Calum Gourlay

Calum Gourlay is a Scottish jazz bassist, composer, and band leader.

Calum Gourlay
Background information
Born	Glasgow, Scotland
Genres	Jazz
Occupation	Musician
Instrument	Double bass
Years active	2004–present
Website	calumgourlay.com

Career

The son of a music teacher, Gourlay grew up in Glasgow.^[1] At the age of ten he began learning the cello, then four years later started playing double bass.^[1] He heard Scottish jazz musicians at workshops taught by his father on Saturday mornings.^[1] He moved from Glasgow to Dunfermline, participating in the Fife Youth Jazz Orchestra and the Strathclyde Youth Jazz Orchestra.^[1] He played in a youth band led by Tommy Smith until 2004 when he traveled to London to attend the Royal Academy of Music.^[1] At the school he met three people who would become bandmates: Trish Clowes, Kit Downes, and Freddie Gavita.^[1] Gourlay has taught at the Royal Academy and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance^[2]

Discography

As leader

• Live at the Ridgeway (2015)^[3]
• New Ears Quartet (Ubuntu Music, 2019)^[4]

As sideman

With Kit Downes

• Golden (Basho, 2009)
• Quiet Tiger (Basho, 2011)
• Light from Old Stars (Basho, 2013)

With Tommy Smith and the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra

• American Adventure (Spartacus, 2013)
• Embodying the Light (Spartacus, 2017)
• Sweet Sister Suite by Kenny Wheeler (Spartacus, 2018)

With others

• Arild Andersen, Celebration (ECM, 2012)
• Richard Rodney Bennett, Saxophone Concerto/Reflections On a 16th Century Tune (BBC, 2018)
• Kurt Elling, Passion World (Concord Jazz, 2015)
• Makoto Ozone, Jeunehomme: Piano Concerto No. 9 (Spartacus, 2017)
• Colin Steele, Joni (Marina, 2020)
• Anthony Strong, Stepping Out (Naive, 2013)