SongVault Artist Profile

Chris Ball is an independent composer and multi-instrumentalist living in
Colorado. His music is used daily by Harpo Productions for the most
popular day time television talk show in America and also used in the
prime time specials Harpo produces. Starting in January 2008, several of
Chris' contemporary jazz songs from the CD, "Monterey ", began to air
daily on The Weather Channel. He also writes for “Original Source Music”
and other music libraries, supplying music for the film and television
industry.

Chris began writing music as a teenager, playing in bands through his
mid twenties, but got his first real "break" as a writer when he started
composing music for a small production/record company in the 1990's. In
1999, Chris had a hit on children's radio on the "Play It Cool Records" CD
"Jungle Jazz Joint Jam", an award winning music for children CD series. In
2002 he released a straight ahead jazz CD (Sonal Anu,“Sleep Drum”) to
critical acclaim and his composition “Little Web” from the CD received an
Honorable Mention in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest.

In 2003 Chris joined Atlantic Records platinum group “Firefall”, best
known for their late 70's hits ”You Are The Woman”, ”Just Remember I
Love You”, “Strange Way” and "Cinderella". He has toured extensively with
Firefall, traveling throughout the US and into Canada and Japan, playing
sax, flute and keyboards. Over the years, Chris has also been hired as a
session musician for dozens of recordings ranging in style from rock to
jazz, new age and Celtic music to worship music. He has worked as a
professional arranger, composer, co-producer and vocalist and has been
a band leader and music director.

After spending several years focused more on his craft as a studio and live
musician, Chris began to refocus on his writing career in 2005. He quickly
landed Harpo Productions as his first major client, supplying the television
giant with music in a wide variety of styles. What has followed has been a
whirlwind of successes, establishing himself not only as a prolific writer,
but as a deeply emotional one.

In 2008, Chris released his debut smooth jazz CD, "Monterey". Over the
years, he has worked in many different musical styles, but one form of
music has always been the center of who he is as a writer and performer -
contemporary jazz. With the release of "Monterey" we finally get to
experience this writer and performer in his own element.

As a musician, Chris is a true multi-instrumentalist, playing saxophones,
various other woodwinds, keyboards and guitars. As a writer, his range of
compositional style is broad, including television credits for orchestral
pieces, funk, rock, Americana, ethnic and world beat music, inspirational
music, new-age music, drama, suspense, action and more. Regardless
of the style, the constant is his professionalism in his writing and in his
approach to job at hand. It is these characteristics that have brought Chris
the success he has achieved thus far. And it is these characteristics that
will take him even further.