The Composer

A powerful composer, Wallen's intuitive and spiritual leanings shine through his Tarot Suite, an enticing piece of music that draws inspiration from the symbols and imagery of the tarot cards.

Tarot Suite is a twenty-two-piece suite written for ten musicians, its world premiere in 1994 enthralled the British press, with Wallen being acclaimed by The Guardian as "the most interesting new explorer of Miles Davis' legacy".

The band that was the first to feature Byron's positive and musically diverse vision was Sound Advice, which was formed in 1992. The first album Sound Advice features Airto Moreira and an all-star cast. Released on B&W Records in 1995, it proved to be a stunning debut. Byron's second album Earth Roots was recorded for MELT2000 in 1997. This album was unique in the way it presented the trumpet as a voice travelling through the continents of the world. It is a social comment on the plight of indigenous peoples and is a wake-up call to the social values that have created a world where nature is constantly being violated. Earth Roots was nominated for the MOBO awards and received rave reviews from the music critics, musicians and the general public.

The eclectic sound of the band led to invitations to the Anglo-Arabic Festival 1996 in Syria, and to the Czech Republic in 1997 where they were a major success. The band completed a tour of England and Scotland promoting their two albums. Sound Advice also performed at the North Sea Jazz Festival, where they played to an enthusiastic full house.

Byron's next project was a collaboration with Red Snapper, in which he co-wrote and toured with the band as special guests of The Prodigy. The resulting album Making Bones (1998) received rave reviews.

In 2000 he completed his first film score Pen Pals for Over the Moon productions. He followed this with the innovative project Sacred Circles, which featured Cleveland Watkiss and a wide range of traditional instruments, conch shells, technology and voices to create a spiral labyrinth of sound.

In 2001 Byron wrote a commissioned piece with choreographer Sheron Wray called Live, which was performed at the Clore Theatre in the Royal Opera House with Wray's dance company Jazz Exchange and an expanded Indigo line-up. The piece is dedicated to the AIDS victims in Africa and is a philosophical protest aimed at the apathy of the West. The show was a sell-out and received outstanding reviews.

Byron released his third album featuring his band Indigo in 2002. The eponymously titled album was the first to appear on his Twilight Jaguar label. It was Byron's first release for four years and marked his return to the acoustic jazz arena. This was no standard jazz album as it incorporated the rhythms of east and central Africa and utilised Far Eastern modes and scales. Indigo saw the development of the textural cinematic approach of Earth Roots. Also in 2002, Byron was commissioned by The South Bank Centre to write music for The Langston Hughes Centenary Celebration at the Poetry International Festival. The piece was written for a sextet and developed to incorporate his own poetry.

In 2003, Byron received the BBC Innovation in Jazz award. This was an affirmation of his outstanding work on the pivotal Indigo album, the Langston Hughes commission and the Sacred Circles project with Cleveland Watkiss. Also in 2003, Plymouth University commissioned him for Opening, a new Shell Choir piece to launch the opening of its new Atrium building.

Birmingham Arts commissioned The Trumpet Kings project in 2004, which paid tribute to the legends of the trumpet who have influenced how the instrument has developed. This was performed at the CBSO Centre, the Royal Festival Hall and the Cheltenham International Jazz Festival.

In 2004 Brighton Jazz Club commissioned Convocation in association with South East Regional Lottery Scheme, recorded for the Jazz Outreach Project.

In 2005 the Jerwood Foundation commissioned Dangerous Duets, with jazz composers and musicians responding to photographic work by Annabel Elgar. The pieces were performed during the Black Flag exhibition at the Wapping Project and recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3.

This was followed by work on Sheila Hill's Eye to Eye project, commissioned by the Arts Council, also in 2005.

A major impact on Wallen's musical life in 2007 was the release of his Meeting Ground album with his band Indigo and featuring Gnawa master musician Boujemma Boubul. For this, he received nominations for Best Band and Best Album in the 2007 BBC Jazz Awards and Best Jazz Act in the 2007 MOBO Awards.

In the same year, as part of events commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act, Byron was commissioned by Baroness Lola Young to give a solo shell and trumpet performance in Westminster Hall in the Houses of Parliament.

Wallen's projects include the commissioned works Storm, tracing the journey of African slaves through the middle passage into the African diaspora (i.e. the Americas, Caribbean and Europe), and Hurricane Bells, a collaborative project with artist Peter Shenai, exploring the collision of cultures in New Orleans.

Wallen plans to release over a period of time on Twilight Jaguar material he has written and recorded in recent years: Byron's quintet As Is takes its reference points from diverse sources such as Miles Davis, Messiaen and East African funk. The album Divine Madness will be a collection of songs and poems inspired by the romance of life and an ecstatic way of relating to Divinity. One of his next solo albums is going to be Planet Shell which explores vocal music from all around the world, from Kalahari San circle songs to the motets of 13th century Europe. All the vocals are created by various types and sizes of shells – a highly anticipated delight for audiences throughout the world who have heard Byron playing the shells.