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Monique diMattina | |
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| Born | Melbourne, Australia |
Monique diMattina is an Australian jazz pianist, singer and composer.
DiMattina is stylistically versatile, composing and performing in a range of genres encompassing jazz roots, country, blues, classical and other contemporary styles.[1] DiMattina's recorded oeuvre reflects these diverse interests and she has cited J. S. Bach, Nina Simone, Sidney Bechet, Édith Piaf, Bob Dylan, Astor Piazzolla, Rickie Lee Jones, Lili Boulanger, Donny Hathaway and Allen Toussaint as influences on her music. As a songwriter diMattina is known for pithy turns of phrase.[2]
Life and career
[edit]DiMattina grew up in Melbourne, Australia, from Italian and English convict heritage. She studied law at the University of Melbourne before taking up jazz piano and composition, focussing her masters thesis on pianist Wynton Kelly.[3] In 2000 following Queens Trust and Fulbright Postgraduate Awards, diMattina moved to New York City where she spent most of her time until 2009. While in NYC Dimattina studied with Sophia Rosoff, Fred Hersch, Sam Yahel and Barry Harris. She played regularly at the 55 Bar, the Living Room, Rockwood Music Hall and Joe's Pub, opened for Lou Reed, ran the New York City marathon and taught at the Henry Street Music School.[4] In 2002, diMattina released Live at the 55, an instrumental collection of covers and originals with Adam Armstrong on bass, Kim Thompson on drums, diMattina on wurlitzer piano and K. T Tolhurst on pedal steel. In between periods in New York City, diMattina toured in Europe, Japan, China and Sydney as principal pianist in Disney's The Lion King orchestra.
In 2009 diMattina released her first solo piano album, Senses (Move Records), followed by Welcome Stranger (2010, Head Records), in which she sings and plays piano. The album mostly contains original songs, with a cover of Paul Kelly's "Dumb Things" in a New Orleans style. In 2011 diMattina released her second solo piano album Sun Signs, designed around the 12 signs of the zodiac. During this period she performed a regular segment called "Shaken Not Rehearsed" on radio station 3RRR 102.7 FM as a guest on Tim Thorpe's Vital Bits program and later on ABC 774 with Lindy Burns when she would play bespoke songs on air, written according to listener requests within the hour.[5] DiMattina also performed in the Clare Bowditch musical theatre piece Eva based on the life of jazz singer Eva Cassidy, opened for Chris Botti on his Australian tour and was musical director of Tapestry: The Music of Carol King starring Vika Bull and Debra Byrne.
In 2012 diMattina recorded Nola's Ark, at Piety Studios in New Orleans with producer Mark Bingham and musicians including Leroy Jones on trumpet, Matt Perrine on bass and June Yamagishi on guitar.[5] Many of the eight original songs on the album originated in the "Shaken Not Rehearsed" segment. Nola's Ark was released on Head Records in May 2013.
Of 'Everybody Loves Somebody (2015, Head Records) Martin Jones (Rhythms Magazine) wrote "Monique diMattina has reached that hallowed ground where influences and inspirations coalesce to produce a unique voice. On this new album, jazz sensibilities and classic songwriting skills blend to produce something reminiscent of the jazzier shadows of Rickie Lee Jones or Joni Mitchell. That is to say, some of the approaches, and aesthetics draw from jazz, but first and foremost it's about the singer and her songs."[6]
diMattina's third solo piano album TIDES (2021) comprises ten notated neo-classical compositions. In 2022 diMattina arranged and produced Australian singer-songwriter Rebecca Barnard's jazz album 'The Night We Called It a Day'.
DiMattina lives in Melbourne with her two daughters, playing music and teaching at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music and at Monash University.
STELLA The Musical
[edit]diMattina is developing a new Musical Theatre work telling the life story of Australian author Stella Miles Franklin. STELLAtheMUSICAL.com has undergone several development presentations and will debut at the Alexander Theatre Monash in May 2025.
Discography
[edit]Albums
[edit]- Live @ The 55 (2002) Elwood Records
- Senses (2009) Head Records
- Welcome Stranger (2010) Head Records
- Sun Signs (2011) Head Records
- Nola's Ark (2013) Head Records
- Everybody Loves Somebody (2015) Head Records
- TIDES (2021)
Single
[edit]- "Say My Name" (2012)
Appearances on other artists' recordings
[edit]- Clare Bowditch - The Winter I Chose Happiness
- Belinda Moody – Moody's Brood
- Martha Baartz – Twelve Salutations
- Andrew Swann – The Braves
- Andrew Swann – Southside Blues
- Andrew Swann – Nasty Cook
- Andrew Firth – Montage
- Tanya Lee Davies - The Duetting Damsel
References
[edit]- ^ "Monique diMattina in New Orleans • Inside Story". insidestory.org.au. 12 June 2013. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
- ^ "Monique di Mattina - 'Everybody Loves Somebody'". Radio National. 6 October 2015. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
- ^ MONIQUE, DI MATTINA. "Wynton Kelly: his life and music". minerva-access.unimelb.edu.au. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
- ^ "Jazz pianist on espresso highway". The Sydney Morning Herald. 15 July 2013. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
- ^ a b "SHAKEN AND A LITTLE BIT REHEARSED". Ausjazz Blog. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
- ^ Rhythms, January/February 2016.