Andrea Vicari Trio

Event Phone: 01890 750099

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.

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 competition 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

Andy Champion-Bass

Andy has been a figure on the NE jazz scene for many years both as an outstanding bassist and also a promoter. He has played with the likes of Bob Mintzer, Ingrid Jensen (Orpheus project) and Andy Sheppard.

 Russ Morgan-Drums

Newcastle resident now Russ completed his jazz studies at the prestigious Conservatoire ‘The Royal Academy of Music’ in London and has performed with many fine jazz musicians including Bobby Wellins, Jacqui Dankworth, Jason Rebello and Jim Mullen. Since relocating north Russ is involved in projects with  musicians such as Zoe Gilby and Paul Edis.