*charity Night* World Heartbeat Academy Feat. Julian Joseph at 606 Club

The World Heart Beat Music Academy (WHBMA), under the direction of inspirational musician and teacher (and old friend of the 606 Club) Sahana Gero, gives children and young people, many of whom would never have access to musical education, the opportunity to learn music alongside other youngsters under the guidance of committed and inspirational musician/teachers. The aim has been to create a welcoming space where children of all socio-economic and cultural backgrounds can come and play music together. The WHBMA itself grew out of The 51st State Band project that was founded by Sahana from the humble beginnings of a doughnut party held in a small living room one afternoon in 2000. Since then the band has grown to well over 100 young musicians and is the largest community concert band in London, successfully running programmes for ‘disadvantaged’ children and young people in Wandsworth, South London. Taking its inspiration from the ‘El Sistema’ projects in Venezuela, the 51st State Band has transformed the lives of many underprivileged and at-risk youth. Sahana herself, as well as being a busy professional musician, has been working in music education for over 18 years, is an examiner for Trinity Guildhall and holds the post of Head of Woodwind for the Wandsworth Music Service. Twice nominated for the highly prestigious Women of the Year Award, in December 2011 she received the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Neighbourhood Excellence Initiative Award, given annually to five community leaders who are seen as significantly helping to improve their local communities. With this award and a group of enthusiastic supporters, Sahana turned an abandoned building into a boldly coloured, sound-proofed music school, complete with performance space and lesson rooms, and opened the doors to the World Heart Beat Music Academy in May 2012. Like many such under-funded projects the WHBMA is constantly in need of financial assistance to pay for the likes of musical instruments for the children (currently two double basses are needed!), regular teachers and visiting lecturers, which is where tonight's special fundraising concert comes in. As well as featuring selected bands from the ranks of the WHBMA students the evening will also feature the brilliant multi-award winning pianist, international recording artist (and WHBMA patron) Julian Joseph who, over the last two decades, has been recognised as one of the finest musicians of his generation. From touring with Branford Marsalis after graduating from Berklee College of Music in the late 80's, through his work with the likes of George Coleman, Billy Cobham and Courtney Pine and on to his own brilliant trios, quartets, septets and Big Bands Julian has undoubtedly established himself as a world-class improvising musician of breadth, power and immense creativity. As a composer Julian has written original works for symphony orchestra and chamber ensemble as well as his own Jazz Big Band, has premiered three critically-acclaimed operas, Bridgetower (2007), Shadowball (2010), Windows into Tristan and Isolde (2013) and a dance suite, The Brown Bomber, that was premiered at Sadler's Wells as part of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad. He was the first jazz musician to be invited to give a series of all-acoustic concerts at the Wigmore Hall, has recorded duets by Milhaud, Stravinsky and Poulenc, given recitals of Bartók and Prokofiev sonatas and performed both Gershwin's Piano Concerto in F and Rhapsody in Blue. As a broadcaster and presenter his weekly radio show Jazz Legends for BBC Radio 3 ran for six seasons, and in 2007 he joined BBC Radio 3's Jazz Line-Up team. He has made two series for Meridian TV in the UK, 'Jazz with Julian Joseph', and a jazz series for Sky TV's 'Artsworld' channel. And if all that wasn't enough, as an educator he is a patron of the Jazz Development Trust, the Pembroke Academy of Music, Band on the Wall and the Firebird Trust, is an Ambassador for Youth Music, and a member of Yamaha's Jazz Experience Team. And because he clearly has some time on his hands, in January 2013 he opened his own Jazz Academy! The format of the evening will be the students performing themselves for the first half of the night in various combinations, with Julian and his fantastic world-class trio featuring Mark Hodgson on bass and Mark Mondesir on drums joining the party for the second half of the night. The standard of the young students is exceptionally high, a number going on to study on full time music courses, which, combined with the mastery of one of the country's finest trios is guaranteed to make for an exceptional and memorable evening. Booking advised....

read more

The World Heart Beat Music Academy (WHBMA), under the direction of inspirational musician and teacher (and old friend of the 606 Club) Sahana Gero, gives children and young people, many of whom would never have access to musical education, the opportunity to learn music alongside other youngsters under the guidance of committed and inspirational musician/teachers. The aim has been to create a welcoming space where children of all socio-economic and cultural backgrounds can come and play music together. The WHBMA itself grew out of The 51st State Band project that was founded by Sahana from the humble beginnings of a doughnut party held in a small living room one afternoon in 2000. Since then the band has grown to well over 100 young musicians and is the largest community concert band in London, successfully running programmes for ‘disadvantaged’ children and young people in Wandsworth, South London. Taking its inspiration from the ‘El Sistema’ projects in Venezuela, the 51st State Band has transformed the lives of many underprivileged and at-risk youth. Sahana herself, as well as being a busy professional musician, has been working in music education for over 18 years, is an examiner for Trinity Guildhall and holds the post of Head of Woodwind for the Wandsworth Music Service. Twice nominated for the highly prestigious Women of the Year Award, in December 2011 she received the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Neighbourhood Excellence Initiative Award, given annually to five community leaders who are seen as significantly helping to improve their local communities. With this award and a group of enthusiastic supporters, Sahana turned an abandoned building into a boldly coloured, sound-proofed music school, complete with performance space and lesson rooms, and opened the doors to the World Heart Beat Music Academy in May 2012. Like many such under-funded projects the WHBMA is constantly in need of financial assistance to pay for the likes of musical instruments for the children (currently two double basses are needed!), regular teachers and visiting lecturers, which is where tonight's special fundraising concert comes in. As well as featuring selected bands from the ranks of the WHBMA students the evening will also feature the brilliant multi-award winning pianist, international recording artist (and WHBMA patron) Julian Joseph who, over the last two decades, has been recognised as one of the finest musicians of his generation. From touring with Branford Marsalis after graduating from Berklee College of Music in the late 80's, through his work with the likes of George Coleman, Billy Cobham and Courtney Pine and on to his own brilliant trios, quartets, septets and Big Bands Julian has undoubtedly established himself as a world-class improvising musician of breadth, power and immense creativity. As a composer Julian has written original works for symphony orchestra and chamber ensemble as well as his own Jazz Big Band, has premiered three critically-acclaimed operas, Bridgetower (2007), Shadowball (2010), Windows into Tristan and Isolde (2013) and a dance suite, The Brown Bomber, that was premiered at Sadler's Wells as part of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad. He was the first jazz musician to be invited to give a series of all-acoustic concerts at the Wigmore Hall, has recorded duets by Milhaud, Stravinsky and Poulenc, given recitals of Bartók and Prokofiev sonatas and performed both Gershwin's Piano Concerto in F and Rhapsody in Blue. As a broadcaster and presenter his weekly radio show Jazz Legends for BBC Radio 3 ran for six seasons, and in 2007 he joined BBC Radio 3's Jazz Line-Up team. He has made two series for Meridian TV in the UK, 'Jazz with Julian Joseph', and a jazz series for Sky TV's 'Artsworld' channel. And if all that wasn't enough, as an educator he is a patron of the Jazz Development Trust, the Pembroke Academy of Music, Band on the Wall and the Firebird Trust, is an Ambassador for Youth Music, and a member of Yamaha's Jazz Experience Team. And because he clearly has some time on his hands, in January 2013 he opened his own Jazz Academy! The format of the evening will be the students performing themselves for the first half of the night in various combinations, with Julian and his fantastic world-class trio featuring Mark Hodgson on bass and Mark Mondesir on drums joining the party for the second half of the night. The standard of the young students is exceptionally high, a number going on to study on full time music courses, which, combined with the mastery of one of the country's finest trios is guaranteed to make for an exceptional and memorable evening. Booking advised.

"...the [Julian Joseph] trio is....fiery, nuanced and rich in detail, this is one of the great partnerships in UK jazz" Financial Times;
"arguably the finest pianist of his generation - a brilliant, dynamic presence" Time Out;
"I regard Julian Joseph as one of the finest pianists since Thelonius Monk" Daily Telegraph £20 (charity donation)

show less