Atila

All the way

Add to My Profile | More VideosAtila began singing at the age of 15 with a local big band Young Jazz, then in February 2002 was invited by Bill Ashton to work with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. He has performed nationwide at venues including Pizza Express (Dean Street), The Sands Jazz Club (Gainsborough), The Dorchester, The Royal Garden Hotel and the world famous Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club. He’s wowed international audiences on specially themed ‘jazz cruises’ alongside jazz greats like Lou Donaldson, Benny Green and Russell Malone. Other credits include the Royal College of Music Big Band and Bobby Lamb’s Trinity Big Band.In June 2005 Atila released his first solo CD ‘Something Old, Something New’ (NYJCD023), accompanied by NYJO. Digby Fairweather critically acclaimed it as “the best I’ve heard from a British singer and orchestra since Dame Cleo and Sir John Dankworth’s Shakespeare and All That Jazz”. Jack Bowers reviewing it for All-About-Jazz wrote “he’s only a step or two away from becoming one of the finest young jazz singers to emerge in quite some time.”Performing at a charity function with a symphony orchestra gave Atila ideas to pursue for his second CD ‘How Do You Keep The Music Playing’, which he co-produced with arranger/conductor and former NYJO member Evan Jolly. The album contains tracks featuring small band, conventional big band and a 64-piece orchestra. Several songs from the album have been broadcast on radio stations including BBC Radio 2 and the CD also led to Atila being interviewed by Eric Hall on BBC Radio Essex.In April 2006 Atila toured with the legendary Buddy Greco and earned a new fan in the process. Afterwards Buddy said, “I was knocked out by Atila. He has the voice and the class to show the world what great music is all about”. Buddy added to this by handing Atila his library of big band music from the tour, then inviting him to Cathedral City (Palm Desert) to sing at his own club ‘Buddy Grecos’ the following autumn. Whilst there Buddy told him “No matter what happens just keep going, someone’s gotta take over when I’m gone. You’re gonna be a star kid”.Since returning from America Atila has continued to freelance, working alongside Clare Teal at The Roundhouse in Camden and with many big bands including the Mid Herts Jazz Orchestra and the Gordon Campbell Big Band. He also performed on a Caribbean cruise with his own five piece band. Still in his mid-twenties, this fast maturing performer has established himself as one of Britain’s most exciting swing singers. Sir John Dankworth predicts a very bright future with the possibility of Atila’s name eventually ending up in lights. MyGen Profile Generator