Joan Chamorro
Músico de jazz
multiinstrumentista
y director de la
Sant Andreu Jazz Band
El músico
Joan Chamorro studied classical saxophone with
Adolf Ventas. At the same time, he obtained an advanced degree at the Taller de
Músics in Barcelona, where he became a saxophone and musical language teacher
(department head and author of the books used at the school for several years).
Multi-instrumentalist (bass, baritone, tenor, alto and soprano saxophones, clarinet, bass clarinet, flute, cornet, double bass) with more than 100 recordings with different jazz groups in the country, including more than 50 as a leader.
Joan Chamorro was a member of the Taller de Músics Big Band, with whom he performed at several European festivals. He collaborated with the Big Band of Bellaterra, John Dubuclet's Big Band, the Big Band Jazz Terrassa, the Martin Leiton Big Band, the Perico Sambeat Flamenco Big Band and the Eladio Reinon-Tete Montoliu supercombo, to name a few.
He has played in most of the country's
festivals (Barcelona, Terrassa, San Sebastián, Madrid, Valencia, Cádiz, etc.)
and has performed in cities all over the world (Marciac, Paris, Stanford, New
York, Cape Town, Tokyo, Stockholm, Tel-Aviv, Bangalore, Istanbul and many
more).
He has played and recorded with Tete Montoliu, Scott Hamilton, Bebo Valdés, Dick Oatts, Joe Magnarelli, Jessie Davis, Scott Robinson, Jon-Erik Kellso, John Allred, Allan Vaché, Joel Frahm, Nicholas Payton, Bobby Gordon, Ken Peplowski, Luigi Grasso, Pasquale Grasso, Dmitry Baevsky, Dena DeRose, Ted Nash, Steve Cardenas, Ben Allison, Perico Sambeat, Enrique Oliver, Judy Niemack, Carme Canela, Toni Belenguer, Josep Maria Farràs, etc., and has played with Slide Hampton, Ralph Lalama, Randy Brecker, Michael P. Mossman, Bart van Lier, Lew Tabackin, Gary Smulyan, Frank Foster, Teddy Edwards, Frank Wess, Dennis Rowland, Carmen Lundy, John Mosca, David Allen, Bobby Shew, and many others.
He spent a year collaborating with the theatre group Els Comediants with whom he performed at festivals in cities such as New York, Santiago de Chile, Paris and Venice.
La Sant Andreu Jazz Band
In 2006,
Chamorro founded the Sant Andreu Jazz Band, an orchestra through which more
than 70 musicians between the ages of 7 and 21 have passed.
This
internationally renowned band has produced musicians of the stature of Andrea
Motis, Rita Payés, Èlia Bastida and Joan Mar Sauqué, all of whom have
consolidated international careers.
Joan
Chamorro, together with Andrea Motis, started the collection "Joan
Chamorro presenta", of which he has already released 18 records (2022),
some of which have won awards.
They have
performed concerts all over the country and also in France, Italy, Switzerland,
Sweden and Denmark, to name a few.
His
project has been an inspiration for similar projects around the world, having
formalised collaborations with the Mayeusis Foundation (Vigo) and the Fábrica
La Isleta (Gran Canaria).
El Jazzing Festival
Since
2013, Joan Chamorro has promoted, coordinated and directed the Jazzing Festival
in the Sant Andreu neighbourhood of Barcelona, which celebrated its 11h season
in 2024.
Jazzing is
a jazz festival that was created as an initiative to bring jazz music to young
people and the general public, by giving the Sant Andreu Jazz Band the
opportunity to play with some of the leading Spanish and international jazz
musicians.
Musicians
such as Scott Hamilton, Dick Oatts, Joe Magnarelli, Jessie Davis, Scott
Robinson, John Allred, Luigi Grasso, Dmitry Baevsky, Dena DeRose, Perico
Sambeat, Enrique Oliver, Carme Canela, Toni Belenguer, Josep Maria Farràs,
Ricard Gili, Josep Traver, Ignasi Terraza, Esteve Pi, as well as many others,
have performed at this festival.
Throughout
the different years of the Festival, many concert recordings have been made
that have been included in both the Jazzing collection and the "Joan
Chamorro presenta" collection, which are available on the corresponding
pages of this website.
The programme of the eleventh edition of the Festival can be consulted on the Festival's website:
El método: Una forma diferente de aprender la música
Joan
Chamorro has shared his way of working and his philosophy all over the world:
Stanford University (USA), Medellín (Colombia), Marciac (France), Guadalajara
and Mexico DF (Mexico), in different cities in Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden,
Poland, Germany, France, Italy, etc., and also in many cities in Spain.
The SAJB's
educational project is the story of a slow-burning success, simmering over 16
years of work, without haste or great ambitions, but which has been able to
achieve worldwide popularity through the dissemination of its work on the
internet.
Joan
Chamorro's method is based on three key points:
1 · The
importance of listening, imitation and memory.
2 · Beyond
the methodology itself, the way we work is very important in the way we do it.
This is the philosophical part, as important as or more important than the
methodological part.
3 · The
importance of the collective
And, above
all, to provide opportunities to put into practice what has been studied, with
open rehearsals, concerts and recordings.
For the
last four years, the Jazz Education Stage has been held as part of the Jazzing
Festival, an annual meeting for young people and professionals who love jazz and
Joan Chamorro's methodology and philosophy applied to the Sant Andreu Jazz Band
project. The programme includes masterclasses, jam sessions, talks, but above
all, a time together with the artists participating in the Jazzing Festival and
the members of the Sant Andreu, and with its director Joan Chamorro. Aimed at
children from the age of nine, young people, musicians, teachers, conductors
and music lovers.
Premios y reconocimientos
With the Sant Andreu Jazz Band
2009 · Group
considered the best jazz ensemble at the JAÇ awards.
2011 · Arc de la Música
Catalana Awards Orchestra Prize (8 or more members).
2012 · A film about kids and music (Ramon Tort, director) won the award for best national music
documentary film, as well as 14 international awards.
2015 ·Joan Chamorro presents Màgia de la Veu, best album at the Enderrock Awards.
2015 · Joan Chamorro presents Rita Payés, best new Jazz ensemble at the Enderrock Awards
2021 · Alicia
Prize, awarded by the Acadèmia de la Música Catalana: Award for the best educational
project to the Sant Andreu Jazz Band for being "a benchmark in the
training and development of emerging talent".
2024 · Recognition of the Enderrock group at the Jazzing-Sant Andreu Festival in its 10th Edition.
2024 · AMJM Award "Impulse of live music" for Jazzing.
2024 · Ciutat de Castelló Award for Musical Excellence Manuel Babiloni to the Sant Andreu Jazz Band.
2025 · The Sant Andreu Jazz Band won second place at the 30th Essentially Ellington in New York.
With Andrea Motis & Joan Chamorro Group
2011 ·Arc
de la Música Catalana Prize, awarded by the Association of Representatives,
Promoters and Managers of Catalonia (ARC), in the category of new artist by
popular vote.
2011 · JAÇ
Award for best artist of the year, by popular vote Andrea Motis & Joan
Chamorro Group.
2012 · Joan
Chamorro & Andrea Motis Altaveu Awards.
"To Joan
Chamorro, for the work of promoting jazz among young people and new generations
of children and young people, through successful live and recorded experiences,
which have led to the remarkable discovery of Andrea Motis as a singer and
multi-instrumentalist".
2013 · Andrea Motis and Joan
Chamorro, Premi Enderrock for best band and best live performance.
With other groups
2011 · Once Upon a time, by the BCN Jazz
Orquesta, Enderrock award for best jazz album.
