Introduction By: Sheana Eccles
The New Jazz Explosion, Meet the new musicians making the waves plus some of the old.
I have been following the resurgence of jazz for the past five years, both in the UK and New York. Whilst remaining a massive fan of the greats, there is no doubt that jazz is very much alive and kicking. What is great about today’s bunch of musicians is that they have not sought to reworked the music of the past, but presented us with a vibrant, brand new sound which allies with other current genres of music such as hip hop, neo soul and Afro Caribbean music. They have succeeded with the help of British and American DJs such as Bradley Zero and Floating Points in liberating jazz for the dancefloor to the extent that it’s now not unheard of for a 10-minute Pharaoh Sanders odyssey to be spun on the decks to an appreciative, twentysomething crowd. They have given the medium a serious overhaul and in the process made it relevant for today. When Kendrick Lamar released his landmark album To Pimp a Bu erfly in 2015, one of its most extraordinary aspects was its liberal use of jazz. Similarly, the late David Bowie on his last spectacular album Black Star requested the services of American saxophonist Donny MacCaslin to let rip making the music stand out as well as modern. In the UK alone I have taken in concerts featuring the magnificent Kamasi Washington who moved easily between The Albert Hall and the University campus in Leeds. The Leeds gig was hands down standout and meeting Kamasi was an experience, no snootiness here. Similarly Robert Glasper and his Experience appeared at Shepherds Bush to an astonishingly massive crowd and then played Hull Jazz Festival, at The Hull Truck, a small venue but no less rapturous a performance. Courtney Pine is also partial to audiences North and South. Donny MacCaslin last year gave his all at the Manchester venue Band on the Wall which owes its longevity from the days of Punk and Joy Division. Ronnie Sco ’s has been and still is the main London venue to be seen and to play at. Although it is slightly more commercial these days, they regularly feature up and coming live acts in their upstairs rooms. As do Pizza Express venues in the vacinity. The point is there are both venues and audiences for these musicians. We have enjoyed 'Work Songs' by Jaimeo Brown Transcendence, Binker and Moses, the late Wallace Roney, Ramsie Lewis, Pharoah Sanders and many more. Ealing Jazz Festival held at Walpole Park has proven to be a superb small and cheap venue to see a host of wonderful performers. Judi Jackson an American singer songwriter, and Pee Wee Ellis performed in 2019. Over the last twenty years I have also travelled to New York o ten, making a point to take in as many jazz performances as I could. New York has a decidedly “village” feel to some of its jazz venues. My favourites include Smalls and its partner venue Mezzrow. With three live acts a night it is not possible to have a bad experience there. I have lost count of the number of amazing musicians that have come through its doors many from Juilliard as indeed did Miles Davis. No shortage of talent or paying customers. Then there are The Village Vanguard, Blue Note and of course Dizzies where we witnessed the birth of star Jazmina Horn. I also a ended a special performance by Ravi Coltrane in honour of his Mother Alice. Out in Queens in The Knock Down centre this was a wonderful and spiritual experience. There has been a proliferation of Jazz festivals over the last few years, some are long standing but there are new ones like Love Supreme that a ract twenty thousand plus visitors easily. A ter several years of a ending many gigs, it becomes obvious that the “jazz family” whilst robust and healthy has a nucleus of musicians. Amongst the ones to watch are Nubya Garcia, Binker & Moses, Shabaka Hutchins, Sheila Maurice Grey, Theon Cross, Zara Macfarlane, Ezra Collective, Camilla George Quartet, Nerija, and then there are the ones who are riding the wave and enjoying deservedly a new following, Courtney Pine featuring Omar, Denys Baptiste with wonderful improvisational pianist Nickki Yeoh, the amazing Pharoah Sanders, Herbie Hancock, Badbadnotgood and more. They are still in their prime but happy to share their experience and love of Jazz, and perform with the new rising stars as we are happy to see them. Long may it continue.
Sheana Eccles with Mitchell "Mitch" Borden discussing tonight headliners. Smalls Jazz Club was established in 1993 by Mitchell "Mitch" Borden, a former submariner, nurse, teacher and a true gentleman.
Eccles Photography
Photo By:Steven T Eccles
14 Queensgate Beverley HU17 8NW East Yorkshire, England Tel: +44 (0)7880747454 www.ecclesphotography.com bohosteve@gmail.com
About Steven has long had a passion for photography and art but as a young man from Kingston upon Hull, he decided on a career with British Aerospace (BAE Systems). Finding this to be an outlet for his creativity, it proved to be very successful resulting in working in Research & Development and him receiving seven innovation awards for industry including the Chairman's award for aircra t harmonisation (Photogrammetry) in 2002 which was presented to him at The Smithsonian in Washington D.C. USA. Steven acquired his first camera at the age of fi teen one of many, and has since won several photography competitions. Throughout the last forty years he has studied fine art and photography becoming a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 2009, culminating in a second career. He and his wife opened two very successful art galleries (Bohemia Galleries) York and Beverley (Yorkshire) for 18 years showing fine art, sculpture and photography. Steven was CEO and Curator of Exhibitions. Subsequently during their extensive travels around the World Steven, camera always in hand, has continued to interact and photograph people and to capture the places that have inspired him. Steven is currently working as a freelance portrait, concert, travel and social documentary photographer. A ter publishing his first book The Face of New York he is currently working on The Face of Jazz out in 2020. He is member of the National Union of Journalists. Steven loves to share his knowledge and he lectures around the World and will be running a variety of workshop events in 2020. Current and long term projects: The Face of Jazz, The Sea of Sky’s, The Roots and Branches, The True Self, What's In My Camera Bag: Fuji: GFX50R, XT2, XT3, XH1, Xpro2, and Fujifilm Square Camera Collection : Nikon D4, D500, Laica M6, Mamiya Universal Press, Hasselblad 500cm, Tomiyama Art Panorama 6x17cm, Horizont - Russian panoramic, Polaroid SX70 and more.
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