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Joe Stilgoe

Joe Stilgoe

Joe Stilgoe
Jazz vocal

Joe Stilgoe is a singer, pianist and songwriter, touring constantly around the world with his band and as a solo act.

Genre
Jazz
    Biography

    Joe Stilgoe is an internationally acclaimed singer, pianist and songwriter with a rich musical heritage (his father is lyricist and entertainer Richard; his mother the opera singer Annabel Hunt). His live shows are a mixture of virtuosic musicianship and breathtaking theatricality, combining on the spot improvisation and the quickest of wits.

    Joe has toured all around the world with his band and as a solo act, having appeared in jazz clubs from New York to Berlin to Kuala Lumpur, including sell-out runs at legendary London venue Ronnie Scott's. He has appeared as featured soloist with orchestras, including the BBC Concert Orchestra, John Wilson Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Northern Sinfonia, Lahti Symphony, and the RTE Orchestra in Dublin.

    Joe signed to legendary label Candid Records, and released his first album I Like This One in 2008, going on to self-fund his second, We Look To The Stars, in 2012. On the day of release, it went straight to the top of the jazz charts while pulling in rave reviews from the national press and attracting new fans including Tim Minchin, Chris Evans and Sir Michael Parkinson. In 2013, Joe embarked on a project which would complement his love of cinema, Songs on Film, in which he and his remarkable band performed songs written for and inspired by some of the greatest films of the last century. His London Jazz Festival performances of the show were recorded for a live album, released in February 2014. This record, and all of Joe's back catalogue, have since been re-released by the prestigious jazz label Linn Records. His first album with Linn, New Songs for Old Souls, was released to 5-star reviews and plaudits in 2015, being named one of the 'Best Jazz Albums of 2015' by The Telegraph. Joe's most recent album, Songs on the Film: The Sequel, followed in August 2016.

    In addition to his own material, Joe has written songs for Samantha Barks, Liane Carroll and Claire Martin, and collaborated with many diverse performers, including conductor John Wilson and comedian Alexander Armstrong. He works extensively on radio, having hosted BBC Radio 2's Friday Night is Music Night, as well as his own show on JazzFM, and appeared on The Now Show and The Horne Section for Radio 4. He scored a high-profile role in High Society, Kevin Spacey and Maria Friedman's smash-hit musical at The Old Vic, and has enjoyed several sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, garnering further acclaim and another collection of 5-star reviews on every return.

    In the past year, Joe has performed at the Olivier Awards, presented three special Big Band shows at the Lyric Hammersmith and been commissioned to create his very own Celebration of Gene Kelly for the EFG London Jazz Festival. He also went on his first tour of Australia, presented the BBC's Young Jazz Musician of the Year Award on BBC4, and performed for both Prince Charles at St James' Palace and Prince Phillip at Windsor Castle.

    2017 brought with it exciting plans, including a special performance of Songs on Film at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, more big band shows including a debut at the world famous Snape Proms, a role in a new BBC drama, hosting another episode of Friday Night is Music Night, plus residencies at Ronnie Scotts, Crazy Coqs, and continuing his extensive tour of the UK.

    Joe is an ambassador for Children And The Arts and a trustee of The Orpheus Centre.