28.2.2016

JOE STILGOE

is a British singer, pianist and songwriter.

Early life and education

Stilgoe was born in Sevenoaks, Kent. He is the son of the lyricist and entertainer Sir Richard Stilgoe, and opera singer Annabel Hunt.  Educated at Sevenoaks School,^[4] Stilgoe went on to study Music at the University of Southampton^[5] achieving a First Class degree. After spending a year performing on cruise ships, Stilgoe continued his musicianship at Trinity College of Music.

Musical career

During his time at Trinity College, he began to get noticed in bars and clubs, with a long term residency at The Dorchester hotel, London. Stilgoe's first public engagement was at the Pizza on the Park, London in 2004. Following the performance, Dame Cleo Laine later called Stilgoe in to perform with her and husband Sir John Dankworth on their Radio 2 show Live at the Stables.^] He then signed with jazz label Candid in 2007, Candid released his debut album I Like This One in 2008 to praise from national press. In 2007; Stilgoe supported Melody Gardot at the Queen Elizabeth Hall.^[9] His debut solo appearance at Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2011 with sell-out show 'One Hour!' received a five star review from The Scotsman.

After contractual issues with Candid, Stilgoe bought himself out of the contract and used money earned from his concerts to record demos of new songs. Nick Stewart then signed Stilgoe under his management with Nick Stewart and Associates in 2010. With Grammy-nominated producer James McMillan, Stilgoe recorded a new album We Look to the Stars, released in July 2012. The album went to number 1 in the Amazon Jazz Chart on its day of release. From the album, We Should Kiss was released as a single in July 2012. The single was used by French shoe designer Christian Louboutin in his showcase –Fue at Le Crazy Horse in Paris and exhibition at the London Design Museum., In February 2014, Stilgoe released a live album Songs on Film, which includes songs from classic American films and Stilgoe's original compositions inspired by them.^[15] The album was commercially released by Linn Records on 17 November 2014, alongside his earlier albums. Stilgoe has participated in numerous recording sessions as both a pianist and singer; including the single "Elephant" by Alexandra Burke.

Comedy and radio

Stilgoe's radio work includes contributions and special guest appearances with Alan Carr, Sir Michael Parkinson and for Friday Night Is Music Night. Stilgoe also appeared on The Now Show in 2011 and 2013 and has been a member of BBC Radio 4's The Horne Section with Alex Horne since 2010.

Personal life

Stilgoe lives in west London with his wife, actress and director Katie Beard.

Joe Stilgoe - New Songs for Old  Souls

The launch of singer/pianist/songwriter Joe Stilgoe's third studio album last night was a real show with a proper sense of occasion. Despite it being a one-off, there the abundant signs that it had been carefully devised,  planned, and thought through. Working with theatre/comedy director Owen Lewis,  Stilgoe had planned any number of surprises, suddenly there was Liane Carroll emerging from the back of the auditorium singing, or a full big band in the galleries was braying.

Stilgoe's congenial wisecracking and joyous, clever punning are as much part of what happens in the breaks between the songs as they are of the word-craft in the songs themselves, and the pace and the attention level never flagged. As an improviser he also kept the feel of taking delight in the unexpected, working it into the show. It all made for a great evening and the full house at the Old Vic Theatre - where Stilgoe also happens to be performing nine times a week in an extended season of High Society  - progressively raised its involvement and its cheering.

The regular members of his quartet - all do extensive backing vocals by heart too -  added to the sense of assuredness and professionalism,  (bassist Tom Farmer, drummer Ben Reynolds and guitarist Billy Adamson)  but they also entered into, and added to the sense of a special occasion.

The album has been descibed by the label as "a masterclass in giving nostalgia a contemporary twist," which is as much to say that Stilgoe has the great songbook in his mind,under his fingers, and wants to develop it. At one point he expressed his deep appreciation for Cole Porter (and slipped in "and you dad," - his father was sitting a few rows behind), but there are many other echoes. Songs which if submitted to  a paternity test would clearly have evidence of the bloodlines of Billy Joel, or Mack the Knife or Devil May Care. But they are catchy, they are varied, and I don't think there was a single one which outstayed its welcome.

There was one aspect to enjoy which felt new, transformed, surprising, and that was Stilgoe giving his voice the heft and the timbre to ring out properly in a big theatre. He does everything else so well, the wordplay, the bandleading, the entertaining, the construction of the show,....but to get a lesson in vocal projection as well felt like a very welcome bonus. In the Lane/ Lerner song Too Late Now it was a rich baritone, in In the Still of the Night it was a higher tenor tessitura. Those were moments to appreciate quite how lucky we are to have such a protean talent here among us in London  .

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• Tradicionálny jazz : Retro bigband : Gustáv Brom sa zahraničnými hosťami : Ed Hall viac TU, Gery Scott viac TU.
• Šansón : Vybez z platne Zaz-Recto Verso viac TU.