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Julian Joseph Hailed as one of the finest pianists to emerge this side of the Atlantic, for over two decades Julian Joseph has been a seminal figure in contemporary jazz. A prodigious composer and arranger, an admired and respected bandleader, an inspirational collaborator and educator, and a highly knowledgeable and engaging broadcaster he is, essentially, a true champion of the music. Julian's musical ideas reflect the eclectic influence of all forms of music in the history of jazz: from classical to rock and pop, everything is relevant. A feature of a Julian Joseph concert is the wide-ranging repertoire of original compositions and arrangements upon which he draws. Challenging and innovative, they are deeply rooted in the jazz tradition and, as with all great jazz music, combine his own unique voice with those of his predecessors. Julian is completely at home on any stage and in front of any band, whether performing solo, or leading his own trio, quartet, electric band or big band, or with full symphony orchestra. His passion for the music is always palpable, and his desire to communicate that passion compelling. |
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well as four albums and a mass of original material for small
band, Julian has written a number of large-scale works for big
band and symphony orchestra, including 'The Great Sage' for big
band and strings premiered at the 2002 London Jazz Festival, 'Mountain
of Hope', 'The Reverend: Back Home to Glory', 'A Ballade of Love',
'Guardian Angel', and an arrangement of Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in
Blue' for big band, premiered at the 2003 City of London Festival.
Two movements of a 5-movement suite for orchestra, 'Symphonic
Story: The Great Exception', have been performed by the Halle
and BBC Concert orchestras. In 2007 Julian toured his first jazz
opera, 'Bridgetower: A Fable of 1807' - the story of young black
violin prodigy George Bridgetower in London at the turn of the
19th century, and in June 2010 premiered his opera for children,
'Shadowball', about the American Negro Baseball Leagues in the
1930s and '40s. June 2012 is to see the premiere of his new dance
suite, 'The Brown Bomber', as part of the Cultural Olympiad. |
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www.julianjoseph.com,
2012. All rights reserved. |
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