* En anglais uniquement
Like a number of emerging musicians on the New York creative jazz scene during the 1990s, clarinetist and tenor saxophonist Chris Speed grew up in the Seattle area. He moved to Boston to attend the New England Conservatory and was soon part of the collaborative ensemble Human Feel. Speed was also a member of Orange Then Blue, the creative big band led by drummer George Schuller (son of Gunther). However, Speed's greatest accomplishments would occur after he moved to New York City and joined several pioneering bands in the so-called "downtown scene." These included Tim Berne's Bloodcount, the Dave Douglas Sextet, and Myra Melford's the Same River, Twice, critically acclaimed as three of the '90s top working bands in creative jazz and improvised music. Through the mid-'90s, Speed remained a member of Human Feel, notably continuing his relationship with drummer Jim Black. Performing together in these and other subsequent downtown groups, Speed and Black have remained highly empathetic collaborators.
Speed first became interested in gypsy music during his Boston days and along with fellow Orange Than Blue alumnus Matt Darriau, has been a leading New York musician linking jazz and creative improvisation with Eastern European, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern folk music. The Pachora quartet is one of Speed's primary vehicles for exploring this facet of his musical interests. While Speed is certainly a driving force among four strong artistic personalities in Pachora, he is most definitely the man in charge of yeah NO, the quartet that perhaps best displays the range of his musical vision. Speed plays both tenor saxophone and clarinet with the group. One of Speed's more recent projects on CD is the Iffy trio including keyboardist Jamie Saft and drummer Ben Perowsky. This is an often hard-swinging unit featuring some of Speed's most robust clarinet and tenor work. While busy with his solo career, Speed has continued to appear as sideman in groups fronted by Mark Dresser, James Emery, and Ben Perowsky. He also remains an ongoing member of the Dave Douglas Sextet.