The Jazz Ambassadors Quintet all woman contemporary jazz ensemble
A group featuring originals and original arrangements of standards, showcasing some of the UK’s best musicians.
Andrea Vicari leads this combo and this latest project is one of many groups she is involved in. Andrea was a feature artist at Ronnie Scott's International Piano festival and is performing with South African Trumpet Star Claude Deppa whilst continuing to work with YazzAhmed, JazzExtempore and many others. 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 , 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.
"..stimulating original compositions..
Vicari .... delivered a dazzling solo that was variously reminiscent of both Joe Zawinul and Django Bates.
The Jazz Mann
Paola Vera | Voice singer/songwriter/pianist who has been described as a ‘Jazz chick with hits’ (Richard Niles) and a ‘truly gifted improviser’ (Pete Churchill). Paola’s music blends her passion for jazz with a modern edge; a fresh take on groove, which she infuses into her own song writing and a new slant on old songs. She sites many influences including Stevie Wonder, Jill Scott, James Taylor, Nat King Cole. Paola first started singing and playing the piano at the age of 13, later going on to continue her musical education at Trinity College of Music and The Royal Academy of Music after receiving the Elton John Scholarship in London. . She has since gone on to receive several awards as a singer and accompanist, including winning 2nd place in the Jazz Voices International competition in Lithuania . She has performed with many greats of the jazz scene, Kenny Wheeler, Jim Mullen, Bobby Mcferrin and many more.
“sings with dark and subtle tones” Jazzwise Magazine
Emma Rawicz | saxes saxophonist, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and composer with a passion for jazz in all its forms. She has been writing her own original music since the age of eight, and in more recent years has performed her original compositions in a number of situations, including playing at the 2019 EFG London Jazz Festival and headlining Ronnie Scott's club in one of it's first post-lockdown gigs where she previewed her soon-to-be-released debut album. Emma was a semifinalist in the 2020 BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year Award competition and is currently studying at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
“UK Jazz Musician you don’t want to miss” Readers Digest
Amy Baldwin | Doublebass has played with some great women musicians including Lianne Carroll, Anita Wardell, Tina May, Imogen Heap and Chrissy Lee. She's graced the stage of fabulous venues including Ronnie Scotts, Vortex, Cadogan Hall, Buckingham Palace and the Royal Albert Hall. Amy also played bass for Heels of Glory: The Drag Action Musical, co-written by All Girl Swing Band leader Tricity Vogue. Over the last year she's played for the Ruben Kaye Show at Soho Theatre, Marcel Lucont's Cabaret Fantastique, and Jonny Woo's Un-Royal Variety Show. She's looking forward to an upcoming tour with her trio ‘Kaiyo 3’ featuring Jon Scott and Simon Purcell.
Sophie Alloway | Drums is one of the most in demand drummers in the UK. She has toured the UK, Australia and New Zealand with Roots Manuva. As well as performing on Later With Jools Holland, Mercury Music Prize, BBC Introducing, and playing festivals such as Glastonbury and Bestival. She has also toured with the Michael Jackson musical'Thriller'. Recording sessions for Roots Manuva, Hazel O'Connor, Paula Rae Gibson, Wagga Man/Theo Gordon (producer), John Hogg, Lei-An, as well as numerous gigs/recordings as a jazz drummer including with Stan Sulzman and Mornington Lockett.
New Jazz
Ex-Temporé international jazz ensemble
Andrea Vicari - piano/keyboards
"a considerable compositional and bandleading talent". The Times
Yazz Ahmed - trumpet/electronics
“Ahmed has a true tone and spins long lines over complex, self-penned structures.” The Financial Times
Rosa Brunello - double bass
"..a good bass player with a good sense of rhythm and harmony. She is also a good composer" Lionel Loueke , musician
Clare HIRST | Claude DEPPA Band featuring Andrea Vicari
The Deppa Hirst Band has performed at Marlborough Jazz Festival and is booked to appear at the Ipswich Jazz Festival in June in a concert to be recorded by the BBC; and the Swanage Jazz Festival in July. The music is a mixture of Claude and Clare's eclectic compositions with influences from Township Jive to Brazilian Samba and Jamaican Reggae. This highly danceable and uplifting band features internationally acclaimed master-drummer Brian Abrahams from South Africa. Completing the lineup is pianist; composer and broadcaster Andrea Vicari and multibassist Dorian Lockett, here on electric bass.
CLAUDE DEPPA – TRUMPET
At the forefront of the African jazz music scene is South African born trumpeter and composer Claude Deppa. His music, dizzyingly eclectic, incorporates African, world, Afro-Cuban, jazz, improvised, soul, funk and European chamber music, all of which he plays with a brilliant and pungent sound. Deppa has performed with a rich array of contemporary international jazz talent, including Dewey Redman, Art Blakey, Carla Bley, Miriam Makeba, Archie Shepp, Courtney Pine,Brotherhood Of Breath, Andy Sheppard, District Six, Harry Beckett, The Grand Union Orchestra, Billy Jenkins, Louis Moholo, Evan Parker, Dudu Pukwana, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, and Steve Williamson
CLARE HIRST – SAXOPHONES
Clare has played live and on recordings with artists such as David Bowie, The Communards, Mica Paris, The Bellestars and Maxi Priest, she spent some time working with Mervyn Africa before embarking on a solo career based around her Quartet. Since then she has played with many of the country’s finest jazz musicians including Tony Kofi, Art Themen, David Newton, Alan Barnes, ClareTeal, Mark Nightingale, Byron Wallen, Don Weller, Jim Mullen and Dick Pearce. She has performed concerts in USA, Japan, Hong Kong and extensively in Europe including many TV performances. Her performance with David Bowie on Live-Aid can be seen on the Live-Aid DVD
DORIAN LOCKETT – BASS
studied at the Guildhall School of Music before playing with the likes of Denys Baptiste, Alan Barnes, John Horler, Dave O'Higgins, Phil Robson,Simon Spillett, Dick Pearce, Don Weller, Chris Tobin, Tim Whitehead, Tim Garland etc. Most recently he recorded albums with 80s punk legend Hazel O'Connor and has performed in Europe with DotTime Records artist Paola Vera, and Spanish harmonica virtuoso Antonio Serrano.
BRIAN ABRAHAMS– DRUMS
Brian Abrahams is an internationally renowned drum master who has played with Abdullah Ebrahim, Howard Johnson, Robin Eubanks , Buster Williams, Delfayo Marsalis, Craig Handy, Dewey Redman, Jim Pepper, Sonny Fortune, Arthur Blythe, GaryBartze, Jimmy Witherspoon, David Murray, Don Cherry etc. The list is far to long to mention.
ANDREA VICARI - PIANO and KEYBOARDS
Claude Deppa – Trumpet, Clare Hirst – Saxophones, Andrea Vicari – Piano, Dorian Lockett – Bass, Jordan Hadfield – Drums
The Mirror Band international jazz ensemble
After the UK-wide success of their JazzExtemporeUK project Andrea Vicari (piano, UK) and Elvis Stanic (guitar, Croatia) have teamed up together again to produce a new album.
Elvis Staniç - As a jazz graduate of Berklee school of music, Elvis Stanic has worked both in the UK and Croatia gaining several awards in his musical journey. Most recently Elvis has toured with Jazz Extempore and played at the 2014 Scarborough jazz festival and various venues in the UK. He has performed at several major jazz festivals in Europe including Montreaux and has performed with such musicians as Django Bates and The National Croatian Radio-Television Big Band.
http://www.elvis-stanic.hr
Mornington Lockett - One of the most technically accomplished saxophonists on the London jazz scene, Mornington has played with the Ronnie Scott band, Martin Drew’s ‘The New Couriers’ and Stan Tracey’s band. He has also recorded and played with US organ legend Jimmy Smith, Jack de Johnette, Neils HO Pederson, Arturo Sandoval, Jim Mullen, Claire Martin, Ian Shaw, Sarah Jane Morris and US bass guitarist Joe Hubbard.
"One of the most accomplished contemporary improvisers ...with a fearsome technique and an advanced harmonic approach " Time Out
Andrea Vicari - piano
Elvis Staniç - guitar
Mornington Lockett - saxes
Dorian Lockett - double and Electric basses
Nic France - drums
Andrea Vicari is currently promoting the new CD 'The Mirror' with
a series of performances by the band featuring Mornington Lockett on Saxes; Elvis Stanic, guitar;
Dorian Lockett on double bass; plus brilliant session drummer, Nic France.
To book this band, or Andrea's other ensembles email:-
The ‘Mirror’ is a suite of music initially commissioned from Andrea Vicari by ‘Leasowes festival’ 2007 in Shropshire and now recorded with Mornington Lockett on sax, Dorian Lockett on bass and Nic France on drums. The music is all Andrea Vicari original compositions based on varied styles and grooves from Flamenco to South African rhythms; whilst showcasing the extraordinary improvisational skills of virtuosos Mornington Lockett (sax) and Elvis Stanic (guitar) - as well as her own piano playing described by JazzUK magazine as " a constant delight - intense, probing, and generating a seemingly endless succession of ideas”
Tours dates include "The Vortex", North London; Birmingham Jazz at Symphony hall, Way Out West, Richmond; Shrewsbury Jazz Network; The Karamel Klub; Stratford Jazz (upon Avon); Fleet Jazz; The Oval Tavern Croydon.
