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Paul Edis

Described as ‘a brilliant young pianist’ (Alyn Shipton, The Guardian) Paul Edis is a performer, composer, educator and promoter based in the North East England.

From an early age Paul was composing and performing regularly, forming his own bands and promoting concerts. He received a scholarship to study composition at the London College of Music in 2003. Whilst at LCM, initially with the aim of training to become a composer of film music, Paul quickly became a regular visitor to the Jazz department arranging charts for the LCM Big Band, taking part in workshops, and he soon began performing regularly in London alongside saxophonist Vasilis Xenopoulos.

He moved back to the North East in 2006 after completing his degree and began studying for an MA and then PhD in Composition at the University of York. At the same time, he began to work regularly in the area, performing with the Voice of the North Jazz Orchestra and backing touring soloists (including John Faddis, Julien Siegel, Alan Barnes, Tony Kofi amongst others). He established a regular jazz night at the Side Café in Newcastle (which later inspired the regular Splinter at the Bridge sessions) and formed his own trio and then sextet.

In 2009 Paul was chosen as one of the finalists of the NCEM/BBC Radio 3 Young Composers’ Award. His composition Redemption for choir was performed by the Ebor Singers. Whilst studying for his MA and PhD Paul wrote music for choir, choir and organ, orchestra, string orchestra, brass ensemble, for two pianos and a series of solo studies. His work Serial Variations was selected to be performed by the Chimera Ensemble as part of a European Tour in 2010. In 2011 his composition Four Scenes Unseen was premiered by University of York Sinfonia under the baton of Dr. John Stringer.

His sextet released their debut album There Will Be Time in 2012 to critical acclaim. He has since released two solo albums and a second Sextet CD, Mr Hipster with artwork by Alastair Graham. Reviewing Paul’s 2015 solo CD Just Like Me critic Brian Morton described Paul as ‘a significant new voice in British Jazz’. His duo CD A Narrow Escape with saxophonist Vasilis Xenopoulos was released in 2017. His music has been performed on the radio in the UK, in Europe and in the US.

In 2016 Ushaw College commissioned Paul to compose a 45-minute work to celebrate the feast of St. Cuthbert. This new work comprised elements of jazz, folk and contemporary classical music. The Ushaw Ensemble who gave the premiere of this new work were chosen by JazzNorth to be one of the Northern Line ambassadors in 2017/18 and have toured the North. The recording of the St. Cuthbert Suite will be released on April 4th 2019.

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8
Album Review

Jo Harrop & Paul Edis: When Winter Turns to Spring

Read "When Winter Turns to Spring" reviewed by John Eyles


Although Jo Harrop had previously released albums such as Songs for the Late Hours (Lateralize, 2019) and Weathering the Storm (Lateralize, 2020), the release of The Heart Waits (Lateralize, 2021) was a quantum leap forward for the Durham-born vocalist, not least because the album included fewer covers and far more original material than before. Harrop has said of that breakthrough album, “I sent my first lyrics to [pianist] Paul Edis and we wrote “If I Knew," which became the key ...

10
Album Review

Jo Harrop: The Heart Wants

Read "The Heart Wants" reviewed by Richard J Salvucci


Is it the behind-the-beat feel Ms Harrop gets, even when she is not? Or perhaps it is in the phrasing? Somehow, she puts a listener in mind of Keely Smith, which is a good thing. There are some very talented jazz singers in the United Kingdom; Jo Harrop is certainly one of them. Here is a recording of loss and longing, and very well done it is. Much of the material Harrop presents in this recording, bluesy, mournful ...

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Brilliant young pianist Alyn Shipton, The Guardian

A significant new voice in British Jazz Brian Morton, Jazz Journal

Primary Instrument

Piano

Credentials/Background

PhD, MA, PGDip (Teaching Musician) Bmus (Hons) Paul has worked with students of all ages and abilities - as a peripatetic music tutor, as a lecturer at FE and HE level, and regularly delivering workshops in creativity, composition, jazz and performance for adults and in community settings. In 2016 he was awarded the Headley Fellowship to study on the Teaching Musician at Trinity Laban. In 2018 and 2019 he worked for the National Youth Jazz Collective (NYJC) and in 2019 he was given the role of Associate Educator with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO).

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

The Heart Wants

Lateralize
2022

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Mr Hipster

Self Produced
2014

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Not Like Me

Self Produced
2013

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There Will Be Time

Unknown label
2012

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Missing You

From: Mr Hipster
By Paul Edis

My Favourite Things

From: Not Like Me
By Paul Edis

Ravelations

From: There Will Be Time
By Paul Edis

Sharp 9/8

From: There Will Be Time
By Paul Edis

Videos

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