Current Events

Pianist and composer Andrea Vicari was born in Miami and grew up in Birmingham. Educated at Cardiff University she won a scholarship to study at The Guildhall School of Music in London.  Recently she has been touring with multi-national contemporary ensemble “Jazz Extempore”, who were  initially formed as a cultural exchange between Croatia and other European countries with gigs in Croatia, Bulgaria,  Holland and England.

Jazz ExTempore has recorded a new album; ‘East and West’ released by “33 Records”. This second album from Jazz Extempore features Andrea Vicari on piano, Elvis Staniç on guitars and accordion, Rico de Jeer on bass and Hristo Yotsov on drums. Medina Mektiva  also features on one track ‘Sari Gelin’. The new album brings together the jazz tradition with Eastern folk elements in a contemporary style.

There are originals compositions from all members of the group as well as two arrangements of traditional folk tunes from Croatia and Azerbaijan. ‘Sari Gelin’ features new vocal talent Median Mektiva who sings this Azeri folk melody with all the traditional inflections and embellishments so common in Eastern music. ‘Ivan Klakar’ is a fictitious character in Croatian folklore who survived a terrible storm at sea in a boat. Elvis Staniç’s arrangement of this observes elements of the original melody but adds jazz chords to the harmony and the time signature has been changed from 3/4 to 4/4.

“An important and enjoyable contribution to the new, emergent European jazz – full of confidence and creativity.”

Dave Gelly – Observer Jazz Critic

 

Jazz Extempore will be performing pieces from East and West on this, their first visit to Frome.