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Stella Skinner
Friday, 3rd July @6:00PM

Stella Skinner is one of the youngest jazz guitarists performing regularly around Melbourne currently.  She released her debut album Paper Planes through NewMarket mid last year with the phenomenal talents of Sam Keevers and Tony Floyd, the upcoming talent of bassist Alex Yeap and also featuring Imogen Manins on the cello.  This group has been performing around Melbourne at the top jazz venues to enthusiastic audiences, with each concert the ensembles connection strengthens, expanding the material whilst creating beautiful music. 

The youthful jazz lines of Skinner, with the maturity and strength of Floyd’s incredible drumming are truly a great mix.  The compositions are very lyrical and harmonically rich, developing into great improvisational adventures. 

Skinner completed her Bachelor in Music at Monash University in 2006 and since then has been freelancing around Melbourne and Australia.  In 2007 Stella was awarded a Buzz Grant through the Foundation for Young Australians. She has had the opportunity to perform with many great musicians, but the highlight has been in the quartet with these extraordinary talents.

More recently, Manins’ has become a feature to the group, with her unique voice and ensemble work providing additional color to the groups sound that culminates into a joyous and satisfying musical experience.  With an Australian Postgraduate Award, she completed a Masters in Music Performance at the Victorian College of the Arts in 2002, studying with the distinguished cellist Nelson Cooke, and writing a thesis on Czech composer Bohuslav Martinu.

The combination of Cello and Guitar within the group has been a great exploration, both Manins and Skinner bringing different ideas to the group, culminating in the expressive, rare sounds that the group has developed into today.

“There is an appealing flow to Skinner’s music, a quality that is maintained in both her solos and in Keevers’. It’s a fine effort…” Rhythms Magazine December 2008 
“The tunes are interesting – some almost neo-classical – professionally played and well recorded…” John McBeath, The Weekend Australian, November 2008.
"Melbourne pianist Sam Keevers has seldom struck such a glistening seam of lyricism as he does on this album led by guitarist Stella Skinner - herself a fine improviser with a distinctive candle-lit take on the classic jazz guitar sound." John Shand, Sydney Morning Herald, February 2009.