OrganFax

Born Nottingham in 1978, there can be few other modern day names on the popular organ & keyboard circuit who have literally rocketed themselves to such a high level of both popularity and respect as Brett Wales….

Raised by his Grandparents, Marianne & Alwyn, music was always a most integral part of the household while growing up and it was in fact Alwyn himself that encouraged Brett so hard to pursue an interest in music after he had found him attempting to play the keys at the tender age of just 3! As well as prowess as a keen swimmer, Brett quickly took like a duck to water with his musical achievements and he was already something of a budding international star at the tender age of 9 when he was invited by Wersi organ doyen Franz Lambert himself to play something for both him and his own audience at one of the German star’s ‘Felsenkeller’ appearances in 1988.

He was again invited to play in duet with Franz the following year – this time being seen and heard by another Wersi household name, Mark Whale. Mark also invited him to perform in one of his concerts at the Wersi headquarters in Halsenbach, Germany. The seeds had been well and truly sown for the young Brett – a career and life in music had become his absolute goal and it goes without saying that he has done just that and much more in the space of the last 20 years or so.

His popularity back in the UK was quick to grow and he had become one of the busiest and most sought after names amongst the organ club and festival circuit by the mid 90’s. Since the year 2000, he has toured with the still ground breaking and stunning Wersi Scala instrument. The state-of-the-art computer based operating system of this organ means that the sounds and effects contained within can be constantly increased and improved as time goes by. Brett’s talent has managed to literally grow alongside this amazing machine, with every new year bringing new musical heights to scale – not forgetting some of the most accurate and sought after of traditional ‘organ tones’ to be found on any modern day instrument. These have always been to the fore in many of his arrangements and one often wonders what those who heard the first Hammond organ to come to the UK in 1935 would have made of Brett’s mastery of these truly ‘iconic’ sounds over 70 years later

Brett has also teamed up on many occasions to present highly successful ‘double act concerts’ with close friends and colleagues including the likes of Tony Stace and Chris Powell. Away from the more specialised ‘enthusiasts’ circuit, he has recently enjoyed great success in the cabaret field working with close friend and fellow artiste, Paul Carman.

Since the outset of his UK touring, he had been closely mentored and helped by his dear friend and ‘roadie’ Ken Davies. Ken was an absolute font of knowledge when it came to all matters sound/electronics/organ….. Having also been something of a ‘catalyst’ to the start of the late and great Mark Shakespeare who was so tragically taken from us all in 1996 at such a young age. It was equally a shock to us all when Ken also passed away so unexpectedly in 2003. Brett always admitted that he owed so much to Ken so far as his unrivalled help, advice and indispensable input was concerned.

Much of Brett’s initial influence and inspiration came from the legendary German artiste, Klaus Wunderlich. It therefore comes as no surprise that Brett has to some extent followed in Klaus’s footsteps as one of the highest selling keyboard artistes so far as CD’s of popular organ music are concerned. It’s therefore no wonder that his many and varied releases quickly outsell their rivals and swathes of them find their way to the collections of organ lovers worldwide. Brett has a state of the art recording studio at his Nottingham home and in much the same way that Wunderlich produced such popular and captivating albums, he makes no apology for the use of clever ‘multi tracking’ techniques – inputting clever lifelike bass, drum and accompaniment parts in just the same way that Klaus did to delight his millions of fans. It is perhaps no surprise that this technique has courted more than a little controversy from certain quarters, but as Brett recently so aptly pointed out to his critics, ‘it is surely far more ‘credible’ to play all that you can with two hands and two feet while using a couple of backing lines (that you yourself have created) to play along with you and make the song sound the best it can – rather than someone playing a single keyboard and relying on automated backings that someone programmed in the factory years ago and thousands of miles away!’ He goes on to add ‘that the latter will never attract any major criticism since that’s the accepted way of playing a single keyboard, whereas the die-hards always insist in nothing but 100% live playing of an organ just because that’s what has always been done since Roman Times!’ Whatever your views, it cannot be denied that it is Brett’s amazing ability to mix a vintage drawbar style melody line with stunning drum and backing parts that wouldn’t seem out of place in any 21st century pop recording…. He has somehow managed to completely bridge the gap between the nostalgic side of yesteryear’s music and the up to the minute styles and sounds of today. In short, a true modern day youthful James Last! His frequent poll-topping popularity at festival appearances and sell-out audiences at just about every venue where he performs simply speak volumes. Sheer Music For The Masses….

For more on the man and the music visit: www.brettwales.com