Showing posts with label Viktorija Pilatovic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Viktorija Pilatovic. Show all posts

Sunday, November 14, 2021

Viktorija Pilatovic - Nica's Blues - EP

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 28:57
Size: 66,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:19)  1. We Could Solve That
(4:35)  2. Clowns
(4:34)  3. Boplicity
(4:27)  4. I Get a Kick Out of You
(4:41)  5. Four
(5:19)  6. Nica's Blues

Since August 2013 Viktorija Pilatovic has been a Faculty member of USFQ College of Music, Berklee College of Music International Network Member School in Quito, Ecuador, where she is a professor of Jazz Vocal Performance. She is a new artist for Greg Osby's "Inner Circle Music" label. Her debut album "Nica's blues" is available online. Viktorija was invited to take part in The First International Festival of Jazz Improvisation skills Master-Jam Fest in Odessa, Ukraine on the 5th-8th of June 2013. The Festival gathered 43 musicians from all over the world. In November 2012 Viktorija Pilatovic Quintet was an opening act for Chris Dave and Drumheadz at Vilnius Mama Jazz Festival involving artists as : Wallace Roney and Ravi Coltrane. In October 2012, jazz singer, composer and arranger Viktorija Pilatovic performed her original composition “We Could Solve That” with internationally renowned bassist Victor Wooten in Valencia, Spain’s iconic Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia performing arts complex, complete with a rhythm section and backing vocals all scored by the young artist herself. Her unique arrangement and composition skills were quickly noticed when she arrived at Berklee Valencia in September of 2012 to persue her Masters in Contemporary Studio Performance on a full ride scholarship. 

In just a few months after her arrival, Viktorija was invited to perform at the Berklee Yamaha All-Stars Concert alongside music legends bassist Abraham Laboriel, saxaphonist Perico Sambeat and vibraphonist Victor Mendoza, in addition to performing her arrangement of “So What” by Miles Davis with a vocal ensemble and backing band at Berklee Valencia’s Welcome Lecture for Berklee College of Music President Roger Brown, Valencian government officials and local media. Earlier in 2012, Viktorija found herself the only student invited to participate at the AEC Pop and Jazz Platform in Lille, France, representing the young jazz generation amongst a number of music professionals, discussing teaching methods and the future of jazz education. In March 2012, she found herself performing as a solo artist with PCC Sympho-Jazz orchestra conducted by the legendary John Clayton. In July she performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland. These accomplishments were made possible by Viktorija’s dedication and perserverance to her craft, starting in the early years of childhood.

Viktorija was born on the 12th of March in 1989 in Klaipeda, Lithuania. At the age of 6 she started playing classical piano, winning many Carl Czerny Piano Competitions.  Throughout her childhood, she took part in many children ensembles performing all over country. In 2007, she began her Bachelor studies in Jazz Vocal at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre.  Since then, she has participated in a number of Jazz contests, such as the International Jazz Vocal Competition in 2008, 2009 and 2010, winning 1st prize in 'Jazz Fountain 2008'.  In 2009, Viktorija was invited to take part in “Klaipeda’s Sea Festival”, appearing at The Tall Ships’ Races where she performed with The National Big-Band, recieving live coverage from Lithuanian national TV and radio.  In 2008, the young artist performed at a festival in Naggar, Himachal Pradesh, India hosted by the International Roerich Memorial Trust. In 2010, Viktorija moved to The Netherlands to further her jazz studies at Prins Claus Conservatorium. Here her style evolved from traditional to contemporary jazz, fusing a number of styles and colors. Viktorija took lessons from J.D. Walter, Ralph Peterson, Alex Sipiagin, David Berkman, Don Braden, Jeff Cascaro, Joris Teepe, Freddie Bryant, Gene Jackson and Robin Eubanks. In 2011, Viktorija won 3rd prize at the The Nederland Jazz Vocalisten Concours for her completely original arrangement of the famous standard “My Favorite Things”, featuring a solid bass line, modal harmonies and odd time signatures.  The show was broadcasted on Radio 6 The Netherlands.  Also in 2011, Viktorija toured Athens, Greece with guitarist and vocalist  Adedeji Adetayo.  Following the tour, she returned to Greece with her female jazz Group “The Sound Of Reflection” after the request by many, where they spent playing almost every night for a month. Viktorija’s success shows no signs of stopping.

She now holds two bachelor’s degrees, one from the Prins Claus Conservatorium and one from the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater.  She is currently studying for her Master's Degree in the Contemporary Studio Performance program at the Berklee College of Music, Valencia Campus. During this time, Viktorija continues to develop arrangements and original compositions with a unique for a wide variety of ensembles at Berklee while strengthening her business skills at the university and developing her own teaching methods.  On top of all this, Viktorija is working on her debut album featuring original compositions and unique arrangement of jazz standards, fusing jazz, hip-hop and soul, with an expected release of late 2013.  While this young talent is busy working on a number of musical endeavors with a whirlwind of success, it is clear the only direction she is headed is up.  http://www.viktorijapilatovic.com/#!biography/c10fk

Friday, November 15, 2019

Viktorija Pilatovic - The Only Light

Styles: Vocal 
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:05
Size: 113,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:22)  1. We Were Not Born Yesterday
(3:40)  2. Movie
(6:41)  3. The Only Light (Album Version)
(4:23)  4. Time
(5:05)  5. One
(5:03)  6. Hungry Eyes
(3:08)  7. Frozen in Silence
(5:14)  8. Patience
(3:59)  9. My Blues
(7:25) 10. Confusion (Album Version)

A copious spring of jazz melodies conceived from various sonorous influences that this contemporary jazz lover applied to her music. Tremendously poetic lyrics. Viktorija's voice: firm, sure, expressive, giving the exact measure  no more, no less  of passions concentrated in her way of singing and in her way of composing, so wise and distinguished. A voice that slides like a seasoned surfer through the melodic waves of the theme. Groovy, innovative and virtuosic album of this young artist. “Confusion” arranged for big band by Perico Sambeat, adapted for 6 horns by Alberto Palau featuring Fede Crespo - trumpet, Pepe Zaragoza - trumpet, Toni Belenguer - trombone, Perico Sambeat - alto saxophone/flute, Javier Vercher - tenor saxophone, Latino Blanco - baritone saxophone, Ivan Cebrian - guitar. https://viktorijapilatovic.bandcamp.com/album/the-only-light

Personnel: Viktorija Pilatovic - voice, backing vocals; Alberto Palau - piano/keyboard; Ales Cesarini - double bass/el.bass; Mariano Steimberg - drums/percussion; Perico Sambeat - alto saxophone/flute; Ivan Cebrian - guitar 

The Only Light

Tuesday, June 11, 2019

Viktorija Pilatovic - Stories

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:39
Size: 91,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:01)  1. Rising Sun
(6:14)  2. New 2
(4:28)  3. On Your Knees
(5:31)  4. Conviction
(6:55)  5. Stories of England
(4:29)  6. Question Me
(2:01)  7. Nice Odd
(5:57)  8. Every Home

Lithuanian jazz vocalist and composer Viktorija Pilatovic’s has shared the stage with an impressive lineup of musicians from around the world Victor Wooten, Victor Mendoza Gene Jackson and Robin Eubanks, to name a few and she has performed at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival as well as the Vilnius Mama Jazz Festival. Viktorija explains that her new album ‘Stories’  ‘is inspired and dedicated to people I have met while living in Lithuania,The Netherlands, Spain and Ecuador. Each song represents a certain state of mind. Music has helped me to express and capture those elusive moments in a gentle way’. It must be said that the geography we cover by exploring her new album, is quite something. The new album was recorded in Spain with mainly Spanish musicians (Israel Sandoval, Perico Sambeat Alberto Palau, Ales Cesarini and Mariano Steimberg) and mixed in New York and  Viktorija’s songs were written Ecuador, The Netherlands, Lithuania and Valencia you get the feeling you are going on a worldwide tour before you even start listening! The whole album, with the exception of one track (Nice Odd) has a relaxing and calming feel to it, mainly due to Viktorija’s well trained vocal style, with a cohesive theme that holds everything together well. The vocals suit the writing perfectly and Viktorija’s emotional intent for the album, are demonstrated well, not only through her vocal style but also through her wonderfully descriptive lyrics. Special mention to the pianist Alberto Palau who’s performance on this album shows supports where needed and absolutely shines when the occasion arises. Question Me is Viktorija’s favourite track from the album and features some gorgeous sax from Perico Sambeat. You can hear how much she enjoys singing this song there is an evident ease and relaxation to her vocal and her lyric  ‘I will lose myself in this sensation’ really does sum up quite clearly her emotions during this song. New 2 written in Ecuador and about prohibited and unconditional love, is my favourite from track the album. 

With a definite theatrical feel to it at times, the variety of this song, kept me engaged throughout.  Opening with a subtly sexy groove with a Latin tinge, it occasionally leads us somewhere slightly unexpected. Half way through the song, this groove takes us into a wonderful vocal scat section with some nice vocal harmonies that work really well, leading us seamlessly into a gorgeous piano solo from Alberto Palau and the piano is very strong throughout. Stories of England I was intrigued with, as Viktorija has said it has nothing to do with her own experience of England, so I was very curious as to why it was titled in such a way. It is based on a story that she was told, the lyrics say ‘he shared with me stories of England’ so the song is about the impact these stories had on her rather than a direct experience. This song has a very understated, gentle bluesy feel about it, very simple arrangement and instrumentation very nice. Nice odd is fascinating as it is a track that Viktorija wants to evolve and include on her future recordings, which is an interesting concept. It is very short at 2 mins, but quite different from the rest of the tracks on the album. An irregular time and an almost psychedelic feel to it at times, with some synth sounds that have not really appeared at any other point in the album. ‘Nice odd’ is the truly perfect title for this track. It is oddly placed in the context of the album, but it’s not actually a problem and you do genuinely want to know how it will develop in the future. It is nice and yes, a little odd but in a good way. On your knees has some gorgeous guitar from Israel Sandoval and the lyrics in this track ‘hiding tears, while you’re on your knees, trying to survive that cold feeling’ exemplify the heartfelt emotions expressed throughout the album. As a classically trained pianist who moved into studying vocal jazz, Viktorija’s album is well placed in this genre. The whole album is very well executed, with good arrangements and she really has achieved what she out to. Superb musicians that support each other collectively, with the opportunity to shine occasionally and they do. I believe Viktorija has described her own album perfectly, as it really does ‘capture those elusive moments in a gentle way’. https://jazzineurope.mfmmedia.nl/2018/01/viktorija-pilatovic-stories-cd-review-by-fiona-ross/

Personnel: Viktorija Pilatovic – voice | Alberto Palau – piano | Ales Cesarini – bass | Mariano Steimberg – drums | Perico Sambeat – saxophone, track 4 and 6 | Israel Sandoval – guitar, track 3 and 8

Stories