Join Mike and Frank on a Pack walk....

Story

Join Mike and Frank on a Pack walk.... Welcome to the crowd funding page for ‘Mike Lovatt’s Brass Pack’ Let us introduce you to our project! This is your opportunity to be involved in a once-in-a-lifetime project. Join us now on this exciting journey. You can find out more about the Brass Pack at www.brasspack.co.uk OUR STORY This outstanding group of musicians, led by virtuoso trumpet star Mike Lovatt, first emerged during the worldwide pandemic, when they recorded their hit YouTube video ‘The Carmen Suite’, arranged by Colin Skinner, one of the greatest arrangers / composers / musicians working in the UK today. The soundtrack to the video was recorded in the musician’s home studios, living rooms and kitchens all over Europe and even on a rooftop in Cuba! The hand-picked ensemble of 25 is drawn from the UK’s top virtuoso instrumentalists. Each hugely successful in their own right, they come from richly diverse musical backgrounds encompassing jazz, swing, contemporary and classical styles. They are joined by the UK’s most experienced and in-demand Swing era vocalist Matt Ford, a performer unsurpassed in his ability to connect the story of song to his audience. Now, after two highly acclaimed sell out concerts at Harrogate Festival and Snape Maltings, where they performed a program of highly original and brilliant arrangements by Colin Skinner of some much loved popular songs from the Billy May / Sinatra era, they plan to record their first album at the iconic Abbey Road Studios! THE DREAM With your help we hope to raise £52k to cover three days of recordings at Abbey Road Studios. This sum will cover most of the musicians' and soloist’s fees, the arrangements, instrument hire, sound engineers, producer, production and mixing costs, and publishing fees. We’re so passionate about this project, lots of people are giving their time freely to make it come to fruition, and Mike is even selling one of his trumpets! OUR FUTURE PLANS This is why we do what we do! At Mike Lovatt’s Brass Pack our long term aim is to inspire young people by creating opportunities which will make a real difference to their lives. We currently have a major funding application in place to launch an exciting side by side mentoring scheme with Lincolnshire Music Education Hub, in a part of the uk where music is seriously underfunded. At our sell out concert in Snape Maltings we invited a very talented 11 year old drummer to join us onstage, giving him an experience he will never forget. Just look at his face! Giving opportunities like this to young people is deeply embedded in our ethos – we want every future concert to give something extra special to young musicians who might otherwise never experience the thrill and breathtaking teamwork of live music. Abbey Road Studios Abbey Road Studios is the most famous recording studio in the world, renowned for its creativity and technological excellence. It is a global icon that for the last 90 years has been the musical home to The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Shirley Bassey, Cilla Black, Yehudi Menuhin, Ella Fitzgerald, Kate Bush, Oasis, Ed Sheeran, Amy Winehouse, Adele and many more. But not Sinatra. We need your help to get this amazing Sinatra inspired project recorded in the best studio in the world and these beautiful and unique arrangements preserved for future generations. MEET SOME OF OUR MUSICIANS Mike Lovatt Mike is a UK virtuoso trumpeter, recording artist, sought after teacher and musical director who is internationally recognized for his wide ranging stylistic ability. He has appeared at the BBC Proms on numerous occasions as Principal Trumpet of the Grammy nominated John Wilson Orchestra. Mike is also lead trumpet of the BBC Big Band, Superbrass, and is featured as soloist on many film scores including James Bond, No Time to Die, Marvel's ‘Avengers Endgame’ and the Judy Garland Bio Pic 'Judy’.    His career has followed a diverse and stylistically wide ranging path establishing his name throughout the world. He regularly works with the multi-talented Seth MacFarlane in the recording studio and in concert with the Pacific Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra Washington DC and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.  Most memorably Mike worked alongside the late Jessye Norman performing the Sacred Music of Duke Ellington. Colin Skinner Starting his musical life as a bassoonist, Colin studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, but as a postgraduate student at the Trinity College of Music in London, decided his future lay in the world of the Big Band. 1987 saw Colin become a member of the Glenn Miller Orchestra U.K., and in 1995 he began performing cabaret with The Mellotones vocal quartet. From 2000 he became lead alto saxophonist with the Syd Lawrence Orchestra and also acted as assistant musical director. Colin now appears with Echoes of Ellington and Back to Basie Big Bands. Increasingly in demand for his writing, he has contributed arrangements to the library of the S.L.O., The John Wilson Orchestra, the B.B.C. Big Band, Concert Orchestra and Singers, Superbrass, Onyx Brass and his own big band “Skin Deep” and septet “Squatty Roo”. “Lifedream”, his short opera score, was selected as a finalist in the 2012 English National Opera competition and he wrote a forty minute score for “Game Over” an educational project with the London Symphony Orchestra. Matt Ford Matt Ford is the UK’s most experienced and in-demand Swing Era vocalist. A veteran of over 2000 Big Band concerts, with the likes of The Syd Lawrence Orchestra, BBC Big Band, Len Philips Swing Orchestra and John Wilson Orchestra, Matt’s career so far spans 4 decades. Matt has featured in 4 BBC Proms concerts (2011, 2013, 2016 & 2019), with live broadcasts of these on BBC Two, BBC Four and BBC Radio 3. Other TV and radio credits include; Friday Night is Music Night (tributes to Irving Berlin, The Gershwins, Alan J Lerner & Gene Kelly), BBC Big Band Special (30th Anniversary Special), SKY Arts 1 & 2 (Cole Porter in Hollywood & 100 Years of Big Bands), BBC Four (The Sound of Song), BBC One (The One Show), ITV (Titchmarsh) and BBC Radio 3 (In Tune). On the orchestral circuit, over the last 20 years Matt has performed regularly with the BBC Concert Orchestra, Halle, CBSO, RTE Concert Orchestra, Northern Sinfonia, Philharmonia, John Wilson Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Scottish Symphony and Irish National Symphony Orchestras. HOW YOU CAN HELP How can you join us on this journey? Any amount that you’re willing to contribute would be extremely helpful and gratefully received. However, if you’re not in a financial position to donate, you can help by sharing this with a friend, or maybe you know someone who will resonate with the aims and aspirations of this project. We are not allowed to offer rewards for donations under the terms of 'Go Fund Me' but you will never be forgotten and you have our deepest gratitude. The recording will enable us to raise our profile, attract more performance opportunities and expand our vital education work, offering mentoring and inspiration to the next generation of professional musicians. Crucially, it will encapsulate and capture the sound and unsurpassed talent of a group of musicians at the very peak of their playing. Truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. To appreciate the outstanding quality of the arrangements and musicianship, listen to two short clips from our recent Snape concert (Please note that the audio was recorded on an audience members’ phone) The Tender Trap Audio clip Here's that Rain day Audio clip THANK YOU FOR DONATING!! If you would like to keep in touch with us and find out more about future plans please visit www.brasspack.co.uk Thank you so much for your generous support of this exciting project!