JazzUK - October-November 2014

. jazz uk OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

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ISSUE 119

NEWS • GIGS • INTERVIEWS • FEATURES • REVIEWS

PRESTON

GLASGOW

LOWE

Plus

PUBLISHED BY

ENGINES ORCHESTRA JAZZ ON THE ROAD OUT & ABOUT HOT HOUSE

1 THE JAZZ SERVICES GUIDE TO THE BRITISH SCENE

JazzUK is published bi-monthly

by Jazz Services, a registered charity which provides funding, information, and representation for the British jazz community.

JazzUK exists to promote the appreciation of jazz and expand the opportunities available to its performers. JazzUK’s print run of 25,000 copies is distributed by mail to donors to Jazz Services and free of charge to jazz venues, shops, libraries, and is also available to read online via the Jazz Services website.

JazzUK is pleased to support the Musicians Union in seeking equitable terms and working conditions for musicians.

Members of the UK MU Jazz Section are emailed a link to their own free downloadable copy of each issue of JazzUK. JazzUK, First Floor, 132 Southwark Street, London SE1 0SW UK Tel: +44 (0)207 928 9089 Fax: +44 (0)207 401 6870 www.jazzservices.org.uk Editor: John Norbury-Lyons john@jazzservices.org.uk Listings Editor: Sabina Czajkowska listings@jazzservices.org.uk Design / Production: Nick Brown production@jazzservices.org.uk Donations / Distribution: subscriptions@jazzservices. org.uk.

Advertising: Nick Brown advertising@jazzservices.org.uk 07824 663488 Founding Editor: Jed Williams, 1952-2003.

Contributors as credited.

The views expressed in JazzUK do not necessarily reflect the policy of Jazz Services.

Welcome to the October-November of JazzUK, your bi-monthly guide to the UK’s jazz scene from Jazz Services.

On the cover this issue is the exhilarating trio Preston-GlasgowLowe, who speak to Dan Paton about their forthcoming tour and album, both of which are supported by Jazz Services funding. We also turn the tables on regular contributor Phil Meadows and learn more about his ambitious new project, the Engines Orchestra.

Tina Edwards takes over the Guest Spot and introduces us to her Jazz Standard show on Hoxton Radio, and we dive into the Leeds Jazz scene with Steve Crocker of Seven Jazz in Out & About. Phil Meadows is back again with Hot House, plus there’s all the usual news, previews, highlights from the October issue of Gigs, Q&As with Jazz Services touring bands and more - all brought to you for free by Jazz Services!

Jazz Services – Supporting Jazz In The UK!

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NEWS – Catch up with the latest news of what’s to come in October and November.

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OUT & ABOUT – Steve Crocker shows us around the Leeds jazz scene.

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PRESTON-GLASGOW-LOWE – The trio speak to Dan Paton about their new tour and album.

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ENGINES ORCHESTRA – Saxophonist and JazzUK contributor Phil Meadows talks about his far-reaching new ensemble.

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THE GUEST SPOT – We hand things over to Tina Edwards, host of the Jazz Standard show on London’s Hoxton Radio.

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HOT HOUSE – Phil Meadows’ regular spotlight on the best of the upand-coming players on the scene.

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GIGS HIGHLIGHTS – Choice picks from the October issue of Gigs, the Jazz Services online listings guide.

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JAZZ ON THE ROAD – More Q&As with bands touring this October and November with Jazz Services’ funding support.

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News Over the next few pages you can read some of the news that has filtered down through the JazzUK grapevine, plus updates on what to look out for in the next couple of months.

ReVoice! Festival Georgia Mancio

Got a story for News? Email details and press releases for the next issue’s news section to the editor, with the title ‘JazzUK News’.

Thanks again to Rob Adams (RA) for providing jazz news from Scotland.

ReVoice! Festival

As well as being a first-rate vocalist and bandleader, Georgia Mancio has built quite a reputation for herself as curator of the increasingly successful ReVoice! festival, which celebrates its 5th anniversary from the 9th – 20th October this year.

“I’m very proud that from an initial five day event in 2010 this will be our longest edition yet,” says Mancio, “twelve nights over four venues in and (for the first time) out of London.” As well as concerts at the capital’s Pizza Express and 606 jazz clubs, Mancio takes the ReVoice brand to Watermill Jazz in Dorking (Claire Martin & Joe Stilgoe, Oct. 9th) and the Hunter Club in Bury St Edmunds (Gabrielle Ducomble, 19th). The festival is extremely rewarding for punters – the bill of fare includes sets from the esteemed likes of Carmen Lundy, Christine Tobin, Rebecca Paris and several others – but also for Mancio herself. “ReVoice! is an incredible opportunity for me to develop as an artist,” she says, “as not only am I constantly inspired by the many diverse vocalists I programme but I also perform an opening set each night with a different - and often brand new - collaborator.” Mancio is gaining deserved praise for her endeavours and overall vision. “It’s

Georgia Mancio © Lara Leigh

important to me to break down the mythical barriers between vocalists and musicians, and indeed between performers and promoters,” she asserts. “We are all seeking the same result; beautiful music that speaks to an audience, and an audience that speaks to the world about our beautiful music. I hope there’s something for everyone to get talking about with ReVoice! 2014!” For line-ups and ticket details across all the venues, visit www.revoicefestival.com

Melissa James – Church tour finale in November

Soul-jazz singer Melissa James has been enjoying some great praise of late with her recent series of gigs in churches, which began back in July. The closing gig in the series takes place on 27th November at the St Pancras Old Church, a gorgeous venue in the centre of London that has a rich history of music attached to it. Speaking of her early childhood experiences, James says, “I come from a family of church-goers but it has been a

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while since I went to church myself.

The idea of performing in a spiritual space and connecting with those in the local area, who might be part of the church community, really appeals to me.” Find out more at www.melissa-james.com

UK audiences might well have heard Charlie Wood’s piano playing gracing the recordings of his wife Jacqui Dankworth (who co-produces here), but he’s also a seasoned leader in his own right.

New Souvenirs is his sixth studio album, reflecting his upbringing in Memphis, Tennessee, and the vast melting pot of music that informed his early days as a performer. The tracks are all Wood’s own, a varied assortment of jazzy influences flavoured with R&B, blues, soul and more besides. Ghost Town and Don’t Think offer a smooth dinnerjazz feel while Wood gets his inner Stevie Wonder going for Music Is My Monkey – stylistically speaking it’s a mixed bag, and some tracks are probably more in tune with the preferences of the average jazzer than the more R&B-tinged numbers (polished though they are), but there’s a lot on offer nonetheless.

New Souvenirs is released on 3rd November. www.charliewood.us

Hull Jazz Festival 20th-22nd November

The Hull Jazz Festival’s winter edition (their summer one was back in July) opens on Thursday 20th November with Gilad Atzmon’s Orient House Ensemble, whose performance of In Loving Memory of America: Charlie Parker with Strings with the Sigamos String Quartet should be a fine way to kick off the weekend’s proceedings. The rest of the programme features gigs from Arun Ghosh (playing his excellent South Asian Suite), the great Dutch violinist Tim Kliphuis presenting a tribute to Stéphane Grappelli as well as hosting a workshop on gypsy jazz, and NYJO featuring spe-

John Surman at LJF cial guest Soweto Kinch. Presented by local promoters J-Night, the gigs take place at Hull’s Truck Theatre – see www.jnight.org/hulljazzfestival for more info.

EYESHUTIGHT – Resonance (Hungry Bear Records)

The Leeds-based trio EYESHUTIGHT release their third album on Hungry Bear Records this October. The band is led by bassist Paul Baxter, and under his direction he, pianist Johnny Tomlinson and drummer Kristoffer Wright hustle and bustle their way through Resonance’s nine tracks of melodic and multifaceted contemporary jazz. Much has been said of the ‘post e.s.t.’ piano trio scene, but in this case it’s a pretty apt assessment; the trio’s fluid approach to melodies and rhythms, taken from a variety of sources but filtered through an improvisatory context, ought to endear them to fans of the late Swedish pianist they also namecheck Avishai Cohen Keith Jarrett’s classic trio (with Charlie Haden and Paul Motian) as key influences. This album should go some way to bringing them to a wider audience, and their Jazz Services supported tour runs throughout October and November; see our website or www.paulbaxtermusic. com for full details.

© Tim Dickeson

Charlie Woods – New Souvenirs (Perdido Records)

EFG London Jazz Festival – 14th – 23rd November

For a couple of weeks in November the capital will again be bursting with music as the EFG London Jazz Festival returns to saturate the city’s cultural calendar with the best that jazz has to offer. As usual the event has gathered a great crowd of international performers – this year including Charles Lloyd, Marcus Miller, Bill Frisell, Branford Marsalis, The Bad Plus and those seemingly now-ubiquitous festival favourites Snarky Puppy – along with top-flight UK stars both established and emerging. Any hopes that recent septuagenarian John Surman might have had of some low-key celebrations have been cheerfully dashed by the inclusion of the Surman At Seventy residency at King’s Place, with two nights of collaborations featuring the great composer and sax player joining forces with bassist Chris Laurence and the Trans4mation Strings as well as the Bergen Big Band. Also worth catching will be the be live debut of the Engines Orchestra, led

by Phil Meadows, an ambitious and wide-reaching ensemble that includes a fantastic mix of promising players; you can find out more from Meadows himself later in this issue.

There’s also a plethora of free

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gigs, workshops, talks and events to complement the main concerts, giving jazz lovers (and friends) the perfect opportunity to immerse themselves in the music. A number

and Sandwich (4th), withplenty more to follow – check out www. nigelprice.biz for the full list.

Mammal Hands – Animalia London launch

A brief but worthy mention for the excellent Mammal Hands, the latest success to come out of Matt Halsall’s Gondwana Records stable.

Their albumAnimaliawas released back in September but they’re treat Jazz At St. Giles, Oxford ing London audiences to a special Oxford residents will welcome launch gig at Rich Mix on the 9th the return of the Jazz At St. Giles November. With a broad and beau tifully engaging melodic palette, sessions, with some great small ensemble gigs lined up for Saturday the trio’s sweeping and soaring melodies sit neatly alongside those evenings at the city centre venue. of labelmates and recent Mercury On the 18th October there’s violin Prize nominees GoGo Penguin, and piano duo Chris Garrick and David Gordon; violinist Ben Holder who provide apt support for the gig. http://mammal-hands.tumblr.com Quartet features Art Themen as special guest on the 1st November; and the spellbinding Nicolas Meier Paragon – Cerca (Jellymould Jazz) duets with fellow guitarist (and stalwart promoter of Oxford’s own Spin jazz club) Pete Oxley on the 22nd November. Concert proceeds go to local homelessness charities, and you can get tickets and info from www.jazzatstgiles.com to selling out as this issue goes to press, but there’s more than enough to go around – check out the full listings at www.efglondonjazzfesti val.org.uk and get involved.

Nigel Price Organ Trio tour

Guitarist Nigel Price takes his excellent organ trio out on the road for a mammoth tour this autumn, with over 30 dates planned between October and December. Price is joined in this group by organist Ross Stanley and drummer Matt Horne, with Vasilis Xenopoulos guesting on tenor at selected gigs, and the band will be performing from their recent 33 Records album entitled (appropriately enough) Hit The Road, a hugely enjoyable set that shows the three players exuberantly swinging their way through nine lively numbers. The technical and stylistic mastery at work sounds effortlessly balanced in Price’s capable hands, and his treatment of the album’s originals and standards is sure to go down a storm onstage. The October leg kicks off with concerts in Grimsby

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Paragon are another of the bands touring this last quarter with Jazz Services’ funding support, and they release their third album on Jellymould Jazz on 13th October. The Anglo-German quartet’s playful and laid back sound occasionally belies the more complex compositional conversations at work, and the mu sicians – saxophonist Peter Ehwald in particular – seem to delight in providing subtle surprises for their listeners. Regularly touring in Europe, Paragon deserve to be better known over here; their tour begins on 28th October in Newcastle,

with further dates in Oxford (30th), London (31st), Lowestoft (2nd Nov.), Teignmouth (3rd) and St Ives (4th). www.paragonlikesyou.com

Philip Clouts Quartet – Scottish tour

South Africa-born pianist Philip Clouts takes his quartet to Scotland part of a series of concerts in support of the group’s well received latest album,The Hour of Pearl.

Although his family moved to the UK from Cape Town when he was for the music of his native land and toured and recorded with the popular London-based world jazz ensemble Zubop before moving to Dorset in 2006. His music since then has added impressions of the Dorset coast and countryside that complement his interests in African music, Cuban rhythms and klezmer as well as jazz heroes including Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, and Charles Lloyd. The quartet, which includes saxophonist Tom Ward, plays Auchenblae Village Hall (1st Nov.), Jazz Bar, Edinburgh (2nd), The Inn at Lathones, St Andrews (3rd), Lemon Tree, Aberdeen (4th), Woodend Tennis Club, Glasgow (5th) and Carnegie Hall, Dunfermline (6th), with dates south of the border either side of the main Scottish tour. (RA)

Cloudmakers Trio – Abstract Forces (Whirlwind Record ings)

Vibes player Jim Hart once again reaches for the skies with his Cloudmakers Trio, whoseAbstract Forces album has just landed courtesy of Whirlwind Recordings. With the label’s owner Mike Janisch on bass alongside Dave Smith on drums, the trio weave their way through seven tracks that combine a strong sense of groove with lots of room for improvisational freedom – the album’s title is an appropri ate description of the ‘forces’ at work here. Hart takes the melodic lead and is wonderfully eloquent in

Snaggletoothis a fantastic opening statement) but the trio works as one and the interplay is a delight, particularly in the freer passages.

The band plays The Crypt in London Jazz Club on the 10th. www.jimhart. co.uk

An Angel for The Outhouse

Edinburgh venue The Outhouse has won a Herald Angel award at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

The Outhouse, which is home to the weekly Playtime series of Thursday jazz concerts, has been presenting jazz on the Fringe since 2009 and this year featured American singers Barbara Morrison and Lillian Boutté and Barbadian saxophonist Arturo Tappin as well as local musicians including saxophonist Martin Kershaw and guitarist Graeme Stephen. Sponsored on this occasion

by Edinburgh Napier University, the Angels are awarded by Scotland’s newspaper The Herald for excellence across the range of festivals taking place in Edinburgh during August; previous jazz winners have included Edinburgh’s Jazz Bar and singer Christine Tobin. See what’s coming up in the Playtime series at www.playtime-music.com (RA)

10 Years of Way Out West

In October Way Out West celebrates ten years of promoting jazz concerts in west London – since its inception the collective has put on more than 400 concerts across a wide range of different genres in jazz. Starting on October 8th with a celebration of the music of the late, great trombonist and educator Eddie Harvey, there will be weekly gigs at the Bull’s Head in Barnes plus two concerts at the Jazz Café Posk in Hammersmith. Current and past members including Tim Whitehead, Emily Saunders and Larry Bartley will play new original compositions, and the collective comes together during the London Jazz Festival on the 14th and 19th of November with a fresh look at the

in London. The awards celebrate the work of music educators across the UK, and are hosted by the Royal ARQ – August tour Academy of Music in collaboration Alison Rayner’s recent albumAuwith Jazz Services and the National gust is one of the latest successes Music Council’s Music Education coming out of the Jazz Services Awards Scheme, and are sponRecording Support Scheme, a great sored by the Worshipful Company and groovy disc that showcases the of Musicians. The awards will be bassist at her most creative both as accompanied by a concert from the a player and arranger. To promote RAM’s Academy Big Band, directed

by Nick Smart and performing on the 6th October via Blow The alongside special guest Nikki Iles.

Fuse Records, Rayner will be gigThe concert is part of this year’s ging around the UK with Jazz SerEFG London Jazz Festival, with vices funding support from the 25th tickets are available from www. efglondonjazzfestival.org.uk tour starting at Brighton’s Verdict Jazz Services: Jazz Club and progressing on to Funding situation update Bristol’s Hen and Chickens (26th) It’s been very busy at Jazz Services and London’s Lauderdale House following the cuts to our Arts Coun (30th), with more gigs scheduled cil NPO funding from April 2015, for late November. Rayner’s band announced earlier in the summer. features her long time compatriot We had a huge response to our Deirdre Cartwright on guitar (see call for comments from the public, the June/July issue of JazzUK for a feature on their work with Blow The as well as over 6,000 signatures Fuse), as well as Diane McLoughlin for the online petition calling for on sax, Steve Lodder on piano and alternative funding to be enabled.

This massive show of support Buster Birch on drums. Full tour dates can be found on the Jazz Ser- proved beyond doubt that there’s vices website as well as on www. a real need for Jazz Services and blowthefuse.com the facilities we provide, and as a result of our conversations with the Jazz Services: Arts Council we’re very pleased to Education work be working with Bonnar Keenlyside The importance of education to the consultants, who are conducting continuation of our jazz scene can’t an organisational review of Jazz be over-estimated. Jazz Services’ Services. This review is funded by Education Panel has recently ofthe Arts Council themselves, which fered some comment and analysis demonstrates their continued faith on the proposed reforms to the in our dedication and commitment GCSE syllabus and their apparent to the music scene despite discontinuing our NPO funding, and is lack of emphasis on what might extremely encouraging news both improvisation - and how this could for Jazz Services and the UK’s jazz sector. Bonnar Keenlyside’s work potentially affect the careers of will help us to evaluate our working budding musicians from all disci plines. You can read the statement model and allow us to apply for in full on the Education Blog section alternative funding from April 2015, of the Jazz Services website. and it’s a real opportunity for Jazz Services to improve, develop and In addition, we’re proud to again be grow. As before, your opinions mat supporting the Will Michael Awards ter so keep an eye on our website for more info and details as our for Jazz Education, which take place on the 22nd November at the situation develops.

Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room music both past and present. See www.wowjazz.org for more info.

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& Steve has been playing and promoting jazz around the York shire area for many years. As a bassist he’s worked with some fantastic players in his time, including Kenny Davern, Bob Wilbur, Jimmy Witherspoon, Harry Edison, Red Holloway and Spike Robinson. He was the jazz voice of Radio Hallam in, as he puts it, “the days when commercial radio stations had jazz shows!” He promoted during the 1980s putting on artists like Al Grey, Buddy Tate, Roland Hanna, Lester Bowie’s Brass Fantasy, the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Loose Tubes, Jon He now runs Seven Jazz, the main voluntary jazz promoter in Leeds, based in Chapel Allerton at Seven Arts and Inkwell venues. Seven Jazz was one of the organisations allocated funding in this year’s Jazz Services/PRS for Music Foundation Jazz Promoter Awards, and was given the Club of the Year award by Jazz Yorkshire in 2012.

“The Leeds scene is amazing,” enthuses Steve, “so many good clubs and players. You’d sort of expect it in such a large city of course, but like so many things, Leeds doesn’t shout very much

about the good things that go on - so thanks for the opportu nity!” With a scene like Leeds it

and pianists David Newton, Matthew Bourne and Nikki Iles (pictured).

to start, but Steve immediately plumps for Leeds College of Music. “It began life in 1965,”

Steve is equally enthusiastic about the institution’s future, and emphasises its importance in the city’s continuing scene.

Jerry Godley has recently been appointed as the new principal.

course of its kind in Europe.

From its rather humble begin -

Nikki Illes © Brian O’Connor

For this issue’s Out & About we look to Leeds, a buzzing musical city with a terrific jazz scene supported by a wealth of players and organisations.

Local promoter and JazzUK-appointed Leeds authority Steve Crocker shows us around.

LCM graduate Nikki Iles nings it now has smart new premises (with lots of Steinway pianos) next to the Yorkshire Playhouse. Trumpeter Dick Hawdon and clarinettist John Brown were previous principals, and tutors there have included Tony Faulkner, Bob Hartley and Bill Charleston, guitarist Cathy Dyson and pianists Bill Kinghorn and Bryan Layton.” There have also been plenty of famous student alumni, and Steve namechecks saxophonists Alan Barnes and Pete Wareham, trumpeter Chris Batchelor,

“He’ll take over a place bursting “Each year Leeds College produces another crop of stun ning young musicians, many of whom go on the careers elsewhere, but others who stay in the city and add to the lively jazz scene. They run bands active on the Leeds circuit that are worth checking out, such as The Abstract Hip Hop Orchestra, with saxophonists Jim Corry and Rob Mitchell, the Django Project led by Ben Lowman (another sax player), trombonist

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Kevin Holbrough’s Quintet, pianist Jamil Sheriff’s Trio, bassist Simon Read’s Octet, drummer Katie Patterson’s Allsorts and trumpeter Enrico Marchesi’s fantastic salsa band Bourbon y Tequila.” If you like your jazz with a Caribbean flavour then Steve also recommends, “the best jazz steel pan player in the UK, Dudley Nesbitt and his band Pan Jumbi.”

Given the strength and productivity of such a talent factory, Leeds is lucky to have a wealth of jazz venues on hand to cater for so many artists - Steve puts

trio with Alex Garnett, pianist Enrico Pieranunzi, Indojazz saxophonist Jesse Bannister with pianist Zoe Rahman and the mighty Partisans.

And Seven Jazz is by no means the only player in town. “Traditional and mainstream jazz is catered for by Leeds Jazz Club in Armley, run for 40 years now by John Wall,” says Steve, “and also by the indefatigable Les Brown and the Jazz At The Spa folks over at Boston Spa Community Centre.” The big band scene is very active too, “with bands led by three drum-

are some good jazz hangouts in the city too,” adds Steve, “including the wonderful (and very small) Café Lento in Headingley with the ever welcoming Richard Lindley and the LS6 Clock Café in Hyde Park – where saxman Ben Powling welcomes sitters-in!”

Publicly funded organisations in the city also have jazz as part of their programme, as Steve explains. “For example, there’s the Howard Assembly Rooms who this autumn feature Tord Gustavsen and Abdullah Ibrahim as part of

Chris Sharkey (r) and Shiver

the count at 11. His own Seven Jazz Leeds started in 2007 and now runs around 80 international, regional and community jazz concerts plus a jazz festival, a blues festival, workshops and a jazz choir. “We use two venues - Seven Arts, a community business in Chapel Allerton just north of the city centre where we hold our international concerts, and at Inkwell, a fantastic mental health arts centre run by Leeds Mind who let their space out for jazz gigs where we have Sunday afternoon shows.”

Some big names coming this autumn include the Nigel Price

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mers - Tony Faulkner, Ronnie Bottomley and Colin Byrne - by trumpeter James Hamilton and the school-based Leeds Jazz Rock Orchestra led by saxophonist Brendan Duffy.”

Several clubs in the city are run by Leeds College of Music alumni. Steve cites Heart in Headingley, run by trumpeter Kim Macari; Sela Bar, with sessions promoted by saxophonist Matt Anderson and guitarist Nik Svarc; Sproggits at Wharf Street, organised by guitarist Harry Orme; and The Verve, run by pianist Alex Podrasa. “There

their programme, and Leeds Venue who have the National Youth Jazz Orchestra there in November.” There are local festivals including jazz in their programming all over Leeds – the Garforth Arts Festival run by jazz pianist and educator Dave Evans, and Chapel Allerton Arts Festival in September run by Seven Jazz are two examples.

Perhaps strangely given the size and strength of the local scene there’s no festival dedicated to jazz in the calendar just yet.

Steve and his compatriots aim to change all that, however, and Seven Jazz will also be running

a Leeds Jazz Festival at the Carriageworks in May 2015.

Steve is also mindful of the history of the city’s scene. “It’s worth too recalling the work of Leeds Jazz, an organisation who are sadly no longer active, in promoting cutting edge jazz from around the world in the city for over 25 years,” he says. “It started in 1984, the days of a thriving alternative scene - Leeds Other Paper, the Leeds Trades Club, Red Ladder Theatre Company, and myriad other alternative political and grass-roots community and cultural groups. There is a wall on the Host Media Centre, where their venue The Trades Club once stood, that has glass bricks featuring the names of the artist who appeared there.”

Steve reels off an impressive roll-call – Archie Shepp, Steve Lacy, Billy Bang, Art Blakey, Bill Frisell, Steve Lacy, Paul Motian,

Roland Shannon Jackson, Carla Bley, Sweet Honey and the Rock, Kenny Wheeler, Dave Holland, John Taylor, John Abercrombie, Peter Erskine; “a seeming endless list of stars.”

Leeds Jazz was closely associated with a group of improvising musicians under the banner of LIMA (Leeds Improvised Music Association), and as Steve points out, “the heart of this free music is still strong in Leeds.”

It’s largely based around local promoters Fusebox, with musicians like guitarist Chris Sharkey, (Trio VD, Shiver - pictured) sax player James Mainwairing (Roller Trio), pianist Laura Cole, international bassist Dave Kane and saxophonist Richard Ormrod, “with his many projects mixing jazz and cowboys, jazz and dub, and not to mention the huge community band Dales Jam.”

Steve paints a very positive picture of Leeds; “a city with a long jazz history, and lots to go to today, even before you start including the clubs elsewhere in Yorkshire.” With so much on offer and much more to come from colleges, venues, artists and promoters alike, Leeds is very much on the musical map of British jazz.

More information about all the venues mentioned in Steve Crocker’s account of the Leeds jazz scene can be found on the Norvol Jazz Network site, www.norvoljazz.org (featured in JazzUK issue #109) and the Northern Jazz News blog, http:// northernjazz-live.blogspot. co.uk/. Seven Jazz Leeds’s website is www.sevenjazz.co.uk

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Preston-Gla

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asgow-Lowe Dan Paton speaks to vibrant three-piece Preston-Glasgow-Lowe about their new Jazz Services supported album and tour.

and mixing carefully to create the desired sound. David goes further; “When I’m recording, I like the idea that I’m making an album. When the time comes to make a live album, we can hopefully do it that way as well.”

Although they are a relatively new band (formed just three years ago), London-based Preston-GlasgowLowe already have very clear concepts behind their music. Whilst the music might be initially hard to classify - often exciting and propulsive with rock dynamics, but also full of shimmering textures, intricate harmony and strong melodic lines the band are confident in explaining what they are aiming to achieve. As the band themselves suggest, the music is very challenging but also has a naturalistic feeling behind it. Guitarist David Preston, bassist Kevin Glasgow and drummer Laurie Lowe are currently hard at work on their debut album at Thames Valley studios at Westminster University with engineer Adam Peters, and will embark on a Jazz Services funded UK tour in November and December.

It seems that there are some inherent qualities in Preston-GlasgowLowe’s music that might necessitate a more rigorous approach in the studio. “A lot of the pieces are quite proggy”, says Kevin. “They are long form compositions, almost closer to classical pieces in a way, so we tend to approach them section by section”. David suggests this enables them to further develop and refine the music in the studio. ‘‘You get to really tear apart the piece in a much more intimate way and try and treat every song or solo as something very specific.” Kevin explains how the group like to incorporate the solos within a broader framework. “We’re trying to give the solos as much thought as we would the written material, trying to give it a purpose,” he says. “We need to know the point of the solo at the start and how it connects to the song. This way, we try not to repeat ourselves too much.”

Discussing their recording process, David Preston says, “We don’t want to do another quick two day recording. There’s already enough of those.” So how exactly will this album differ from many UK jazz albums, which often are recorded under significant time constraints?

Kevin Glasgow explains that they plan to invest time and energy at the post-production stage, editing

If some of this sounds like a response to some contemporary UK jazz clichés, perhaps it is. David explains that, “‘whilst I think music featuring collective improvisation is great, I have wanted to get away from that a bit. Not that we don’t collectively improvise - we do all the time, of course.” At this point, Kevin interjects to further define

the band’s purpose. “We do it around a common goal, that’s the difference.” Drummer Laurie Lowe emphasises that the balance the group achieves between specific ideas and freedom is what makes it so enjoyable. This clearly stops well short of being some sort of reactionary attack on jazz, however, given how much of the musical language is in their collective DNA. “I don’t think I could play music or hang with these two gentlemen,” Dave declares, “if there wasn’t some element of jazz improvisation in what we do.”

Certainly, some of the band’s ideas and approaches do help differentiate them from some of the features more common to contemporary jazz. Perhaps the most obvious element is Glasgow’s six stringed electric bass, enabling him to play a more active role in accompanying David Preston’s guitar solos with chords, as well as providing foundation and groove. He explains the group’s sense of adventure. “Part of it is to somehow try and make the trio not sound like a trio. We use the instruments in different ways, find different sounds and textures and find different ways of accompanying.” That the group pay as much attention to accompanying roles as they do to improvising is very clearly evident. “It’s nice when people pick up on the comping thing,” says David, “as that is something that we’ve worked very hard on. It’s fascinating when you really explore the details of what makes accompaniment work.”

Later on, the trio talk more about the ideas behind their sound and how their playing roles often overlap. “I read something John Scofield said about his trio with Steve Swallow and how it should just sound like one big guitar,” David says, and Kevin returns to the idea of guitar and bass overlapping when asked what the group find particularly interesting about the relatively neglected guitar trio format. Perhaps

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rather than being a reaction to contemporary jazz, Preston-Glasgow-Lowe is more of an attempt to debunk some of its myths? David admits that he feels there is too much emphasis placed on the idea of ‘mystery’ in jazz. “Music doesn’t have to be mystical or scientific - it could be both of these things, or it could be something else.”

David is also keen to emphasise the influence pop music has had on the group’s work, having grown up with the songs of Michael Jackson and The Beatles, saying that, “sometimes it just finds its way in”.

Lately, his listening has gravitated towards Chick Corea’s classic album Now He Sings, Now He Sobs, as well as the music of John Mayer, Allan Holdsworth and the electronic pop group Chvrches. Will this be something that audiences will identify? “From our last tour, it seems as if it is”, he answers confidently.

Although the band is clearly a highly collaborative unit, Laurie Lowe admits to feeling more of a sideman in the group, although he expresses this in a very positive way. “It’s fun for me because David and Kevin come up with some very challenging ideas.” The others joke that it is a long term goal for them to come up with a musical idea that Laurie is unable to play - they clearly haven’t succeeded with this yet but as Laurie suggests, “you’ve come pretty close!” The others are also goading him in to using a double bass drum pedal, as well as contributing more to the writing. David Preston suggests that the group dynamic

“straddles the line between being borderline psychopathic in terms of dictating roles for each other, but also having freedom and keeping things open.” One thing that clearly comes across throughout the conversation is the group’s patience and willingness to invest time and care in their work. Laurie suggests that many of the tunes “now sound very different from how they sounded two or three years ago”, and David emphasises how their work ethic has enabled him to know every musician’s individual contribution in great detail. This means that, when

it comes to improvising, he will be “jumping from a higher level at the start.”

Another interesting facet of the group is that they formed more over common musical ground - bonding in part over a shared admiration for guitarist Allan Holdsworth - than through all being in the same music education environment. Yet their independent musical careers have also veered in different directions, with Kevin helping to inform Tommy Smith’s harder grooving sound on Karma, and David having worked with successful singers including Ian Shaw and Melody Gardot. All three members have interesting points to make about the interrelationship of their various musical lives. David speaks with great respect about working with Melody

Gardot. “Melody was super-specific for many things that apply to music making, whether with singers or not, things like tempo,” he says.

“That feeds directly into this band, because there are some tunes where we have to be very specific about tempo. Will things work metrically as well as physically?

Melody would really know how to generate roles for the different musicians, so that the end result is very well structured. She could also play a set of ballads and keep people interested all night, which is a very hard thing to do.” Laurie suggests that his experience is the other way around, his work with David and Kevin informing what he will do working in other situations, particularly due to the focus on odd time signatures or improvising.

In the end, the band conclude that there is a constant need to create a ‘feedback loop’ between the various projects they are involved with, each somehow informing the way they work more generally. All three are clearly keen to challenge each other and ‘push each other to the limit’ of what they can achieve. It will be fascinating to hear how this unfolds in the studio, and in the more immediate environment of live performance when the band tour with the support of Jazz Services in November and December.

Preston-Glasgow-Lowe’s Jazz Services tour begins on 18th November at the Old Spar Room in Derby – see the JSL website and www.prestonglasgowlowe.com for more details.

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Start Your Engines…

Bright young thing; rising star; one to watch; Phil Meadows has collected most of the typical labels used to describe up-andcoming musical sensations and is rapidly outgrowing the lot of them.

A talented and decorated player with a number of strings to his bow (or should that be keys to his sax?), as an instrumentalist, composer, bandleader, educator and writer he has blazed quite a trail through the UK’s jazz scene, picking up the Peter Whittingham Jazz Award in 2012 and the title of Newcomer of the Year at the 2014 Parliamentary Jazz Awards along the way - readers of JazzUK will be also familiar with his regular Hot House section which highlights the more youthful

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side of the scene. His latest project is the hugely ambitious Engines Orchestra, which performs its debut concert at this year’s EFG London Jazz Festival to mark the release of its first album. JazzUK’s editor John Norbury-Lyons persuaded Meadows to take some time out to answer a few questions.

The Engine Orchestra’s initial project is entitled Lifecycles, and brings together a twenty-piece orchestra and Meadow’s own group. “It’s been brilliant to have the chance to work on a project that not only contains many of my favourite musicians but also lots of friends too,” he says. “I feel that by bringing several groups of musicians from

different backgrounds together we have created something completely fresh and very exciting. My regular group features Laura Jurd, Elliot Galvin, Conor Chaplin and Simon Roth and we’ve introduced vocalist Alice Zawadzki and harpist Tori Handsley to help blur the line between orchestra and jazz ensemble.”

Rather than simply being a band, the vision for the Engines Orchestra is, as Meadows explains, “a flexible, cross-genre platform for collaboration, a community of musicians who come together to develop audiences for new music. We work with artists on large-scale collaborations, curate

sibilities for collaboration for a long time. Being a passionate composer allowed me to make a project starting with my own work, but from now on it’s here for other musicians.”

Despite looking to other models for inspiration, Meadows feels the Engines Orchestra offers something different. “We’re a very organic orchestra open to any suggestion on how to move forward,” he asserts. “If it fits in with our mantra ‘Creative Music Together’ we’ll try our best to make it happen. We’re a community of musicians that share ideas and help each other and this in turn is forming out structure and developing our unique identity.”

The Orchestra’s origins also came out of a difficult time for Meadows.

“In summer 2013 I found myself in Lewisham hospital having been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes,” he says. “With limited phone signal and no internet connection I started to think about the way people work together and the strength, beauty and power of community spirit. I’ve always been passionate about large ensemble music and the situation got me thinking about how I could bring people together. This is where Lifecycles was born.” smaller performance opportunities, work to develop artists’ visions and run a programme of educational outreach. Our aim is to provide something for everyone whether you’re just starting a musical journey, a highly respected professional or just a general music lover of all ages.”

Meadows’ inspiration for the project clearly comes from a life steeped in a passion for music, but he had other models to draw on too.

“The initial aim for the Engines Orchestra was to provide a large platform for artists to be able to work with. I’ve always loved the work of the Metropole Orchestra and have wanted to create a platform with similar flexibility and endless pos-

On board for the recording of Lifecycles is Alex Watson from Boom Better Records, who released Meadows’ album Engines of Creation. “Without him none of this would have happened. He’s helped with everything from funding forms to distribution and he was our executive producer in the studio.

Joining him behind the glass at Angel Studios was my favourite British saxophonist and composer, Tim Garland. It was incredible to have him with as studio MD helping to keep us in check. I also have to mention the fantastic production team; Gary Thomas and Jez Murphy at Angel Studios and the wonderful Andrew Tulloch who mixed and mastered the record. I can’t thank everyone enough for their support!”

Of course, with a large-scale project comes a large-scale price tag.

“The support of Help Musicians UK through the Peter Whittingham Jazz Award combined with a Grant for the Arts from Arts Council England has made everything possible,” says Meadows. “Serious have also been incredibly supportive and have provided us with a platform this year at the EFG London Jazz Festival to showcase the music.” There’s also a crowd-sourcing campaign open until the 1st November where you can donate to the project (details are available on the band’s website, see below).

The result of all this hard work will be the band’s debut performance at this year’s EFG London Jazz Festival. “We’re going to be at Kings Place all day on Saturday November 22nd,” says Meadows.

“In the morning the Phil Meadows Group are running a free entry workshop to create an ‘EFG London Jazz Festival Audience Commission’ before launching the orchestra at 3pm. We want people from all walks of life, with or without musical ability, to come and use the group as guinea pigs to write a piece of music that will be a part of the afternoon’s performance. There’ll be a short set from the Phil Meadows Group, and the EFG London Jazz Festival Audience Commission followed by the world premiere of the Lifecycles suite.”

Meadow’s long-term plan for the Orchestra is nothing if not ambitious, with a number of other plans already in the works. “We have a pool of projects waiting to be commissioned and are working with Kim Macari’s Apollo Jazz Network to bring people in from further afield.

We’re developing the ‘Engines Imprint’ on Boom Better Records to promote other artists and are in lots of other exciting discussions about creating performance platforms for smaller ensembles, running a series of artist development

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workshops and much more. In January we were also approached

by Sydenham High School to run an educational jazz course for thirty children - that was a great success

“If musicians only played music and didn’t take responsibility for the scene as a whole we wouldn’t be able to pass on the knowledge, enjoyment and the beauty that

our creative sides in to practice.

The sections also worked so well together that ideas were just coming from everywhere - it wasn’t the frightening prospect most classical

Eddie Morgan so we already have two courses in the pipeline for 2015. Everywhere I turn the project seems to have grown both in momentum and ambition!”

Meadows feels this cross-disciplinary approach is crucial to the future of the music. “Unfortunately the music industry is a financial game and those with the power often decide who hears which artist and what they sound like,” he concedes. “It’s going to take some time to find our place within it, and creative music is often the hardest to sell. It’s through merging genres and grass roots education that we hope to continue growing the support of those who enjoy what we’re doing, and provide a safe haven for experimentation, helping artists feel comfortable with their own personality.”

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we experience every day,” he continues. “I think in current times partnerships are the key for every aspiring artist, be it a solo pianist or an orchestra like ours. There are so many areas of our work that cross over into that of others, so if we can help each other, why wouldn’t we?

It’s what creating a community is all about.”

Changing Gears: A couple of players from the Engines Orchestra with a more classical background share their thoughts on working with jazz musicians.

“You often find yourself thinking up little ways of playing around with orchestral music and trying out things that you think would sound awesome in rehearsals, but rarely are you allowed to perform the ideas you come up with. It is so liberating to be able to finally put

players expect it to be!” - Eddie Morgan (French horn) “I really enjoyed working with the jazz musicians. I’ve not done a jazz collaboration with such a large group before so the process of rehearsing and working on the music with Phil has been very enjoyable.

I like the improvisatory sections: it gives you more ownership of the music and the freedom to react to the musicians around you in a more individual way.” - Minn Majoe (principal 2nd violin) The Engines Orchestra performs Lifecycles on Sunday 22nd November as part of this year’s EFG London Jazz Festival. www. enginesorchestra.com / www. philmeadowsmusic.co.uk

For this issue’s Guest Spot we’re tuned in to Tina Edwards, host of Hoxton Radio’s Jazz Standard show.

The Start Jazz Standard; how did that come about, then? In my head, it’s a logical straight-forward story, yet my tapping-fingers stall as my mind quickly realises that the events leading me to having my own jazz radio show stem from quite a zigzagged path.

I studied Music Journalism at University. Yes, it probably is the most ‘niche’ degree I could

have chosen, but it allowed my thirst for music and writing to be combined. Following a short broadcast segment, I quickly learnt that presenting was a thrill for me. Hosting a VT on location to camera, it forced me to be the ‘best me’ I could be. It was then that I discovered a sense of competition within myself, and I thrived off it.

It was actually two years later, at the age of 22, that I discovered jazz.

I’d listened to Jamie Cullum before (and loved it), but it was during 2011, when I found the rock scene to be a little stale and repetitive, that I came across Sonny Rollins and Dizzy Gillespie on YouTube. I was sold, and so passionate about my new ‘discovery’ that I set up a blog called JazzedUp. Its aim was to make jazz accessible and inviting for other fellow newbies like me. It

received positive feedback from the likes of [Guardian jazz writer] John Fordham and pianist Kit Downes, which really spurred me on. But eventually, my career as a freelance presenter/producer took over, and I could no longer dedicate to it the hours that JazzedUp deserved. I missed working on it, but would soon find another way to convey my enthusiasm.

Earlier this year, I saw on Twitter (a haven for media opportunities) that Hoxton Radio was looking for presenters. “Perfect”, I thought; a station with a youthful heart that has open arms for creativity and diversity. I made a taster, told the head of the station that jazz is cool, and that he should let me host a show. Thankfully, he was sold. And hark, in March of this year, Jazz Standard was born!

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The Show

Seb Rochford, Soweto Kinch and Andy Sheppard are just a few of the incredible guests I’ve been lucky enough to have interviewed for the show, which goes to prove how lively the jazz community is in London. No station is too big, or too small it seems, for even the most prestigious of jazz acts. As a genre, in my eyes, it’s one big friendly lovein, and everyone’s invited. It seems to be contagious too. I’d never have predicted that Jon Batiste would have changed the time of his flight from Spain to be on the show, or that we would have stayed in his hotel for hours pondering the meaning of life over ginger beers.

That’s a story for another time…

I suppose it could be said that I’m a part of the YouTube generation; it’s where I find most of my music. I can happily spend a couple of hours each week clicking from video to video, caption to caption. My ear seems to be very decisive; I know within the first 5 seconds whether I’m going to love a track or not.

The show appeals to both seasoned listeners and new ones.

I religiously play at least one jazzy cover version of a well-known track each week, to continue making any newcomers feel at home when listening. There’s nothing like a jazz version of Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit from Robert Glapser to initiate even the loyalist of rockers.

I don’t restrict myself to only playing particular sub-genres. While hiphop inspired acts and be-bop rock my boat the hardest, I love bringing all kinds of sounds onto the show, from smooth to experimental, brass bands to piano trios.

My weekly interviews follow in the same vein. I’m normally found having a ‘banter’ with the musicians who visit, and try to keep it from feeling too formal. One of my favourite shows to date would have to be with jazz violinist Jon

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Garner. A recent study found that a certain part of the brain connected to language is engaged when musicians improvise. Put simply, it seems that improvisation is a language of its own. With this in mind, I invited Jon into the studio and we had a laugh with me asking him questions for him to then answer with his violin. I then had to guess what he was ‘saying’ - I was in stiches at times. Anyone tuning in at that moment would have probably found themselves flummoxed as to what was going on. But I quite like that.

The Scene Locally, East London is a hot location for jazz. The Vortex, a volunteer-run jazz club, is never shy to take a risk on rising talent, and is a stone’s-throw from the station in Hackney Downs Studios. And not forgetting Servant’s Jazz Quarters in Gillett Square. It’s a hidden treasure that was recommended to me by the gent that is Soweto Kinch. Outside of Dalston, I had the chance to enjoy this summer’s Canary Wharf Jazz Festival in a whole new way. I was able to hop backstage to interview the acts after each set, all in the name of radio. Sweet Hallelujuah!

As well as having some focus on East London (it’s not difficult, with so much going on here), I also broadcast with a regional audience in mind. Sure, my top 3 gig tips of each week are capital-based, but my guests, music, and personal witterings don’t exclude any listeners outside of Hoxton. If anything, I hope it’s quite an interesting opportunity for voyeurism on a community which is so often misinterpreted as being arrogant and bearded (although half of that statement is true; you can pick whether facial hair or inflated self-confidence is most applicable to your preconceptions).

My favourite venue is a predictable answer; Ronnie Scott’s. My eyes welled-up on my first visit, having been touched by the nostalgic ambience of the room. Audiences here seem to continually have an astonishing respect for the musicians too. Many a great night has been had here since. I remember an evening following the launch party of London Live, a regional channel on which I hosted a music series earlier this year. Myself and other presenters including Alex Zane and Louise Houghton headed down, and we discovered Jon Batiste and the Stay Human Band on their Social Music tour. At 2 in the morning, I was on my feet, dinging a New Orleansinspired beat onto a bottle with a fork (don’t ask), and was pulled up to the stage by Jon himself to play on the percussion. It goes without saying that it wasn’t only the drum-skins that were sore the next morning!

I’m looking forward to the London Jazz Festival more than ever.

After seeing saxophonist Zhenya Strigalev at Nolia’s 11 (a cute jazz club run by an eccentric Filipino lady in Waterloo), I discovered that there are so many hidden gems in London that simply don’t get enough attention during the other months of the year. I look forward to seeing what opportunities the festival brings for guest appearances on my show too; PRs and managers, drop me a tweet…

Tina’s Top Tracks: Bitch ‘n Monk - Did He

Vocalist Heidi Heidelberg sings about a fellow woman with quite a damning perspective. It’s something that you don’t find that often in popular music, let alone jazz fuelled by a beat-boxing guitarist and a flautist. “Did you undermine

Riot Jazz

his masculinity, Did you aggravate his insecurities?” sings Heidi over a sparse yet rich plain of tangled melodies and unpredictable breakdowns. It rocks, and represents Hoxton’s talent as being bold, brash and bloody fun.

gruff and whispering encouragingly, “go nuts, nobody’s watching”. At least, that’s what happens in my head when I listen to this. For me, anything drummer Seb Rochford touches has a sense of occasion, and this is no exception.

Jon Batiste – Express Yourself

Get The Blessing – Death Viking Moped

If you don’t know about Jon Batiste, congratulations - you’re about to fall in love. Inspired by his hometown New Orleans’ beats and Brooklyn’s emphasis on a brassy hook, it’s the catchiest jazz track of the last 12 months (in my opinion).

Express Yourself makes for a perfect introduction to the genre, should you have any sceptical yet persuadable friends.

Polar Bear – Be Free

This art piece lulls you into a false sense of security. That is, before a danceable beat and a conversation of melodies drop, taking you by the

GTB have a talent of painting you a picture in their tracks. With this, I imagine anguish on a gridlocked road of traffic. It makes me a little tense, but I like that. Music is supposed to make you feel something, and in this case, it’s groove and road rage.

energetic yet soothing assault on the ears.

Jazz Standard airs every Monday from 10AM-midday. Listen live on the site, HoxtonRadio.com, where you can also listen to previous shows. You can also watch Tina championing jazz and other genres on BalconyTV.com.

Follow Tina on Twitter @ pickupmyhiccup / @HoxtonRadio

Riot Jazz (pictured) – Paradox With a rhythm to make Ministry of Sound revellers yell for more, this tune satisfies my quench for genrebending music. There’s a flavour of hip-hop here, and combined with the pulsating brass lines it’s an

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HOTHOUSE Saxophonist, bandleader and educator Phil Meadows gives us his regular insight into what’s hot on the UK’s youth jazz scene.

Here’s what some of the recent session players are saying:

Hot Topic: NYJO London Jazz Jam Having had several of their musicians try to sneak into some of the capital’s most famous jam sessions, NYJO London have found themselves with a group of young jazz players that have become more au fait with security guards than they would care to admit.

After getting together on Saturday afternoons at the NYJO Academy it had become evident that outside of the learning environment there was no place for them to try out their new found knowledge and have some fun! London is packed full of incredible youth jazz educational programmes (Tomorrow’s Warriors, Junior Academy Jazz, NYJC, Julian Joseph Jazz Academy all included) but with city-centre security tighter than ever it’s becoming harder for our youngest generation to watch the world-class music on show and have a chance to create some of their own in the public eye.

With its fourth outing on Sunday October 12th the NYJO London Jazz Jam, in partnership with Foyles Bookshop, provides the platform for these aspiring musicians to hear some of the best in British jazz and have the opportunity to play alongside them too. So far the monthly sessions have featured Femi Temowo’s trio, Simon Purcell (with Steve Watts and Gene Calderazzo) and Gareth Lockrane’s quartet.

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“This jam was really well organized, but also very much relaxed, allowing lots of room for us young players to organize things ourselves. Really good and really fun!” – pianist Noah Stoneman, 14.

Leo Appleyard Running from 12noon-3pm in the top-floor auditorium of Foyles’ flagship Charing Cross Road store the session starts off with a forty-five minute set from the house band.

After a short break where a list of tunes for the jam session is created the floor is opened and anyone can play - if you know the tune that is called then get up and play! The professional house band is there all afternoon and joins in too.

The NYJO London Jazz Jam session is free entry for all and creates a friendly atmosphere where its attentive and caring audience encourages creativity. It’s open to everybody to watch or play and each performer gets 20% off in the Ray’s Jazz shop after the session finishes!

“It’s a fantastic jam session where you can play brilliant music alongside professionals in an open and comfortable environment. It’s helping me really gain experience for future jazz playing” – saxophonist Molly Abella, 14.

“This jam is in the most chilled setting. It allows us to play with others and has a great vibe. I can say it is one of the best jam sessions in London” – pianist Lorenz OkelloOsengor, 17.

For more information visit the NYJO London website: www.nyjolondon.org.uk Hot Tracks: NYJO London Jazz Jam With the new NYJO London Jazz Jam featured in Hot House we thought it only fair for Hot Tracks to feature 10 tracks from the most recent under-18’s jam session!

The NYJO London Jazz Jam runs monthly, usually on the first Sunday of the month and provides the opportunity for young musicians to play with the very best in British jazz – see above for more details.

1. Tenor Madness – Sonny Rollins 2. Blue Bossa – Kenny Dorham 3. Take the A Train – Billy Strayhorn 4. All Blues – Miles Davis 5. Red Clay – Freddie Hubbard 6. Scrapple From the Apple – Charlie Parker 7. Autumn Leaves – Joseph Kosma 8. Black Coffee – Burke-Webster 9. A Foggy Day – George Gershwin 10. Strasbourg St Denis – Roy Hargrove Hot of the Press: Pembroke Road – Leo Appleyard Pembroke Road marks the debut release for London-based guitarist Leo Appleyard. At 25 five years of age the Birmingham Conservatoire and Royal Academy of Music alumni is joined on this new record by saxophonist Duncan Eagles, bassist Max Lurthert and drummer Eric Ford, and for three tracks Neil Yates joins as special guest on trumpet.

The album, named after a dusty track that leads from a recording studio in rural Pembrokeshire, portrays the musical journey of Appleyard through a collection of soaring melodies and rich harmony that sit comfortably on the relaxed, yet dynamic bass and drum partner-

ship of Luthert and Ford. Yates’ trademark folk-like approach can be heard in full flow whilst Eagles holds down the malleable roll of featured soloist and interactive improviser with great virtuosity.

From the very beginning it is clear that Appleyard had a definite concept and vision for this project. He has spent just as much time thinking about the sound of this album as he has on his finely crafted playing and writing. His influences of Kurt Rosenwinkel, Jonathan Kreisberg and Gilad Hekselman have been mirrored in his decision to have Pembroke Road mastered by New York based engineer Tyler McDiarmid, who has worked on albums with Rosenwinkel, John Schofield and Lionel Loueke to name just a few. His decision to use a selection of effects on the saxophone, trumpet and guitar in post-production works beautifully and helps the purity, ebb and flow of a record that sounds remarkably clean and crisp.

It all makes sense when you find out that he received his first mixing desk at the age of fourteen.

When listening to Pembroke Road it’s unsurprising to hear that Appleyard, Eagles and Luthert have been playing together for over

half of their lives. The maturity of their group dynamic is impressive as they weave their way through their combination of straight and swung grooves. Together they take you on a journey from a state of melancholy joy heard in their opening track The Homeless Wizard; to that of hypnosis in Mass and back through the mesmerising folk melodies written for Neil Yates in the title track Pembroke Road. All this whilst still keeping the listener on the edge of their seat through the use of energetic Afro-Cuban rhythms and the energetic swing heard in Anywhere South.

It is fair to say that Pembroke Road marks a strong debut for Leo Appleyard. It’s an album that jazz fans from the tradition and the contemporary angles will both enjoy. It’s a wonderful sound world, played and written exquisitely and I can’t wait to hear more.

The Pembroke Road band is touring up to the end of October and have more dates already confirmed at the EFG London Jazz Festival in November and in other parts of the UK in early 2015.

Visit www.leoappleyard.com for more information.

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H I G H L I G H T S

Highlights Nigel Price Organ Trio, Tim Garland’s Lighthouse and Jim Hart’s Cloudmakers Trio are all touring this autumn and are promoting new albums they have released. Nigel Price has put together an extensive tour, so check the listings to find out if the band comes to your neck of the woods.

Festivals Georgia Mancio’s ReVoice!

Festival 9th – 20th October Fantastic singer Georgia Mancio organises ReVoice! Festival and this year it celebrates its 5th anniversary. The festival offers an incredible and varied array of vocal talent and this year the festival not only resides at its original location, London’s Pizza Express Jazz Club, but also ventures outside the capital to Bury St Edmunds and Dorking where the opening night takes place at Watermill Jazz Club on 9th October. On each night in addition to curating the event Georgia will be performing with a different – and often new to her – collaborator.

This is definitely a festival that celebrates both musicianship and the sense of community, allowing national and international collaborations that probably would not be possibly otherwise. Check our listings for the full programme or go to www.revoicefestival.com for more info.

Marsden Jazz Festival 10th – 12th October The festival returns to Marsden Me-

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chanics and various venues around the town for a weekend filled with great music and our cover band Partisans headline Saturday night.

Check our listings and festival’s website for details: www.marsdenjazzfestival.com Calstock Jazz Festival 23rd – 26th October The third annual festival runs at venues throughout Calstock. The headliners will appear at Calstock Arts: Ian Shaw and Claire Martin on Friday, Antonio Forcione and Adriano Adewale on Saturday and closing with Polar Bear on Sunday.

More info on http://calstockarts.org Megavissey JazzFest 4th – 6th October Another weekend festival in Cornwall this autumn, a treat for jazz lovers around the fishing village of Megavissey near St Austell – check our listings for details.

Blues Fest @ Royal Albert Hall 26th – 31st October A star-studded festival celebrates Jazz & Blues. This year the programme includes Gregory Porter, Level 42, Van Morrison and more.

Workshops Many festivals provide workshops and master classes, so please check their websites for information.

Improvisation Workshops Jazz Café, 25 Pink Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne, 0191 222 9882 Weekly Tuesday (Intermediate Level) and Wednesday nights (Foundation Level), 6.30pm – 9.00pm,

£12.50 per workshop, limited to 14 participants. More info on www.improvisationfoundation. com/#!program/c1f60 John Etheridge & Kit Holmes pre-gig workshop @Capstone Theatre on the Liverpool Hope University Creative Campus.

18th October pre-gig workshop with John Etheridge & Kit Holmes 6.15pm (concert at 8.00pm).

Pink Lane Jazz.Coop Workshops extend their scope and introduce new courses at the Globe, Newcastle. Play Jazz! Workshops continue every first Saturday of every month at the Sage, Gateshead. The next date is 4th October, start at 2.00pm, cost: £19/ £17 (Pink Lane Jazz.Coop members).

In addition to these, the Jazz.Coop have now started a new programme of courses at a new venue, The Globe, Railway Street, Newcastle NE4 7AD. The new programme comprises a 10-week improvisation course for all instruments, a 5-session advanced jazz guitar course and a monthly amateur jam session called AmJam on the second Sunday of each month from 3pm – 6pm.

The 10-week course, called Play More Jazz!, is designed for musicians wanting to step up from jazz beginner to jazz improver. The 2-hour sessions will include lots of playing, and will also focus on repertoire, theory, playing in an ensemble and how and what to practice.

The tutor is Judith Thompson.

The Advanced Jazz Guitar course comprises five 2-hour sessions once a fortnight. It’s aimed at guitarists who have established a reasonable level of facility. Topics covered will include: technique, how to practice, the structure concept, interpretation of chord symbols, harmonic analysis and substitution, comping and improvisation. The tutor is James Birkett.

For more information visit jazz.coop/ education

Masterclass with Mihaly Borbely 18th October 2pm in the Brunswick, Holland Road, Hove. The class will concentrate upon Balkan and East European scales and rhythms. For more information call 01273 813188.

Jazz Guitar 1&2 course run by Branco Stoysin 11 weeks on Sundays from 28th Septemer starting at 1.30pm (Guitar 1) and 3.30pm (Guitar 2) at City Lit Keeley Street, Covent Garden, London WC2B 4BA. To sign up please call 020 7831 7831, for more info ring 020 7492 2630. Advanced chord work and scales are explored within the context of jazz and blues standards. Topics to be discussed: scales/modes, chords and chord shapes, improvisation, melody playing, harmonisation and substitutions, playing in various time feels, solo chord playing, creating a bassline etc. http://goo.gl/dyOfdq

Look Out for the Young & Talented!

Jazz in Safe Hands: Royal Academy of Music Junior Jazz Course Students led by Nick Smart & Gareth Lockrane @Kings Place, London on 4th October. The Royal Academy of Music’s Junior Jazz Course has been running for 10 years now and since its formation it has prepared some of the finest musicians we now enjoy listening to in jazz venues all over the country. The inaugural ensemble of 2003, which featured Kit Downes, Josh Blackmore and Freddie Gavita amongst others, will be reformed for this special performance under the direction of funding director Nick Smart and the current Head of Junior Jazz Gareth Locrane.

Events National Jazz Archive Fundrising Events Two concerts in October will take place at Loughton Methodist Church (020 8502 0181, National Jazz Archive). On 24th October Great British Jazz Band play and the next day Digby Fairweather’s Half Dozen & Val Wiseman present “Jazz Goes to the Movies”.

On the Gigs cover: Alison Rayner ARQ A bass-player and composer, Alison Rayner has been a solid mainstay of the scene for many years both as a player and as a promoter with Blow The Fuse, who in partnership with guitarist and long-time musical partner Deirdre Cartwright celebrated their 25th anniversary this year. Rayner’s ARQ group serve up some deliciously upbeat, groovy and thoughtful jazz, and the recent album August – funded through Jazz Services’ own Recording Support Scheme – shows her to be a

superb composer to boot. Recorded live at London’s Vortex club in 2013, it’s a prefect showcase of Rayner’s diverse talents. ARQ tours this autumn with Jazz Services support to showcase the album and Alison’s talents not only as a composer and bass player, but bandleader as well.

Bands touring with Jazz Services Support this autumn: ARQ, Benn Clatworthy Quartet, Blue-Eyed Hawk, Deep Whole Trio, EYESHUTIGHT, Grew Quartet, Hansu-Tori, Haste + Kinsella-NobleBatchelor, Indigo Kid II, Johnny Hunter Quartet, Kate Daniels Quartet, Louise Dodds, Paragon, Partisans, Preston-Glasgow-Lowe, Sarah Moule Band, Shiver, SirkisBialis International Quartet, Tommy Andrews Quintet

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JAZZ ON THE ROAD We hear from some of the latest bands hitting the road with the help of Jazz Services’ National Touring Support Scheme.

You can find the dates and details of all our currently funded touring bands online at the Jazz Services website, www.jazzservices.org.uk

Asaf Sirkis - Sirkis/ Bialas International Quartet

- How long has this group been together?

It’s quite a new group. The idea to form this band was born in the end of last year - vocalist Sylwia Bialas (who I’ve featured on my last trio album, Shepherd’s Stories) and I were thinking of developing our collaboration and getting a new band together with our favourite musicians. We came up with this idea and were inspired to write the music around January of this year, and I organised a short tour in March to try out some of the music we wrote. We went to the studio to record the new album straight after the tour. It was all quite quick.

- What are your hopes for this tour and the future?

I want to share and touch listeners with this music. I can see this band playing extensively in the UK and elsewhere in the next couple of years, and further developing our sound as a band. Then we’ll probably end up recording a new album.

I would love to see us playing in jazz festivals in the UK and Europe and tour in the Far East too!

- What can audiences expect from one of your gigs?

- What’s the latest project?

The Sirkis/Bialas International Quartet, which features vocalist Sylwia Bialas, pianist Frank Harrison, bassist/harmonica player Patrick Bettison and myself on drums.

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A very passionate, interactive and probably smiley band! A lot of the music both me and Sylwia wrote is very melodic. You can expect a lot of variety of styles, rhythms and dynamics. In Sylwia’s compositions there are a lot of ECM/European folk influences. She wrote the some beautiful Polish lyrics for some of the new pieces, and on other pieces she is using her voice as a musical instrument, singing wordless melodies. For my writing I guess you can

say there would be some jazz/rock influences, some Indian rhythms and modern classical harmonies.

Knowing the other musicians in the band, I’ve specifically wrote some very spacious ballad-like songs.

- What’s the best thing about touring with this band?

To start with, the fact that we are touring and playing original music to people alone is a big blessing.

There’s nothing better than writing new music and playing it to people who like what they hear - at this point I’d like to thanks Jazz Services for supporting our tour and making it possible!

Then there is the aspect of developing a band sound. With some bands this could be a long process but I feel that with this band we have already created our own sound, and I’m looking forward to develop more and more in that direction. It’s been a huge fun so far!

The Sirkis/Bialas International Quartet’s Jazz Services tour begins on 5th November at the Lakeside Country Club, Lyng, Norfolk. www.asafsirkis.co.uk

Sarah Moule – Sarah Moule Quartet - How long has this group been together?

Simon Wallace and I began working together in 1998, performing and recording the songs he had been writing with Fran Landesman.

He’d already been working with Mick Hutton and Paul Robinson

ing music somewhere in the cracks.

Fran Landesman and her husband Jay were certainly part of it. Soho is the London equivalent and it’s where I did my first gigs, and where it feels right to be launching the CD.

© Steve Ullathorne

- What are your hopes for this tour and the future?

separately for several years and we all started working together in 1999.

We recorded my first CD, It’s A Nice Thought, for Linn Records in 2002 and did a Jazz Services tour.

- What’s the latest project?

The latest project is a new CD called Songs From The Floating World, which is launched at Pizza Express Jazz Club on 16th September. There is a Jazz Services Tour with the band in October, and I’ve also got a rural tour for it with Jenny Carr in October and November.

It’s a mix of previously unrecorded songs by Simon Wallace and Fran Landesman, a new one by Julie Burchill & Simon Wallace, a couple of blues and reimagined classic songs.

It’s loosely based on the premise that one of the places creativity thrives is where art meets the demi-monde - Soho in the 1960s, Berlin in the 1930s, Paris in the late 19th Century, Tokyo in the 17th-19th Centuries. ‘The Floating World’ was the Japanese name for the pleasure districts of Tokyo and Osaka at that time. It seemed to Simon and me that most of the musicians we know are members of the modern-day ‘Floating World’ in one way or another - feeling like they’re on the edge of society, getting by and mak-

The tour is a way of getting out and performing this music for audiences we know and new ones we’ve yet to meet. I’m really looking forward to playing this set for a run of consecutive nights sometimes too, so it becomes a continuum and you just take up where you left off the night before and move it on somewhere new. For the future I’d like to keep developing and work internationally, as well as in the UK. - What can audiences expect from one of your gigs?

I’ve always structured my gigs around what I would like to hear if I were in the audience. I like them to be surprised at what comes next. I think, “What would I want to hear now, after this groove or after this vibe?” I like putting songs together in little cycles thematically too, so there’s a narrative for me, even if it’s subliminal, as it means that disparate songs will make sense together. So there’ll be songs they’ve never heard before with brilliant lyrics and great tunes, and some things they know but with a different feel and interpretation and extraordinary playing from the band.

- What’s the best thing about touring with this band?

We know each other pretty well personally and musically, so there’s trust on a number of levels and we have a laugh. They are all brilliant at what they do and there’s also a volatility in their characters that comes through in their playing which is exciting for the audience and for me as well!

Sarah Moule’s Jazz Services tour begins on 7th October at The Stables in Wavendon. www.sarahmoule.net

David Austin Grey Hansu-Tori - How long has this group been together?

Initially since early 2008, so over 6 years now. Sam joined slightly later on and then most recently Chris, a few years ago. We’ve all been playing together for a long time.

Additional members join us on occasion which is nice, as it creates scope for a different approach, a different way of playing.

- What’s the latest project?

We’re currently playing music from our newly released album An Improvised Escape. It’s all original stuff with a lot of influences from other areas and styles of music.

Each piece of music is based on a particular place, an element of nature, a feeling about a person or an idea from a figure within history. It’s not ‘overly’ abstract or conceptual, in that sense. There are very strong melodic themes, rich harmony and some interesting rhythmical ideas with a lot of room for improvisation – not only in terms of soloing, but also in terms of the overall structure and general direction of each piece.

- What are your hopes for this tour and the future?

Touring for me essentially serves three purposes. Firstly it’s a platform to share the music and ideas with new audiences and to raise the profile of the band. It’s always great when you get a strong positive reaction from the audience, and even better make a connection with somebody who has just heard the music for the first time.

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tion between players are vital, and that really benefit from a string of live dates.

Finally it’s a chance to reflect on the direction of the band and the music, to formulate or develop new ideas.

There are a lot of exciting things on the horizon, and I’m looking forward to seeing them materialise over the next year or so.

- What can audiences expect from one of your gigs?

Secondly, it’s a chance to really play in and develop new and existing material. The band feels strongest directly after playing a series of gigs, so I’m confident that we’ll ‘level up’ again after this year’s tour.

Interaction, trust and communica-

Some amazing music and incredible band energy. They can expect to be surprised, charmed and to enjoy themselves. They should also prepare themselves for some blistering solos, my terrible joke-telling skills and for Sam’s energetic yet strangely seductive on-stage dance movements…

- What’s the best thing about touring with this band?

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Being constantly surprised.

Everyone in the band has their own distinct character, which comes across in the music. Once everyone understands what it is that I want to convey, or my ideas behind each piece of music, they’re pretty much given free reign and naturally this means things are continuously changing and evolving. We all listen to each other intently, and as a result we’re able to take the music to different places and navigate through the material with a freedom that’s especially rewarding.

Hansu-Tori’s Jazz Services tour begins on 3rd October at the Birmingham Symphony Hall’s Rush Hour Blues session. http://davidaustingrey.com/projects/hansu-tori/