Famous for his role as the keyboard player in rock band Genesis and as a solo artist, Tony Banks was always fascinated by the idea of writing orchestral music. His success in composing for films led to the acclaimed Seven – A Suite for Orchestra. The intense orchestral sound pictures in Seven, Six and Five rank among some of Banks’s most accomplished recordings, marrying experimentation with form and structure, and a trademark melodic character which powerfully conveys both melancholy and joy.

Tony Banks is a founding member of Genesis along with fellow Charterhouse pupils Mike Rutherford, Peter Gabriel and Anthony Phillips. After a few incarnations the band evolved further with the introduction of Phil Collins and Steve Hackett, replacing Phillips. Genesis became one of the major exponents of progressive rock music in the early Seventies. In 1975 Peter Gabriel left the band to pursue a solo career and Phil Collins replaced Gabriel as lead vocalist. Genesis went on to become one of the most commercially successful bands of the Eighties and Nineties with albums such as Duke and We Can’t Dance. Tony Banks has pioneered many unique keyboard and synthesiser sounds throughout his career. Music historian Wayne Studer referred to him as ‘the most tasteful keyboardist of prog rock’.

These recordings have always been prized for their eloquent and stylish orchestrations and opulent performances from world-class soloists including Tony Banks himself playing piano and celeste in Five, alongside the renowned musicians of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and Czech National Symphony Orchestra.

MusicWeb International accurately predicted that ‘fans of Tony Banks will be queuing to buy the album’ Seven (8557466), and the same was true of Six (8572986), which is ‘full of openhearted melody and glamorous orchestration’ (American Record Guide). Seven (8557466), was considered ‘a work of stirring beauty’ by ProgSheet, with Gramophone admiring Banks’s ‘genuine melodic gift’.