Christian Garrick & John Etheridge

Christian Garrick (violin) John Etheridge (guitar)

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This world class duo provides a feast of interplay, improvisation and eclectic repertoire with music ranging from Peter Gabriel to Richard Rogers via Dollar Brand and Alison Goldfrapp.

British guitar legend John Etheridge (Soft Machine, Stephane Grappelli, Dizzy Gillespie, John Williams, Nigel Kennedy) and virtuoso violinist Christian Garrick (Van Morrison, Cleo Laine, Wynton Marsalis, Bireli Lagrene, Budapest Café Orchestra) have been associated for many years starting with the Grappelli/Reinhardt-based Sweet Chorus project and in duo format.

The free-wheeling pair use extensive looping and effects, creating exotic tapestries of sound, almost orchestral at times, yet switch seamlessly to a pure acoustic sound with rolliking renditions of Hot Club swing evoking the spirit of Reinhardt and Grappelli themselves.

“Atmospheric, hypnotic, humorous and entertaining. They can roar, seduce and whisper…” (Time Out)

"One of the most potent relationships in European Jazz". (Guardian)

“Superb interplay - gorgeous stuff” (The Times)

"Limitless imagination and mutual respect combined makes them one of the most exciting partnerships on the live circuit." (Cardiff Post)

LONDON JAZZ FESTIVAL - REVIEW

Magical music came from the inspired duo of guitarist John Etheridge and violinist Christian Garrick. Etheridge is celebrating his 40th year as a professional musician and, somehow, he’s managed to be at the forefront of jazz and ‘jazz-connected’ music at all times. Many in the audience would have remembered Etheridge coming to public notice in the 1970s as part of the jazz fusion band Soft Machine. This concert was part of the two week long London Jazz Festival and the duo’s musical mix demonstrated jazz is just as much a hybrid music now as it was in its birth pangs of the 1890s. They began with Mercy Street by Peter Gabriel, an old school pal of Etheridge’s, followed with the Sonny Rollins tune Pent-up House, then moved seamlessly to a piece from William Walton’s film score for Henry V. And so it continued. The two players combatted with their musically adventurous spirit - completely sure of each other, yet still able to sparkle and surprise. There were some musical memories of Etheridge’s years working with French violinist Stephane Grappelli and a resultant moment of homage to Django Reinhardt with a closing abstract playing of his masterwork, Nuages.