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Tributes have been pouring in for Dave Greenslade, the keyboardist behind the prog rock band he gave his name to, Greenslade, and also jazz proggers Colosseum.
The news was announced yesterday by Greenslade's daughter, Kate, on the offical Greenslade Facebook page, saying, "We are deeply saddened to share that Dave Greenslade, keyboard player, songwriter and composer, has died at the age of 83.
"Dave was known and loved for his work with Colosseum, his own band Greenslade, and a lifetime of music that also included solo albums and television composition.
"He was a remarkable musician, a loving partner, father and a great friend to many.
"We would be grateful if this news could be shared with care and respect, and we send our thanks to everyone who has listened to, loved and remembered Dave’s music over the years."
Colosseum guitarist Clem Clempson wrote, "It is with great sadness that I have to report that my dear friend and colleague of 58 years, Dave Greenslade, has passed away. So many great memories. It was at Dave's surprise 50th birthday party that the idea of a Colosseum reunion was mooted, and soon became a reality which led to 20 more great years of fun and games with our band of very close friends."
John Young, keyboardist with Lifesigns, and who featured on the band's 2000 album, Large Afternoon, wrote, "Very sad to have lost this lovely lovely man," while MoonJune Records founder Leonardo Pavkovic said, "Dave was one of the most humble and easygoing musicians I've ever met and worked with, and we kept in touch from time to time until a few years before the pandemic."
Greenslade was born in Woking, Surrey, on January 18, 1943 into a musical family. His mother was a pianist who sang in the local choir while his father ran a dance club in the 1930s, but was not the composer Arthur Greenslade, as was sometimes mistaken.
He met Jon Hiseman and Tony Reeves aged 13 when he joined a local church youth group in Eltham, where the family had moved to. He and Hiseman played with the Wes Minster Five as teenagers.
Greensalde joined Geno Washington And The Ram Jam Band in late 1968, but left after four months to hook up with Hiseman and Reeves in Colosseum, whose jazz and progressive rock leaning suited his style, being influenced by the likes of Count Basie and Duke Ellington, and later, Bill Evans, Dave Brubeck and Joe Zawinul. Greenslade would remain a constant member of Colosseum until 2015.
He joined the prog jazz group If in 1972, who featured future Foreigner drummer Dennis Elliott, but did not feature on any album, and formed his own band, Greenslade, later that year, initially with Reeves on bass, drummer Andrew McCulloch, who'd featured on King Crimson's Lizard and secind keyboardist Dave Lawson. The band recorded four albums, Greenslade and Bedside Manners Are Extra in 1973, both featuring Roger Dean's striking artwork, Spyglass Guest, which reached No. 34 in the UK album charts in 1974 and Time And Tide in 1975, before disbanding in early 1976.
He released his debut solo album, Cactus Choir, in 1976, again featuring Dean's artwork and followed it with the elaborate The Pentateuch Of The Cosmogony in 1979, a project with the artist Patrick Woodroffe (a double album housed in a hardback book).
Greesnalde worked in television and remained out of the public eye in the 80s, composing music for series like Gangsters and A Very Peculiar Practice, but working with the late fantasy author Terry Pratchett on 1994's From The Discworld release brought him back into public focus.
He reunited with Colosseum in 1994 and was reunited with former Greenslade bandmates at a surprise 50th birthday party. A line-up of Greenslade, Reeves and John Young recorded the album Large Afternoon in 2000, although it wasn't released until 2002. The band toured in 2001 with drummer John Trotter. Greenslade would tour with Colosseum again in 2015 but was not part of the band's 2020 reunion.
He released his final solo album, Routes/Roots in 2011 and formed the duo G&T with former Blonde On Blonde guitarist David Thomas, with whom he released the self-titled G&T in 2022.
“I’m lucky to have had a chance to form a band with those guys," Greenslade told Prog of Greenslade the band in 2018. We made a great combination. And it was a most unusual band at the time – no guitar and two keyboard players.”
