Basquiat Strings are a five piece string group with their own repertoire of originals (composed by cellist Ben Davis) and arrangements.

Ben finds inspiration from the raucous, driving Hungarian string groups of Transylvania, the luxuriously rich Brahms sextets and the unruly compositions and workshop arrangements of Charles Mingus. Well, all that and people asking him to fix strings for their sessions...

The players have all trained classically yet are "naturally bilingual....wholly imbued with jazz's improvisational facility." (Chris Parker)

The group has been involved with various other live projects including that of Juliet Roberts and Andrew McCormack; and has recorded for Ty, Darren Emerson, Monica Vasconcelos (Nois 4) Border Crossing and the Ed Moto produced Jazzinho record. Basquiat Strings are touring in March to promote and launch their own record "Basquiat Strings with Seb Rochford"

PRESS:
"Forceful Beast introduces Polar Bear drummer Seb Rochford's collaboration with Basquiat Strings, Faintly reminiscent of the Kronos Quartet but more beat driven and further off-planet." Chris May, All About Jazz 2005

F-ire : Works: Volume 2
"Basquiat Strings shunt the mood again, as Ben Davis heads a classically trained quintet who are still profoundly influenced by the jazz experience" Martin Lonely, BBC Jazz Reviews 2004

F-ire: Works
"Basquiat Strings track Double-Dares is a moody highlight " John Walters, The Guardian 2004
"...Given extra emotional power by Ben Davis' Basquiat Strings" John Walters, The Guardian 2004

Nois 4: Gente
"...A splendid string quintet" Robert Wyatt, The Times 2004
"Basquiat Strings are that rare thing: a string group specialising in a unique combination with kit drums." Cheltenham Music Society... 2006 Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.