Didier Lockwood
b. 11 February 1956, Calais, France. Lockwood studied classical violin at the Conservatoire de Musique de Paris, but exposure to the blues of Johnny Winter and John Mayall persuaded him to cut short formal study in 1972 and form a jazz-rock group with his brother, Francis. A three-year stint with Magma followed, but Lockwood was more excited by the improvising of Jean-Luc Ponty, whom he heard on Frank Zappa's King Kong. He listened to other jazz violinists, particularly the Pole, Zbigniew Seifert and the veteran Stéphane Grappelli. The latter quickly realised the talent in Lockwood and played with him whenever possible. During the late '70s Lockwood played and recorded with many major European and American artists including Tony Williams, Gordon Beck, John Etheridge, Daniel Humairand Michal Urbaniak. In 1981, Lockwood recorded FUSION, which typified the approach he has followed throughout the '80s: a solid rock-based rhythm with plenty of soloing room for Lockwood's lightning improvisations on the 160-year-old violin he continues to use, emphasizing the long tradition of French jazz violinists of which he is a part and which his love of the music of John Coltrane, and his rock influences have helped to update.