keaggy, Paul Jones, The Norman Beaker Band, Damian Wilson, Nick Fletcher, ‘Snake’ Davis, Adrian Snell, PP Arnold, Mollie Marriott, Dave Kerzner and many others.
Winner of the BBC Radio 2 Best Jazz soloist award (piano) and the Sam Hood Rosebowl for Outstanding Performance during his time at Leeds Music College (where he graduated with a first class pass, including distinction in arranging), Dave has composed soundtracks for numerous short films, TV and multimedia productions and has co-written a guitar concerto with Classic FM favourite Nick Fletcher.
Current live projects include Dave's band Celestial Fire and duo concerts with singer / multi instrumentalist Sally Minnear. Dave is also keyboardist for the legendary Strawbs on their electric band tours and album recordings, and guitarist/keys player for Lifesigns (featuring John Young).
Dave has released four critically acclaimed solo albums, ‘Veil of Gossamer’ (2004), ‘Celestial Fire’ (2014) and his first solo piano album ‘The Remembering’ (2016). The ‘Celestial Fire’ album led to the formation of Dave’s band of the same name in 2015 and the Celestial Fire band ’Live in the UK’ DVD/2CD album was released in April 2017. Dave has also released several collaborative albums with Troy Donockley (of Nightwish) and David Fitzgerald (Iona). ‘The Eye of the Eagle’, Dave’s first collaboration with woodwind player David Fitzgerald and the St Edmundsbury Boys Choir, was premiered in front of a sell out audience in Norwich Cathedral at the prestigious Norwich Festival, and was also the subject of a documentary for Anglia TV.
Dave co-wrote a guitar concerto with Classic FM favourite Nick Fletcher, released on the album ‘Cathedral of Dreams’ (2009), which Dave also produced. The DVD, ‘Live in The Studio’, a collaboration with Lord of the Dance singer Sally Minnear was released in August 2018.
His 4th solo album ‘To The Far Away’, was released at the end of November 2021 in 5 formats, including a limited Photo box edition featuring a book of Dave’s landscape photos and is already getting some amazing reviews.
When not touring, Dave can be found in his Open Sky studio facility, recording, producing, mixing and writing. He has produced 12 albums for Iona, all his own solo and collaborative albums, and projects for several other artists in genres ranging from acoustic jazz through classical guitar to progressive rock.