Julian Smith | |
---|---|
Also known as | Joolz Gianni |
Born | Birmingham, Worcestershire, England | 21 April 1969
Genres | Classical, jazz, soul, blues, funk, pop, reggae |
Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
Instrument(s) | Saxophone, clarinet, bassoon |
Years active | 1993–present |
Labels | Sony Music |
Website |
juliansmithsax |
Julian Smith (born 21 April 1969 from Birmingham) is an English saxophonist and music teacher from Birmingham, England. He is also known by his stage name Joolz Gianni. [1] He has made guest appearances alongside artists such as Tony Hadley ( Spandau Ballet), Gwen Dickey ( Rose Royce), Hamish Stuart and Steve Ferrone ( Average White Band), and has performed on national television together with Chris Rea, M People, and Dina Carroll. In 2003, he released a solo album, Chilled 2 the Sax, which features Acker Bilk, Dina Carroll, and Ola Onabule.[ citation needed] Smith became better known after appearing on the third series of Britain's Got Talent in 2009 and finished in third place behind singer Susan Boyle and winning dance troupe Diversity. [2]
Julian Smith is a native of Birmingham, England. [3] His father was a music teacher, which allowed Smith to learn a variety of instruments as a child, including the clarinet. [4] He attended the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (then Birmingham School of Music / Birmingham Conservatoire) where he studied bassoon as his first study instrument with second study saxophone. [4] He graduated with distinction in 1991. [5] After graduating from the Conservatoire, Smith focused more on the saxophone. [4]
Early in his career, Smith held teaching jobs with both Sandwell College and Cheltenham College. [6] He also made guest appearances on records for Tony Hadley, and Hamish Stuart and performed live on national television with acts like Chris Rea, M People, and Dina Carroll. [7] [8] In 1993, Smith formed a band [9] and eventually began operating under the stage name Joolz Gianni. Some of his tracks were featured on Sony Music's Classic Chillout compilation series from between 2001 and 2003. [10] [11] [12] [13] In 2003, he released a solo album as Joolz Gianni entitled Chilled 2 the Sax, [7] which featured Acker Bilk, Dina Carroll, and Ola Onabule. [14] After releasing his album Throughout This Time, he continued teaching music privately [3] and playing small gigs. [3] [15]
In April 2009, Smith first appeared on an episode of the third series of Britain's Got Talent. [16] [17] During the audition round, he performed a version of "Somewhere" from the musical, West Side Story, on soprano saxophone. [18] [19] The audition received a standing ovation from the audience and praise from judges Simon Cowell, [20] Piers Morgan, and Amanda Holden. [18] [20] [21] Smith was subsequently chosen to be among the 40 semi-finalists who would perform live in May 2009. [15] [22] [23] During his semi-final performance, Smith played a rendition of "All by Myself" and advanced to the final round by winning the public vote. [24] For the final round on 30 May 2009, [25] he played another rendition of "Somewhere," [3] receiving around 700,000 votes [6](16.4% of the total vote) and placing as the second runner-up behind singer Susan Boyle and winning dance troupe Diversity. [3] [5] [25] Smith later performed alongside the other 9 finalists on the nationwide Britain's Got Talent live tour in June 2009. [26] [27]
In the ensuing years, Smith released several albums through Big Bear Records, [28] including Somewhere [7] and Christmas Songs and Lullabies (both in 2010). [28] That year, he played a headlining gig at the Birmingham International Jazz and Blues Festival, [10] was featured on the charitable single "The Prayer" for Classical Relief for Haiti, [10] [29] and toured with The Stylistics. [10] [30] He also performed a duet with Kenny G at the Royal Albert Hall and played for Prince Charles at Clarence House. [28] [31] In 2011, he went on a 48-date tour throughout the United Kingdom, [28] and in 2012, he toured with Diversity on their "Digitized" tour. [32] Smith continued touring throughout 2013, [33] including a show with the winner of the first series of The X Factor, Steve Brookstein. [34]
In 2015, he independently released a new album, Wonderful World.[5] In 2017, he toured the United States and Canada before returning to England where he performed a new concert series at St. Stephen's Church in Redditch. [35] On New Year's Eve in 2020, Smith started a Zoom-based concert series. The shows, which are virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic, feature various young performers playing multiple genres of music. Proceeds from the events were donated to the National Health Service. [36]
Smith has two children with his wife Iraz [3] and said that he entered Britain's Got Talent to "make life better for them". [37]
Name | Year | Label |
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Chilled 2 the Sax (as Joolz Gianni) | 2003 (UK) | Sony |
Take a Breath [38] | 2009 (UK) | Big Bear Records |
Somewhere [39] | 2010 (UK) | Big Bear Records |
Ibiza Summer Sax [38] | 2010 (UK) | Big Bear Records |
Christmas Songs & Lullabies [40] | 2010 (UK) | Big Bear Records |
Wonderful World [39] | 2015 (UK) | Independent |
At The Movies [41] | 2017 (UK) | Independent |
Name | Year | Label |
---|---|---|
The Classic Chillout Album | 2001 | Sony Music Entertainment |
The Classic Chillout Album 2 | 2001 | Columbia Records |
The New Classic Chillout Album | 2002 | Sony Music Entertainment |
Open Space - The Classic Chillout Album 2 | 2002 | Columbia Records |