Chris Batchelor, born April 9, 1962, in the United Kingdom, is a jazz trumpeter and composer of modern jazz. At 17, he joined Dudu Pukwana's Zila, suggested by Harry Beckett. In 1984, Batchelor became a founding member of Loose Tubes, contributing to their repertoire until 1990. He also performed with world music trailblazers 3 Mustaphas 3 and various artists, including Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath. As a sideman, he collaborated with international stars such as Michael Brecker and Sam Rivers. Batchelor had a long-term partnership with altoist Steve Buckley in bands like Orchestra Rafiki and Big Air, winning a BBC Jazz Award for Best New Work in 2001. Their album Big Air was released in 2008. In November 2009, Batchelor received the Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award for Composers. Notable releases include The Whole & The Half (1995) and Pigfoot Shuffle (2019).
