Robert Mitchell (jazz pianist)
Encyclopedia
Robert Mitchell is a British
jazz musician, composer and teacher.
Born in Ilford
, Essex
, Mitchell has forged a formidable reputation as a gifted pianist and composer. As part of the F-ire Collective, Robert won the Jazz on 3 Innovation Award at the 2004 BBC Jazz Awards
; he has also been nominated twice: for Rising Star in 2002, and Best New Work in 2003. He has played/recorded with musicians such as Norma Winstone
, Steve Coleman
, Greg Osby
, Courtney Pine
, Steve Williamson
, Iain Ballamy
, Mark Wingfield
, Jeremy Stacey
, Ty, 2 Banks of 4, and IG Culture, in addition to leading the 4/6-piece Panacea, his trio (with Richard Spaven and Tom Mason), performing in duo with Omar Puente (Bridges), and performing as a solo pianist.
He studied at City University
and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
. Early band memberships included Tomorrow's Warriors and Gary Crosby's Nu Troop, plus award winning bands Quite Sane and J-Life.
Panacea first performed in 2000, and have performed in the London Jazz Festival, Manchester Jazz Festival
, Cheltenham Jazz Festival (Pillar Room), and the North Sea Jazz Festival
(2006), and Vienne Jazz Festival (2008) and in such venues as the Pizza Express, Jazz Cafe, The Wardrobe, The Spin, The Spitz, Le Tavernier and Cargo. It released its debut album Voyager on the Dune label in 2001. Its second album, Trust, was released on F-IRE in 2005. In March 2006, the band recorded a session for Radio 1's Gilles Peterson Worldwide show. The band was subsequently nominated for Session Of The Year at the 2006 Gilles Peterson Worldwide Awards.
The duo with Cuban violinist Omar Puente
began in 2003. The performance of this duo in the Havana International Jazz Festival (2004) resulted in a TV programme being made about the pair for Cuban TV (A TODO JAZZ 2005). The debut album Bridges was released in 2006 on F-IRE. They have also performed to great acclaim in Morocco and Belgium and the UK.
His solo album, Equinox, was originally a BBC Radio 3/Jerwood commission, and was released in 2007. It was nominated for Best Work at the BBC Jazz Awards (2003). It was launched at Lifting The Lid, a three-day celebration of modern solo jazz piano instigated, organised and curated by Mitchell. He has performed solo in Sweden, Belgium, Latvia and across the UK. He opened for Wayne Shorter In Brighton in 2003 (at the Dome), and Branford Marsalis in the same year (at the Barbican, London).
Robert Mitchell 3io grew out of the long running band Panacea. It features Tom Mason (on bass) and Richard Spaven (on drums).
After starting in around 2003/4, it releases its debut album The Greater Good in late 2008 (33Rec/Jazz Services). The trio also tour the UK during the same period.
Mitchell is working with singer Jhelisa Anderson (cousin of Carleen), Dan Stern (saxophonist, clarinettist and composer), and Yolanda Charles (bassist and singer), amongst others.
Since 2003, he has been a visiting Composer at the Royal Academy of Music
Jazz Department. His education work has also included projects at WAC, City University, Middlesex University, and as solo, ensemble teacher and examiner on the jazz course at The Royal Academy Of Music.
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
jazz musician, composer and teacher.
Born in Ilford
Ilford
Ilford is a large cosmopolitan town in East London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Redbridge. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. It forms a significant commercial and retail...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, Mitchell has forged a formidable reputation as a gifted pianist and composer. As part of the F-ire Collective, Robert won the Jazz on 3 Innovation Award at the 2004 BBC Jazz Awards
BBC Jazz Awards
The BBC Jazz Awards were set up in 2001 and had the status of one of the premier jazz awards in the UK. There were awards for Best Musician, Best Vocalist, Rising Star, Best Album, Jazz Innovation, Radio 2 Jazz Artist, Services to Jazz, Best of Jazz amongst others....
; he has also been nominated twice: for Rising Star in 2002, and Best New Work in 2003. He has played/recorded with musicians such as Norma Winstone
Norma Winstone
Norma Ann Winstone MBE is a British jazz singer and lyricist. In a career spanning over forty years she is best known for her wordless improvisations....
, Steve Coleman
Steve Coleman
Steve Coleman, born , is an African American saxophone player, spontaneous composer, composer and band leader. His music and concepts have been a heavy influence on contemporary jazz.-Chicago:...
, Greg Osby
Greg Osby
Greg Osby is an American jazz saxophonist who plays mainly in the free jazz, free funk and M-Base idioms.-Biography:Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Osby studied at Howard University, where he majored in Jazz Studies, and then at the Berklee College of Music, with Andy McGhee...
, Courtney Pine
Courtney Pine
Courtney Pine CBE is an English jazz musician. At school he studied the clarinet, although he is known primarily for his saxophone playing. Pine is a multi-instrumentalist, also playing the flute, clarinet, bass Clarinet and keyboards...
, Steve Williamson
Steve Williamson
Steve Williamson is an English saxophonist and composer.....
, Iain Ballamy
Iain Ballamy
Iain Ballamy is a British composer, soprano, alto and tenor saxophone player.- Career :Ballamy was schooled at 1975-80 George Abbot School, Guildford. He then studied Musical Instrument Technology from 1980-1982 Merton College...
, Mark Wingfield
Mark Wingfield
Mark Wingfield is a guitarist and composer based in the UK.Most of his output is rooted in jazz, but he is also active in contemporary classical music....
, Jeremy Stacey
Jeremy Stacey
Jeremy Stacey is a British drummer. His early work included the 1990s band, The Lemon Trees and Denzil...
, Ty, 2 Banks of 4, and IG Culture, in addition to leading the 4/6-piece Panacea, his trio (with Richard Spaven and Tom Mason), performing in duo with Omar Puente (Bridges), and performing as a solo pianist.
He studied at City University
City University, London
City University London , is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1894 as the Northampton Institute and became a university in 1966, when it adopted its present name....
and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama is an independent music and dramatic arts school which was founded in 1880 in London, England. Students can pursue courses in Music, Opera, Drama and Technical Theatre Arts.-History:...
. Early band memberships included Tomorrow's Warriors and Gary Crosby's Nu Troop, plus award winning bands Quite Sane and J-Life.
Panacea first performed in 2000, and have performed in the London Jazz Festival, Manchester Jazz Festival
Manchester Jazz Festival
Manchester Jazz Festival is an annual 9-day-long festival focused on showcasing contemporary jazz from the North West of England and beyond.- mjf 2010 :The 15th Manchester Jazz Festival will take place from 23 to 31 July in Manchester city centre....
, Cheltenham Jazz Festival (Pillar Room), and the North Sea Jazz Festival
North Sea Jazz Festival
The North Sea Jazz Festival is an annual jazz festival held each second weekend of July in the Netherlands at the Ahoy venue. It used to be in The Hague but since 2006 it has been held in Rotterdam...
(2006), and Vienne Jazz Festival (2008) and in such venues as the Pizza Express, Jazz Cafe, The Wardrobe, The Spin, The Spitz, Le Tavernier and Cargo. It released its debut album Voyager on the Dune label in 2001. Its second album, Trust, was released on F-IRE in 2005. In March 2006, the band recorded a session for Radio 1's Gilles Peterson Worldwide show. The band was subsequently nominated for Session Of The Year at the 2006 Gilles Peterson Worldwide Awards.
The duo with Cuban violinist Omar Puente
Omar Puente
Omar Puente is a Cuban-born violinist and jazz musician, currently living in England.He studied classical music at the Escuela Nacional de Arte in Havana from the age of 12 and then went on to make a career in classical music, studying at the Estaban Salas and then joining the Nacional Symphony...
began in 2003. The performance of this duo in the Havana International Jazz Festival (2004) resulted in a TV programme being made about the pair for Cuban TV (A TODO JAZZ 2005). The debut album Bridges was released in 2006 on F-IRE. They have also performed to great acclaim in Morocco and Belgium and the UK.
His solo album, Equinox, was originally a BBC Radio 3/Jerwood commission, and was released in 2007. It was nominated for Best Work at the BBC Jazz Awards (2003). It was launched at Lifting The Lid, a three-day celebration of modern solo jazz piano instigated, organised and curated by Mitchell. He has performed solo in Sweden, Belgium, Latvia and across the UK. He opened for Wayne Shorter In Brighton in 2003 (at the Dome), and Branford Marsalis in the same year (at the Barbican, London).
Robert Mitchell 3io grew out of the long running band Panacea. It features Tom Mason (on bass) and Richard Spaven (on drums).
After starting in around 2003/4, it releases its debut album The Greater Good in late 2008 (33Rec/Jazz Services). The trio also tour the UK during the same period.
Mitchell is working with singer Jhelisa Anderson (cousin of Carleen), Dan Stern (saxophonist, clarinettist and composer), and Yolanda Charles (bassist and singer), amongst others.
Since 2003, he has been a visiting Composer at the Royal Academy of Music
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
Jazz Department. His education work has also included projects at WAC, City University, Middlesex University, and as solo, ensemble teacher and examiner on the jazz course at The Royal Academy Of Music.
Discography
- Voyager (Dune 2001)
- Trust (F-ire 2005)
- Bridges (F-ire 2006) with Omar Puente
- Equinox (F-ire 2007)
- The Greater Good (33 Records/Jazz Services 2008)
Discography with other artists include
- Magic Of Olmec - Keith Waithe & The Macusi Players (Keda Records 1997)
- Tomorrow's Warriors Presents...J-Life - J-Life (Dune Records 1998)
- Journey Into Beyond - Keith Waithe & The Macusi Players (Keda Records 1999)
- The Sonic Language Of Myth - Steve ColemanSteve ColemanSteve Coleman, born , is an African American saxophone player, spontaneous composer, composer and band leader. His music and concepts have been a heavy influence on contemporary jazz.-Chicago:...
(BMG France 1999) - Back In The Day - Courtney PineCourtney PineCourtney Pine CBE is an English jazz musician. At school he studied the clarinet, although he is known primarily for his saxophone playing. Pine is a multi-instrumentalist, also playing the flute, clarinet, bass Clarinet and keyboards...
(Talkin' Loud 2000) - Child Of Troubled Times - Quite Sane (Cool Hunter/Rykodisc 2002)