Christy Doran

Irish by birth, Doran relocated to Lucerne, Switzerland, during his early years. His initial contact with music arrived via his father, who performed Irish ballads as a vocalist. During the 1970s he co-established the group OM alongside Fredy Studer, Urs Leimgrumber, and Bobby Burri; the ensemble issued multiple recordings on the Japo/ECM imprint. Although recognition in the United States remained limited, Doran performed alongside numerous leading American figures in experimental and free jazz, such as saxophonist Marty Ehrlich, flutist Robert Dick, trombonist Ray Anderson, and composer Carla Bley. Together with Studer he launched an endeavor honoring the music of Jimi Hendrix that also featured Amin Ali, Django Bates, and Phil Minton; the ensemble toured and documented material in the middle of the 1990s. His association with Anderson originated in 1989, leading the pair, joined by drummer Han Bennink, to create a trio that appeared sporadically until 1997. Doran has headed sessions for the hatART, Synton, Intuition, and Planisphere labels. Beyond the artists already mentioned, his extensive list of collaborators includes trombonist Albert Mangelsdorff, clarinetist Louis Sclavis, percussionist Marilyn Mazur, trumpeter Herb Robertson, pianist John Wolf Brennan, and bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma. He assembled the ensemble New Bag in 1997; between 1998 and 2000 the group traveled extensively across North and South America, Africa, and Europe. In 2001 the band promoted its album Black Box on On Cue Records, which showcased Indian master drummer Muthuswamy Balasubramoniam. Doran holds a teaching position at the Musikhochschule of Lucerne and has conducted numerous workshops, lectures, and clinics.