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 BIOGRAPHY |
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SHORT BIOGRAPHY
Pianist and composer Andrea Vicari
was born in Miami (Florida) and grew up in Birmingham (England).
Educated at Cardiff University she won a scholarship to study
at The Guildhall School of Music in London. Andrea was soon
in demand as a 'side-man" working with bass guitar legend,
Dill Katz in a band that included the then unknown guitarist
Phil Robson. Soon after she formed her first important group
with Julian Argüelles on saxophone & Stuart Hall, then
of Django Bates' "Human Chain", on bass. Other employers
included GRP recording artist, Phil Bent; jazz warrior David-Jean
Baptiste with whom she recorded her first commercially released
CD; and the all-women band "Birds" led by Kathy Stobart.
She played a successful season at London's sadly defunct jazz
club "The Bass Clef" with the late great American
saxophone innovator, Eddie Harris, broadcasting live on JazzFM
radio; and gigged with the US trumpet legend Art Farmer.
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CURRENT
Andrea has to date five albums in her own name and has contributed to others such as ‘Round Trip’ and “East and West’ with Jazz Extempore plus ‘The Vortex Foundation Big Band’.
A prolific composer, she has been commissioned by the Arts Council, the BBC, Jazz Umbrella, the Peter Whittingham trust, Lyth Arts (Scotland); and completed a setting of the poetry of A.E Housman for the Ludlow festival, released on the CD New Perspectives. Other projects include The Leasowes Bank festival ; ‘Women in Jazz project’ held at the ‘Hideaway Jazz Club’ during the London jazz festival; Scoring the Chet Baker “Speedball” musical and co-composing a new musical "The Austerity Playbook" - currently in development.
Andrea is also a well known and respected jazz educator holding a senior lecturer post at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of music and dance (jazz) and was short-listed for a Parliamentary Jazz Award in the Education category. She is musical director and founder of the highly successful ‘Dordogne International Jazz Summer School’ and was a judge on the ‘Nottingham International jazz piano competition’ and the UNISA international Piano competition in South Africa ( 2016). Andrea has been an external examiner for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music; The Guildhall School of Music; Royal Welsh Conservatoire of Music; and Leeds College of Music. She sit's on the Peter Whittingham awards panel; the National Youth Jazz Orchestra auditions panel; and has written a book "A-Rhythm-ATik" of intermediate piano pieces designed to encourage adults and older teenagers to continue playing the piano for fun if they are discouraged by endless exams.
Recently she has recorded a charity single at the world famous Abbey Road studios in London for International Womens day entitled "Twenty First Century Woman"; Performed new compositions for Jazz Liburnia in Croatia alongside Yazz Ahmed; Rosa Brunello and Alba Nacinovitch; and is working with XL records breakout star Lapsley.
Andrea was a feature artist at Ronnie Scott's International Piano festival and is performing with South african Trumpet Star Claude Deppa. Recent appearences include Swanage Jazz Festival; Malborough Jazz Festival; Greenwich Festival; Teignmouth Jazz Festival; The International Refugee day festival and in China at the prestigious 3rd Maritime Silk Road Art Festival 2017 where she was the only UK artist to feature. The BBC recently broadcast the recording of Andrea for a live album with Claude Deppa at the Ipswich Jazz Festival.
"one of the most brilliant young jazz
musicians in the UK - an outstanding pianist and superbly
fertile composer"
Penguin Rough Guide to Jazz
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HISTORICAL
In 1994 Andrea was commissioned by The Arts
Council and the Peter Whittingham Trust to write music for
a new eleven piece jazz orchestra which became the Suburban
Gorillas project. A CD and Jazz Services tour followed
including a triumphant appearence at Brecon Jazz Festival
and a live BBC broadcast from the Newcastle Playhouse.
"This
is one of the most impressive recording debuts to come from
the recent crop of young British jazz musicians. The writing
and playing are superlatively assured, and the music covers
a vast spectrum, from the elegiac "Awakenings",
to the African-inspired "Maibouye", the brittle
satire of "Pin Stripe Woman", and the tour de force
of "L'Orchestre des Fous", a ten minute outing in
5/4 time which swings beautifully"
IAN CARR (Miles Davis and
Keith Jarrett biographer) talking about Suburban Gorillas.
| Rapidly
gaining a reputation as a prolific and original composer
she followed up with a quintet CD "Lunar
Spell", featuring Mornington
Lockett (then of Jim Mullen, and Ronnie Scott's
groups) on tenor sax, and Phil
Robson (Partisans) playing guitar. The music again
consisted entirely of Vicari originals.
"As her previous
CD showed, Andrea Vicari is a composer of formidable
range. She moves easily from complex ear-tricking rhythmic
devices to a kind of pastoral lyricism while remaining
recognisably herself...the variety of texture and colour
(the band) are able to draw from this standard line-up
is truly remarkable"
DAVE GELLY (broadcaster,
"Observer" Jazz critic & Stan Getz biographer)
writing about "Lunar Spell". |
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In
2004 Andrea decided to explore the piano trio tradition with
the release of "Tryptych". Featuring
long time collaborator Dorian Lockett on double bass, the
drum chair is taken by Sebastian Rochford, recently winner
of the BBC jazz Award in the "rising star" category
for his work with "Acoustic Ladyland' and his own group
"Polar Bear". For the first time Andrea recorded
some arrangements of standard songs alongside her "atmospheric
and original"(Time Out)
Andrea also returned to the large
ensemble in 2004 performing and recording with "The
Vortex Foundation Big Band", an all women jazz orchestra
led by Annie Whitehead with a line-up including Deirdre Cartwright
and Carol Grimes. Their CD "Charybdis" was released
on Babel Records.
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Since
arriving in London Andrea Vicari
has worked with the cream of the UK jazz scene including:
Alan Barnes, Denys Baptiste, Don Weller, Dick Pearce,
Tim Whitehead, Tim Garland, Jacqui Dankworth, Dick Pearce,
Benn Clatworthy, Brian Abrahams, Jim Mullen, Alan Skidmore,
Patrick Clahar, Chris Tobin, Bryan Spring, Julian Siegel,
Paul Booth, Martin Drew, Dave O'Higgins, Jason Yarde,
Theo Travis, Trudy Kerr, Nick France etc.
She began teaching when
still at school and her experience and training includes
work with adults and children at all levels of ability.
Currently she holds a position as Professor of Jazz
Piano and senior lecturer at Trinity
College of Music, London; one of Europe's leading
conservatoires and is musical director of the Dordogne Jazz Summer School. |
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PERFORMING AND RECORDING
Twenty First Century Woman (Single)
Special recording for International Women's day 2019 at Abbey Road London
http://www.joannaforbeslestrange.com/twenty-first-century-woman-song
Jazz Ex-Tempore 2018
with Yazz Ahmed - trumpet, Alba Nacinovich - Voice, Rosa Brunello - bass
The Austerity Playbook - Musical 2017 - 19 London dates TBA
MD, Composer and
arranger
A new jazz musical based on ground breaking research by professors Laurence Ferry and Ileanna Steccolini
with the kind support of the Economic and Social Research Council, Newcastle University and Durham University Dende Collective in association with Mark O’Thomas and Andrea Vicari
Elvis Staniç Group 2017
Quanzhou, China, 3rd Maritime Silk Road Art Festival
Elvis Stanic - guitar, Tonci Grabusic- drums; Damjan Grbac - bass
ClaudeDEPPA | ClareHIRST BAND 2017
with Claude Deppa - trumpet, Clare Hirst - saxes ,
Brian Abrahams - drums, Dorian Lockett- bass
(CD Live From Ipswich Jazz Festival in post production)
The House CD 2016
with Trudy Kerr, Martin Hathaway, Geoff Gascoyne (CD "THE HOUSE" JAZZIZZIT records)
The New Mirror Band 2015
with
Mornington Lockett - sax, Elvis Stanic - guitar,
Dorian Lockett - bass, Nic France - drums
(CD The Mirror 33JAZZ255)
Jazz Ex-Tempore Orchestra 2014
with Elvis
Stanic - guitar, Rico
De Jeer - bass, Hristo
Yotsov - drums
Featuring MEDINA MEKTIVA vocals (CD East & West )
JazzAmbassadors
all woman contemporary big band with Tori Freestone / Rachel Musson - sax, Laura Jurd/ Yazz Ahmed - trumpet, Paola Vera – voice, Ellie Smith / Rosie Turton - trombone, Julie Walkington - bass, Sophie Alloway - drums
Jazz Ex-Tempore 2008-13
with Elvis
Stanic - guitar, Rico
De Jeer - bass, Hristo
Yotsov - drums
(CD "ROUND TRIP" Croatia Records CD5861225)
Sister Sadie celebrating the work of Horace Silver .
with Barbara Snow -tpt, Clare Hirst -sax , Julie
Walkington -Bass
The Mirror Band
with
Ingrid Laubrock - sax, Jonathan Bratoeff - guitar, Nic France - drums, Dorian Lockett
- Bass
Andrea Vicari Quintet
with Pete
Wareham - sax, Steve
Waterman - trumpet,
James Maddren - drums, Dorian Lockett - bass (CD "MANGO
TANGO" 33JAZZ163)
CHET
BAKER SPEEDBALL MD, Composer and
arranger
Musical theatre based on the life of trumpeter
and vocalist Chet Baker.
Performances at The Oval Theatre and The 606 Club during
the 2007 London Jazz festival. ChetBakerSpeedball
Andrea Vicari Trio
with Sebastian
Rochford - drums, Dorian Lockett
- bass
( CD "TRYPTYCH"
33Records 33JAZZO99 )
Vortex Foundation Big Band
Carol Grimes - voice, Josefina Cupido - drums, Alison
Rayner - bass , Deirdre Cartwright - guitar Andrea Vicari
- piano & keys, Issie Barratt- baritone sax, Angèle
Veltmeijer - tenor sax & flute, Diane McLoughlin, alto
& soprano saxes, Barbara Snow, trumpet, Kay Charlton,
trumpet
Annie Whitehead, trombone
( CD
"Charybdis" released on BABEL)
Jazz in The Round 2001-2006
House band leader for the south London jazz club. |
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Andrea Vicari Quartet / Quintet,
with (at various times) Pete Wareham, Ingrid Laubrock,
Mornington Lockett, Tim Whitehead , Julian Siegel, Tim Garland,
Julian Argüelles -Saxophone; Phil Robson, Mark Ridout,
John Parricelli -Guitar; Steve Rose, Stuart Hall, Dorian Lockett
-Bass, Scott Vicari, Tristan Mailliot, Simon Pearson, Nick
France, Seb Rochford, Mike Bradley, James Maddren-Drums
(CD “Lunar Spell”
33Records 33026CD)
Clare Hirst Quartet
(with Seb Rochford - drums, Ben Hazleton
- bass )
New Perspectives big band inspired
by poet A E Housmann
with Jacqui Dankworth (CD “New Perspectives”
SpotliteSPJCD559)
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Art Farmer Quartet
(1995)
Suburban Gorillas,
polycultural big-band project.
(CD “Suburban Gorillas”
33Records 33016CD)
David Jean-Baptiste Band, (CD
“ Groove on a Four” BMG)
Philip Bent Group, GRP recording
artist.
Eddie Harris Band, US jazz legend.
Dill
Katz Band, UK electric bass legend.
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| Plus work with: Dick Pearce, Alan Barnes,
Tim Garland, Jim Mullen, Don Weller, Dave O’Higgins,
Tim Whitehead, Denys Baptiste, Mark Nightingale, Christine
Tobin, Alan Skidmore, Ingrid Laubrock, Steve Rubie,
Patrick Clahar, Bryan Spring, Kathy Stobart, Julian Arguëlles,
Dill Katz, Gill Alexander, Toni Kofi, Brian Abrahams,
Julian Siegel, Martin Drew, Mark Lockheart, Clare Hirst,
Jason Yarde, Paul Booth, Lee Gibson, John Paracelli, Ed
Jones, Theo Travis, Phil Robson, Dave Gelly, Phil
Lee etc. |
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| JAZZ
EDUCATOR |
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2018 - NYJO ambassadors - nationwide Jazz outreach education project
2017 - A-Rhythm-a-tic - Published book of works specilaly designed for older learners with innovative online lessons
2016 - Adjudicator UNISA International jazz piano competition, South Africa
2014 - Adjudicator Nottingham International Jazz Piano Competition
2001 - Present. Founder & Musical Director Dordogne
Jazz Summer School
2000 - Present Professor of Jazz Piano Trinity
Laban Consevatoire, London.
1990 - Present Head of Jazz piano; Pimlico Academy, London.
1998 -’05 Piano tutor Essex Jazz Summer School.
(adult)
1997 -’15 Member of Jazz
Services education advisory panel.
1995 -’03 Head of Jazz education at James Allen’s
Girls School, London.
2000 - '02 Arranger, Jazz Examination set pieces Associated
Board of RSM.
1999 -’02 Visiting Examiner in Jazz Piano, Associated
Board of RSM
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