JazzUK - June/July 2013

. jazz uk JUNE / JULY 2013

ISSUE 111

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Kit Downes © Eric Richmond

NEWS • GIGS • INTERVIEWS • FEATURES • REVIEWS

KIT

DOWNES plus • FESTIVAL GUIDE

• HOTHOUSE • GIGS HIGHLIGHTS • JAZZ ON THE ROAD DOWNLOAD OUR GIG GUIDE

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 Lyons john@jazzservices.org.uk Listings Editor: Sabina Czajkowska listings@jazzservices.org.uk Advertising Manager: Fran Hardcastle advertising@jazzservices.org.uk Production Manager / Design: Nick Brown production@jazzservices.org.uk Donations/distribution: subscriptions@jazzservices. org.uk.

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 June/July issue of JazzUK. The sun is shining as this issue is being polished off and we’re taking that as a good omen for the summer months ahead. With that in mind, this issue gives you a run-down of the UK’s summer festival scene, with the next couple of months’ best jazz events listed in our cover feature.

We’re Out & About with the Scottish Jazz Federation, plus we’ve also got Kit Downes talking about his new album, Josh Jennings and his JazzShaped blog in The Guest Spot, highlights from the June issue of Gigs (our free monthly online listings guide) and plenty of your regular news and previews.

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NEWS Catch up on the latest news of what’s to come in June and July.

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OUT & ABOUT Cathie Rae gives us the low-down from the highlands and the work of the Scottish Jazz Federation.

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KIT DOWNES The pianist talks to JazzUK about his new album, ‘Light From Old Stars’.

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SUMMER FESTIVALS Your summer guide to the jazz festival season over the next couple of months.

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THE GUEST SPOT Our contributor this issue is Josh Jennings, with a selection of news, views and reviews from his Jazz Shaped blog.

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HOT HOUSE Phil Meadow’s regular spotlight on the best of the up-and-coming players taking to the scene.

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GIGS HIGHLIGHTS Choice picks from June’s issue of Gigs with Sabina Czajkowska.

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JAZZ ON THE ROAD Catch up with some of the bands hitting the road with the aid of Jazz Services’ National Touring Support Scheme.

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News Got a story for the News section?

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

section at the back of the magazine and whet your appetite for the next round of concerts. www.meiergroup.com

Melt Yourself Down:

June 17th sees the release of vibraphone player Roger Beaujolais’ 18th studio album on his own StayTuned label. ‘Mind The Gap’ is a sprightly and swinging nine track collection from Beaujolais’ quartet group, with Robin Aspland, Simon Thorpe and Winston Clifford all lending excellent support throughout. The opening track ‘Full House’ is one of two Wes Montgomery tunes, both standouts, and the quartet also revisits pieces

by Thad Jones, Milton Nascimento and Chick Corea, with a few of Beaujolais’ original compositions fitting snugly into the set. www.rogerbeaujolais.com

Saxophonist Pete Wareham leads this frantic ensemble combining cronies from Acoustic Ladyland and Polar Bear (Ruth Goller, Tom Skinner), with sax-man of the moment Shabaka Hutchings and vocalists and percussionists Kushal Gaya and Satin Singh, to create one of the most riotous records to come our way in a while. A heady mix of Ethio-jazz, punk, funk and skronky out-there-ness that isn’t really done justice by the adjectives at our immediate disposal, it won’t be to everyone’s taste and occasionally comes across as sounding a bit sparse, despite the obvious energy on show. Nonetheless, it will no doubt find favour among fans of the aforementioned combos and open-minded jazz fans of a stern constitution, and their live shows should be a blast. The album and two 12”s are currently available from the group’s Bandcamp page. http://meltyourselfdown.bandcamp. com/

Nicolas Meier:

Jason Yarde &

Touring in June with Jazz Services’ support, the guitarist’s 8-piece ensemble features some excellent players (including James Pearson, Gilad Atzmon, Asaf Sirkis) and has stop-offs in Guildford, Appledore, St. Ives, Cardiff, London and more.

For anyone picking up their copy of JazzUK a little late for the live gigs, you can read a short Q&A with Nicolas in the Jazz On The Road

Andrew McCormack:

Roger Beaujolais Quartet:

The commanding combination of these two excellent players is one of the most satisfying UK pairings of recent times, and on the 21st June they will celebrate five years of collaboration with a special concert at The Vortex in London. “It’ll be interesting to take what we’ve learned in all this time and put it on

Jason Yarde & Andrew McCormack

© Tim Dickeson

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

the music we first played 5 years ago!” says Andrew, speaking to JazzUK. “Having worked together for so long in many different guises has created a good feeling of empathy in our music – plus we’re good friends!”

What started as a one-off duo gig in June 2008 has now flourished into a brilliantly sympathetic partnership, as Jason explains; “It’s a great musical responsibility you have to accept when playing in a duo,” he says, “and it’s great to work with someone who not only carries their weight but also pushes you into areas you may not necessarily go.”

The two have recently finished their recording with the Elysian String Quartet and also plan to record with the LSO St. Luke’s, following a successful concert in November 2012. With a loyal fan base who they say help push them to produce more work, their output showing no signs of slowing, and we can surely expect more great things from Yarde and McCormack over the next five years and beyond. www.myduo.biz

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Greensand Jazz:

25 Years of the 606:

Double bassist Arnie Somyogi is a busy man. When he’s not asserting his reputation as one of the UK’s leading exponents of his instrument he’s dabbling in jazz palaeontology.

Well, almost; the light-hearted press release for Somogyi’s new venture details how he unearthed jazz’s Neolithic roots by banging together a log and a piece of flint found on his local Greensand Ridge, and subsequently discovered similar rhythms present in modern jazz.

“I find it hard to believe this was purely coincidental….in my opinion there is, in all likelihood, a direct connection between the Greensand Ridge and the origins of jazz music,” postulates Somogyi, no doubt with a wry smile on his face. In honour of this revelation, he has started up a new night entitled Greensand Jazz at the Heath Inn in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, showcasing new groups each month. Jim Mullen appears on 6th June, with Tina May and Bruce Adams to follow on 4th July. www.greensandjazz.org.uk

Our hearty congratulations to Chelsea’s 606 Club, who are winding up two weeks of 25th anniversary celebrations as this mag goes to press. For two and a half decades Steve Rubie and co. have been presenting the best of British jazz and have become a national institution in the process, winning the 2006 APPJAG Award for best Venue and basically making their cosy Chelsea residence an indispensable part of the UK’s jazz landscape. The celebrations have included performances from likes of US guitarist Pat Martino, who appeared there in late May for the first time. The festivities end in early June, with Julian Joseph, Peter King and Bobby Wellins playing on the 1st June and Liane Carroll, Tommy Blaize and Samara on the 2nd. www.606club.co.uk

Dave Smyth – Timecraft: Drummer Dave Smyth goes on the road with his exciting octet throughout the latter half of June.

The group formed in 2011 following the success of a debut performance that featured Iain Ballamy as a special guest, but while the saxophonist was surely an asset the group more than stands on its own sixteen feet and this tour will undoubtedly confirm that. The eight date tour, which begins on the 16th June in Hull, is a precursor to the group heading into the studio to record their first album, which should be well worth listening out for. More info and full tour dates can be found at Dave’s website, www.davesmyth.co.uk Sam Crowe © Rachel Barrett

The Festival Theatre Sunday Summer Jazz series: This outdoor venue, nestled away in the grounds of Hever Castle in Kent, is beginning a short season of summer jazz sessions, with Stacey Kent appearing on the 2nd June, followed by The Jive Aces on the 30th. Looking further ahead to the 18th August, a planned concert

by Kenny Ball will instead feature the late trumpeter’s son, Keith Ball, leading his father’s excellent Jazzmen band. The Festival Theatre has very kindly offered to donate a portion of the proceeds of this concert to Jazz Services “in order to nurture a new generation of jazz musicians”, for which we are extremely grateful. Anna Skinner, the season’s director, says “Kenny was a true professional and great entertainer, and we are pleased that we are able take our part in keeping his legacy alive.” Tickets and more information are available

from the venue’s website, www.heverfestival.co.uk/jazz

Edition Records releases: Hot on the heels of last month’s cover feature, Dave Stapleton and the rest of the Edition Records team are set to release two more great albums in June and July. First up is Alexi Tuomarila’s ‘Seven Hills’ (3rd June), a stirring and elegantly melodic trio set from the Finnishborn pianist that shows him to be another great European asset on the label’s roster.

Following in early July is Reuben Fowler’s ‘Between Shadows’, a highly promising big band debut from the young trumpeter and winner of the 2012 Kenny Wheeler Award. Rueben is also one of the successful applicants to last year’s Recording Support Scheme run by Jazz Services, and it’s very encouraging to see the fruits of such an enterprise being nurtured in this way by a major player on the label landscape. www.editionrecords.com

Made In The UK 2013: A big highlight for Jazz Services last year was getting involved in the Made In The UK series at the Rochester Jazz Festival. The series is organised by promoters ESIP, who are set to repeat its earlier successes by taking a number of high-profile acts over to perform at Rochester and a number of other jazz festivals in the US and Canada.

Cleveland Watkiss, YolanDa Brown, Christine Tobin, Mike Mwenso, Julian Arguelles, Soweto Kinch, Zoe Rahman, Phronesis and Gwilym Simcock have all been chosen to represent the UK and showcase British talent Stateside - the bands will play two shows each in the beautiful Christchurch venue from the 21st June through until the 29th.

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Everything We Hold:

Kairos 4tet © RJ Fernandez

Swiftly outgrowing the oft-and-overused ‘rising star’ tag, Kairos 4tet look set to reaffirm their status as one of the most popular groups on the UK circuit today with the release of their new album ‘Everything We Hold’, out on 10th June via Naim Jazz. Adam Waldman and cohorts are joined by some guest vocalists who reflect the variety of the band’s ever-widening scope, with UK soul guru Omar (who features on the excellent ‘Song For The Open Road’) sharing microphone duties with Emilia Mårtensson and Marc O’Reily. Read Josh Jenning’s review in this month’s Guest Spot and catch the live launch at King’s Place in London on the 8th June if you can, but look out for further tour dates throughout the year. www.kairos4tet.com

Whirlwind Recordings - Jeff Williams/Jazz For Babies: With his Whirlwind Recordings label, bassist Michael Janisch has made a major impact on the UK’s jazz landscape, with the excellent and admirably varied range of

artists on his roster expanding all the time. But rather than simply waiting to sign the next big thing, Janisch is taking steps to help create the next generation of jazz musicians with his ‘Jazz For Babies’ compilations, released on the 10th June. A number of studies have recognised the importance of music to cognitive development as well as showing that music can have a calming effect on infants. With this in mind, Janisch - a father himself - has assembled a team of top players to play selections of soothing and relaxing lullabies. Five albums are available, each themed around a different instrument, with Jay Phelps, Phil Robson, Jim Hart, Steve Hamilton and Paul Booth taking the title duties on the Trumpet, Guitar, Vibes, Piano and Saxophone Albums, respectively.

At the other end of the scale, veteran US drummer Jeff Williams further cements his reputation as a serious and substantial player on the scene with his second album ‘The Listener’, out on 3rd June. The CD features Williams’ American quartet recorded live at The Vortex in May 2012, and this album’s launch on 4th June will see him return to the same venue, this time joined by his UK quintet, a fine line-up of UK players – Finn Peters, Josh Arcoleo, Kit Downes and Sam Lasserson. www.whirlwindrecordings.com

Steve Fishwick/Osian Roberts tour: Trumpeter Steve Fishwick and saxophonist Osian Roberts take their ‘50s and ‘60s hard-bop inspired sextet on the road in mid-July. The group is a new one for the pair and includes New York baritone sax specialist Frank Basile in the line-up. Starting on the 9th July in Brentwood, they then visit Watermill Jazz Club (11tH), Swanage Jazz Festival (14th), Ronnie Scott’s (15th & 16th), Swansea Jazzland (17th), The Yardbird in Birmingham (18th)

Steve Fishwick & Osian Roberts

© Phil Knights

Kairos 4tet –

and the Marlborough Jazz Festival (19th).

33 Xtreme: The long established 33Jazz label has just announced its brand new offshoot - 33 Xtreme focuses more on the contemporary side of jazz and improvised music, and Geoff Neales’ new album is its first offering. ‘Free Flow’ is released on the 11th June and captures the pianist’s dynamic improvised excursions in the company of Ben Waghorn (reeds) and Ashley John Long (double bass), as heard over the course of two sets recorded at Dempsey’s in Cardiff from 2010 and 2011. The new imprint is a promising offshoot from the label and we’ll be interested to see what fruit it bears in the future.

Keith Loxam: A special mention must go to Keith Loxam, the long-standing producer of BBC Radio 3’s Jazz Line-Up show who steps down from his role in July. Keith is going freelance after many years at the helm (apologies to Julian and Clare, but we all know it’s the producers who really run the show! – Ed.), having produced countless programmes and helping to bring some of the station’s best jazz output to air - as well as being

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a thoroughly good bloke to boot.

Keith, we salute you, sir. Now someone give him a gig…

Dan Nicholls – Ruins:

Services to Jazz Award: Stan Tracey CBE.

The first of two strong releases from two of London’s best known collectives to hit the shops in June.

The Loop Collective’s Dan Nicholls releases ‘Ruins’ on the 1st June, melding haunting and spacious jazz improv with delicately applied use of electronics and a star cast of top young UK players, whose playing is done justice by the fine production work of Matt Calvert (Three Trapped Tigers). www.dan-nicholls.com

Metamorphic – Coalescence:

the nominees, each of whom was a deserving candidate.

• Jazz Broadcaster of the Year: Mike Chadwick.

APPJAG Awards 2013:

• Jazz Musician of the Year: Guy Barker.

And finally – it’s the APPJAGs! Or rather it was: on the 8th May the good people at PPL and the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group announced the winners of this year’s awards at a ceremony in the Houses of Parliament, hosted by Moira Stuart. A full report’s available on the Jazz Services website, but the winners are listed below. Our congratulations to them, and also to

• Jazz Album of the Year: John Surman ‘Saltash Bells’ (ECM).

• Jazz Publication of the Year: Catherine Tackley - Benny Goodman’s Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert.

Stan Tracey CBE © Hayley Madden

On the 17th June, pianist and vocalist Laura Cole’s jazz-folk ensemble releases ‘Coalescence’ via the F-IRE Collective, a complex piece of work that rewards repeated listens. A good example of the imagination on display is ‘Little Woman, Lonely Wing’, Cole’s ingenious splicing of Jimi Hendrix and Ornette Coleman, and while the dense arrangements can sometimes take a while to reveal their full potential, patient listeners will find much to admire. The band has live dates throughout June, accompanied by the Norwegian vocal trio Royst: www.metamorphic.org.uk

• Jazz Ensemble of the Year: Impossible Gentlemen.

• Live Jazz Award of the Year: The Vortex, London.

• Jazz Journalist of the Year: Rob Adams.

• Jazz Education Award: Nick Smart.

• Services to Jazz Award: Stan Tracey CBE. • APPJAG Special Award: Elaine Delmar.

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out & about In this month’s Out & About we head to Scotland, where Cathie Rae and the Scottish Jazz Federation are among those keeping the jazz flag flying north of the border.

Cathie Rae

Cathie Rae © Louis de Carlo

It’s worth beginning this month’s section with a little disclaimer that of course it’d be impossible to do justice to the entire Scottish jazz scene over a mere couple of pages. Scotland has a thriving scene, stacked to bursting with incredible players, venues, festivals, promoters and more.

Nevertheless, with musicians calling for more gigs at ground level, the potential in a crowded market for promoters to see their peers as competitors rather than collaborators, and perceptions (unfounded or otherwise) that there are considerably fewer opportunities for audiences to hear and for musicians to play jazz music, in the course of her work Cathie Rae, director of the Scottish

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Jazz Federation (SJF), is posed an important hypothetical question: will the SJF have anything left to develop in the future?

Well, the answer is an emphatic YES! Together with her hard working voluntary board, Cathie is very positive about the future of jazz in Scotland. “Scotland definitely punches way above its weight in terms of talent and always has done,” she says proudly. “With award winning world class musicians, a National Jazz Orchestra that is second to none, several National Youth Jazz Orchestras producing award winning talent, a jazz degree course at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and a track record for producing internationally renowned masters such as Jimmy Deuchar, Bobby Wellins, Annie Ross, Jim Mullen, Tommy Smith and many others, the future is most definitely bright for Scottish jazz.”

But what have the SJF been doing recently to develop the Scottish jazz sector? “There has been a lot of work that isn’t really in the public eye, like research on audiences and pathways into the music,” explains Cathie. “It’s essential to be able to see gaps and opportunities. We’ve also been working very hard on other things like the development of Young Scottish Jazz Musician of the year, Scottish Jazz Awards, our Education conference, networking and much more.

“The most recent project we’ve

produced is the J-Word (www.jword.co.uk), which has been described as a ‘brave’ initiative to help develop audiences and bring international touring bands to Scotland, alongside offering opportunities for Scottish based musicians to increase their profile at home. With a limited amount of funds - we were £20K short on what we asked for - we successfully toured two bands over a total of 12 gigs from Inverness to The Sage Gateshead.”

For those reading between the lines, being described as ‘brave’ can often be accompanied by a raising of the eyebrows and a suggestion that you’re biting off more than you can chew. But the pilot of the J-Word scheme was a great success, pairing fusion pioneers the Yellowjackets with Tom Bancroft’s Trio Red, and the Trilok Gurtu/ Paolo Fresu/Omar Sosa Trio with Fraser Fifield & Graeme Stephen.

“Both Scottish bands were invited by the international bands to play together on stage which everyone was thrilled about,” says Cathie.

“Tom Bancroft even managed to persuade the Yellowjackets to go to the local folk session in his home town of Pathhead – awesome!

We’re waiting for the final reports and statistics but the reactions from both the audiences and the musicians taking part have been phenomenal, with people travelling the length of the country to see bands again and again.”

The SJF has also established a dialogue with the Touring Network (formerly PAN) in the highlands, touring Stuart Brown’s Raymond Scott Project, which was again hailed as a success and as Cathie explains is already leading onto bigger things. “We have been asked by most of the venues involved in the international touring to develop this project further. It’s something we’re really excited about, but we’re equally excited about developing regular touring opportunities for bands in the highlands for small scale venues.

Looking Ahead

Trio Red

Cathie takes us through some of the key areas of the SJF’s work that see development over the next two years: • Communication and information: We’ll be developing our website to meet the comprehensive needs of the sector. We’re aiming to launch this towards the end of the year, and the future will include database management, the building and maintenance of social media communication, online guides and tutorials, live feeds and more…

• Supporting Artistic Excellence: We’ll continue building our Young Scottish Jazz Musician (now in its 7th year) and the Scottish Jazz Awards (now in its 3rd year) and we plan to include venue endorsements in 2014. Like them or not, these competitions bring focus on our talent and more and more are becoming a showcase opportunity.

Trio Red © Louis de Carlo

Our brochure’s being translated into Scots and Gaelic for circulation and we plan to organise a meeting of highland promoters, together with a showcase, later this year. After the Raymond Scott Project toured the highlands the feedback from audiences was mainly that they loved the music and didn’t realise that jazz could be this much fun! ” Recently the SJF was awarded £134,000 of National Lottery funding, and over the next two years the organisation will embark on a number of projects that will bring more focus to the jazz sector in Scotland as well as creating more opportunities for musicians,

promoters, learners and listeners.

“Our funding allows us to bring in professionals when needed, but it’s important to note our board is made up of volunteers,” says Cathie, who is herself the only paid member of the SJF. “We are working towards an ethos of inclusivity, co-operation and partnership among jazz promoters, educators and artists in building our audience for jazz for the future.”

To find out more about the work of the Scottish Jazz Federation, go to their website (www. scottishjazzfederation.com) and follow them on Twitter @ ScottishJazzFed.

• Audience development: Building on previous activity such as the recent J-Word touring pilot, we’ll work to connect existing promoter networks, carry out best-practice case studies and bring the sector together for new initiatives including a shared social media resources and cross-genre marketing.

• Skills and capacity: We want to provide more training/CPD for musicians and organisers, and start developing a women-in-jazz initiative with partners in Aberdeen and Australia.

• International: Supporting and promoting activity for musicians and developing a long-term international strategy will include attending trade and networking events and building links with large target markets such as China, India and Australia.

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KIT DOWNES Old Light from New Stars Alison Bentley speaks to Kit Downes about his latest album.

‘Light from Old Stars’ is the title of pianist Kit Downes’ new quintet CD, and the title says a lot about how he views music. An amateur astronomer, Downes was struck by the idea that because of the huge distances travelled by the light it emits, by the time we actually see a star it may no longer actually exist.

It’s a striking analogy of the way that although early jazz musicians may not be around anymore, their music lives on through musicians reinterpreting it, or through older players passing the tradition on to their younger peers.

Still in his mid-20s, Downes is very grateful to the musicians who’ve passed the tradition on to him.

His interest in improvisation goes back to childhood. Influenced by his organist father, he started improvising on Norwich Cathedral’s organ. “With the organ that’s a big part of the skill. The way organists improvise is very specific, but not that different to how people would treat standards...it’s not the kind of instant composition you’d expect; it’s more instant rearrangement, embellishment, things like that.

Ways to frame a melody in different contexts.”

It’s no wonder that when his pianist mother gave him his first jazz album

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(Oscar Peterson’s ‘Night Train’), Downes was hooked. “Oscar led me to Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett, and then I was away.”

Paul Bley is another big influence: the new album’s track ‘Bleydays’ has some of his cool, spiky sound, emerging from an Ornette Colemanesque theme. The triphop-infused last track is named for Swedish pianist Jan Johansson, and there are moments on ‘The Mad Wren’ that sound like Monk or Abdullah Ibrahim.

Early blues (more ‘old stars’) is a strong influence on the album, especially Skip James, Howlin’ Wolf and Blind Willie McTell. The blues is “...not designed to be art music,” says Kit. “It’s just incredibly direct, raw, and often about very dark subjects. It’s really emotional, but there’s a sort of hope in it as well that keeps it quite strong. It’s very three-dimensional music.”

Another inspiration is art house film; Downes is drawn to directors who manipulate genres to create a sense of strangeness. “I love the way people like Herzog or Jarmusch create a very strong atmosphere throughout the whole film. That’s something I’m very interested in musically, creating a real atmosphere that can feel very contemporary or new, but they’re actually old ingredients. All those directors are very into the history of cinema.” From the new CD, ‘What’s The Rumpus?’ with its dissonant harmonies and squalling free-ness, comes from dialogue in the Coen Brothers’ ‘Miller’s Crossing’. The owls in Lynch’s ‘Twin Peaks’ are

responsible for ‘Owls’, with its overlapping, playful but edgy bluesy riffs. “They’re really childlike, dark and menacing.”

Bringing these influences together when writing is a multi-faceted exercise for Kit. “It’s all pretty hazy when I’m doing it,” he says.

“There’s a raw creative process at the beginning when you come up with these ideas, without judging them, and leave them for a while.

The later stage is how you arrange them...part of the trick of it for me is to be able to switch off enough to not stifle the subconscious, to let all this stuff out.”

Did Downes write the music on the album for the specific musicians who appear on it? “It feels like a very strong interlocking trio, so when I’m writing for them I have the option to have a really interactive ensemble - or completely the opposite, where everyone has a part and sticks religiously to it. I can say to James [Maddren], ‘there’s a pattern to this but I want you to play off that pattern - but I never want you to feel like you’ve dropped that pattern either.’ But then there’s a tune like ‘Jan Johansson’ where I wanted it exactly the same throughout the entire tune, which is quite extreme. And there’s a tune like ‘Bleydays’ where James is completely reactive to the whole tune.

“We had the choice of messing around with roles - when James is being reactive, Calum [Gourlay]’s being stable, or vice versa - these are unspoken ensemble things

developed over a while. Then bringing in James Allsopp on bass clarinet and sax, and Lucy Railton on cello, we had more options for manoeuvring the roles. Suddenly there are all these different ways you can orchestrate. In that way I do write really for them.”

Downes has never written music for him to play alone. “It’s the excitement of hearing it being played by the people I love playing with. At the same time I don’t write just for the sake of it. What you’re writing is a very good reflection of what you’re dealing with musically in your head at that particular point.” He likes to write for a project or album, and is in the middle of an acoustic tour with this band. “We just spent a lot of time practising that, how to play acoustically. It was that real awareness of how to make the band have a cohesive sound.

The quality of the piano suddenly matters a lot more. And also you run the risk of people just not being able to get into it because it’s too quiet. So you have to exaggerate the dynamics to try and get people into it in a very subtle way. I think the audience can respond to that it’s something slightly unusual.”

Blues blended with classical, jazz, hiphop and free improv…the more you listen to the new recording, the more fascinating details you find, making ‘Light From Old Stars’ a moving album, multi-faceted and beautifully-played. New star Downes is adamant that “you can’t waste time playing things you don’t love,” and it shows.

‘Light From Old Stars’ is launched at The Forge, London, on 7th June.

Kit plays a number of live dates throughout the summer, see www. kitdownes.com for more info.

Alison Bentley sings jazz, blues, soul, French chansons, and Bulgarian folk. She writes for www. londonjazznews.com

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The UK jazz scene features some amazing festivals all year round, and we’ve had a good few already. It seems a shame to focus on just one season, but we’re particularly well served in the summer months - with that in mind we’ve put together a guide to where to get your festival fix in June and July…

Songsuite Vocal Festival: 21st – 23rd June Polish Jazz Café @ POSK, London A celebration of song with a Polish slant, with the superb Anita Wardell presiding as Artistic Director. The weekend sees a selection of Polish vocalists taking to the stage – among them Agata Kubiak, Monika Lidke and Alice Zawadzki – along with Trudy Kerr, Juliet Kelly, Brigitte Beraha and Norma Winstone. www.jazzcafeposk.co.uk

Glasgow features a fine selection of UK names, with Laura MacDonald, Matt Halsall & Gogo Penguin, Georgie Fame and Stan Tracey with Bobby Wellins all present. There’s also a really strong international presence, with festival favourites Snarky Puppy and the legendary crooner Burt Bacharach among the big names. Bringing a South American flavour to the proceedings is Venezuelan pianist Leo Blanco, who plays on the opening night and spoke to JazzUK about his expectations: “I’ve wanted to play at Glasgow Jazz Festival for a long time now.

Just about all the jazz greats have played: Miles, Dizzy, Max Roach, and then the next generation like Michael Brecker, Pat Metheny and my friend Lionel Loueke. So to be part of an event with that sort of history is a real honour, and to get a chance to play to an audience that has such a fantastic reputation – everyone says Glasgow people are really responsive – is very exciting. I have a new solo piano album, ‘Pianoforte’, and although I love working with a band, I’m really enjoying this facet of my career. In concert, it’s very intimate - just the piano, me and the audience. I’m really looking forward to it.” www.jazzfest.co.uk

• Editor’s Pick Glasgow Jazz Festival: 26th – 30th June Glasgow, Scotland

The Naturist Foundation Jazz and Real Ale Festival: 27th – 30th June. Near Swanley and Orpington, Kent

Kirkcudbright Jazz Festival: 13th – 16th June Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland Focusing mainly on trad, Dixieland and swing, this 4-day event features home-grown and international players, including the Savannah Jazz Band and Ken Mathieson’s Classic Jazz Orchestra. www.kirkcudbrightjazzfestival.co.uk Wiltshire Jazz Festival: 15th June. Dinton, Wilshire Gwyneth Herbert headlines this one-dayer, which manages to pack a lot into its short programme.

Other names for 2013 include Martin Taylor & Alan Barnes, Charles Alexander & Andy Robinson, Kairos 4tet and the Southampton Youth Jazz Orchestra. www.wiltshirejazzfestival.co.uk

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Jean Toussaint, Digby Fairweather, Julian Marc Stringle, Yazz Ahmed and Byron Wallen are among the names performing, and while clothing is optional it all takes place outdoors (albeit in a marquee), so depending on the weather a sunhat or wellies might be sensible at the least… www.naturistfoundation. org/jazz_festival Upton Jazz Festival: 28th - 30th June. Upton upon Severn, Worcester Putting aside the memories of the bad weather that nevertheless failed to dampen last year’s spirits, the team at Upton Jazz again offer a fantastic range of trad and swing bands over the weekend, with some star names thrown in as well. www.uptonjazz.co.uk Cleethorpes Jazz Festival: 28th - 30th June Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire Jim Mullen’s Organ Trio, Clare Martin, Dave Newton & Alan Barnes and Gareth Williams & Dave Green are among those squeezing into the Cleethorpes Memorial Hall over the last weekend in June for this compact festival run by Grimsby Jazz. www.grimsbyjazz.com Burton Agnes Jazz & Blues Festival: 5th – 7th July. Burton Agnes, East Yorkshire Performances take place in the stunning Elizabethan-era Burton

Marcus Miller Love Supreme Festival

Dove International Beer & Jazz Weekend: 5th – 7th July Dove Holes, Derbyshire This small and friendly event caters firmly to the trad and New Orleans crowd, with the Richard Bennet Band, New Orleans Heat and Tom Langham’s Hot Fingers among the quality names on stage. There are some quality names on tap too – it is a ‘Beer & Jazz’ festival rather than a ‘Jazz & Beer’ one, after all… www.dovejazzclub.co.uk

• Editor’s Pick

Love Supreme Jazz Festival: 5th – 7th July Glyndebourne, near Brighton, Sussex A first for 2013, and with a strong line-up that bodes well for making this a regular event on the UK’s jazz calendar, JazzFM’s Love Supreme Festival is as close as fans of the music get to a ‘proper’ summer festival experience. By that we don’t mean it’ll be a sodden quagmire filled with persons of questionable fashion-sense – rather that it offers weekend camping (or day tickets), multiple stages and (hopefully) sunshine to complement the artists on offer. There’s a liberal dose of mainstream artists included in the line-up, with Bryan Ferry’s Orchestra and Chic featuring Nile Rodgers up against international jazz heavyweights Marcus Miller, Branford Marsalis and Esperanza Spalding, while Courtney Pine, Kairos 4tet, Soweto Kinch, GoGo Penguin and

Marcus Miller © Jake Schot

Agnes Hall and its grounds, which should provide a charming atmosphere and backdrop for the acts on offer, who include Gwyneth Herbert, Kenny Ball’s Jazzmen (led by his son Keith Ball) and Trudy Kerr. www.burtonagnes.com

Roller Trio are among those holding their own for the UK. JazzFM’s own Chris Philips explains further: “I think the first bespoke ‘greenfields’ jazz festival in a couple of decades is a pretty attractive prospect. It shows people’s appreciation of this music has come a long way in the last 20-25 years, where this kind of thing was stuck away in a niche, clichéd by its own image of beard-rubbing old guys.

I’m also really interested in what’s going on away from the headliners, and to see how people might come along to see someone like Jools Holland but be absolutely switched on by someone new to them like Gwyneth Herbert.” www.lovesupremefestival.com Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul Festival: 5th - 7th July Moseley Park, Birmingham One of Birmingham’s big events for the summer regardless of genre, the Mostly… festival does exactly what it says on the tin. The mighty Snarky Puppy promise to provide a highlight of the weekend, alongside plenty of local talent (Anthony Marsden, Stella Roberts) and stag-

es curated by The Yardbird venue and the Symphony Hall’s Jazzlines initiative. http://mostlyjazz.co.uk Birmingham International Jazz & Blues Festival: 5th – 14th July. Birmingham Big Bear Music’s annual event is a highlight of the Birmingham calendar. A good number of the concerts are free and take place in venues across the city; this year’s festival also features an awards presentation for the 27th British Jazz Awards on 10th July. www.birminghamjazzfestival.com BRASS Festival: 5th – 21st July. Durham This city-wide festival covers the full range of brass music with a varied schedule spread over a couple of weeks, but two particular dates for the casual jazzer are the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra performing their recent In The Spirit Of Duke, and the Hackney Colliery Jazz Band, a fantastically lively ensemble mixing jazz, brass band, funk and hip-hop. www.brassfestival.co.uk

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Wigan International Jazz Festival: 11th – 14th July Wigan, Gr. Manchester Georgina Jackson, Linley Hamilton, Darius Brubeck and several larger ensembles including the Skelton Skinner Allstars Big Band, the Doncaster Jazz Orchestra and the Dutch College Swing Band all feature at this event, now in its 28th year. http://www.wlct.org/WLCT/ Arts-and-Festivals/WIJF/wiganinternational-jazz-festival.htm Swanage Jazz Festival: 12th – 14th July. Swanage, Dorset Bouncing back from last year’s bad weather, Swanage is a strong contender for bill of the summer.

Arnie Somogyi’s Scenes In The City celebrates Mingus while Mark Lockheart’s Ellington In Anticipation salutes the Duke, and Liane Carroll, Jean Toussaint, Shabaka Hutchings, Clark Tracey, Tony Kofi, Trish Clowes, Alan Barnes and many more all put in appearances. www.swanagejazz.org

Titley Jazz Festival: 26th – 28th July. Presteigne, Powys Stan Tracey, Simon Spillett, Alan Barnes, Don Weller, David Newton, Peter King, Chris Biscoe – Titley might be small but it certainly packs the names in over a busy weekend on the Welsh border. www.titleyjazz.com Guiting Festival: 26th July – 3rd August Guiting Power, Gloucestershire From the heart of the Cotswolds comes the village of Guiting Power’s annual festival, which includes a mixture of classical and jazz artists – representing the latter are the 10-piece Charleston Chasers, as well as celebrated pianist Zoe Rahman. www.guitingfestival.org

• Editor’s Pick

Newport Jazz Weekend: 19th – 21st July Newport, Isle of Wight This is only the second Newport Jazz Weekend but it builds on the success of last year, with a solid line-up featuring Alan Barnes as the festival’s resident artist. Martin Taylor and Georgia Mancio are among those returning following hit shows in 2012, and joining them are Nigel Price, Jim Mullen, Sax Appeal, Digby Fairweather and pianist-turned-vibraphonist Paul Sawtell, who presents a tribute to George Shearing. www.newportjazzweekend.co.uk

Manchester Jazz Festival: 26th July – 4th August Manchester Spanning ten days and numerous venues, from clubs like Matt & Phred’s and Band On The Wall to the historic St. Ann’s church and the Royal Northern College of Music, the Manchester Jazz Festival covers a huge range of music and brings the vast and varied spirit of jazz to the whole city. Chief among those spiritual purveyors for 2013 is Pharoah Sanders, who brings his Quartet to the RNCM on 31st July.

But not even his towering presence can overshadow the wealth of UK based artists on the bill, with the younger element well represented by the likes of Trish Clowes’ Tangent, Yazz Ahmed, GoGo Penguin, Matt Halsall and Laura Jurd.

TW12 Jazz Festival: 21st July Hampton Hill, SW London The Hampton Hill Playhouse hosts this compact new one-day event for Richmond Upon Thames that includes pianist Jason Rebello headlining, the intriguing Partikel trio, and guitar duo Charles Alexander & Andy Robinson. www.tw12jazzfestival.co.uk

Artistic Director Steve Mead has this to say; “mjf is all about championing the best new music from the North West and beyond, and giving audiences some surprising, memorable experiences that open up new worlds of sound, yet without dumbing down. Over 20 gigs are free and we’ve even managed to squeeze in an extra day of music

into an action-packed line up.” www.manchesterjazz.com

Looking ahead…

Sadly we can’t fit all the UK’s festivals in one issue, but if the ones listed here aren’t enough for you there are some other excellent events lined up for the rest of the year…

Brecon Jazz Festival: 9th - 11th August Brecon, Wales Another great festival is on the cards as the revitalised Brecon returns for another year with a stunning line-up – Django Bates’ Belovèd, Mavis Staples, The Impossible Gentlemen, Acker Bilk, Ian Shaw and Lawrence Cottle are only a smattering of what’s on offer, with more names still to be announced. www.breconjazz.com Scarborough Jazz Festival: 27th – 29th September Scarborough, North Yorkshire Scarborough’s varied bill mixes some fantastic younger talent alongside its star names, including Beats & Pieces and Laura Jurd, with Courtney Pine, Alan Barnes and Kyle Eastwood offering some high-profile headliners. www. scarboroughjazzfestival.co.uk London Jazz Festival: 15th – 24th November. London The big one. Turning the capital into a sprawling jazz mecca over nine days, the UK’s biggest jazz event packs in the star names, with Sonny Rollins, Wayne Shorter, John McLaughlin and Madeleine Peyroux all confirmed for 2013. Expect more on this in a future issue. www.londonjazzfestival.org.uk

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THE GUEST SPOT The Guest Spot introduces JazzUK readers to some of the many enthusiasts helping to spread the good word of jazz up and down the UK; this issue’s section belongs to JazzShaped creator Josh Jennings.

On the 12th of February 2011 I sat, a lowly student, hunched over a worn desk, watching as the last dregs of a typically dreary British winter played out through an adjacent window. This wasn’t by any means an extraordinary day; if I hadn’t just created my very own blog then that entire twenty-four hour period would likely have slipped into obscurity, dispatched into the alcoves of my mind alongside a multitude of other dates marked ‘the usual’.

Fortunately then, the reason I was sat looking out of that window was that I was day dreaming, gripped by the full potential of the internet.

I had made my own website, registered its domain name and was determined to make ‘a real go’ of this blogging lark. I just needed a niche to write about…

Two and a half years down the line and ‘JazzShaped’ feels a world away from that moment of conception; the blog now has a direction, purpose and most importantly a readership. I’m committed to publicising and detailing the British jazz circuit and the plethora of talented musicians that make it up, aiming to dispel the myths that surround the genre (this public perception of a highly intellectualised, inaccessible musical form doesn’t come close to the British jazz that I experience on a daily basis), promote new sounds

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and hopefully provide an enjoyable read along the way.

JazzShaped has become a steady platform for contemporary UK jazz, and whilst I will admit to being proud of where the site has come from and what it has developed into, I will not pretend that it has reached anywhere near the lofty heights that I now envisage for it. It is a website that monitors a scene of such eclecticism and diversity that constant evolution and adaptation is essential, and I will continue to do so whilst aiming to bring fresh and exciting sounds to a wider audience. I have future plans for an associated record label, an in-house PR programme for musicians and a printed publication all of which currently sit firmly ‘in the pipeline’... but you’ve got to start somewhere.

Q&A with Mark Holub – 10 Years Of Led Bib - Ten years of Led Bib is a fantastic achievement, how do you feel the band has progressed over this time?

It’s hard to believe that it really has been 10 years...I sort of feel like I am making it up, but as our first gig was on my birthday (!), I am pretty

positive it’s the truth. For me, the band has progressed loads since it started. I think in some way it’s not so audible from record to record.

The changes there are maybe smaller – incremental - but if you listen to our first record Arboretum and our latest Bring Your Own, they sound pretty far apart. That said though, I do feel from the beginning there was something that was the distinctive sound of band, although that has obviously developed.

I think a lot of the development has been from the other guys in the band. 10 years ago I brought them all a concept of what I wanted to do, and I tried to fit them all into what that concept was. Gradually, I let them be freer to be themselves and they were able to find their own way to fit into that overall concept, which ended up sort of changing the original concept and making it something better! I think having the guys so on board with Led Bib is what makes it special, and means that we can somehow find a link between some members’ interest in free improv, others’ in soul or whatever and create a group sound out of it…

This is an extract of Josh’s full interview with Mark – read on at http://www.jazzshaped.com.

Album Review: WorldService Project, ‘Fire In A Pet Shop’

The name that an artist gives their album can allude to many things; it may represent a composer’s feelings towards that record, an indication as to how they want their work to be perceived, or it could even act as a bridge into the mind - offering

the listener some musical context as a preface to the main audible event. Therefore, when I learnt that London-based quintet WorldService Project had decided to title their next release Fire In A Pet Shop, my initial reaction was one of bemusement. Granted, the fact that an ensemble whose debut was lovingly tagged Relentless have provocatively captioned their follow-up should come as no surprise, but after a brief and rather harrowing moment of imagining what a fire in a pet shop would actually sound like, I had to ask myself, ‘just how raucous is this thing going to be?’

The record is a sporadic affair which refuses to conform to a standard musical model; flitting wildly between dynamic extremes and changing tempo without a moment’s notice, it is perhaps the epitome of the ensemble’s sound.

It is apparent from the start of the

record that the ensuing cacophony of keyboard lines, aggressive drum fills and barely contained bass lines are unlikely to submit to the bands boisterous horn section, but what ensues is a blistering hour of music that will have you on the edge of your seat.

‘Fire In A Pet Shop’ is released fully on Megasound Records in June.

Album Review: Kairos 4tet, ‘Everything We Hold’ To say that I was excited to hear the new offering from saxophonist Adam Waldmann’s Kairos 4tet comes as somewhat of an understatement. Ever since the band’s 2011 record Statement Of

Led Bib © Matt Crossick

Led Bib

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Intent, which saw them pick up a number of accolades including a prestigious MOBO award for ‘Best Jazz Act’, I have been hooked on their infectious blend of wonderfully crafted and accessible jazz. Luckily for me Everything We Hold comes as no disappointment.

The album starts with a gentle ‘Penguin Cafe Orchestra’ type piece and works its way through a series of fantastic tunes, each new track managing to provide a unique musical element as the record progresses. It is this progression of musical elements which makes Everything We Hold so unique; the album is predominantly laid out so as to feature an instrumental track followed by a collaborative song with a vocalist, and this interesting blend of contemporary jazz and what are essentially jazz-inspired folk songs means that the album carries with it a wonderful sense of amiability. Listening to the whole record in its entirety is a pleasure, so consider this my tip for the next set of Mercury Prize nominations.

‘Everything We Hold’ is released on Naim Jazz on 10th June.

My Top 5 Summer Gigs Around The UK • Saturday 8th June @ The Vortex, London - Partisans The ‘Godfathers of ferocious post-jazz’, Partisans at the Vortex promises to be a cocktail of contemporary culture that should not to be missed.

• Sunday 9th June @ Herts Jazz Club, Hertfordshire - Georgia Mancio Performing as part of her national tour, UK jazz singer and Revoice! festival curator Georgia Mancio brings her band to rural Hertfordshire for one night only.

• Wednesday 19th June @ Komedia Studio, Brighton - Melt Yourself Down Known for their raucous live performances and hypnotic composition

style, MYD descend upon Brighton as part of a series of gigs to promote their debut album.

• Sunday 30th June @ Seven Jazz, Leeds - Phil Meadows Group Accompanied by a stellar line up of young British talent, Phil Meadows will be performing at Leeds’ Seven Jazz in support of his debut record Engines Of Creation.

• Sunday 28th July @ Band On The Wall, Manchester - Snarky Puppy Dallas and New York’s finest contemporary collective will bring their infectious sound to Manchester this July. The 3 time Dallas Observer award winners are made up of a number of prominent session players and always deliver a fantastic live show.

Josh Jennings is the owner and creator of the Jazz Shaped blog read more of his work at http://www.jazzshaped.com.

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HOTHOUSE Phil Meadows gives us his regular report on the latest and hottest happenings from the UK’s young jazz scene.

Hot Ticket: Mostly Jazz, Funk and Soul Festival: 5th - 7th July

With the 2013 festival season well underway and events like the ever blossoming Cheltenham Jazz Festival and Gateshead International Jazz Festival already behind us, there’s a still lot to look forward to on the summer circuit. I’ve picked out one event that will appeal to existing jazz fans, but should also be perfect for introducing new listeners to the genre.

Now in its third year and growing each and every time, this Birmingham-based event has fast become a part of the UK’s festival elite crowd. With a much broader outlook than most and with a very appropriate title, the Mostly Jazz, Funk and Soul Festival is one for the whole family rather than just the contemporary jazz fan. This year’s line-up includes R&B singer Candi Staton, festival favourites Snarky

Snarky Puppy, Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul Festival 23

Puppy, piano trio GoGo Penguin, Ninja Tune’s Bonobo and the disco infused Chic, in an event perfect for the casual listener or those who just want to groove. It’s also great to see stages run by Jazzlines and the Yardbird promoting the best of the very talented young Birmingham jazz scene. All in all it’s a perfect festival for those new to jazz music and should help bring a few more fans to next year’s event.

Having successfully completed the first Match&Fuse festival in 2012 at (and outside) the Vortex in Gillett Square, Dalston, this year sees the travelling festival set up in Oslo for what promises to be three days of high-quality creative music making between the 12th and 15th June. As well as their regular double header UK tours, the group will be hosting a mini-festival on the 25th and 26th July split between London’s Rich Mix and the Vortex.

Hot Topic:

Comprised of longstanding friends, WorldService Project is a high

Match&Fuse

energy, innovative group driven by passion and excitement, and Morecroft gives us an insight into their latest piece of work. “We’re very pleased with it. I think it will throw a few unexpected treats in the direction of any listener, and I hope it’s an album that makes people laugh and has something to enjoy intellectually. It’s basically a party that everyone is invited to!”

For more information on Match&Fuse visit www.matchandfuse.co.uk.

The WorldService Project have made a reputation spanning Europe for their unique skronk-punk-rockfunk-jazz and with a second album ‘Fire in a Pet Shop’ [reviewed by Josh Jennings in this month’s Guest Spot section – Ed.] set for release on 24th June, I took the opportunity to catch up with pianist, noisemaker and bandleader Dave Morecroft to find out about both the band and his touring/festival project, Match&Fuse.

Originally set up as a means for the band to reach out into Europe, Match&Fuse has developed into a large-scale European jazz exchange and annual festival aimed at promoting genre-bending and innovative bands and exporting them across borders, all in the name of collaborative music making. Morecroft gives us an insight to how it has grown over the past couple of years: “Each double-billed tour we produced ended up in being so rewarding, not only in creative ways but in terms of production, administration, audience interaction, and so on. It was met with great enthusiasm from the beginning as well, and now we have five other partners around Europe and dozens of bands involved in one way or another.”

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WorldService Project

Hot Tracks: Love Music Trust Big Band The LMT Big Band is the brainchild of the inspirational duo John Barber and Andy Scott. Part of the LMT music hub, it serves to provide aspiring young musicians with pathways to develop their jazz ensemble and improvisational skills. Having already performed sell-out concerts with Georgina Bromilow and Matthew Ford they are currently developing a programme for the summer concert series at Gawsworth Hall. This season sees them working with youth jazz specialist and APPJAG nominee Jon Eno, who is highly enthusiastic about their prospects; “What a cracking band! The talent and tutors in East Cheshire are just world-class. A truly enlightened music hub. I hope to help them realise a tour to New York City in the near future.” Here are their top ten tracks inspiring them at the moment: 1. Lucky So And So - Georgina Jackson 2. Superstition - Stevie Wonder 3. In Due Time - Killswitch Engage 4. Days Like These - The Cat Empire 5. Pompeii - Bastille 6. Miserable At Best - Mayday

Parade 7. Viva la Vida - Coldplay 8. Early Mourning - Alesana 9. Love On Top - Beyoncé 10. Feel the Love - John Newman

Hot Release: Shatner’s Bassoon, ‘Aquatic Ape Privilege’

The debut recording from Leedsbased Shatner’s Bassoon is another reminder of the incredibly creative and ever-developing avant-garde jazz scene based in the northeast. From the city that brought us Matthew Bourne, Dave Kane, Roller

Trio and Trio VD comes another hard-hitting ensemble performing their selection of odd time grooves, freely improvised passages and sweeping melodic rock induced ballads. ‘Aquatic Ape Privilege’ is not an album for the faint hearted and challenges all conceptions of tradition.

From the first track to the last, unexpected changes in timbre, a mixture of electronic and acoustic sounds, and with full band mayhem switching to solo and duo improvisation, this album keeps the contemporary jazz fan on the edge of their seat. With extended techniques at the heart of the improvisation, the music develops collaboratively rather than melodically, with angular themes and disjointed grooves underpinning sections for a sense of grounding. Apart from this the music appears to be a blank canvas where the music toys with the audience through its ever-changing ambience and atmosphere.

Influences of Tim Berne, John Zorn and Tyshawn Sorey are present on a record where freedom is at the heart. If you enjoyed TrioVD’s latest release ‘Maze’ then you will doubtless find much to explore in the music of Shatner’s Bassoon.

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HIGHLIGHTS

Editor’s Picks Jazz Services’ listings editor Sabina Czajkowska takes us through her picks for June’s listings. Read Gigs, the full month’s listings to the UK’s live jazz scene at www.jazzservices.org.uk The wonderful cellist and singer Ayanna Witter-Johnson is performing in York and Rugby – simply a must!

The Sam Crowe Group are touring this month – check listings for the dates and take their excellent new CD ‘Towards The Centre Of Everything’ with you to the gig to have it signed!

The explosive GoGo Penguin are playing in Manchester and then in Glasgow at the Jazz Festival (double bill with Matthew Halsall).

Festivals: Glasgow Jazz Festival: 26th – 30th June Check the listings for details.

Explore the main and fringe programmes and do not miss workshop opportunities and Classic Album listening sessions. www. jazzfest.co.uk The Naturist Foundation Jazz & Real Ale Festival: 27th – 30th June Highlights include The Frank Toms

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Trio with special guests Jean Toussaint and Byron Wallen, The MJQ Celebration with Karen Sharp, Peter King Quartet with Mornington Lockett and Julian Marc Stringle Trio. The event is clothing optional so non-naturist jazz fans are welcome. http://www. naturistfoundation.org/jazz_festival/ Songsuite Festival 21st – 23rd June Jazz Cafe POSK, 238-246 King Street, London W6 0RF The second edition of the festival will showcase some of the UK and Poland’s finest female vocalists.

The three day event features performances by Trudy Kerr, Monika Lidke, Anita Wardell, Alice Zawadzki, Juliet Kelly and Norma Winstone, to name but a few. The festival will be accompanied by a three day Songsuite Vocal Course with Anita Wardell and a workshop with Brigitte Beraha – check the Workshops section for details. www.jazzcafeposk.co.uk City of London Festival 23rd June – 26th July With some jazz and many free events around the City, go to the website for details: www.colf.org

Workshops Benslow Music Courses continue in July Benslow Music, Benslow Lane, Hitchin SG4 9RB, 01462 459446, info@benslowmusic.org www. benslowmusic.org - Big Band Singing Summer School, 22nd – 27th July Tutors: Anton Browne and Jenny

Howe - Big Band Summer School, 22nd – 27th July Tutors: Paul Eshelby and Nick Care Residential: £475, non-residential: £360 Jazz Piano Trio Course 29th – 31st July 10:00am – 5:00pm Abingdon Music Centre, Abbey Close, Abingdon OX14 3JD, 01235 535689, dorothy.giacomin@gmail. com Guest tutors: Tim Richards, Phil Peskett Main tutors: Dorothy Shaw (piano), Tim Dawes (double bass) and Charlie Stratford (drums) Non-residential £225 or £75 per day, concessions available for students and under 18s.

Nottingham Jazz Workshops The Robin Hood, 540 Mansfield Rd, Nottingham NG5 2FR, 0115 962 4737 nottinghamjazzworkshops@yahoo. co.uk, fee £5.00 - Singers/performance workshop, 5th June, 7:00pm – 9:00pm Get in touch to find out what songs you will be learning.

Instrumentalists are welcome to attend to be included in arrangements and to develop solos.

The Nottingham Jazz Workshop members will perform popular jazz standards at The Loft Bar on Wednesday 3rd July, 8.00pm (free entry).

- Instrumental workshops, 12th June and 10th July, 7.00pm – 9.00pm Get in touch to find out what tunes will be practised. The participants will be continuing to work on section arrangements along with their solos. Usually there is one singer present.

Glasgow Jazz Festival Workshops 26th – 20th June There are many learning opportunities available, including a workshop for 3-5 year olds from the Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra – check the website for details: www.jazzfest.co.uk Dominic Moore’s jazz and improvisation workshops Methodist Centre, Town Street, Chapel Allerton, Leeds LS7 4NB The next dates are 14th & 28th June and 12th July, 7.30pm – 10.00pm, £5/ £3 concessions.

with Barry Green on piano. For all workshop information and bookings: www.loiremusic.com or call 07880 600 564

Events Jazz and Steam on Swanage Railway, 22nd June On Saturday a special evening jazz train will be setting out from Swanage station. A historic steam engine will take passengers through an area of natural beauty and the Gerry Brown & The Mission Hall traditional jazz band will provide entertainment on board. The Jazz

Train will depart from the Dorset seaside town’s station at 7.30pm for two round trips on the restored and re-laid Purbeck Line.

Tickets for The Jazz Train at £12.50 can only be booked in advance of the date. Numbers will be strictly limited and all seating is non-reserved. Book online at www.swanagerailway.co.uk under Railway Events, or from the Swanage Railway booking office, 01929 425800. Passengers can only join this train at Swanage station. The train is scheduled to return back to Swanage by 10.30pm.

The Rendcomb Dutton Jazz Summer School 31st Aug – 1st Sept.

Led by flautist Eddie Parker at Rendcomb College, near Cirencester. Contact: info@ beyondeternitypromotions.com, 01242 587776 The weekend workshop is best suited for accomplished amateurs and young musicians of grade 3 standard and above. Cost: £175 (accommodation and food included), £140 (no accommodation but lunch included) or on a day rate by application.

Songsuite Festival Jazz Cafe POSK, 238-246 King Street, London W6 0RF - Songsuite Vocal Course with Anita Wardell & trio, 21st – 23rd June A three day course covering all aspects of jazz vocal performance.

Participants will have entry to all festival concerts and will be performing on the last night of the festival.

- Interpreting Standards with Brigitte Beraha, 23rd June Brigitte will lead a workshop on interpretation of jazz standards,

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JAZZ ON THE ROAD JazzUK chats to some of the bands hitting on the road in June and July with the help of Jazz Services’ touring support.

David Gordon Trio How long has this group been together?

The trio is almost as old as I am! We started working together in 1995. For a while when Paul Cavaciuti was living in America, getting the band together was a truly international operation.

Since Jonty Fisher joined the band four years ago life is a little easier, with just the M25 to negotiate…

This repertoire certainly demands all the humour and characterisation that we can muster, but we feel it’s our strongest set to date.

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

I love the challenge of playing trio. As a pianist there’s a great deal of responsibility for the music, but as I get older I feel more able to carry that load and enjoy it more and more. It’s a very rare gig that we don’t hit the heights at some point. www.davidmusicgordon.com/trio

What’s the latest project?

A lot of our original music has a Latin feel and I thought it might be amusing to package what we do as ‘The David Gordon Speaks Latin’. I began to research more interesting repertoire from various South American countries and, unusually for the band, without so much emphasis on original material. So the title of the project has stuck, while the music has changed almost beyond recognition.

What are your hopes for this tour and the future?

Just the usual: international stardom. Seriously, we look forward to the reception given to our new CD, and the brand looks likely to lead to other ‘Speaks...’ projects. We’ve also just done an exciting concert guesting with the London Chamber Orchestra, who commissioned a new piece from us so we’ll be looking to perform that as often as possible.

What can audiences expect from one of your gigs?

We find that the folkloric character of this music engages audiences in quite a different - and often more direct - way than jazz music often does.

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Lyric Ensemble How long has this group been together?

Tony Woods: The Lyric Ensemble was Michael Garrick MBE’s last creative project. It grew naturally from Nette’s close musical relationship with him, which began in 2009 and resulted in many new songs and the two albums ‘Remembered Time’ and ‘Home Thoughts’.

It’s great to have an opportunity to get to know this music really well, to develop it on every gig and have fun playing together!

Lyric Ensemble, Nette Robinson © Studio 52

www.lyricensemble.co.uk

What’s the latest project?

When Michael died in November 2011, we had just recorded ‘Home Thoughts’ with him, but it hadn’t been released. His son Gabriel took on that responsibility and we are now touring this music with the sublime Nikki Iles on piano. The Lyric Ensemble is all about the lyrics, the poetry and the story telling, both in the improvising as well as the songs themselves. They are mostly settings of poetry - including Shakespeare, Browning and Blake as well as some of Michael’s own.

Nicolas Meier Group How long has this group been together?

Asaf Sirkis was one of the first musicians I met when I arrived in London, so we’ve been playing together for 10 years. Pat Bettison joined us just after we recorded ‘Silence Talks’ in 2008, and blends very well with Asaf. Demi Garcia joined when we recorded ‘Breeze’ in 2009, playing trio material with a lot of world music and flamenco sounds.

Lizzie Ball is the new member of the band. In the past I had saxophone but the violin works very well on all the world and Balkan music. On the album we have Gilad Atzmon on sax, but I decided to only have violin for the live gigs, though we will still do some concerts with the complete line-up.

What are your hopes for this tour and the future?

We are hoping to spread awareness of the beautiful music that Michael was creating up to the last. Many people will best remember his work in the 1960’s and 70’s, but Michael was always excited about the new music he was working on. We will continue his legacy by performing his music and also composing new songs and doing our own new settings of poetry.

We are also looking forward to working with Kate Williams and Tom Millar on some of our gigs.

A set of unusual songs; at times quiet, dark, reflective and serious, and at others energetic, playful, swinging, and joyful. This special combination of musical personalities tells their own stories with subtlety and imagination, creating a unique sound world.

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

Nicolas Meier © Greg Heath

What can audiences expect from one of your gigs?

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What’s the latest project?

My new album is called ‘From Istanbul to Ceuta with a Smile’. I wrote this music as I was touring in Europe, and also spending some time in Turkey with my wife’s family. I heard so many sounds from these different places and it inspired me.

Playing with these musicians challenges me and I try to explore each musician’s background, so we include some Turkish influences as well as Balkan, flamenco, tango and classical music.

What are your hopes for this tour and the future?

I hope we will be able get the public emotional about mixing all this music and I hope the band will explore more areas to make every night special. I do like to feature everyone strongly and give them space to speak.

What can audiences expect from one of your gigs?

I guess I answered that already! I hope they leave the gig buzzing with emotion and excitement.

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

I feel very fortunate to have such a high calibre of musicians, and I also really enjoy that they all come from different backgrounds and we play music with so many influences... www.meiergroup.com

Phil Meadows Group How long has this group been together?

The Group formed when I moved to London in 2011. I met Laura Jurd and Elliot Galvin through studying at Trinity Laban where I got to know Conor Chaplin. From then onwards we started to make our mark on the music and it was the late addition of Simon Roth that added the cherry on top.

What’s the latest project?

We’re excited to be releasing our debut album ‘Engines of Creation’ on 24th June alongside a UK tour starting three days later. The project

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features a selection of tales about people, places and pivotal situations allowing listeners an insight into my time in Manchester, Leeds and London.

What are your hopes for this tour and the future?

We hope to abolish a few preconceptions of ‘jazz’ and have fun doing it! Our music combines so many influences that it’s hard to pigeonhole each tune. It’s more about the set-list overall and how it unveils the tales at hand. After the tour we aim to hit the 2014 festival circuit and start to branch out across the continent.

What can audiences expect from one of your gigs?

Expect the unexpected - soaring melodies, intense grooves and a splash of the avant-garde.

We like to catch the audience out and keep them on their toes. With the music turning a corner every few minutes nobody knows what’s coming next. That’s how we like it!

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

There are so many great things but the best has to be making the music! I’m very lucky to have such fantastic creative and musical minds in the group that each gig is as spontaneous as the last, making every gig a thrill ride for musicians and audiences alike. www.philmeadowsmusic.co.uk