# Rob Luft > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Rob_Luft > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Rob_Luft.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Luft > Source revision: 1338059614 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|English jazz guitarist}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Rob Luft | image = Rob Luft in Zurich .jpg | image_upright = | image_size = | landscape = | alt = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1993|11|27|df=y}} | origin = [Sidcup](/source/Sidcup), [London](/source/London), England | genre = [Jazz](/source/Jazz) | occupation = Musician, Composer | instrument = Guitar | years_active = 2012–present | label = [Edition](/source/Edition_Records) | associated_acts = Byron Wallen, [Elina Duni](/source/Elina_Duni), Alice Zawadzki, [Eddie Parker](/source/Eddie_Parker_(musician)), [National Youth Jazz Orchestra](/source/National_Youth_Jazz_Orchestra) | website = {{URL|https://www.robluft.co.uk}} }} thumb|right|260px|Rob Luft (2023) in Aarhus, Denmark '''Rob Luft''' (born November 1993) is an English jazz guitarist and composer from [London](/source/London), United Kingdom. He has released three albums, ''Riser'', ''Life Is The Dancer'' & ''Dahab Days'', as a solo artist on British label [Edition Records](/source/Edition_Records). His playing has also been documented on several albums released by the German jazz label [ECM Records](/source/ECM_Records), most notably on [John Surman](/source/John_Surman)'s 2024 release ''Words Unspoken''. ==Biography== Luft was born in [Sidcup](/source/Sidcup), Greater London, and attended [The Judd School](/source/The_Judd_School) from 2005 to 2012. While at this school, he joined the [National Youth Jazz Orchestra](/source/National_Youth_Jazz_Orchestra) of Great Britain (2010–2015). He then enrolled at the [Royal Academy of Music](/source/Royal_Academy_of_Music) where, upon graduation, he was the recipient of the [Kenny Wheeler](/source/Kenny_Wheeler) Music Prize in association with [Edition Records](/source/Edition_Records).[https://robluft.co.uk/about Rob Luft Official Website]. Retrieved 15 October 2018. In 2016, he was awarded the second prize in the guitar competition at [Montreux Jazz Festival](/source/Montreux_Jazz_Festival), adjudicated by [John McLaughlin](/source/John_McLaughlin_(musician)).[https://www.montreuxjazzfestival.com/en/content/finlands-olli-hirvonen-wins-guitar-competition Montreux Jazz Festival Press Release]. Retrieved 15 October 2018. His debut album as a bandleader was released in 2017 and was warmly received with four star reviews in ''[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)'',[Fordham, John](/source/John_Fordham_(jazz_critic)) (27 July 2017), [https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/jul/27/rob-luft-riser-review-guitar-virtuoso-makes-enticingly-vivacious-debut "Guitar virtuoso makes enticingly vivacious debut"], ''The Guardian''. ''[The Irish Times](/source/The_Irish_Times)'',Larkin, Cormac (July 27, 2017), [https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/rob-luft-review-an-original-guitarist-to-be-prized-1.3165375 "Rob Luft - An original guitarist to be prized"], ''Irish Times''. ''[Jazzwise](/source/Jazzwise)'' and ''[Downbeat Magazine](/source/Downbeat_Magazine)'', who described it as "the most fully-realised and rewarding debut album from a guitarist-composer since Julian Lage's 2009 outing".{{fact|date=January 2025}} He released his second album on [Edition Records](/source/Edition_Records), ''Life Is The Dancer'', in April 2020, which was received with critical acclaim. [All About Jazz](/source/All_About_Jazz) describing it as "balm for the soul" as well as stating that "every aspect of the album is sublime". {{fact|date=January 2025}} He has also performed as a sideman with many of the world's leading modern jazz artists & groups, including [Django Bates](/source/Django_Bates), [John Surman](/source/John_Surman), [Manu Katché](/source/Manu_Katch%C3%A9), [Arve Henriksen](/source/Arve_Henriksen), [Avishai Cohen (trumpeter)](/source/Avishai_Cohen_(trumpeter)), [Ben Wendel](/source/Ben_Wendel) and [The Cinematic Orchestra](/source/The_Cinematic_Orchestra). Luft was the recipient of the Peter Whittingham Award in 2015 as part of the co-led big band Patchwork Jazz Orchestra, and in 2018 he was nominated as the "Breakthrough Act of the Year" in the [Jazz FM](/source/Jazz_FM_(UK)) Awards [https://www.jazzfmawards.com/jazz-fm-awards-2018-nominees-announced/ "Jazz FM Awards 2018, Nominees Announced"], News, Jazz FM Awards, 27 February 2018. and as the "Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year" in the [Parliamentary Jazz Awards](/source/Parliamentary_Jazz_Awards).[http://www.jazzwisemagazine.com/breaking-news/15045-parliamentary-jazz-awards-2018-nominees-announced "Parliamentary Jazz Awards 2018 Nominees Announced"], ''Jazzwise Magazine''. He was selected as a BBC New Generation Jazz Artist 2019-2022 & in November 2023 he performed his self-penned concerto for electric guitar & symphony orchestra at the [Queen Elizabeth Hall](/source/Queen_Elizabeth_Hall) with the [BBC Concert Orchestra](/source/BBC_Concert_Orchestra) as part of the [London Jazz Festival](/source/London_Jazz_Festival).{{fact|date=January 2025}} He has collaborated with Swiss-Albanian singer [Elina Duni](/source/Elina_Duni), releasing two albums on [ECM Records](/source/ECM_Records), ''Lost Ships'' & ''A Time To Remember'', the latter of which was awarded "Jazz Album Of The Month" in ''[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)'' newspaper upon release in June 2023.{{Cite news |last=Fordham |first=John |date=2023-07-14 |title=Elina Duni: A Time to Remember review – a unique voice in jazz |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jul/14/elina-duni-a-time-to-remember-review-a-unique-voice-in-jazz |access-date=2024-09-13 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}} Duni & Luft often appear in a pared-back duo format of guitar & voice, and the pair have toured throughout Europe, the Americas & the Far East, having given sold-out shows in New York at [Le Poisson Rouge](/source/Le_Poisson_Rouge) ''(formerly [The Village Gate](/source/The_Village_Gate))'', [Montreux Jazz Festival](/source/Montreux_Jazz_Festival) & Cairo Jazz Festival, [Egypt](/source/Egypt). ==Discography== '''As leader/co-leader''' {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year !! Title !! Label !! Personnel |- | 2015 || Encuentro || Self-release|| as Deco Ensemble; with Bartosz Głowacki (accordion), Sabina Rakcheyeva (violin), Ricardo Gosalbo (piano), Elena Marigómez (bass) |- | 2017 || Pond Life || Big Bad Records || as Big Bad Wolf; with Owen Dawson (trombone, synthesiser), Michael De Souza (Fender Bass VI), Jay Davis (drums) |- | 2017 || Riser || [Edition Records](/source/Edition_Records) || with Joe Wright (sax), Joe Webb (keyboards), Tom McCredie (bass), [Corrie Dick](/source/Corrie_Dick) (drums) |- | 2019 || O'Higgins & Luft Play Monk & Trane || [Ubuntu Music](/source/Ubuntu_Music) || with Dave O'Higgins (tenor sax), Scott Flanigan (organ), Rod Youngs (drums) |- | 2020 || Life Is The Dancer || [Edition Records](/source/Edition_Records) || with Joe Wright (sax), Byron Wallen (trumpet), Luna Cohen (backing vocals), Joe Webb (keyboards), Tom McCredie (bass), [Corrie Dick](/source/Corrie_Dick) (drums) |- | 2020 || Lost Ships || [ECM Records](/source/ECM_Records) || with Elina Duni (voc), Matthieu Michel (flugelhorn), Fred Thomas (piano; drums){{Cite web |title= Elina Duni / Rob Luft, Fred Thomas (3) / Matthieu Michel – Lost Ships |url=https://www.discogs.com/Elina-Duni-Rob-Luft-Fred-Thomas-3-Matthieu-Michel-Lost-Ships/release/16208047 |access-date=2021-03-12 |website=discogs.com|date=13 November 2020 }} |- | 2023 || A Time To Remember || [ECM Records](/source/ECM_Records) || with Elina Duni (voc), Matthieu Michel (flugelhorn), Fred Thomas (piano; drums; viola da gamba) |- |2023 |Dahab Days |Edition Records |with Joe Wright (sax), Joe Webb (keyboards), Tom McCredie (bass), [Corrie Dick](/source/Corrie_Dick) (drums), [Alice Zawadzki](/source/Alice_Zawadzki) (vocals), [Byron Wallen](/source/Byron_Wallen) (trumpet), [Steve Buckley](/source/Steve_Buckley_(musician)) (saxophone, whistle) |} '''As sideman''' {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year !! Band/Leader !! Title !! Label |- | 2012 || [National Youth Jazz Orchestra](/source/National_Youth_Jazz_Orchestra) || The Change || Self-release |- | 2015 || Patrick Hayes || Back To The Grove || Self-release |- | 2015 || Enzo Zirilli || ZiroBop || UR Records |- | 2015 || [National Youth Jazz Orchestra](/source/National_Youth_Jazz_Orchestra) || Fifty || [Whirlwind Recordings](/source/Whirlwind_Recordings) |- | 2015 || [Liane Carroll](/source/Liane_Carroll) || Seaside || [Linn Records](/source/Linn_Records) |- | 2016 || Luna Cohen || November Sky || Temps Record |- | 2017 || Misha Mullov-Abbado || Cross-Platform Interchange || [Edition Records](/source/Edition_Records) |- | 2017 || Phelan Burgoyne Trio || Unquiet Quiet || Pumpkin Records |- | 2017 || Tom Ridout || No Excuses || 33 Jazz Records |- | 2017 || Joy Ellis || Life on Land || [F-IRE Collective](/source/F-IRE_Collective) |- | 2018 || Enzo Zirilli || Ten To Late! || UR Records |- | 2018 || Karen Lane || Passarim || 33 Jazz Records |- | 2018 || [Scottish National Jazz Orchestra](/source/Tommy_Smith_(saxophonist)) || Sweet Sister Suite || Spartacus Records |- |2019 |[Laura Jurd](/source/Laura_Jurd) |Stepping Back, Jumping In |Edition Records |- | 2020 || [Ellen Andrea Wang](/source/Ellen_Andrea_Wang) || Closeness || Ropeadope |- |2022 |[Corrie Dick](/source/Corrie_Dick) |Sun Swells |Ubuntu |- |2024 |[John Surman](/source/John_Surman) |Words Unspoken |[ECM Records](/source/ECM_Records) |} == References == {{Reflist}} ==External links== * [https://robluft.co.uk/about/ Official website] {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Luft, Rob}} Category:English jazz guitarists Category:English male guitarists Category:English jazz composers Category:1993 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century English guitarists Category:British male jazz composers Category:21st-century English male musicians Category:ECM Records artists Category:Edition Records artists Category:21st-century jazz composers --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Rob Luft](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Luft) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Luft?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.