Music for London - The Itano Collective perform for Weddings, Services, Corporate Events, and all occasions in London and the UK

Itano performs for Parties and in Birmingham and the UK - accentuate a stunning wedding, or corporate event. Musicians in Birmingham and throughout the greather Birmingham area.

"Stylish, very stylish ..." - THE TIMES ****
"A triumph..." - THE SUNDAY TIMES ****
"Bold, expressive playing that's liberatingly inventive..." - SONGLINES ****
"As refreshing as it is infectious..." - JAZZWISE ***
"Dazzling dynamic..." - THE METRO *****

Itano Guitar and Instrumental Ensemble
Audio: Sample 1 Sample 2 Blue Dragon Heroes Paganini	Itano is a collective bringing together a spirited brew of young, Birmingham-based musicians. This group performs in a vaiety of combinations from guitar duo, duo with guitar and one of the other instruments, as a trio with two guitars and another instrument or a larger ensemble to suit any sized event. Their repertoire moves through flamenco, jazz, gypsy, hotclub, classical and even film influences, the group is centered around two acoustic guitars, set alongside a core of double bass, flute and violin, and often growing to feature trumpets, percussion and flamenco dance, with new and interchanging shapes and sizes of ensemble from gig to gig, and within a performance. JAMIE, Guitar - Playing since the tender age of ten, Jamie has developed an admirable technique and ear for flamenco guitar, accompanying dance classes in the Midlands, performing alongside dancer Ana Garcia, whilst also playing in the rhythm section of the much admired klezmer-folk band, The Destroyers. 'Graduating' from the Birmingham School's Guitar Ensemble in 2000. Also squashing an English and Philosophy degree in between performing at most of the UK's major concert halls. SAM, Guitar -was taught the musical pursuits by composer and guitarist Bryan Lester, graduating from the Birmingham School's Guitar Ensemble in 2000, since then he has performed throughout the UK and Europe with Itano. As well as a growing affinity for flamenco, Sam has a great love of improvisation, Jazz and Indian music, also performing with the Indo Jazz fusion group Marva, led by Tabla player Manveer Singh. Somehow obtaining a degree in History in 2004, Sam plans to use this wisely and own New York's first Dad's Army themed flamenco-jazz real-ale bar ... PERCY, Double Bass - Trumpet - Flugelhorn, Equally at home on double bass, trumpet and flugelhorn, Percy returned from a year at the New School for Jazz, New York in 2006. Percy is in constant demand nationwide and highly regarded for his fine playing, teaching at Birmingham Conservatoire and work with his own bands. In 2005, Percy was the winner of both the BBC Big Band Competition Soloist Prize and the Starbucks Young Jazz Musician Prize. 'The Glove' perfroms with numerous jazz-based projects, at home and abroad, including appearances with The Duke Ellington Orchestra at Birdland, the BBC Big Band and the Don Lusher Big Band. HOLLY, Flute, Flautist extraordinare, studied classical flute at Birmingham Consevertoire, where she developed her interest in jazz and improvisation. Since her first year at music college Holly has been the flautist for Svengali, a midlands-based 'jazz funk-fusion' band, who have taken in gigs at Ronnie Scotts with the likes of Guy Barker en route. Since coming to Birmingham, Holly has performed and recorded with a number of fine bands and appeared on albums ranging from breakbeat through to indie-pop. Last year Holly headlined at the Fuerteventura Jazz Festival with The Players Sextet, alongside top Midland 'ex-pats' Sam Pearce, Roger Perks and Steve Sherriff. She is currently gigging and recording original tracks with nu-funk outfit Salavador6. LOUIS, Violin & Viola, Owner of violins and violas, started learning the violin at the age of about twelve, and later he attended the Birmingham Conservatoire to study classical violin, where he developed an interest in folk, world and jazz. After two years Louis changed over to the composition course, which he completed in 2004. In the autumn of '04, Louis set up an ensemble dedicated to playing the music of eastern Europe, The Destroyers, which he currently leads and writes for. Other incarnations of Louis include teaching violin for 'Musicate' and 'Aston Performing Arts Academy', and also working with the Birmingham Theatre School, developing live music for their graduation performances. In January 2006, Louis performed a series of new scores to the short films of Mitchell and Kenyon, as part of the first Flatpack Film Festival. RAY, Trumpet, A very fine, original and creative trumpeter, Ray has worked with some top names in the jazz field including Jean Toussaint, Tony Levin and Julian Siegel, he has played in numerous international jazz and blues festivals alongside such luminaries as BB King, Afro Cuban Allstars and Tania Maria. In 2003 Ray played the trumpet solo at the world premier of “Requiem for Ground Zero”, by Steven Berkoff, and in 2005 and 2007, performed first trumpet in the International Christian Embassy of Jerusalem Orchestra. Ray's current projects include an original album, 'War On the Saints', which he has recently finished recording in Chicago at Audio for the Arts studios, Madison, and ARC studios, Birmingham. A long-term collaborator with Trio Gitano, Ray also features on the album of jazz vocalist Julie Dunn, and will be touring with her in spring 2008. Ray is also a very fine pianist, even being known to have made a (working) appearance at the delightful Stringfellows club in his time! ED, Clarinet - Tenor Sax, An exceptional musician with wonderful expression, Ed has worked with some of the most inventive musicians in the Midlands - Steve Tromans, Sid Peacock - as well as running a jazz sextet, The Munro Baggers, and an 8 piece Afro Funk band. At the 2006 Cheltenham International Jazz Festival, Ed performed with two leading jazz musicians from New York, Dan Weiss and Thomas Morgan, and also played with the excellent Birmingham band, The Sugar Beats. Ed was commissioned by Birmingham Jazz to write and perform a concert in February 2007 - 'A Heart's Tale' - which featured Hans Koller, Genevieve Sylva and Jan Hendrickse, and promptly sold out receiving glowing reviews. After completing a degree in jazz at the Birmingham conservatoire in 2003.	Repertoire: Touching on the influences and new arrangements of works by such luminaries as Paco de Lucia, Django Reinhardt, Ennio Morricone and Horace Silver, the Collective also perform self-penned compositions and arrangements, and music by longstanding TG Guru Bryan Lester. The previous twelve months have found TGC at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France; Bilbao, Spain; and throughout the UK, from Edinburgh to London, Cheltenham to Glasgow and a UK tour opening at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival in May. In October, the group sold out Birmingham's Glee Club for a performance collaboration with eminent flamenco dancer and choreographer Ana Garcia, now a key part of the collective.

Itano Guitar and Instrumental Ensemble

Audio:

Sample 1

Sample 2

Blue Dragon

Heroes Paganini

Itano is a collective bringing together a spirited brew of young, Birmingham-based musicians. This group performs in a vaiety of combinations from guitar duo, duo with guitar and one of the other instruments, as a trio with two guitars and another instrument or a larger ensemble to suit any sized event. Their repertoire moves through flamenco, jazz, gypsy, hotclub, classical and even film influences, the group is centered around two acoustic guitars, set alongside a core of double bass, flute and violin, and often growing to feature trumpets, percussion and flamenco dance, with new and interchanging shapes and sizes of ensemble from gig to gig, and within a performance.

JAMIE, Guitar - Playing since the tender age of ten, Jamie has developed an admirable technique and ear for flamenco guitar, accompanying dance classes in the Midlands, performing alongside dancer Ana Garcia, whilst also playing in the rhythm section of the much admired klezmer-folk band, The Destroyers.

'Graduating' from the Birmingham School's Guitar Ensemble in 2000. Also squashing an English and Philosophy degree in between performing at most of the UK's major concert halls.

SAM, Guitar -was taught the musical pursuits by composer and guitarist Bryan Lester, graduating from the Birmingham School's Guitar Ensemble in 2000, since then he has performed throughout the UK and Europe with Itano.

As well as a growing affinity for flamenco, Sam has a great love of improvisation, Jazz and Indian music, also performing with the Indo Jazz fusion group Marva, led by Tabla player Manveer Singh. Somehow obtaining a degree in History in 2004, Sam plans to use this wisely and own New York's first Dad's Army themed flamenco-jazz real-ale bar ...

PERCY, Double Bass - Trumpet - Flugelhorn, Equally at home on double bass, trumpet and flugelhorn, Percy returned from a year at the New School for Jazz, New York in 2006. Percy is in constant demand nationwide and highly regarded for his fine playing, teaching at Birmingham Conservatoire and work with his own bands.

In 2005, Percy was the winner of both the BBC Big Band Competition Soloist Prize and the Starbucks Young Jazz Musician Prize. 'The Glove' perfroms with numerous jazz-based projects, at home and abroad, including appearances with The Duke Ellington Orchestra at Birdland, the BBC Big Band and the Don Lusher Big Band.

HOLLY, Flute, Flautist extraordinare, studied classical flute at Birmingham Consevertoire, where she developed her interest in jazz and improvisation. Since her first year at music college Holly has been the flautist for Svengali, a midlands-based 'jazz funk-fusion' band, who have taken in gigs at Ronnie Scotts with the likes of Guy Barker en route.

Since coming to Birmingham, Holly has performed and recorded with a number of fine bands and appeared on albums ranging from breakbeat through to indie-pop. Last year Holly headlined at the Fuerteventura Jazz Festival with The Players Sextet, alongside top Midland 'ex-pats' Sam Pearce, Roger Perks and Steve Sherriff. She is currently gigging and recording original tracks with nu-funk outfit Salavador6.

LOUIS, Violin & Viola, Owner of violins and violas, started learning the violin at the age of about twelve, and later he attended the Birmingham Conservatoire to study classical violin, where he developed an interest in folk, world and jazz. After two years Louis changed over to the composition course, which he completed in 2004.

In the autumn of '04, Louis set up an ensemble dedicated to playing the music of eastern Europe, The Destroyers, which he currently leads and writes for. Other incarnations of Louis include teaching violin for 'Musicate' and 'Aston Performing Arts Academy', and also working with the Birmingham Theatre School, developing live music for their graduation performances. In January 2006, Louis performed a series of new scores to the short films of Mitchell and Kenyon, as part of the first Flatpack Film Festival.

RAY, Trumpet, A very fine, original and creative trumpeter, Ray has worked with some top names in the jazz field including Jean Toussaint, Tony Levin and Julian Siegel, he has played in numerous international jazz and blues festivals alongside such luminaries as BB King, Afro Cuban Allstars and Tania Maria. In 2003 Ray played the trumpet solo at the world premier of “Requiem for Ground Zero”, by Steven Berkoff, and in 2005 and 2007, performed first trumpet in the International Christian Embassy of Jerusalem Orchestra. Ray's current projects include an original album, 'War On the Saints', which he has recently finished recording in Chicago at Audio for the Arts studios, Madison, and ARC studios, Birmingham. A long-term collaborator with Trio Gitano, Ray also features on the album of jazz vocalist Julie Dunn, and will be touring with her in spring 2008. Ray is also a very fine pianist, even being known to have made a (working) appearance at the delightful Stringfellows club in his time!

ED, Clarinet - Tenor Sax, An exceptional musician with wonderful expression, Ed has worked with some of the most inventive musicians in the Midlands - Steve Tromans, Sid Peacock - as well as running a jazz sextet, The Munro Baggers, and an 8 piece Afro Funk band. At the 2006 Cheltenham International Jazz Festival, Ed performed with two leading jazz musicians from New York, Dan Weiss and Thomas Morgan, and also played with the excellent Birmingham band, The Sugar Beats. Ed was commissioned by Birmingham Jazz to write and perform a concert in February 2007 - 'A Heart's Tale' - which featured Hans Koller, Genevieve Sylva and Jan Hendrickse, and promptly sold out receiving glowing reviews. After completing a degree in jazz at the Birmingham conservatoire in 2003.

Repertoire:

Touching on the influences and new arrangements of works by such luminaries as Paco de Lucia, Django Reinhardt, Ennio Morricone and Horace Silver, the Collective also perform self-penned compositions and arrangements, and music by longstanding TG Guru Bryan Lester. The previous twelve months have found TGC at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France; Bilbao, Spain; and throughout the UK, from Edinburgh to London, Cheltenham to Glasgow and a UK tour opening at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival in May. In October, the group sold out Birmingham's Glee Club for a performance collaboration with eminent flamenco dancer and choreographer Ana Garcia, now a key part of the collective.