Andrea Vicari

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. Andrea was soon in demand as a 'side-man” working with bass guitar legend, Dill Katz in a band that included the then unknown guitarist Phil Robson. Soon after she formed her first important group with Julian Argüelles on saxophone & Stuart Hall, then of Django Bates' “Human Chain”, on bass. Other employers included GRP recording artist, Phil Bent; jazz warrior David-Jean Baptiste with whom she recorded her first commercially released CD; and the all-women band “Birds” led by Kathy Stobart. She played a successful season at London's sadly defunct jazz club “The Bass Clef” with the late great American saxophone innovator, Eddie Harris, broadcasting live on JazzFM radio; and gigged with the US trumpet legend Art Farmer.

In 1994 Andrea was commissioned by The Arts Council and the Peter Whittingham Trust to write music for a new eleven piece jazz orchestra which became the Suburban Gorillas project. A CD and Jazz Services tour followed including a triumphant appearence at Brecon Jazz Festival and a live BBC broadcast from the Newcastle Playhouse.

“This is one of the most impressive recording debuts to come from the recent crop of young British jazz musicians. The writing and playing are superlatively assured, and the music covers a vast spectrum, from the elegiac “Awakenings”, to the African-inspired “Maibouye”, the brittle satire of “Pin Stripe Woman”, and the tour de force of “L'Orchestre des Fous”, a ten minute outing in 5/4 time which swings beautifully”

IAN CARR (Miles Davis and Keith Jarrett biographer) talking about Suburban Gorillas.

Rapidly gaining a reputation as a prolific and original composer she followed up with a quintet CD “Lunar Spell”, featuring Mornington Lockett (then of Jim Mullen, and Ronnie Scott's groups) on tenor sax, and Phil Robson (Partisans) playing guitar. The music again consisted entirely of Vicari originals.

“As her previous CD showed, Andrea Vicari is a composer of formidable range. She moves easily from complex ear-tricking rhythmic devices to a kind of pastoral lyricism while remaining recognisably herself...the variety of texture and colour (the band) are able to draw from this standard line-up is truly remarkable” DAVE GELLY (broadcaster, “Observer” Jazz critic & Stan Getz biographer) writing about “Lunar Spell”.

In 2004 Andrea decided to explore the piano trio tradition with the release of “Tryptych”. Featuring long time collaborator Dorian Lockett on double bass, the drum chair is taken by Sebastian Rochford, recently winner of the BBC jazz Award in the “rising star” category for his work with “Acoustic Ladyland' and his own group “Polar Bear”. For the first time Andrea recorded some arrangements of standard songs alongside her “atmospheric and original” (Time Out) compositions.

Andrea also returned to the large ensemble in 2004 performing and recording with “The Vortex Foundation Big Band”, an all women jazz orchestra led by Annie Whitehead with a line-up including Deirdre Cartwright and Carol Grimes. Their CD “Charybdis” was released on Babel Records. Since arriving in London Andrea Vicari has worked with the cream of the UK jazz scene including: Alan Barnes, Denys Baptiste, Don Weller, Dick Pearce, Tim Whitehead, Tim Garland, Jacqui Dankworth, Dick Pearce, Benn Clatworthy, Brian Abrahams, Jim Mullen, Alan Skidmore, Patrick Clahar, Chris Tobin, Bryan Spring, Julian Siegel, Paul Booth, Martin Drew, Dave O'Higgins, Jason Yarde, Theo Travis, Trudy Kerr, Nick France etc.

She began teaching when still at school and her experience and training includes work with adults and children at all levels of ability. Currently she holds a position as Professor of Jazz Piano at Trinity College of Music, London; one of Europe's leading conservatoires.