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Colosseum (band)

From Alfawiki
Colosseum
Company typeMusic group
IndustryMusic
Founded1968
FounderJon Hiseman, Dick Heckstall-Smith
Headquarters
United Kingdom
ProductsJazz rock music

Colosseum is a British jazz rock ensemble known for integrating elements of blues, rock, and jazz improvisation. Colin Larkin acknowledged their role in popularizing jazz rock within the UK market.[1] From 1975 to 1978, band founder Jon Hiseman initiated Colosseum II, which concentrated on progressive rock styles.

Initial period; 1968–1971

Established in early 1968 by drummer Jon Hiseman and tenor saxophonist Dick Heckstall-Smith, who had previously worked together in the New Jazz Orchestra and The Graham Bond Organisation, Colosseum’s lineup also featured organist Dave Greenslade, bassist Tony Reeves, guitarist and vocalist James Litherland, with Jim Roche briefly joining on guitar.

Their first album, Those Who Are About to Die Salute You, appeared in early 1969 under Philips' Fontana label and included the Graham Bond composition "Walkin' in the Park". That March, they took part in Supershow, a prominent jam session alongside artists such as Led Zeppelin and Eric Clapton.

Later that year, they released Valentyne Suite, which was the debut album on Philips' newly created Vertigo label—a platform aimed at artists outside Philips' primary roster and later home to heavy metal pioneers like Black Sabbath.

For their third release, the US-exclusive The Grass Is Greener (1970), Dave "Clem" Clempson replaced Litherland on guitar. The bass position saw Louis Cennamo briefly substituting for Reeves before Mark Clarke assumed the role. Vocalist Chris Farlowe joined to allow Clempson to dedicate himself fully to guitar duties. This formation partially recorded the 1970 album Daughter of Time.

In 1971, live recordings from performances at Brighton's Big Apple Club and Manchester University were compiled into the double album Colosseum Live. The original band dissolved in October 1971.

Interim years, 1971–1994

Following the breakup, Jon Hiseman established Tempest with bassist Mark Clarke; Dave Greenslade formed Greenslade alongside Tony Reeves; Chris Farlowe joined Atomic Rooster; and Dick Heckstall-Smith embarked on a solo path. Clem Clempson became a member of Humble Pie.

In 1975, Hiseman launched Colosseum II, emphasizing jazz-fusion rock and featuring guitarist Gary Moore and keyboardist Don Airey. The group produced three albums before disbanding in 1978.

Reunion era, 1994–2015

Colosseum reunited on 24 June 1994 at the Freiburg Zelt Musik Festival with the original lineup from 1971. On 28 October, they performed at Cologne's E-Werk; recordings from this event were issued in 1995 and re-released in 2004. The band toured extensively throughout Germany and conducted a 1997 tour supporting their studio album Bread and Circuses. They also appeared at major festivals between 1998 and 2000.

After releasing Tomorrow's Blues in 2003, they resumed touring, including shows in England during 2004. Saxophonist Barbara Thompson, married to Hiseman, occasionally joined before becoming a full-time member following Dick Heckstall-Smith’s passing in December 2004.

In tribute to Heckstall-Smith, three memorial concerts were held in 2005. That September, the band performed in Moscow and continued touring Europe through 2006 and again in 2010, marking their inaugural visit to Japan in 2007.

Jon Hiseman’s biography, titled Playing the Band - The Musical Life of Jon Hiseman, was published in October 2010 with a Kindle version following in November 2012.

The "Summer 2011" tour encompassed Germany, Italy, Austria, Finland, and Poland with a total of 22 performances. Initially announced as their final tour due to Barbara Thompson’s Parkinson’s disease diagnosis, advances in her treatment enabled continued recording and live shows until 2015.

Expanded editions of Valentyne Suite and Colosseum Live, along with compilations of earlier material, were released during this period. Between 2011 and 2014, Colosseum recorded Time on Our Side, which was launched late in 2014 to coincide with final tours across Central Europe and the UK. This series of concerts included 24 dates beginning at Italy’s Steinegg Festival and concluding on 28 February 2015 at London’s Shepherd's Bush Empire. Jon Hiseman confirmed these would be Colosseum’s concluding live appearances.

After reuniting for over two decades, the band delivered their farewell performance at Shepherd's Bush Empire featuring special guest Ana Gracey, daughter of Hiseman and Thompson. Gracey performed her composition "Blues to Music," which appears on Colosseum’s final album.

Second reunion, 2020–present

Following the passing of Jon Hiseman, Colosseum reassembled to perform select concerts in 2020. The ensemble features Chris Farlowe, Clem Clempson, and Mark Clarke, joined by Kim Nishikawara on saxophone, Adrian Askew handling keyboards and organ, and Malcolm Mortimore on drums. In September 2020, Nick Steed took over keyboard duties. The band recommenced touring on 29 August in Hamburg and proceeded with shows across the United Kingdom. Their studio album Restoration was released on 15 April 2022.

Current members

Image Name Years active Instruments Release contributions
Template:CSS image crop Dave "Clem" Clempson
  • 1969–1971
  • 1994–2015
  • 2020–present
  • guitar
  • vocals
  • keyboards
 featured on every release from The Grass Is Greener (1970) onward, excluding Live At The Boston Tea Party, August 1969 and Live At The Montreux Jazz Festival 1969 (both issued in 2020)
Template:CSS image crop Mark Clarke
  • 1970–1971
  • 1994–2015
  • 2020–present
  • bass guitar
  • vocals
 appears on all releases from Daughter of Time (1970) forward, except for several live albums released in 2020
Template:CSS image crop Chris Farlowe lead vocals
Kim Nishikawara 2020–present saxophones contributed to all recordings from Restoration (2022) onward
Template:CSS image crop Malcolm Mortimore drums
Nick Steed
  • organ
  • synthesizers
  • piano

Former members

... [other former members detailed similarly, highlighting active periods, instruments played, and key releases] ...
Image Name Years active Instruments Release contributions
Template:CSS image crop Dave Greenslade
  • 1968–1971
  • 1994–2015
  • organ
  • minor keyboards including piano and synthesizer; vibraphone; keyboards
 required for all albums from Those Who Are About to Die Salute You (1969) through to Transmissions, Live At The BBC (2020)
Template:CSS image crop 'Jon Hiseman' (1968–1971; 1994–2015; deceased 2018) 'drums'

Touring musicians

Image Name Years active Instruments Notes
Paul Williams 1999 (deceased 2019) string vocals required as a live stand-in for Chris Farlowe during performances


Full-length Albums

Singles

  • "Walking in the Park" / "Those About to Die, Salute You" – (1969)
  • "Walking in the Park" / "The Road She Walked Before" – (1969)
  • "The Kettle" / "Plenty Hard Luck" – (1969)
  • "The Daughter of Time" / "Bring Out Your Dead" – (1971)

Extended Plays

  • Bread & Circuses – (1997)
  • The Kettle – (2001)

Concert Recordings

  • Colosseum Live – (1971)
  • LiveS The Reunion Concerts 1994 – (1995)
  • Live Cologne 1994 – (2003)
  • The Complete Reunion Concert – (2003)
  • Live05 – (2007)
  • Theme for a Reunion – (2009)
  • Live At The Boston Tea Party, August 1969 – (2020)
  • Live At The Montreux Jazz Festival 1969 – (2020)
  • Live At Ruisrock, Turku, Finland, 1970 – (2020)
  • Live At Piper Club, Rome, Italy 1971 – (2020)
  • Live '71, Canterbury, Brighton & Manchester – (2020)
  • Transmissions, Live At The BBC – (2020)

Collections

  • The Collectors Colosseum – (1971)
  • Epitaph – (1986)
  • Milestones – (1989) (double CD set)
  • Night Riding – (1990)
  • Daughter of Time – (1991)
  • The Time Machine – (1991)
  • The Ides of March – (1995)
  • Anthology – (2000) (two-CD compilation)
  • Best - Walking in the Park – (2000)
  • The Best Of – (2002)
  • An Introduction To...Colosseum – (2004)
  • Morituri Te Salutant – (2009) (four-CD box set)

Video Releases

  • Colosseum LiveS : The Complete Reunion Concert Cologne 1994 – (2002)

Related Topics

  1. ↑ They were instrumental in broadening the appeal of jazz rock to a larger audience.
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