ANDREA MOTIS AND JOAN CHAMORRO
Andrea Motis and Joan Chamorro are an unlikely musical team. Born more than 30 years apart, they hail from two very different and distinct musical generations. And yet they are the two primary figures in a series of projects in their hometown of Barcelona since 2010. In less than five years, Motis and Chamorro have set their city and other parts of Europe ablaze with the energetic sounds of jazz from either side of the Atlantic.
Since they began collaborating, Motis and Chamorro have recorded four albums together, 5 with the Sant Andreau Jazz Band, 7 more with different projects, toured throughout Europe and South America, and have worked on stage or in the studio with a variety of high-profile musicians, including Dick Oatts, Scott Hamilton, Ken Peplowski, Scott Robinson, Terrell Stafford, Wycliffe Gordon, Jesse Davis, Bobby Gordon and many others.
Along the way, they have received numerous awards and accolades for their artistic endeavors. In 2011, they received an ARC Award for Best New Artist (2011) and an Artist of the Year Award from the Enderrock Jaç Awards.
In addition to the awards, they have also received nominations by some of the most prestigious music organizations in Europe: Best Group of the Year (ANJIM, 2011), Best Jazz and Blues Group (Arc Awards, 2011), and Best Theater and Concert Hall Tour (ARC Awards, 2011).
And yet, for all of their successes, their story is a simple one that begins with little more than a teacher, a student, and a shared passion for music in general and jazz in particular.
Joan Chamorro was born in Barcelona in September 1962. He spent his childhood listening to pop music, but didn’t start focusing on classical music and jazz until he began playing the saxophone and guitar at age 18. He attended the Taller de Musics, a music school in Barcelona devoted to jazz. After four years, he gave up classical music and the guitar and focused his efforts entirely on jazz and the saxophone.
In addition to playing and recording with the Taller de Musics, Chamorro also played live gigs with several local big bands. “I was very lucky to be a part of this scene,” he recalls, “and to have the chance to play with great soloists from some very popular big bands.”
In the years since he received his music degree, Chamorro has played with numerous high-profile musicians from around the world: Stevie Wonder, Manhattan Transfer, Slide Hampton, Randy Brecker, and recorded with Tete Montoliu, Bebo Valdes, and many others. “It is always great to share experiences and music with such a great cast of international musicians,” he says. “And it’s an amazing opportunity to grow as an artist.”
In the midst of these various collaborations, Chamorro has also directed the Sant Andreu Jazz Band, a group in Barcelona made up of children and teenagers between the ages of 9 and 20. It was here that he first met Andrea Motis, an 11-year-old trumpeter who was also one of his saxophone students.
“She was always a very serious student,” Chamorro recalls. “One day I was teaching the band and I asked if anyone wanted to sing a song, and she was the first and only one who said yes. She was 13 years old by this time. From the very beginning, I heard something special in her voice, something that could be improved if she were given the opportunity to learn and grow in the company of good musicians. I talked with her parents, and everyone agreed that she would be part of my various music projects.”
By this young age, Motis had already been immersed in music of every kind. She’d been playing the trumpet since age 7, and her earliest musical memories include Charlie Mingus (one of her father’s favorite musicians) as well as Cuban jazz. By age 10, she starts exploring just about every form of American jazz until nowadays listening to great American female vocalists such as Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holliday and Nancy Wilson, also Cécile McLorin Salvant, Amy Winehouse, Esperanza Spalding, Gretchen Parlato and instrumentalists such as Tom Harrell, Roy Hargrove, Wynton Marsalis, Perico Sambeat as well as iconic jazz artists like Charlie Parker, Cannonball Adderley, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and Clifford Brown.
“The first time I sang in public was for Chamorro’s audition at the Taller de Music school,” says Motis. “I sang a Basin Street blues number that Joan later uploaded to the internet. After that, he invited me to sing on his album.”
The album was Joan Chamorro Presenta Andrea Motis, released in 2010 when Motis was 14. As the title suggests, the album is a showcase for Chamorro’s young protégé who plays trumpet, saxophone and sings throughout the recording.
“We recorded a lot of songs in different ways,” says Motis. “While deciding the final album repertoire we realized that we liked most of the songs that were sung. That’s why Joan thought of the album as a way to introduce me as a musician and singer, because my role turned out to be more important than we had originally thought it would be.”
In the final cut of the album, Motis sings on 16 of the 17 tracks. “She showed a great sensibility and a capacity to share emotions,” says Chamorro. “There was a great natural quality in every song we recorded.”
The project proved to be an extremely valuable learning experience. Motis recalls: “It gave me the opportunity to play for the first time with amazing musicians such as Ignasi Terraza, Josep Traver, Eseve Pi, Dani Alonso and Bobby Gordon, and American clarinetist who played with all the great classic jazz artists before he died.”
Feeling Good, a recording of live performances throughout Barcelona, followed in 2012. Two years after the first album, Motis had grown and matured as a musician and a vocalist. “This was the point where she started improvising, and it’s reflected in the CD, where all of her solos are entirely hers,” says Chamorro. “I trusted her knowledge and encouraged her to improvise during our shows too. We were performing a lot at that time and it was a good time to practice that. It was amazing to see her progression in every rehearsal and every show.”
Their third recording, Live in Jamboree Barcelona, captured the band during their three appearances at the Barcelona music festival with guest saxophonist Scott Hamilton.
“The thing flowed so smoothly,” says Motis. “We played new songs and some others that were in our previous repertoire. We felt truly at ease playing the music. It was a very special experience and I was truly happy with the final result.”
Chamorro and Motis recorded yet another live big band performance – this time on video as well as audio – in 2014 at the Barcelona International Jazz Festival. The CD/DVD package is scheduled for release in August 2014. The majority of the repertoire in the upcoming release by The Motis Chamorro Big Band is sung by Motis, but Chamorro’s baritone sax and Motis’s trumpet also figure prominently in the mix.
“This project includes the very best musicians in the Barcelona jazz scene,” says Chamorro. “Many of them are excellent soloists who play an important role in the tracks on which they play.”
In addition to their extensive work in the Barcelona scene, The Motis Chamorro Group has also played numerous festivals in France, Switzerland, Brazil and Turkey.
“Andrea and I are doing the best we can to share our music with as many people as possible,” says Chamorro. “Who knows what we’ll be doing in the future, or where we’ll be doing it? But I do envision a beautiful future for her. She is already a well known artist, and she will be even more well know in years to come. She deserves it. She has a great talent, ability and magic necessary to do so. All of this comes from the things that I think are most important: honesty, authenticity and humility.”
“I’m very happy to be collaborating in new musical projects, experimenting with new styles,” says Motis. “And as Joan says: ‘Creativity has no bounds or limits.’ We have so many projects and opportunities, and the chance to collaborate with so many artists. Maintaining this vibe is the best that I can hope for right now and for the future. We’ll see!”
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Andrea Motis & Joan Chamorro Group
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