Post by isaacs on Sept 1, 2006 14:08:03 GMT 10
Media Release August 2006
AUSTRALIA’S BEST JAZZ ARTISTS TO JAM AT FREE CONCERTS
Multi-Grammy Award winner Al Jarreau awarded the prestigious 2006 Shure Montreux Jazz Voice Competition in Switzerland to Kristin Berardi, who will give a free performance with Mark Isaacs at the Powerhouse in September.
National Jazz Award winner Elana Stone and James Morrison Vocal Scholarship winner Megan Washington will also perform with Isaacs at the Cool Nights Hot Jazz Young Lionesses concert series from Friday 22 to Sunday 24 September 2006.
Fresh from his recent Los Angeles CD recording, Cool Nights Hot Jazz Curator Mark Isaacs says the new Young Lionesses series was inspired by an impromptu performance at the last festival and will showcase Australia’s leading female jazz talent.
“At the last festival I was itching to play, and ended up giving an impromptu performance with Megan Washington in the Spark Bar; the audience gave their seal of approval and I was inspired to create the Young Lionesses series,” Mark said.
“This is my opportunity to play for three absolutely gorgeous, incredibly different female vocalists, and will be a chance for audiences to relax, enjoy the vibe and experience some of the best female vocalists in Australia,” he said.
“The concerts will be especially unique because there is no time to rehearse, which means the performances will be mostly improvised jam sessions in the true jazz spirit,” he said.
Hailing from regional Queensland, 25-year-old Kristin Berardi launched onto the jazz scene when she won the 2006 Shure Montreux Jazz Voice Competition at the 40th Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, one of the world’s biggest jazz festivals.
Multi Grammy award winner Al Jarreau headed a panel that selected Berardi from 70 applicants under age 30.
A favourite at the Wangaratta Jazz Festival, Elana Stone has performed with the likes of The Cat Empire, James Muller and Dan Barnett.
Brisbane’s Megan Washington is a National Jazz Award finalist who has attracted praise from James Morrison and Tony Gould.
The acclaimed female artists will each perform with the Mark Isaacs Trio, which, on this occasion, includes prominent Brisbane artists.
Audiences will also enjoy free performances by internationally acclaimed guitarist Michael Knopf and the highly renowned James Sherlock Trio.
For the first time an official jam session will close the festival, giving professional Brisbane musicians the rare opportunity to play with members from the 17-piece Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra.
Cool Nights Hot Jazz boasts a range of local, national and international talent including Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra with Florian Ross, Mike Nock Trio and the Japan-Australia Jazz Orchestra.
ENDS-
Date Fri 22 Sep – Sun 24 Sep 2006
Tickets Free
Venue Spark Bar
More info 07 3358 8600 or www.brisbanepowerhouse.org
BIOGRAPHY – JAMES SHERLOCK
James began playing classical guitar at age 7. He attended the QLD Conservatorium of Music, studying classical guitar and graduated in 1992. James moved to Melbourne in 93' and is currently based in Brisbane.
James was the winner of the Ike Isaacs International Jazz Guitar Award (1997) and a finalist in the Wangaratta Jazz Award 2000. He has worked with a variety of bands and soloists, including Barney McAll, Scott Tinkler, Dale Barlow, Sheila Jordan,Bernie McGann, Ingrid Jensen, Steve Newcomb, Joe Chindamo, Allan Browne, Jim Kelly and Doug DeVries.
As well as playing or recording with such diverse artists as British guitar virtuoso Martin Taylor, Joe Camilleri, Malcolm McNeill, The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, The Queensland Orchestra & New York film composer Howard Shore.
The James Sherlock Trio is featured in the ABC TV Jazz Series "The Pulse". James is currently teaching guitar at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Queensland University of Technology and the Northern Rivers Conservatorium.
BIOGRAPHY – MEGAN WASHINGTON
www.meganwashington.com
FINALIST – NATIONAL JAZZ AWARDS – 2005
Winner of the James Morrison Generations in Jazz Vocal Scholarship 2004
It’s very easy to assume that Megan Washington is several things that she’s not. Older, for one. Having just turned twenty she has certainly made a splash in the Australian jazz music scene. And because she is primarily hailed as a jazz singer, it’s also easy to assume she possesses the ‘diva-like’ personality of many of those with the same title.
Diva she is not. Often gracing the stage in jeans and sneakers, and covering jazz standards using funky beats and hip-hop horn lines, she scats and growls her way through tunes like any horn player, soloing with individuality and imagination. Soon after, she’ll grab your heart with haunting Billie Holiday-esque songs of tragedy, sadness or love.
She’s fun, quirky, sensitive and musically adventurous.
Gigging, arranging and performing at festivals such as the Wangaratta Jazz Festival, Woodford Folk Festival and Ambiwerra, or sharing the stage (and some laughs) with international jazz greats like James Morrison, she is also studying at the QLD Conservatorium of Music, majoring in contemporary voice.
“Megan has that indefinable quality that lets you know she’s a real jazz singer. It’s not just that she swings, it’s the way she takes a song and makes it her own that really sets her apart. “ James Morrison
“I recently had the great pleasure of listening to, and performing with Megan Washington. She has an uncommonly beautiful voice and a sensitivity to her art which suggests a great future in music…I suspect we will hear wonderful things from her”. Tony Gould
BIOGRAPHY – MICHAEL KNOPF
Guitarist/composer Michael Knopf performs on a 7- string classical guitar made by Brisbane Luthier Allan Bull. Playing classical repertoire, jazz standards, and evocative and mind-stretching originals, he aims to perform at the highest level combining elements from his eclectic guitar-playing career spanning 40 years. Elements of jazz, rock, classical, flamenco, Middle-Eastern and 20th-century compositional ideas present themselves in his playing.
Michael’s informed performance style draws on his sojourns into many musical genres. His early years saw him performing popular music publicly at the age of 12. His favourite bands were in the rock field and names such as Jimi Hendrix, Steppenwolf, Uriah Heep, Deep Purple and Yes were all early influences. Then, in high school he had his first encounter with Jazz and his ensemble conductor loaned him an album of Wes Montgomery, the legendary guitarist. Michael then studied Jazz and Contemporary Art Music formally at university and taught himself the classical guitar. A friend turned him on to Paco de Lucia, perhaps the 20th century’s most influential flamenco guitarist and innovator. All these influences come to bear in his playing style sometimes subtly, sometimes prominently. He is also attracted to Eastern music and plays the Persian setar.
He will also be performing and recording in 2007 with his crossover contemporary ensemble Centauri . This group possesses a unique ensemble sound with recognizable elements drawn from the Jazz, Classical & Flamenco disciplines as well as stylistic approaches from diverse Eastern sources. The poetic and fiery nature of Michael’s classical/jazz guitar playing is complimented by Giles Smith’s six-string fretless bass and the wide range of percussion instruments under the hands of Giuseppe Vizzone, all of which, with Craig Hanicek’s soaring saxophones, create a vibrant and unforgettable musical journey. Craig and Michael are also performing as a duo with new originals and newly vamnped standards
Michael is an active composer dedicated to unfolding an original repertoire for the guitar both solo and in ensemble. Currently, he is planning several sets of multi-styled classical guitar works entitles ‘Eclectic Fantasies’, and two guitar concertos, one with orchestra and the other a chamber concerto. In past years Michael has specialised in composing music for cello and has many new works available.
His newest recording is ‘Solo” which features his multi-styled playing in both originals and jazz standards.
BIOGRAPHY – ELANA STONE Vocalist/Pianist
Elana began her musical training from an early age and was accepted into the prestigious Newtown School of Performing Arts.
In 2002, Elana completed her Bachelor of Music, majoring in Jazz at the Australian National University.
Her enduring commitment to music has allowed her to perform with some of the greatest musicians in Australia, including James Muller, Dan Barnett, and The Cat Empire.
Beyond her ability, cultivated with zeal for the majority of her life, it’s her sense of humour and her open spirit that make Elana a magnetic performer and ideal band leader.
BIOGRAPHY – KRISTIN BERARDI
Australian jazz vocalist and composer Kristin Berardi was announced winner of the on July 4th.
This humble young woman born in Koulama Far North Queensland touched the hearts of jurists presided over by multi Grammy award winner Al Jarreau with her relaxed approach, unique voice and excellent compositions.
Backed by Jarreau’s band featuring pianist Larry Williams, bassist Chris Walker, drummer Mark Simmons, guitarist Ross Bolton and saxophonist Joe Turano, the talented Kristin Berardi sealed 1st place with a stunning performance of her arresting original composition “The Last Time”, plus renditions of the classic Sigman/Bonfa composition “A Day in the Life of a Fool” and the set competition piece “What’s New” by Johnny Burke and Bob Haggart.
From seventy applicants under the age of thirty vying for this prestigious award eight finalists (including three Australians – 25 yr old Kristin, Kate Fuller 22yrs and Jasmine Nelson 23yrs) were chosen by the Montreux-Vevey-Riviera Conservatory of Music and School of Jazz. The final three competitors were Kristin plus USA citizen Jean Rohe (2nd place) and Norweigan Harald Baumgartner (3rd Place).
For her win Kristin receives 5,000 Swiss Francs, a wireless Shure microphone system worth $3,000, a performance and masterclass at the 2007 International Association of Jazz Educators Conference in New York plus a performance at the 2007 Monteruex Jazz Festival next July.
AUSTRALIA’S BEST JAZZ ARTISTS TO JAM AT FREE CONCERTS
Multi-Grammy Award winner Al Jarreau awarded the prestigious 2006 Shure Montreux Jazz Voice Competition in Switzerland to Kristin Berardi, who will give a free performance with Mark Isaacs at the Powerhouse in September.
National Jazz Award winner Elana Stone and James Morrison Vocal Scholarship winner Megan Washington will also perform with Isaacs at the Cool Nights Hot Jazz Young Lionesses concert series from Friday 22 to Sunday 24 September 2006.
Fresh from his recent Los Angeles CD recording, Cool Nights Hot Jazz Curator Mark Isaacs says the new Young Lionesses series was inspired by an impromptu performance at the last festival and will showcase Australia’s leading female jazz talent.
“At the last festival I was itching to play, and ended up giving an impromptu performance with Megan Washington in the Spark Bar; the audience gave their seal of approval and I was inspired to create the Young Lionesses series,” Mark said.
“This is my opportunity to play for three absolutely gorgeous, incredibly different female vocalists, and will be a chance for audiences to relax, enjoy the vibe and experience some of the best female vocalists in Australia,” he said.
“The concerts will be especially unique because there is no time to rehearse, which means the performances will be mostly improvised jam sessions in the true jazz spirit,” he said.
Hailing from regional Queensland, 25-year-old Kristin Berardi launched onto the jazz scene when she won the 2006 Shure Montreux Jazz Voice Competition at the 40th Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, one of the world’s biggest jazz festivals.
Multi Grammy award winner Al Jarreau headed a panel that selected Berardi from 70 applicants under age 30.
A favourite at the Wangaratta Jazz Festival, Elana Stone has performed with the likes of The Cat Empire, James Muller and Dan Barnett.
Brisbane’s Megan Washington is a National Jazz Award finalist who has attracted praise from James Morrison and Tony Gould.
The acclaimed female artists will each perform with the Mark Isaacs Trio, which, on this occasion, includes prominent Brisbane artists.
Audiences will also enjoy free performances by internationally acclaimed guitarist Michael Knopf and the highly renowned James Sherlock Trio.
For the first time an official jam session will close the festival, giving professional Brisbane musicians the rare opportunity to play with members from the 17-piece Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra.
Cool Nights Hot Jazz boasts a range of local, national and international talent including Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra with Florian Ross, Mike Nock Trio and the Japan-Australia Jazz Orchestra.
ENDS-
Date Fri 22 Sep – Sun 24 Sep 2006
Tickets Free
Venue Spark Bar
More info 07 3358 8600 or www.brisbanepowerhouse.org
BIOGRAPHY – JAMES SHERLOCK
James began playing classical guitar at age 7. He attended the QLD Conservatorium of Music, studying classical guitar and graduated in 1992. James moved to Melbourne in 93' and is currently based in Brisbane.
James was the winner of the Ike Isaacs International Jazz Guitar Award (1997) and a finalist in the Wangaratta Jazz Award 2000. He has worked with a variety of bands and soloists, including Barney McAll, Scott Tinkler, Dale Barlow, Sheila Jordan,Bernie McGann, Ingrid Jensen, Steve Newcomb, Joe Chindamo, Allan Browne, Jim Kelly and Doug DeVries.
As well as playing or recording with such diverse artists as British guitar virtuoso Martin Taylor, Joe Camilleri, Malcolm McNeill, The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, The Queensland Orchestra & New York film composer Howard Shore.
The James Sherlock Trio is featured in the ABC TV Jazz Series "The Pulse". James is currently teaching guitar at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Queensland University of Technology and the Northern Rivers Conservatorium.
BIOGRAPHY – MEGAN WASHINGTON
www.meganwashington.com
FINALIST – NATIONAL JAZZ AWARDS – 2005
Winner of the James Morrison Generations in Jazz Vocal Scholarship 2004
It’s very easy to assume that Megan Washington is several things that she’s not. Older, for one. Having just turned twenty she has certainly made a splash in the Australian jazz music scene. And because she is primarily hailed as a jazz singer, it’s also easy to assume she possesses the ‘diva-like’ personality of many of those with the same title.
Diva she is not. Often gracing the stage in jeans and sneakers, and covering jazz standards using funky beats and hip-hop horn lines, she scats and growls her way through tunes like any horn player, soloing with individuality and imagination. Soon after, she’ll grab your heart with haunting Billie Holiday-esque songs of tragedy, sadness or love.
She’s fun, quirky, sensitive and musically adventurous.
Gigging, arranging and performing at festivals such as the Wangaratta Jazz Festival, Woodford Folk Festival and Ambiwerra, or sharing the stage (and some laughs) with international jazz greats like James Morrison, she is also studying at the QLD Conservatorium of Music, majoring in contemporary voice.
“Megan has that indefinable quality that lets you know she’s a real jazz singer. It’s not just that she swings, it’s the way she takes a song and makes it her own that really sets her apart. “ James Morrison
“I recently had the great pleasure of listening to, and performing with Megan Washington. She has an uncommonly beautiful voice and a sensitivity to her art which suggests a great future in music…I suspect we will hear wonderful things from her”. Tony Gould
BIOGRAPHY – MICHAEL KNOPF
Guitarist/composer Michael Knopf performs on a 7- string classical guitar made by Brisbane Luthier Allan Bull. Playing classical repertoire, jazz standards, and evocative and mind-stretching originals, he aims to perform at the highest level combining elements from his eclectic guitar-playing career spanning 40 years. Elements of jazz, rock, classical, flamenco, Middle-Eastern and 20th-century compositional ideas present themselves in his playing.
Michael’s informed performance style draws on his sojourns into many musical genres. His early years saw him performing popular music publicly at the age of 12. His favourite bands were in the rock field and names such as Jimi Hendrix, Steppenwolf, Uriah Heep, Deep Purple and Yes were all early influences. Then, in high school he had his first encounter with Jazz and his ensemble conductor loaned him an album of Wes Montgomery, the legendary guitarist. Michael then studied Jazz and Contemporary Art Music formally at university and taught himself the classical guitar. A friend turned him on to Paco de Lucia, perhaps the 20th century’s most influential flamenco guitarist and innovator. All these influences come to bear in his playing style sometimes subtly, sometimes prominently. He is also attracted to Eastern music and plays the Persian setar.
He will also be performing and recording in 2007 with his crossover contemporary ensemble Centauri . This group possesses a unique ensemble sound with recognizable elements drawn from the Jazz, Classical & Flamenco disciplines as well as stylistic approaches from diverse Eastern sources. The poetic and fiery nature of Michael’s classical/jazz guitar playing is complimented by Giles Smith’s six-string fretless bass and the wide range of percussion instruments under the hands of Giuseppe Vizzone, all of which, with Craig Hanicek’s soaring saxophones, create a vibrant and unforgettable musical journey. Craig and Michael are also performing as a duo with new originals and newly vamnped standards
Michael is an active composer dedicated to unfolding an original repertoire for the guitar both solo and in ensemble. Currently, he is planning several sets of multi-styled classical guitar works entitles ‘Eclectic Fantasies’, and two guitar concertos, one with orchestra and the other a chamber concerto. In past years Michael has specialised in composing music for cello and has many new works available.
His newest recording is ‘Solo” which features his multi-styled playing in both originals and jazz standards.
BIOGRAPHY – ELANA STONE Vocalist/Pianist
Elana began her musical training from an early age and was accepted into the prestigious Newtown School of Performing Arts.
In 2002, Elana completed her Bachelor of Music, majoring in Jazz at the Australian National University.
Her enduring commitment to music has allowed her to perform with some of the greatest musicians in Australia, including James Muller, Dan Barnett, and The Cat Empire.
Beyond her ability, cultivated with zeal for the majority of her life, it’s her sense of humour and her open spirit that make Elana a magnetic performer and ideal band leader.
BIOGRAPHY – KRISTIN BERARDI
Australian jazz vocalist and composer Kristin Berardi was announced winner of the on July 4th.
This humble young woman born in Koulama Far North Queensland touched the hearts of jurists presided over by multi Grammy award winner Al Jarreau with her relaxed approach, unique voice and excellent compositions.
Backed by Jarreau’s band featuring pianist Larry Williams, bassist Chris Walker, drummer Mark Simmons, guitarist Ross Bolton and saxophonist Joe Turano, the talented Kristin Berardi sealed 1st place with a stunning performance of her arresting original composition “The Last Time”, plus renditions of the classic Sigman/Bonfa composition “A Day in the Life of a Fool” and the set competition piece “What’s New” by Johnny Burke and Bob Haggart.
From seventy applicants under the age of thirty vying for this prestigious award eight finalists (including three Australians – 25 yr old Kristin, Kate Fuller 22yrs and Jasmine Nelson 23yrs) were chosen by the Montreux-Vevey-Riviera Conservatory of Music and School of Jazz. The final three competitors were Kristin plus USA citizen Jean Rohe (2nd place) and Norweigan Harald Baumgartner (3rd Place).
For her win Kristin receives 5,000 Swiss Francs, a wireless Shure microphone system worth $3,000, a performance and masterclass at the 2007 International Association of Jazz Educators Conference in New York plus a performance at the 2007 Monteruex Jazz Festival next July.
