Biography


About Bob Downes

Composer, Musician, Arranger, Songwriter, Jazz -Rock & Blues Singer (but also composes and plays meditative music)
Bob Downes plays circa 25 Instruments (his main instruments are Saxes and Flutes).
His first LP was released with Philips Records, 1969.
He was voted N°1 Jazz flautist, formed various music ensembles and also was the first to create his own
independent Record Label “Openian”.
He played with “The John Barry 7” band (James Bond Film composer),
Pop Singer Chris Andrews, "Manfred Mann’s Earth Band" and with the Jimmy Nicol Band (Stand-in Drummer of the Beatles).
In 1968 Bob formed his OPEN MUSIC TRIO.
Bass players that played in it were Barry Guy, Barre Philips, Jeff Clyne, Daryl Runswick, Paul Bridge, Harry Miller, Marc Meggido.
Recently: Andy Cleyndert and Glen Moore.
Bob played and recorded with Ray Russell's Rock Workshop (whose artist's name by the way, was created for him by Bob),
and singers such as Elke Brooks, Alex Harvey and Julie Driscoll.
In the 70..s Bob was a member of Barry Guy's London Jazz Composers Orchestra.
He also played with the Mike Westbrook Band and the Keith Tippett Band.
Bob Downes had and still has world-wide success in composing for modern dance, for example: The Royal Ballet,
The London Contemporary Dance Theatre (with whom he composed and played live with between 1972 / 82) Ballet Rambert,
Dance Theatre of Harlem (N.Y.), The Royal Canadian Ballet, Australian Dance Company, Miami World Ballet, Komische Oper Berlin,
Staatstheater Stuttgart, Hongkong Ballet.
He composed for the Cambridge Theatre Company.
He also composed for and performed with the Swiss mime group “Mummenschanz” for T.V. Productions.
Bob Downes has performed as a highlight on Poet festivals in Amsterdam, Paris and Rome with poets like William S. Burroughs, Gregory Corso, Lawrence Ferlinghetti.