Darryl Way
Darryl Way (born 17 December 1948, in Taunton, Somerset) is a British rock and classical musician who, together with Francis Monkman, was a founding member of Curved Air. He is best known as a violinist although he also played keyboards with his band Wolf.
He began his musical training at Dartington College of Arts, and later studied at the Royal College of Music, where he met Monkman. They originally formed the band Sisyphus, which evolved into Curved Air.
After three albums with Curved Air he left in 1972 and formed the band Wolf (which became known as Darryl Way's Wolf), which also recorded three albums before splitting when he rejoined Curved Air in late 1974. In this second stint with Curved Air he played on their Live album and two further studio albums before leaving again.
He played on some tracks on Jethro Tull's 1978 album Heavy Horses, including the title track. He then went on to release several solo albums, including Concerto for Electric Violin, which premiered on the South Bank Show with the Royal Philharmonia Orchestra in 1987. There was a subsequent performance at Leeds Town Hall in the early 1980s which was broadcast live on BBC Radio Leeds.
Curved Air reunited briefly in 1990 and a live recording of their reunion concert was released in 2000.
In November 1996 his own opera, The Russian Opera, was premiered at The Place Theatre in London, and his song writing work includes music settings to lyrics by Steven Berkoff.
In 2008 he is taking part in a series of Curved Air reunion concerts.
Discography
(incomplete)
With Curved Air:
- Airconditioning (1970) including his renowned composition Vivaldi
- Second Album (1971) on which he co-wrote their biggest hit Back Street Luv
- Phantasmagoria (1972)
- Live (1975)
- Midnight Wire (1975)
- Airborne (1976)
- Live At The BBC (1995)
- Alive, 1990 (2000)
With Darryl Way's Wolf:
- Canis Lupus (1973)
- Saturation Point (1973)
- Night Music (1974)
- Darryl Way's Wolf (compilation from Canis Lupus and Saturation Point) (1974)
With Gong:
- Expresso II (1978)
With Jethro Tull:
- Heavy Horses (1978)
Solo:
- Concerto for Electric Violin (1978) - Francis Monkman synthesizes an orchestra on keyboards
- Little Plum (1982)
- Little Plum (remix) (1984)
- Edge of the World (1984)
- The Human Condition: Suite for String Orchestra, Piano and Percussion (1987)
- Under the Soft (1991)