Nikki Iles

{{Short description|British jazz composer, pianist and educator}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Nikki Iles
{{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|BEM}}

| image = Nicki Iles.JPG

| caption =

| image_size =

| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist

| birth_name = Nikki Anne Burnham

| alias =

| birth_place = Dunstable, Bedfordshire, UK

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1963|5|16|df=y}}

| death_place =

| death_date =

| instrument = Piano

| genre = Jazz

| occupation = Musician, composer, educator

| years_active = Mid-1980s–present

| label = 33Jazz, Basho

| associated_acts = Tina May

| website = {{URL|http://www.nikkiiles.co.uk/}}

| current_members =

| past_members =

}}

Image:Nikki-Iles_DSC05295.jpg

Nikki Anne Iles {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|BEM}} (née Burnham; born 16 May 1963) is a British jazz composer, pianist and educator.

Early life

Iles was born in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, on 16 May 1963.{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/nikki-iles-mn0000657160 |title=Nikki Iles |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=3 January 2019}} She started her musical education at primary school, where she learnt to play the harmonica and the clarinet, and at eleven years old she won a junior exhibition at the Royal Academy of Music, where she studied clarinet and piano from 1974 to 1981.{{cite book |last=Chilton |first=John |author-link=John Chilton |title=Who's Who of British Jazz |year=2004 |edition=2nd |publisher=Continuum |isbn=978-0-8264-7234-2 |page=[https://archive.org/details/whoswhoofbritish00chil/page/188 188] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/whoswhoofbritish00chil/page/188 }} She became a member of the Bedfordshire Youth Jazz Orchestra. She went on to the Leeds College of Music (1981–1984).

Later life and career

After graduating from the Leeds College of Music, she decided to settle in Yorkshire. After marrying trumpeter Richard Iles, she changed her surname from Burnham. She joined his band Emanon, with which she played some of her compositions. Iles also began playing with several London-based bands, such as those led by Steve Argüelles, Mick Hutton and Stan Sulzmann.

Iles won the 1996 John Dankworth Special Award at the BT Jazz Festival. Following a serious car crash after a gig, Iles opted to settle in London.

Iles was a senior lecturer at Middlesex University, and has taught at the University of York, Leeds College of Music, the Guildhall School of Music, and in Bulgaria, Holland, France, and Finland.

Iles was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to music.{{London Gazette|issue=63571|supp=y|page=N32|date=1 January 2022}}

Discography

=As leader/co-leader=

class="wikitable sortable"

!Year recorded

!Title

!Label

!Notes

1997?

|The Tan Tien

|FMR

|with Martin Speake

1997?

|Change of Sky

|33Jazz

|Duo, co-led with Tina May (vocals){{cite web |last=Nathan |first=Dave |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/change-of-sky-mw0000432097 |title= Nikki Iles / Tina May: Change of Sky |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=3 January 2019}}

1998?

|Snap

|RFM

|As Foolish Hearts (Iles, Steve Berry, Paul Clarvis, and Anthony Kerr)

2002

|Veils

|Symbol

|Quintet, with Stan Sulzmann (soprano sax, tenor sax), Mike Outram (guitar), Mike Hutton (bass), Anthony Michelli (drums){{cite book |last1=Cook |first1=Richard |author-link=Richard Cook (journalist) |last2=Morton |first2=Brian |author-link2=Brian Morton (Scottish writer) |title=The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings |year=2008 |edition=9th |publisher=Penguin |isbn=978-0-141-03401-0 |pages=746, 869, 963, 1329, 1354 }}

2002

|Everything I Love

|Basho

|Trio, with Duncan Hopkins (bass), Anthony Michelli (drums)

2012

|Hush

|Basho

|Trio, with Rufus Reid (bass), Jeff Williams (drums){{cite web |last=Lindsay |first=Bruce |date=2 April 2012 |title=Nikki Iles: Hush |url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/hush-nikki-iles-basho-records-review-by-bruce-lindsay.php |website=All About Jazz }}

2015?

|Westerly

|Basho

|As The Printmakers; with Mike Walker (electric guitar), Mark Lockheart (saxes), Steve Watts (bass), James Maddren (drums), Norma Winstone (vocals){{cite news |last=Fordham |first=John |date=7 May 2015 |title=The Printmakers: Westerly Review – American Cool to Rural England |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/may/07/the-printmakers-westerly-review |newspaper=The Guardian }}{{cite web |title=Westerly: The Printmakers |url=https://bashorecords.com/albums/westerly/ |website=bashorecords.com |date=5 November 2015 |access-date=3 January 2019}}

=As sidewoman=

With Anthony Braxton

Composition No. 175 / Composition No. 126: Trillium Dialogues M (Leo, 1994){{cite web |last=Eyles |first=John |date=18 March 2006 |title=Anthony Braxton with the Creative Jazz Orchestra: Composition No. 175 & Composition No. 126: Trillium-Dialogues M |url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/composition-no-175-and-composition-no-126-trillium-dialogues-m-anthony-braxton-leo-records-review-by-john-eyles.php?width=1680 |website=All About Jazz }}

With Mike Gibbs

By the Way (Ah Um, 1993){{cite book |last1=Cook |first1=Richard |author-link=Richard Cook (journalist) |last2=Morton |first2=Brian |author-link2=Brian Morton (Scottish writer) |title=The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD |year=1996 |edition=3rd |publisher=Penguin |isbn=978-0-14-051368-4 |page=497 }}

With Ingrid Laubrock