Biography - Zoe schwarZ jazz group

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ZOE SCHWARZ & ROB KORAL BIOGRAPHY for PIZZA EXPRESS DEAN STREET 2008
Having made a considerable impact these past five years in a crowded market place, vocalist Zoë Schwarz returns to the Dean street club for her 3rd visit. The sextet will include the individual and stylish guitar of Rob Koral, inventive tenor sax from Ian Ellis and the elegant piano of Hilary Cameron together with Julian Berry-bass and Mark Fletcher-drums. Expect some excursions into the blues field with re-workings of Willie Dixon, Ray Charles and Howling Wolf together with some individual self-penned material and a tasteful, thoughtful nod to the standard repertoire. Zoë Schwarz was classically trained and a graduate in the ‘Performing Arts’ from Trent Park, Middlesex University. Zoë then performed in many guises over the following years, mostly in modern improvisational and classical music; including working with Keith Tippet, Scott Stromen, Harrison Birtwistle and Emma Kirkby. A cash-flow problem meant Zoë then started temping in the city, in the financial markets between singing jobs. Showing a flare for the city - years later she found herself managing a large global IT team, part of UBS Warburg. By 2000 she realized she missed the true vocation in her life so much that she dropped the whole city career to re-start her singing one. Zoë turned to Jazz in the autumn of 2001 having been invited by Keith and Julie Tippet to sing at a jazz evening at Dartington Intl Summer School, where Zoë was had been selected to take classical master-classes with Estha Salaman; Keith’s comment to her performance was to ‘stick with it’. Totally inspired she returned home in search of fellow jazz musicians; she was introduced to Rob Koral. There was no looking back. Despite Zoë’s classical upbringing and studies it soon became clear that her forte was far more suited to blues, expressive ballads and jazz. It was only three years after her first jazz gig that Zoë had her first week at Ronnie Scott’s sharing a week with Monty Alexander. She has also enjoyed success at Pizza on the Park, Stables-Wavendon, Vortex, 606 and many theatres and venues in the UK. 2008 is going to be her best year yet with a full programme of festivals the length and breadth of the country; from Swanage to Swaledale, Carswell to Litchfield, from Wales to London, to supporting Pat Metheny at the Lighthouse. Rob Koral comes from a ‘self-taught’, more bluesy background; but has made his name on the British jazz scene, performing with the likes of Jim Nullen, Django Bates and Bill Bruford. Rob moved to London early in his career and formed the successful band SKETCH with singer Sue Hawker. Sketch released several well-received albums, and appeared on the Old Grey Whistle test and BBC’s Jazz notes. Rob has played at all the major London venues, including Ronnie Scott’s, The Barbican, the Royal Festival Hall; as well as Jazz festivals and clubs all over the U.K, including Brecon, Glasgow and Swanage. Zoë and Rob’s musical partnership has been described as "one of the most engagingly natural partnerships in jazz, Zoë’s unaffected vocal style particularly well suited to the blues, and Rob's flawless guitar skills; their gigs are immediately accessible, enjoyable affairs." – Chris Parker 2007. Coming from different musical beginnings seems to work to their advantage, creating a distinct chemistry combining musical sensitivity and sensibility. This has manifested itself in their careful choice of standard tunes and their ability to write strong and concise original compositions. "The real meat of this recording is to be found in the nine originals. The two Billie Holiday-inspired tunes ‘Let’s Explain’ and ‘Give Him Up Girl’ both pack powerful emotional punches (who says no one’s writing good lyrics these days) ……" by Peter Quinn Jazzwise ‘Devil or Dove’ April 2005 As well as their jazz hats, Rob and Zoë also front the new and popular six-piece blues band called The Baddest Blues Band (Ever!) STEP UP - "A glorious album" – Radio 2, Humphrey Lyttelton, 10th March 2008 "The bluesy vocals of Zoë Schwarz have won a significant following. Her combination with the guitarist Rob Koral helps place her apart from other vocalists." - The Independent on Sunday, Roger Trapp, 18th Aug ‘07 "Rob Koral is superb his is a talent of world class proportions." - Jazz Journal Intl, Bruce Crowther

ZOE SCHWARZ FULL BIOGRAPHY AS AT 2006 Zoë Schwarz - Classically trained and a graduate in the ‘Performing Arts’ from Trent Park, Middlesex University. Zoë has performed in many guises over the years, mostly in modern improvisational and classical music, and intermittently in rock and pop bands; Including working with Keith Tippet, Scott Stromen, Harrison Birtwistle and Emma Kirkby. Zoë turned to Jazz in the autumn of 2001 having been invited by Keith and Julie Tippet to sing at a jazz evening at Dartington Intl Summer School, where Zoë was had been selected to take classical master-classes with Estha Salaman; Keith’s comment to her performance was to ‘stick with it’. Inspired and totally enthused she returned home in search of fellow jazz musicians; she was introduced to Rob Koral. There was no looking back. There’s clearly been a steep learning curve – listen to the progress from the first CD to the second. In Zoë’s words, you can’t learn to sing jazz in school – you learn by singing over and over in a live situation and make lots of mistakes on the way. The several gigs a week since Spring 2002, have seen to that. From childhood, as well as her love of opera and music theatre, Zoë loved jazz music, listening avidly to Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Julie London and Nat King Cole; but found that her voice didn’t have enough maturity and depth to perform well herself. With early ambitions of being an opera singer she found that although her voice had a huge range and was strong, it was too bright. So was type cast with the very modern: e.g. experimental and modern compositions, or the very old, e.g. medieval music. With a serious cash-flow problem months after leaving collage, Zoë started temping in the city, in the financial markets between singing jobs. Showing a flare for the city - years later she found herself managing a large global IT team, part of UBS Warburg. By 2000 she realized she missed the true vocation in her life so much that she dropped the whole city career to re-start her singing one. With the rebirth of her singing, Zoë discovered that being older, or maybe it was having had children, that her voice was richer and warmer and much more dexterous. In Zoë’s words: "Performing jazz is about having a conversation; the same song is different every time, totally depending on the mood of all the other musicians involved and the atmosphere around. The spontaneity is tantalizing; creativity personified. I adore performing; the communication thing is addictive. I adore recording, and love the pressure of wanting the sound to be perfect, the discipline required for the production, and calling on an even more creative and open mind for mixing. But to top it all I am thrilled by the challenge of writing songs, what a privilege (of which all of us could do – there’s no remit) to have an open forum to be able to express opinions and emotions."

Zoe schwarZ