Robert Mitchell & Omar Puente (featuring Deborah Jordan)
@ the Vortex & Pizza Express Jazz Club
(Photography 10 November 2006 & 26 January 2007)

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Robert Mitchell biography

Pianist, keyboard player, composer and lyricist, Robert Mitchell has performed in over 70 different projects. He has collaborated with artists such as Courtney Pine, Norma Winstone, Vaughn Hawthorne-Nelson, Steve Coleman, I.G Culture, Greg Osby, Steve Williamson, The Jazz Warriors, Sillhouette Brown, Ntoumos and Omar Puente.

2002 would see Mitchell appear in the Peter Bogdanovich directed film ‘The Cats Miaow’. In 2004, Mitchell won the BBC Jazz Innovation Award with the F-ire Collective. He has also won various National and International awards with the groups Quite Sane and J-Life.

In 2006, Mitchell’s band’ Panacea’ performed a Radio 1 Session for Giles Peterson, as well as the North Sea Jazz Festival. The album “Bridges” featuring Omar Puente was released in November 2006 to critical acclaim.

At present Mitchell has a busy schedule touring with Omar Puente, he is also working on various projects with artists such, as Jhelisa Anderson and Nina Simone Project. Mitchell is a visiting teacher at the Royal Academy of Music, he also teaches privately.

Omar Puente biography

Omar Puente was born in Santiago de Cuba. He studied classical, and Cuban music at the Escuela Nacional de Arte and the Instituto Superior de Arte in Havana. Visiting tutors included Dizzy Gillespie and Paquito d'Rivera. Fellow students included Gonzalito Rubalcaba and Oriente Lopez.

Puente has toured extensively with the Nacional Symphony Orquestra de Cuba, Ruben Gonzales and Guillermo Rubalcaba. Since re-locating to England in 1997, Puente has recorded with Kirsty McColl, the Temple of Sound and acclaimed pianist Robert Mitchell, amongst others. He has performed with Jools Holland, Eddie Palmiere and the Cuban All-Stars.

Puente teaches Jazz Studies at Leeds College Of Music, Trinity College London and continues to teach in Havana, Cuba.

Deborah Jordan biography

Deborah Jordan was surrounded by music from an early age. Her father was a lead singer and bass player, so it seemed natural for her to become involved at some stage. Her musical journey began at school with the recorder, violin, flute then piano. Jordan attended university after leaving school and continued to explore music by joining groups. At age 18 she was singing jazz standards. Jordan explains:

“I developed my style by listening to anything and everything, and trying things out. I hear someone do something I realise I haven’t tried and try to figure it out, see if it works when I do it. Just as an instrumentalist practices so should a vocalist – so I thought I should try to keep learning”.

For the last six years Jordan has worked with Robert Mitchell’s ground breaking jazz band Panacea. Further musical projects with artists such as Eska Mtungwazi and Bembe Segue have also proved fruitful. Jordan’s voice has been featured on two releases in Japan through Dome Records. ‘Silhouette Brown’ (on the Ether Record label, 2005) was Jordan’s first full album release as a lead singer. Acclaim and support has come from the likes of Gilles Peterson, Trevor Nelson, Patrick Forge and Benji B.

Jordan’s influences are diverse, but she admits she is a soul girl at heart. Artists such as Minnie Riperton, Patrice Rushen, and Patti Austin are confirmed as her key influences. Male artists such as Stevie Wonder, Eric Benet, Brian Mcknight and heavy rock guitar guru Frank Zappa also feature on her list of positive influences.

The aphorism, ‘first impressions are lasting’ is used by many individuals who have had the pleasure of meeting Deborah Jordan. Her passion for life and down to earth approach are qualities this hard working photographer embraced with open arms.

Musicians:
Robert Mitchell – piano / keyboards
Omar Puente – violin / vocals
Deborah Jordan - vocals
Tom Mason - bass
Shane Forbes - drums
Corey Mwamba - vibes