Tommaso Starace - Projects

Projects

Elliott Erwitt Project

'This project grew out of my intense passion for cinema and a fascination with the way music compliments and enhances the visual images. The times I have been most moved with art have been when the artists has exploited this.

When visiting photography exhibitions I often find myself inspired. I'm excited by the way a photograph, with its individual character and story, sparks off a creative process in me: the melodies and rhythms that emerge are a direct result of this creative interplay.

One of the most influential photographers who have inspired me in this way is Elliott Erwitt. He has the ability to depict a wide variety of subjects such as conflict, love and humour. His strong images evoke powerful musical responses in me resulting in compositions that display a similar wide range of themes. From his vast portfolio of photos I have selected eight contrasting images that I felt would inspire me to compose very different tunes.

My aim, through my compositions and performances, is to encourage the audience to experience both forms of art simultaneously; I want to take them on a journey and hopefully entertain and inspire them to uncover the meaning for themselves!'

To learn more about Elliott Erwitt visit: www.elliotterwitt.com

The quintet performing the project includes: Roger Beaujolais/vibraphone; Liam Noble/piano; Julian Bury/bass; Jim Hart/drums some of London's busiest and most talented musicians on the jazz circuit.

The band performs the music of the photographs which are projected onto a large screen so the audience can listen to the music while looking at the images therefore making a story out of them.

Roger Beaujolais

Liam Noble

Julian Bury

Jim Hart

Read reviews on the project...
Listen to tracks from the CD...
Buy 'Tommaso Starace plays the photos of Elliott Erwitt'...

Jazz meets Classical

'Jazz meets Classical' was formed by Tommaso and Joan in the year 2003.

Tommaso Starace

Joan Taylor

The idea is to perform music from composers of the 20th Century who have influenced and have been influenced by the Jazz Idiom.

It is interesting to note that across the 20th Century there has been a reciprocal influence between French music and Jazz: Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Bill Evans were amongst some of the successful jazz musicians of the 50's to integrate musical elements of the french 'Impressionistic' school in their compositions and arrangements; Debussy's 'Golliwogg's Cake-Walk' or Ravel's ' G maj piano concerto' make constant reference to syncopated rhythms and the blues.

Jazz and Classical went on to influence other music around the world such as the Brazilian Bossa Nova or the Argentinean Tango creating a whole new dimension to this art.

Joan comes from a classical background; both her and Tommaso bring into this project their own mix of interests and inspirations derived from their respective experiences to create a unique sound.

Some of their repertoire includes compositions by: Maurice Ravel, Claude Debussy, Erik Satie, Gabriel Faure', Astor Piazzolla, H. Villa-Lobos, Jacques Ibert and others.

Listen to tracks:
You may need Real Player - get it here.

The following tracks were recorded at a live concert at the Chalk Farm Baptist Church, Primrose Hill, London on 9th May 2003

'Night Club'	Astor Piazolla (361kb)
'Piece en forme de Habanera'	Maurice Ravel (321kb)
'Pavane pour une infante defunte'	Maurice Ravel (557kb)
'Fantasia 1st movement'	H. Villa-Lobos (474kb)
'Schwarzer Tanzer'	Nigel Wood (397kb)

Joan Taylor: Biography

Joan Taylor has been in the music profession as pianist, accompanist, choir director and teacher since graduating from Oxford University. She trained as a teacher at Cambridge University.

Joan has been giving solo concerts since the age of 15 when she won the prestigious Concerto Prize at the Birmingham School of Music which led to performances with orchestras in Birmingham Town Hall and at Music Festivals. She gave her first solo recital at 16 and went to Oxford at 17 where she was awarded the Principal's Prize at St.Hilda's College and toured America with the prestigious Schola Cantorum Choir of Oxford.

She has performed many times in the Purcell Room and Wigmore Hall accompanying singers and broadcast on
Radio 3.

As choir director she was invited to Avril Dankworth's National Jazz Music Camps at Wavendon and was for two years assistant Chorus Master for the Music of the Night extravaganza hosted by the Royal Artillery at Woolwich. She is also repetiteur to major London choirs-including the Malcolm Sargent Choir and Thomas Tallis Singers.

Joan was honoured to receive a Civic Award in 1999 - The Freedom of the Borough of Southwark. This was for her charity work in the Community with the 'Can't Sing Choir' a vocal group she founded when developing an interest in working with those who believe they cannot sing and make music.

In June 2003 the 'Can't Sing Choir ' helped raise £8,000 for the cancer fund at Barts Hospital with an exhilarating concert in the Great Hall and a similar amount was raised in June 2004.

In July 2003 she was invited to play the Janacek's "The Diary of one who vanished" in the South of France with tenor John Upperton.

Her recent 'Jazz meets Classical' project with Tommaso Starace reflects her eclectic interests and versatile style and incredible understanding of music.

Design: muna