JazzUK - October - November 2013

. jazz uk OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

ISSUE 113

PUBLI SHED BY

DONATE NOW!

SEE PAGE 2

NEWS • GIGS • INTERVIEWS • FEATURES • REVIEWS

Arun

GHOSH

DOWN OUR FR LOAD EE G GUIDE! IG

plus

• JAZZ SERVICES AT WOMEX • JAZZ ON THE ROAD • GIGS HIGHLIGHTS • HOTHOUSE Arun Ghosh © Andrea Artz

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 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 October/November issue of JazzUK, with more news and features on the UK’s jazz scene from Jazz Services. Our cover star this issue is the superb clarinettist and bandleader Arun Ghosh, who talks us through his new project A South Asian Suite. Continuing the global theme, we also look at Jazz Services’ attendance at WOMEX and examine how the world music event can be of interest to the jazz community.

There’s also a bit of a focus on London for this issue; as the EFG London Jazz Festival rolls into town in mid-November we talk to Amy Pearce from the festival’s organisers Serious and trumpeter Laura Jurd in Out & About, as well as LondonJazzNews’ Seb Scotney in The Guest Spot, who gives us a few of his top gig picks. All of this plus Gigs Highlights, Phil Meadow’s updates from the youth scene in Hot House, Q&As with Jazz Services’ touring bands and more.

Jazz Services – Supporting Jazz In The UK!

5

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

11

OUT & ABOUT Serious’ Amy Pearce and trumpeter/composer Laura Jurd talk about their involvement in this year’s EFG London Jazz Festival.

14

JAZZ SERVICES AT WOMEX We give you the low-down on WOMEX and find out how the annual world music expo can benefit the jazz scene.

16

ARUN GHOSH The star clarinettist discusses his ambitious new globe-trotting project, A South Asian Suite.

20

THE GUEST SPOT Our contributor this issue is Seb Scotney of LondonJazzNews, with lots of great content for and from the capital’s jazz scene.

23

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

26

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

28

JAZZ ON THE ROAD We speak to three more bands touring the UK with the help of Jazz Services’ National Touring Support Scheme.

3

News 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.

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’.

Jacqui Dankworth – Live To Love 2011’s It Happens Quietly was a great success for Jacqui Dankworth, paying tender homage to her father’s work while continuing to affirming her status as a great jazz singer in her own right.

Her new follow-up album Live To Love is released on 30th September via Specific Jazz, and moves a little further away from its predecessor’s origins, mixing a good dose of soulful (rather than strictly soul) tunes in with the more jazz-focused numbers.

Setting genres aside, the songs broadly divide themselves into two camps; the more gentle laid-back numbers include the title track (written by Jacqui’s pianist and husband Charlie Wood, on fine form throughout) and the lightly swinging Simple As, whereas tunes such as Malala and the Wayne Shorter penned Palladium inject a subtle groove into the overall mix; there’s even a sprightly vocal setting of her father’s famous theme to Tomorrow’s World. Dankworth is versatile enough to handle the different styles with ease while

still asserting her individuality and the recording’s standout tracks, including a delightfully simple rendition of Something’s Gotta Give, prove that she is a superb balladeer and a great asset to the UK’s jazz landscape. There are lots of tour dates throughout October and November, so check out Jacqui’s website for a gig near you: www. jacquidankworth.com

Whirlwind Festival at King’s Place Mike Janisch’s label hosts its first ever festival at Kings Place in London from the 10th – 12th October, with (currently) eighteen concerts over the three days featuring a good range of the label’s artists and more than 80 musicians. The highly promising

young drummer Ollie Howell kicks things off on the Thursday night by launching his quintet’s debut album Sutures & Stitches, followed by a later triple-bill performance by Partikel Trio, Sam Crowe Group and Gareth Lockrane’s Grooveyard.

Over the following days, Kings Place will see the likes of Rachael Cohen, Konrad Wiszniewski & Euan Stevenson, The Whirlwind Quartet, Robert Mitchell, Andre Canniere (see below) and Mike Gibbs take to the stage, and Janisch himself will be filling in the low end with a number of groups. A great opportunity to see some of the UK’s best talent gathered in one place and a perfect primer to whet London’s appetite ahead of the LJF in November. Tickets are available from the venue’s website, www. kingsplace.co.uk

5

Calstock Jazz & Blues Festival The last weekend in October will see the Cornish village of Calstock hosting its Jazz & Blues festival, which follows on from the resounding success of last year’s decidedly community-based event. Headliners include Jacqui Dankworth, Matt Halsall and Jean Toussaint but there are plenty of other acts on the bill that make the event a winner, including Louise Parker’s tribute to Billie Holiday, saxophonist Elaine Davis, a vocal scat workshop with Anita Wardell [who was wrongly referred to as an “import” to our shores in the last issue of JazzUK], local youth bands and the irresistible-sounding combination of 1940s gypsy jazz group Swingology accompanied by a proper cream tea. Tickets and more info from www. calstockjazzfestival.co.uk

Dave Holland – Prism

The great Dave Holland’s latest project features a powerhouse lineup and a sound to match. Prism sees the esteemed bassist gather drummer Eric Harland, guitarist Kevin Eubanks and keyboardist Craig Taborn together on an eponymous album, released in September on Holland’s own Dare2 Records label to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Holland’s debut recording as a bandleader (1973’s Conference Of The Birds). The

band has been doing the rounds on the international circuit for a little while, but UK audiences can catch the group in full flow at Ronnie Scott’s in London on the 2nd and 3rd November.

The band pulls no punches with its approach, eliciting Holland’s 1970s work with Miles as well as his own groups in the ‘80s. But it is shot through with the same fiery but often playful lyricism as can be found in his other music, with twists and turns that show Holland is still very much a force to be reckoned with and as full of ideas and energy as he has ever been.

Tickets for the London gigs are available from the club’s website, www.ronniescotts.co.uk

Mulatu Astatke gigs at London Underground Mulatu Astatke’s career has seen him liberally sprinkled with superlatives and honorifics, ‘the father of Ethio-jazz’ being one of the most apt. The vibes and piano man at the heart of the Ethiopian jazz movement for many years has recently released a new album entitled Sketches Of Ethiopia, and comes to the UK for two concerts at the Village Underground in London on the 8th and 9th October.

Astatke’s band, both on the CD as well as on stage, features some top UK players in amongst the strongly multinational line-up – pianist Alexander Hawkins, drummer Tom Skinner and bassist John Edwards all put in star turns, while trumpeter Bryon Wallen subtly echoes the project’s title in evoking the spirit of Miles throughout. These two dates should provide a great showcase for Astatke’s enduring talent as well as showing off some of our own home-grown stars against an international backdrop, and should not be missed. www.mulatu-astatke.com

Martin Speake Trio tour continues Having released his Always A First Time double-album earlier in 2013 on Pumpkin Records, saxophonist Martin Speake continues his national tour throughout early October. The sax-guitar-drums lineup is unusual, but it works, having been described as “a playful and eloquent encounter between three resourceful jazz conversationalists”

by John Fordham in the Guardian.

With Mike Outram and Jeff Williams making up the trio the format allows all three players plenty of room to flex their muscles to impressive effect, and the music takes some intriguing twists and turns. Still, there’s a tight-knitted feel to it all which seems to really suit Speake’s compositions, and he sounds very much at home. The October leg of the tour begins in Ashburton in Devon on the 1st and continues until the 11th, with dates in St. Austell, Cardiff, Colchester, Aberdeen and Inverness. See www.martinspeake. com for further details.

Chaos Fest @ Vortex We spoke to trumpeter Laura Jurd for this issue’s Out & About article on the London Jazz Festival, but that’s not the only event she’s involved with this autumn; Chaos Fest sees her curate a series of gigs at The Vortex in London over three nights in October. The 22nd and 23rd will see concerts featuring some of her new compositions for String Quartet and vocalist Lauren Kinsella, music from Jurd’s album Landing Ground and a special performance from the Chaos Orchestra; The Rite sees members of the band taking extracts and themes from Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring and re-working them as new pieces for the ensemble in a celebration of the centenary of Stravinsky’s iconic work.

The third night is on the 25th, and as Laura explains, “will be more

7

Jay Phelps © Ben Amure

of an all-encompassing event.

Taking place at Battersea Mess and Music Hall, we’ll be hosting a charity event entitled ‘£1000 CASH!’ curated by pianist/composer Elliot Galvin. This will be raising money for a music therapy charity called ‘Key Changes’ and will feature a number of interactive performances including folk bands, dancers, film, free improvisation, performance artists and more…the aim of the evening is to raise £1000 for charity as well as being a collaborative evening of high-quality, thoughprovoking performances.” More info on www.chaos-collective.com

Jay Phelps

Polar Bear – Bishopsgate show and new material Seb Rochford’s Polar Bear have announced that they’ll be playing a set of entirely new material from an as-yet untitled project that is in the process of being created as we speak/type/read, with the band having spent a portion of the summer laying down some 16 new tracks. The gig, at the The Bishopsgate Institute in London on the 4th October, is their only UK date for the remainder of the year and while Rochford is keeping details very close to his chest at the moment, the prospect of new music from this trailblazing quartet is hugely exciting. The eventual recording is set for release on the Leaf Label in early 2014, and we’ll hope to have more details coming soon… www.polarbearmusic.com

Kismet is the latest album from the prolific bandleader’s Trio +, with Kevin Glasgow on bass and Laurence Lowe on drums (the ‘+’ refers to percussionist Demi Garcia and some special guests, including Lizzie Ball on violin).

Meier’s Turkish and European influences are scattered across the tracks, and the opening take on Coltrane’s Giant Steps, complete with flamenco-esque hand-claps, is a real statement of the quality that continues throughout the whole album. Highly recommended. www.meiergroup.com

Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club

Nicolas Meier Trio +

relocation

– Kismet

Following a summer break, the popular Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club is moving to new premises in October. The club’s new gigs will take place at St. Augustine’s Parish Centre on Larchfield Street in Darlington on the first Saturday of every month,

Guitarist Nicolas Meier continues his quest to keep your CD shelves filled with top-class guitar jazz.

Fresh from touring his recent From Istanbul To Ceuta With A Smile album with his 8-piece group,

8

and the 5th October sees local band Friends Of Jazz taking to the new stage. More info on upcoming gigs can be found at the club’s new website, www.darlingtonjazz.co.uk

Jay’s Jitter Jive Jay Phelps has been heading up one of London’s latest nights for a few months now, and it’s going from strength to strength. The trumpeter leads an 8-piece band playing tunes from the likes of Duke Ellington, Jimmy Lunceford, Lionel Hampton, Count Basie, Artie Shaw and Cab Calloway, with the fantastic Lauren Dalrymple on vocals. The nights are held at the Hippodrome Casino by Leicester Square and also feature the London Swing Dance Society dancers, who offer a class teaching you all the moves you’ll need for the rest of the evening - a must for fans of the recent 1930s-set BBC drama series Dancing On The Edge, which also happened to feature Phelps in the on-screen band. Sadly the October date’s been cancelled so the next Jay’s Jitter Jive is on Friday 22nd November as part of the EFG London Jazz Festival. Look out

for more news on Jay’s activities in future issues of JazzUK, as he seems to have a few projects up his sleeves in the coming months… www.jayphelpsmusic.com

Will Michael Education Awards On 10th October, the Royal Academy of Music will be hosting the annual Will Michael Jazz Education Awards. Presented by Jazz Services in association with the National Music Council, the awards recognise those Music Hubs which go the extra mile in their commitment to jazz education.

The occasion will be distinguished by a performance by the RAM Big Band under Stuart Hall and Head of Jazz Nick Smart featuring the music of Dudu Pukwana with special guest Byron Wallen.

Tickets for the event are available via the RAM website but are complimentary to JazzUK readers, who can email our Director Chris Hodgkins on education@ jazzservices.org.uk. The recipients of this year’s awards will be announced in the next issue.

Andre Canniere Group – Coalescence album and tour The American-born trumpeter Andre Canniere has been making his presence firmly felt on the London jazz scene for a few years now, holding down a number of key sideman spots with the likes of Zhenya Strigalev, Henrik Jensen and Andy Fleet as well as leading his own excellent group, which includes John Turville on piano, Hannes Riepler on guitar, Ryan Trebilcock on bass and Jon Scott on drums. Coalescence is the quintet’s second release on Whirlwind Recordings and finds all the musicians on fine form;

Canniere has a keen ear for a tuneful hook and leads his band through the set with confidence and a mature sense of groove. Great on record but worth catching live if you can; there are dates throughout October in London, Forest Row, Liverpool, Sheffield and Oxford, with more info available on Canniere’s website, www.andrecanniere.com

Selwyn Harris’ Jazz

playing of guitarist Rob Koral, and the two of them write 11 of the disc’s 12 tracks - Billie Holliday’s Billie’s Blues completes the set.

More details and dates are up on the band’s site, www.bluecommotion.com

Blue Touch Paper – Drawing Breath

On Film series Regular readers of Jazzwise magazine will be familiar with Selwyn Harris’ monthly feature on jazz in film, with the writer exploring the connections between these two distinctly 20th Century art forms.

The 18th October, sees the release of French New Wave Remastered original Jazz on Film Recordings 1957-62, a 5-disc set that collects seven classic scores from the French New Wave cinema era and featuring music from the likes of Miles Davis, MJQ, Art Blakey and Martial Solal, with the CDs are accompanied by a 60-page booklet filled with Harris’ brilliantly in-depth liner notes. With Christmas around the corner, this could be an ideal present for the jazz and film buffs who have (nearly) everything. www.jazzonfilmrecords.com

Zoe Schwarz – Blue Commotion Mixing jazz and blues with a sense of style and panache that should serve as a blueprint [or should that be blues-print? Ed.] for how to do it right, Zoe Schwarz tours her Blue Commotion group’s new album The Blues Don’t Scare Me throughout October and November, with dates at the Swanage Blues Festival (4/10), Bristol (17/10), Bournemouth (19/10), Tenby Blues Festival (9/11), Chichester (16/11), London (26/11) and Eastleigh (29/11). The core of the album is built around the pairing of Zoe’s heartfelt vocals with the

Colin Towns’ Blue Touch Paper group received a good deal of well-deserved acclaim in 2011 for their debut album Stand Well Back, and its successor, released on 14th October on Provocateur Records, should see more of the same come their way. Drawing Breath is a mutli-layered collection of tunes that displays composer and pianist Towns’ versatility from the outset, and tracks like the 10-minute Isadorai appear to draw heavily on his experience writing for film, TV and theatre, while Fair Is Foul features the slightly unsettling inclusion of the witches’ speech from Macbeth. It’s all laden with great cinematic themes but never shies away from testing the band’s abilities, weaving and winding with ease and obvious enjoyment. A full UK tour is to be announced for February 2014, but the album’s well worth tracking down in the meantime. www.bluetouchpaper.com

9

out & about The EFG London Jazz Festival celebrates its 21st birthday this year. For almost two weeks in November the capital positively buzzes with music as dozens of venues and hundreds of artists come together for a truly world-class event. JazzUK spoke to Amy Pearce, Associate Director for Production at the Festival’s organisers Serious, for an insight into its inner workings…

“This is my 14th Festival,” says Amy, “and it’s really grown. The thing that excites me is that it evolves and it’s never the same.” It’s certainly changed since its inception; the event has its origins in the Camden Festival’s Jazz Week in the 1970s.

Since then it’s expanded to become quite possibly the largest music event in London, irrespective of genre, although Amy points out that defining exactly how big it actually is can be tricky. “It’s amazing how difficult it is to count a ‘gig’,” she says, smiling. “With something like Radio 3’s Jazz Line-Up, who’ll present a whole afternoon of music with four bands, does that count as one ‘gig’ or four? Does the Southbank Centre count as one venue or five, because it’s got all these different performance spaces?”

Regardless of how many gigs there are (hint: it’s a LOT, and by the time this issue hits the shelves the full line-up will have been announced), Amy is refreshingly upbeat about the mammoth task of actually putting on the Festival. After all, no-one imagines it to be a walk in the park. “You don’t get any off time at all - we’re already talking about artists for 2014. We start by debriefing in December, and in the new year there are a series of

key points like the ILMC in March and JazzAhead! in April that are good opportunities to talk to lots of people. The actual deadline is the third week of June, so the first half of the year is the planning and

the second half is delivery and you quickly realise how little time you’ve got to deliver a full programme.”

Thankfully, Amy and Serious are not alone – the Festival is the work

of hundreds of partnerships and organisations all working together.

“There are all the venue partners and promoters, all the media partners, the newspapers, the blogs and so on, and of course the sponsors – EFG are on board as the title sponsor and the backing from the Arts Council is crucial. The Festival simply wouldn’t be possible without that kind of support, and it’s all about recognising everybody’s place in a much bigger picture.”

Such a large operation has great benefits for the local scene, helping to joining the dots and link up the various different aspects as part of a wider whole. “In some respects it’s challenging because it’s not the sort of festival where you can just pop into the Arts Depot in Finchley and then nip over to the Rose Theatre in Kingston, but we feel that it needs to embrace what London is, which is a huge sprawling

city.” But placing these different venues under one umbrella can bring great results, especially since there’s something about festivals that appeals to people. “It’s that sense of an occasion”, says Amy,

11

recalling a conversation with the 606 Club’s Steve Rubie. “Steve finds that he always draws in new local audiences during the Festival because they’ve seen the press and the reviews and they want to go to something that’s near them. Now that’s obviously not because the 606 suddenly opens for those ten days because it’s open all year round, but they’ve clocked there’s something happening and they want to be part of it.”

There are some staples of the jazz scene that naturally always make it into the programming; as well as the 606 Amy cites places like Ronnie Scott’s, The Vortex, Café Oto - “They’ve got a really clear vision of how they fit into the melting pot that is the festival” - but lots of new ones too. It’s a chance to explore where new markets and audiences for jazz might be with programmes in venues like XOYO, Village Underground and Koko, often associated with very different kinds of music.

By embracing a wide definition of jazz styles the Festival is able to reach a greater share of the city’s music lovers. Patty Griffin (performing at the Royal Festival Hall on 17th November and supported by Julia Biel) is an example; “She could fit in an Americana festival or a folk festival but I do think there’s a place for her in jazz,” explains Amy. “And I think that her audience then get drawn into exploring something that maybe they thought wasn’t for them is quite an exciting prospect.”

For some people the age-old “what is jazz?” question may be getting tiresome, but for others, in an age of ever-increasing musical mutability, it becomes more relevant. With an event such as the EFG London Jazz Festival, it’s often a fine balance between defining something without limiting it, but as Amy says, “I still believe that everyone who loves live music could find a jazz

12

act they would love, but there are still misconceptions about what jazz is. What makes the programming of this festival so exciting is that so much can fit under the umbrella of jazz.”

Of course, the Festival is by no means the be-all and end-all of the London scene, let alone the national one - by the time it comes around in November the UK has had a wealth of brilliant festivals to choose from and during the conversation Amy enthuses at length about the numerous other events on offer, big and small. But she emphasises that London is a very important city for people to play, and that it still has a role to play in helping to strengthen the rest of the UK’s scene. “When you’re working with top international artists you’re competing against the rest of the world, “she says. “But we’ll often work with a venue to bring an artist over to do a Festival gig and then tour them. I think it helps open the scene up.”

“We like to make the Festival as distinctive as possible, with programmers doing something unusual,” Amy continues. “It’s a good excuse to do some very large scale things like Jazz Voice [the vocal-led opening night that has become a big highlight of recent years] that would be really difficult to do without the context of the Festival. I think also when we’re presenting new artists, artists that we’ll then build on, or that Ronnie’s or the Barbican will go on to book, they will start off at the festival because you’ve suddenly got that context, that presence in the city.

I’m not sure there’s any other time of the year when jazz is getting the column inches that it gets during those ten days, so it’s a fantastic opening.”

And as well as a platform to launch new artists, the Festival can lead to great opportunities for established players too. For example, this

year sees Zoe Rahman supporting David Sanborn and Bob James at the Barbican; “She’ll leave the audience spellbound,” grins Amy. “She absolutely deserves to be heard by 1,800 people and the Festival lets you make that happen.”

The EFG London Jazz Festival runs from Friday 15th – Sunday 24th November. For full line-up and ticket details, visit www. londonjazzfestival.org.uk.

Q&A with Laura Jurd Trumpeter Laura Jurd is one of 21 composers to have been commissioned for this year’s EFG London Jazz Festival, and spoke to JazzUK about her involvement 2013.

- What’s your past experience of the Festival?

My first gig at the festival was at the Spice of Life a few years ago with a quintet I had back then. I’ve since played with my current quartet and with The Chaos Orchestra as well as with other groups. I’ve been attending gigs at the LJF for a while now. I’m always looking forward to when artists are announced and really enjoy the concentrated period of fantastic performances.

It just goes to show what a healthy amount of promotion and financial backing can do for a scene.

- Do you think the festival helps tie the London scene together?

Absolutely. The festival is a real focal point for musicians and audiences alike. It’s something that we all look forward to, and in a way is a landmark couple of weeks that represent the current happenings on the UK jazz scene. There’s a great mix of musician-run gigs, alongside the larger venues and promoters.

Such a mix of performances all happening under the same umbrella

inevitably creates a strong sense of community.

- What does it mean to you to be involved?

It’s fantastic to be involved as a composer and performer. It’s a prestigious festival which attracts a large audience; many people see the Festival as their fill of jazz gigs for the year so it’s a great chance to reach new audiences. The diversity of the festival is of particular importance to me as a musician.

It’s crucial that people have access to a wide array of music and the various sub-genres of ‘jazz’ music, and the LJF seems to be very well programmed in that sense.

- What are you up to at this year’s Festival?

This year I’ll be found directing The Chaos Orchestra at the Spice of Life, with my quartet at the Vortex supporting Maggie Nicholls and with Lauren Kinsella’s ‘ThoughtFox’ at the Con Cellar Bar. I’m

extremely excited to be one of 21 composers commissioned for this year’s festival; I’m writing a set of music for Blue-Eyed Hawk (myself, Lauren Kinsella on vocals, Alex Roth on guitar and Corrie Dick on drums).

We’ll be joined by three of the finest brass players and improvisers you’ll find anywhere: Chris Batchelor on trumpet, Mick Foster on bass sax and Colm O’Hara on trombone. I can’t wait to hear these chaps play my music - what a pleasure! www.laurajurd.com

Laura Jurd

Laura Jurd © Brian O’Connor

Jazz Services at

WOMEX

Jazz Services’ international work is a big part of what we do, and developing opportunities for UK artists to advance their careers overseas is hugely important to us. In the past we’ve achieved this in a number of ways at different events; for example, the annual JazzAhead! conference in Bremen, Germany, allows us to showcase British jazz music and help musicians, promoters, agents and others involved in the jazz industry to network with the hundreds of international contacts who attend the event. Meanwhile, the Made In The UK showcase at the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival in America’s upstate New York gives musicians the chance to take their talents directly to new audiences, and for the first time this year we were able to help open up the submission process to a much wider pool of musicians than in previous years.

At the end of October, Jazz Services will be attending the world music expo WOMEX, held this year in Cardiff. It’s the second time we’ve taken part in the event and our presence combines elements of both the international events described above, with the business side and trade fair aspect mirrored by a mini-series of separate concerts running concurrently with the main event, entitled Made In The UK Cardiff.

WOMEX is a very big event, both in terms of its size and in its importance to the music industry, but given its musical focus it’s not

14

something that’s widely considered by the jazz community to be of use or interest. Which begs the question, why should the jazz sector care about an event that largely caters to the world music community? Crispin Parry is CEO and Creative Director of the international showcasing agency British Underground, who have this year established Horizons at WOMEX, an initiative that brings together different music organisations from across the UK and helps them get to know the event through events, meetings and more.

“There are a huge variety of opportunities to explore at the conference for musicians and industry delegates,” says Parry, “from international keynote speakers, round-table discussions and industry panels in the daytime to networking receptions and world-class live music.”

‘World Music’ is such a broad term in any case that jazz is practically guaranteed a seat at the table, as Parry explains. “WOMEX is a great opportunity for meeting new contacts and professional development whatever your genre,” he continues. “Where WOMEX really makes a difference is that it allows under-represented countries and styles of music equal access to music professionals and industry insiders. WOMEX is encouraging jazz to be part of the event as it is vital ingredient in the collection of genres that make up world music.”

Anna Pötzsch is in charge of international Media & Communications for WOMEX. “WOMEX is not only the most important gathering for world music professionals from all over the globe,” she says, “but also an important hub for international jazz professionals, many of them active in both fields. According to the latest WOMEX survey, over 50% of the WOMEX delegates consider jazz as relevant for their business.

Members of IJFO International Jazz Festivals Organisation, EJN Europe Jazz Network, and Jazzahead organisers have attended WOMEX regularly to meet existing partners from all over the world and find new business contacts.”

The aim is to show those involved with world music what jazz has to offer in terms of both opportunities and collaborations; and it works both ways. “When you walk onto the cavernous floor of the expo, you have the world around you. Labels, artists, promoters, festivals, media – it’s all there and they all have a place for jazz!” So says Edition PR’s Mike Gavin, who also works with Harmonia Mundi distribution and has attended several times with both a jazz and world hat firmly in place [presumably some sort of sombrero/porkpie combo?

Ed.]. “Pigeonholes don’t really work in the brave new world of 21st century music,” he offers. “The acts that showcase at this meeting of musical professionals come from all parts of the world (naturally, it’s the world music expo) but are as likely to incorporate improvisation,

Christine Tobin

Christine Tobin © Brian O’Connor

instrumentals and scat vocalese as any jazz band. The advantages to UK jazz acts are clear.”

As non-mainstream genres, world and jazz share a similar place in the market and there is no reason why they should not be able to use their individual methods and practices to benefit each other.

As Anna Pötzsch concludes, this ‘neighbourhood watch’ effect can be “incredibly inspiring and useful, especially in niche markets with common challenges and problems.”

If you’re involved in jazz and think you could benefit from attending WOMEX this year, head to the International section of the Jazz Services website or visit the official UK Horizons website to find out more – we hope to see some of you there!

MADE IN THE UK CARDIFF Itself very much a music of the world, it’s a big factor of jazz that

it can adapt and incorporate other styles with ease (you can read our cover feature artist Arun Ghosh discuss this elsewhere in this issue), and that’s evidenced by the artists appearing at Made In The UK Cardiff, a mini concert series running concurrently with WOMEX. Organised by Jazz Services and supported by international promoters ESIP, it’s an extension of this year’s Made In The UK series at the Rochester International Jazz Festival, and while not affiliated with WOMEX, it will offer an excellent opportunity for those attending to witness some of the UK’s finest jazz artists in action for themselves and hopefully encourage some of the delegates to forge their own connections with the jazz scene in the UK.

folk music and poetry, via the work of W.B Yeats, through the medium of more ‘accepted’ jazz styles.

Among those helping to bridge the musical divides between jazz and other genres are pianist Zoe Rahman, whose music reflects her mixed background and combines elements from her Bengali heritage with western jazz and classical traditions, and Christine Tobin, whose highly lauded Sailing To Byzantium project explores English

Tickets for the Made In The UK Cardiff concerts are available from each of the venues’ websites: www.cafejazzcardiff.com www.rwcmd.ac.uk

Among those featuring alongside Rahman and Tobin, who open up the proceedings at Cardiff’s CaféJAZZ on Wednesday 23rd October, are saxophonist Julian Argüelles, vocalist Cleveland Watkiss, bassist Paula Gardiner and pianist Huw Warren (appearing as a duo) and US-UK super-group The Impossible Gentlemen, featuring Brits Mike Walker on guitar and Gwilym Simcock on piano alongside the venerated American rhythm section of Steve Swallow and Adam Nussbaum (see the last issue of JazzUK for an interview with The Impossible Gentlemen’s Mike Walker).

15

SUITE TALK Arun Ghosh

Arun Ghosh © Andrea Artz

16

Hearing Arun Ghosh talk about his music in detail is a fascinating experience. The clarinettist has propelled himself to the forefront of the modern UK jazz scene with the level of drive and talent that one might expect from a top player – the scene is hardly short of similarly hard-working and ambitious individuals. But Ghosh has a special mastery of the combinations and varieties of concepts that make up his music, and his new album, A South Asian Suite, is something of a culmination of the ideas that have made up his career to date. JazzUK’s editor John Norbury-Lyons spoke to him ahead of its release.

“A South Asian Suite is a recording of a work that I created back in 2010, which was commissioned by Manchester Mega Mela and the PRS Foundation,” explains Arun.

“At melas and South Asian festivals you may get a predominance of Indian music, but for me growing up as a British Asian I’ve been influenced by music not just from India, but from Pakistani backgrounds, Nepalese, Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi backgrounds, and in Britain we probably get the opportunity to embrace those diverse South Asian cultures more so than people may do back home. I wanted to create a suite that was inspired by my understanding and my feelings about the folk music, the people and the culture of the difference countries of the sub-continent.”

If describing an album as ‘a journey’ is a slightly hackneyed phrase, this would be a fine opportunity to lift it out of the depths of cliché-dom.

Arun and his group offer the listener exactly that, with each of the six movements not just expressing the character of the countries that inspired them but also Arun’s own personal response to them. In the past he has been clear to state that the British side of his combined heritage is just as important as the Asian, and it’s his own take on things that’s presented in his music.

“I wanted it to feel like I wasn’t just trying to re-create the styles of those places, but more that it’d be the viewpoint of a British Asian from a northern town.”

The Nepalese movement, entitled Mountain Song, is inspired by that country’s imposing landscape, but as Arun explains, “I also wanted it to feel like the hills outside Bolton and Deane.” The Pakistani movement, Sufi Stomp: Soul of Sindh is informed by Sufi qawwali music - “really transcendental, beautiful, melodic music, and really driving rhythmically.” Arun heard a great deal of it in his childhood, and his memories of listening to the music back then are as much a part of the piece as the music itself. Similarly the Bangladeshi-inspired piece, River Song, is based around a style of folk singing called Bhatiyali, traditionally sung by fishermen.

“You can almost hear the river flowing while we’re playing it,” smiles Arun, “but it’s inspired by Bengali folk music as much that feeling of walking alongside the rivers and canals where I grew up. It’s about making that link between here and the South Asian countries.”

Despite all this, it’s not just the music of the Indian sub-continent that Arun looked to for inspiration. He explains that key starting points for A South Asian Suite included Duke Ellington’s A Far East Suite and Miles Davis’ Sketches Of Spain, two works that also explore a mixture of world sounds, as well as the classic Kind Of Blue, with the instrumentation on Davis’ seminal 1959 recording being particularly significant as well as its then-radical approach to modality. “It was really important for me to have three horns working together,” he says, recalling the Davis/Coltrane/Adderley frontline of Kind Of Blue. “There’s myself on clarinet, Idris Rahman on sax and clarinet and Chris Williams on sax.

Both Idris and Chris have a fantastic understanding of where I want to go as a wind instrumentalist, and

we’ve spent a lot of time playing in quite a stripped down ensemble of just the three horns, bass and drums, where we find ourselves accompanying each other, providing drones and so on. It lends itself very much to my style of writing, with unison melodies, very open, modal harmonies and drone accompaniment and bouncing melodic ideas off each other. “ “We’ve spent so long doing it that we know each other inside out,” he says, “so when we bring the piano back in, it’s really strong because all the horn lines are really beautifully supported. We’ve got Zoe Rahman playing on the album and tour. I’ve been a fan of hers for years, from her more straight ahead stuff to when she was adding Bengali folk songs and Tagore songs into her music, and I love the way she reharmonises things, what she creates when she’s accompanying or leading the melody. It’s really helped bring the music to life.”

Having played the music for some time before taking it to the recording studio, Arun has had a chance to try it out several different environments; listening to him talk, one gets the impression that the suite responds to locations as much as it is a response to locations to begin with. The different environments in which the music was performed over the course of its development helped to inform its overall character, even if each of those performances might have been different.

It certainly helped with the recording process; “It developed as a live work and we definitely benefited from having played it a lot live, but I always wanted to record it,” Arun says. “We were able to go into the studio and just play, and rather than spend lots of time recording we took the time to rehearse it and get the vibe right, and then just went for it and got it. We recorded it in just two days and you can only do that with an ensemble that understands where the music’s coming from.”

17

With such a mixture of styles and influences in his work, Arun is understandably cautious of placing too much stock in labels. “It’s unhelpful on the one hand to be labelled in a particular way, because we’ve got a very diverse musical output,” he says. “We can play in all these different places to different audiences and we have that broad appeal, and that’s partly because of the music that I write – the tastes that I’ve got, how I want to present myself, the focus on accessibility, the pop or rock sensibility of melody or rhythm, but also the jazz sensibility of improvisation and spontaneity.

I think the label or genre thing is just more of a vehicle for that.”

So if Arun doesn’t make ‘Asian jazz music’ or ’jazzy Asian music’ how would he place his music if pushed?

“I wouldn’t call it fusion music; as much as there’s jazz or South Asian music in there, there’s a sort of ‘citizen of the world’ thing going on.

It’s melody, rhythm, emotion and spirit. This is my musical language.”

He suggests that even genres like ‘jazz’ or even something as broad as ‘world music’ (as opposed to music that’s not from the world?) are often rather difficult terms to accept. “In the 21st century I think there’s no such thing as one single type of music, there’s no such thing as a ‘jazz’ record in my opinion; you can‘t listen to Ornette Coleman and not hear bits of the blues, or Stockhausen, or Debussy, or West African griot, and the same goes for me. You can’t separate what I do from the fact that I grew up listening to The Charlatans and Inspiral Carpets and The Stone Roses, and I hear those parallels all the time. I had Western classical training, so I think the only time I could record something of just purely one genre is if I recorded Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto – which I would like to do one day!”

sounding like something that Arun has wanted to do for a while. “It very much feels like a culmination of my work over the last five years.

Speaking retrospectively, Northern Namaste was very much a debut album, with me saying, ‘this is who I am, this is what I sound like’. I didn’t have a regular band then and it was more of a studio creation, thinking about how everything worked together. Through that we started to take things live and start to get that more fiery and passionate feeling and that in turn led towards the music that became Primal Odyssey, where it was a far more stripped down sound, starker and more minimal but also more open-ended, with that three-horn frontline with bass and drums, taking the tabla out and pushing the compositions. I think in terms of this album - compositionally, sonically, structurally, and so on – this brings together a lot of those different approaches; the South Asian approach, the jazz approach, that passionate aspect.”

Hearing him talk and getting to appreciate his enthusiasm first hand, the whole project comes across

“In a lot of ways, and as a work from beginning to end it does define me in the sense that there’s so

Arun Ghosh © Andrea Artz

much in there that’s so different,“ he says, and from uplifting rhythmic drive of The Gypsies Of Rajasthan to the spiritual intensity of River Song the album covers an awful lot of musical ground. “So on the one hand it’s a definitive statement but speaking quite honestly it’s also a closing chapter in a way. It needed to happen, but it’s not necessarily how I see myself continuing. I think I almost needed to make this album in order to move on, and I’ve got quite a complex, sentimental relationship to it. So while I don’t want it to define me, I do want it to define this side of me. There are so many other things I want to do.”

A South Asian Suite is released in October on camoci records, and the band will be on the road throughout October with support from Jazz Services’ National Touring Support Scheme.

For dates and details, check Arun’s website www.arunghosh.co.uk and Facebook page, /arunghoshmusic.

19

THE GUEST SPOT started. We’ve published nearly With the EFG London Jazz Festival taking over the 4000 articles, we now regularly get capital in November, we thought it was only fitting over 100,000 page-views a month and we’ve been nominated four to give this issue’s Guest Spot over to Londontimes for a Parliamentary Jazz JazzNews, managed by Sebastian Scotney. Seb Award. has been running the site for some years now and Audio interviews it’s grown from a personal project into one of the most useful resources for jazz news in the capital, as The arrival at LondonJazz of Rob Edgar, fresh out of university in well as further afield.

July 2012, was significant. We’ve

It all started on a rainy Saturday afternoon in West London in January 2009. I posted a blog piece looking forward to a few gigs coming up in the following week which featured Ian Shaw, Liane Carroll and Natalie Williams.

Then for the next six months, I ran a blog about jazz in London as a solo effort. Quite early on, a friend gave me some help with the design.

Another mate, the drummer Tim Felmingham, offered what turned out to be very sound and simple counsel on optimizing it to build up visitor traffic. Then, from July 2009, I started to approach other people to write. For a few months, Jack Davies wrote a regular weekly column, taking on a range of issues, and drawing attention to some out-of-the-way gigs. The two most consistent contributors have been Chris Parker and Geoff Winston (see below).

value and to trust the unmediated voice of the musician. We try to get people to write when they have a significant story to tell, and want to reach out to the community. Among the 150 people who have now written for the site, we were particularly pleased when prominent artists such as the following took up our invitation:

The voice of the artist

• Jamie Cullum wrote a piece looking forwards to a fundraiser for the Vortex in Margate • Liam Noble wrote a very personal piece following the death of Dave Brubeck.

• Ruth Goller wrote a remarkable piece for International Women’s Day, • Ian Shaw and Liane Carroll wrote about each other, • Pete Churchill wrote about the development of the London Vocal Project.

• Claire Martin wrote recently about the joy of her new project with ‘cellos.

The further I have taken the website, the more I have come to

The site has changed immeasurably and grown massively since it

20

been able to increase the pace of publication. Rob also has proved excellent at audio editing, so we’ve posted several interviews. A particular favourite is the one with Jeff Williams, whose stories from his early New York days – notably his encounters with Miles Davis and Stan Getz - are worth hearing.

Jeff sat in our office and those great stories just flowed.

The future What we really want to do is to get the word out about the quality and the depth of the scene here, so a move into publicist work has been almost unavoidable. We have worked with musicians such as Laura Jurd, Soweto Kinch and Dan Nicholls to help them get feature and review coverage for some very fine albums. This work is at an early stage, but the results have (touch wood) been very good so far, and it’s something we expect to take further.

Chris Parker Chris is the former publisher of The Wire and used to write for the Times. He is a book editor with huge experience, so the copy he sends in, even from the hut in Cornwall where he spends the sum-

are all addressed with the same seriousness as manifestations of human folly and destructiveness.

Mike Westbrook’s music (originally commissioned for the Delta Saxophone Quartet, now adapted for performance by saxophonists Andy Tweed, Chris Biscoe, Karen Street, Chis Caldwell and drummer Simon Pearson) is carefully calibrated to accommodate Kate’s characteristically idiosyncratic but hard-hitting text, drawing on everything from the cabaret/music-hall tradition to punchy modern jazz in the process.

mer, is word-perfect every time. It’s an editor’s dream. Chris is one of the most assiduous and respected reviewers of CDs in the UK. He has been writing articles for LondonJazz since November 2010:

Geoff Winston Geoff Winston was one of the very first writers to join. He brings to the site not just elegantly written reviews, particularly of the Dalston scene, but also atmospheric, beautifully and speedily produced live-drawings of gigs, like this one (pictured above), of Evan Parker in the echoing spaces of the Royal Naval Chapel in Greenwich.

CD Review - Kate and Mike Westbrook, The Serpent Hit (Westbrook Records)

Although The Serpent Hit, described in its accompanying publicity as a ‘modern-day fable of the Fall of Humankind’, does indeed provide a tour d’horizon of contemporary ills – listed by librettist Kate Westbrook as the ‘wanton destruction’ of (in song order) innocent pleasure, art, the environment and planet Earth itself – it is by no means a gloomy, pessimistic work, infused as it is with the defiant jauntiness, even exuberance, that have characterised the many projects on which the Westbrooks have collaborated over the years, whether their subjects have been unequivocally grave (the reflections on a broken Europe in London Bridge) or apparently trivial (tips on trifle-making in English Soup).

Thus, the blinding of a merry-goround horse by a stone (Threw), the smashing of a pot by a glass (Lob), the striking of a basking shark by a barb (Hurl) or the annihilation of the planet by a bomb (Trigger)

Beautifully illustrated by Kate’s cover painting and flawlessly and enthusiastically performed by a crack band, The Serpent Hit, despite its ostensibly grave subject matter, is – somewhat paradoxically – an inspiring and oddly uplifting listening experience.

The Westbrooks have never been afraid to address the ‘big issues’ – their profound and deeply moving meditations on the Great War in the aforementioned London Bridge, for instance, should surely form part of any self-respecting forthcoming public commemorations of that earth-shattering conflict – and The Serpent Hit, infectiously lively and immediately accessible as it is, constitutes another considerable artistic triumph for them. The Serpent Hit is to be performed at Wilton’s Music Hall, London, on 1st October.

Review by Chris Parker (originally published on LondonJazzNews).

21

EFG London Jazz Festival – Seb’s Top Five In the run-up to the EFG London Jazz Festival this November, Seb picks out some must-see gigs from the programme: Stan Sulzmann Neon Orchestra (Purcell Room, 15th November) Stan is a massively influential figure, and this is one of the absolutely central projects in British jazz. His huge skill and talent as arranger have given wonderful scale and heft to original compositions by around a dozen younger UK musicians, including Nikki Iles, Iain Ballamy and Gwilym Simcock. They will be played by an all-star big band. Stan, incidentally, is also in the line-up for

the encounter of two legends during the festival: Lee Konitz and Kenny Wheeler (South Bank, Mon 18th) The Green Note programme Camden Town is fortunate to have this little gem of a music room. Think of it as our 55 Bar, our Small’s on West 10th. I can’t choose between Martin Speake/Kit Downes (21st), or Green Note regular pianist Tom Millar’s band full of composing talent (22nd).

Jazz Cafe Posk, Ravenscourt Park Poles together (groan) and a great choice of Polish beers you’ll never be able to pronounce, plus the rising generation of deeply musical, friendly Anglo-Poles like guitarist Maciek Pysz (16th) and singer/violinist Alice Zawadzki (22nd).

A 76-year old radical who doesn’t rest on his laurels: he’s funded the CD of the music to be played by an incredible line-up at the Barbican on Sun 24th, using Kickstarter.

The Vortex I am a trustee of the charitable foundation, and the club has a very strong programme throughout the festival, but the visit from Belgium of star London-born guitarist Philippe Catherine on Sat 23rd to play in a duo with John Etheridge is a genuine rarity. This is a quiet coup for the N16 club where people listen so intently.

For lots more reviews, previews, interviews and other insights into the London scene, head over to www.LondonJazzNews.com

Archie Shepp and the Attica Blues Big Band at the Barbican

Advertise with JazzUK

25,000

PRINT COPIES PLUS UNLIMITED DIGITAL CIRCULATION IN TWO PUBLICATIONS!

For more info contact Fran Hardcastle at advertising@jazzservices.org.uk or call 07907 569946.

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

HotTicket: The ‘Spires’ Sessions Oxford, a city of great beauty, culture and people plays host to a brand new jazz night in a brand new jazz venue. Set up by guitarist Adam Taylor, the ‘Spires’ Sessions, held on Mondays throughout academic term-time, bring some of the country’s finest musicians to the intimate, relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere of Pizza Express, Golden Cross. After a run of successful opening performances kick-started by Kairos Quartet’s Adam Waldmann, I took the time to catch up with Taylor to find out more: “For its size, Oxford really punches above its weight in terms of a live music scene,” says Taylor.

“What makes any scene healthy is the audience and there is such a large demand for jazz here with a real range of ages as well. I hope the club will be a mainstay on the Oxford jazz scene and also gain attention from further afield.

The sessions bring musicians who would perhaps not normally perform in Oxford.”

After an upbringing of Led Zeppelin, Santana and Hendrix, Taylor’s passion for jazz began with an introduction to Pat Martino through

Adam Taylor, ‘Spires’ founder 23

mentor Pete Galpin. At 17 he found a passion for Pat Metheney’s music before going to study at Leeds College of Music, where he recently graduated with 1st class honours alongside the ‘Eric Kershaw Memorial Prize for Plectrum Guitar’.

“I set up the club to feed the demand for high-quality jazz in Oxford, but also to feed the jazz scene and generate more paid, artistically engaging work for jazz musicians. It also gives me a great opportunity play with the musicians I admire and would never have thought to get the opportunity to play with.”

Having only lived in Oxford a matter of weeks before setting up the ‘Spires’ sessions Taylor’s move combined his passion for the aesthetic beauty and culture of the city and his desire to access the music scene of London without the associated lifestyle of the big smoke. With an exciting programme coming to Oxford, Taylor lets us know what audiences can expect: “They can look forward to a club bringing extraordinary musicians from all over the country to play in an idyllic setting for a reasonable price. Every week will be different; the only thing that will be the same will be the high-quality of music on offer.”

For more information on the ‘Spires’ sessions follow @Oxfordjazz on twitter or head to: facebook.com/ oxfordjazz

HotTracks: Reuben Fowler, Between Shadows (Edition Records) Between Shadows is the latest addition to the ever-growing big band canon of young British talent.

24

Following Jack Davies, Callum Au and Beats and Pieces, in good company releasing alongside Jonathan Silk and with the soonto-be-released Chaos Orchestra recording, it is safe to say that the future of British big band is thriving and in safe hands.

Tom McCredie sits perfectly alongside stalwarts Mike Lovatt and Gordon Campbell, with a dash of improvisational stardom from Stan Sulzmann, Jim Hart and Fowler’s personal American hero Tom Harrell completing a spectacular line-up directed by Guy Barker.

As with all of the artists mentioned Reuben Fowler’s addition to the canon provides something a little different and exciting. Over the past few years his trumpet and flugel playing has thrilled audiences nationwide but it is through his success in receiving the second ‘Kenny Wheeler Award’ that we can enjoy his music on a grand scale via Dave Stapleton’s renowned label Edition Records, with an album funded by Jazz Services’ own Recording Support Scheme.

It is this contrasting stellar line-up, demonstrating a shared passion for Fowler’s writing, that has a sense of cross generation community and interest surrounding the music. A poignant sense of melody, an array of intricate harmonic devices and contrasting textures equally match the care and attention Fowler places behind every single musical entry. Not a single note is wasted as these combine throughout to create a balanced yet dynamic album, the warmth of which hints at influences from the great Kenny Wheeler, Maria Schneider and Vince Mendoza and creates the perfect pallet for some inspired improvisation with plenty of room to show the multiple personalities of the band.

His band features a cross-section of incredible young talent, household names and special guests. The formidable musicianship of youth including George Crowley, James Gardiner-Batemen and

Fowler’s record shares a body of original work alongside a beautiful reharmonisation of Manning Sherwin’s A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square, and throughout boasts impressive section playing from a formidable band. If you like big band and fancy something more modern than Basie, but with melodies just as memorable, Reuben Fowler’s Between Shadows is well worth a listen.

the Manchester-based Johnny Hunter Quartet; a stunning single from Anglo-Swedish band Silence Blossoms, who are on tour in October; Trio Riot are back in the UK in November touring to promote their debut album, which sounds incredible as anyone who picked up an advance copy at one of their July gigs will know; and even further ahead there’s a fantastic album from jazz supergroup Let Spin.”

Every time I hear about Efpi Records it’s only ever in good company as they quickly take charge of Manchester’s creative music scene, giving it new passion, flair and direction. All audio, gig listings and information about Efpi Records is available at: www.efpirecords. com, Facebook or @Efpirecords on Twitter.

HotTopic: Efpi Records: It’s been a while since we’ve caught up with Manchester based Efpi Records, where it’s been a very busy 2013 for founders Anton Hunter, Ben Cottrell and Sam Andreae. We took some time to visit Anton on his annual day off to find out what Efpi have been getting up to and to find out what to expect for the rest of the year: “Most recently, Beats & Pieces Big Band have been over to Norway to play in the Oslo Jazz Festival with a fantastic group from there called Ensemble Denada, which was a pretty special concert - 29 musicians all managed to cram onto one stage for the encore! My own trio album also came out in May, and the debut EP from Nick Walters’ Paradox Ensemble was released in August to coincide with their standing-ovation performance at Manchester Jazz Festival.”

To start with, Efpi Records were almost exclusively releasing music written by its founders, most notably through Beats & Pieces and the smaller group HAQ. 2013 has seen the doors start to open into a much wider collective of contemporary musicians and it is alongside this that Hunter and co. are fast becoming the busiest men in Manchester. “We’ve got our busiest autumn yet on the cards, with (in order) the debut EP from

Nick Walters of Paradox Ensemble Nick Walters © Peter Fay

25

GIGS

You can download the GIGS PDF to your smart phone or tablet by scanning this QR code!

HIGHLIGHTS

Editor’s Picks Jazz Services’ listings editor Sabina Czajkowska takes us through her picks for October’s listings. Read Gigs, the full month’s listings to the UK’s live jazz scene at www.jazzservices.org.uk

Festivals Anglo-Hungarian Festival @ 606 Club, London 9th – 11th October The name of the festival explains it all – check our listings for details.

Whirlwind Festival @ Kings Place, London 10th – 12th October Bassist and record label boss Michael Janisch showcases the jazz musicians from Whirlwind Records and launches his album “Jazz for Babies” with Jay Phelps and Romain Pilon – a free, family event, don’t miss it if you have a little one in your family!

ReVoice! Festival @ Pizza Express Jazz Club, London 10th – 19th October A brainchild of the fantastic singer Georgia Mancio, the festival is now in its 4th year and features exciting guests. Refer to our listings for full line-up.

Lumen Improvised Music Festival, London

26

24th – 26th October www.lumenurc.org.uk The festival brings together some of the most creative improvisers in the country for a series of inspired solo and collaborative performances.

Amongst the confirmed musicians are: Simon Picard, Liam Noble, Corey Mwamba, Pat Thomas, Lauren Kinsella, Chris Batchelor, Olie Brice and many more. Check the listings for details.

Calstock Jazz and Blues Festival 25th – 27th October www.calstockarts.org With Jacqui Dankworth, Matthew Halsall & Jean Touissant – definitely worth a trip to Cornwall!

Skye Swing Jazz Festival 31st October – 3rd November www.seall.co.uk Take a step back in time to the golden era of The Big Band, of glitter balls and dance halls, jitterbug and jive, The Home Guard and the Home Front. The weekend includes workshops for the Saturday Air-raid dance, late-night sessions, afternoon concerts and lots more. Featuring Jambone and Corrie Dick, the 2013 Winner of the Young Scottish Jazz Musician of The Year.

Workshops An Introduction to Jazz by Jean Toussaint @ Calstock Jazz and Blues Festival 27th October, 3.00pm This workshop is the perfect opportunity for any budding jazz musician to understand the key

components of performing jazz music, in particular improvisation.

Participants will also cover the blues, swing, the rhythm section and the history of jazz. Suitable for anyone aged +15 years, grade 5 or above with little or no knowledge of playing jazz music.

Cost: £25, places must be reserved in advance via mail@calstockarts. org or 01822 833183.

Masterclass with Robert Mitchell @ Whirlwind Festival 12th October, 2.00om Gain an insight into the idea and method behind Robert Mitchell’s latest creation for left hand piano, The Glimpse, a highly original and acclaimed album.

Gypsy Swing Guitar (solo & rhythm) with Martin Limberger & Mozes Rosenberg Quecumbar, 42-44 Battersea High Street, SW11 3HX London 6th October, 11.00am - 12.30pm, lunch break and then 1.30 - 3.00pm.

All standards welcome. Cost: £35, book early: www.quecumbar.co.uk Vocal Jazz Workshop with Aneesa Chaudhry Summertown Wine Cafe, OX2 7JN Oxford 13th October, 11.00am – 1.00pm plus short, informal performance and a free gig in the evening, cost £35.

Learn songs from different genres

such as jazz, pop & soul; sing in unison, harmony and solo. www.aneesachaudhry.com Workshops @ Marsden Jazz Festival There will be lots of workshops & events during the festival – including improvisation workshop, a Masterclass with John Etheridge and poetry jam as well as making your own jazz brolly for the parade! www.marsdenjazzfestival.com Workshop & Jam Session Royal British Legion, Llay, LL12 0RL Wrexham 8th October www.northwalesjazz.org.uk Parrjazz Workshop with American drummer/composer Robert Castelli The Capstone Theatre, 17 Shaw Street, Liverpool L6 1HP 8th October, 3.00pm (Gig 7.30pm), £8/ £5 (concessions) www.parrjazz.co.uk Jazz Blowers weekly meetings Tuesdays 7.00 – 9.00pm, The Hurworth Grange Community Centre, 41 Hurworth Road, Hurworth Place, Darlington DL2 2BN Jazz Blowers is a weekly gathering of wind players who have a passion

for modern jazz. Now in its 4th year and is always looking for new members to join and be part of their fun and informative group. jazzblowers.moonfruit.com www.facebook.com/jazzblowers Nottingham Jazz Workshops Continue every month at The Robin Hood, 540 Mansfield Rd, Nottingham NG5 2FR, contact: 0115 962 4737 or nottinghamjazzworkshops@gmail. com 7.00 – 9.00pm, cost: £5. The next dates are: 2nd October, 6th November & 4th December – Jazz Singers/ Performance (Instrumentalists are welcome to attend and should definitely come along if they are keen to work on section backings or perform solos on particular vocal numbers.)

9th October, 13th November & 11th December – Jazz Instrumental 16th October, 20th November – Performance Get in touch with Barb to find out what tunes will be practiced.

Look out for the Young

Ornette Coleman Free Jazz Revisited Friday 25th October, The Front Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, 5.30pm, Free Under the direction of Chris Batchelor, musicians from Trinity College of Music recreate and take inspiration from the classic Ornette Coleman double quartet, as part of The Rest Is Noise festival.

The Cobra Club Snake Davis & students, featuring York Musicians and Dancers Saturday 26th October 3.00pm, £3.00 (concessions £2.00) NCEM, St Margaret’s Church, Walmgate, York Join Snake Davis and students from Burnholme Community College and Joseph Rowntree Secondary School for a showcase extravaganza to mark the end of a 6-week jazz project run by Music4U and the NCEM. Helped by musician Sue Williamson and newly graduated Leeds College of Music students the newly formed band has learnt some of Snake’s material, jazz, pop and soul standards and also have written their own songs.

& Talented

Advertise with JazzUK For more info contact Fran Hardcastle at advertising@jazzservices.org.uk or call 07907 569946.

25,000

PRINT COPIES PLUS UNLIMITED DIGITAL CIRCULATION IN TWO PUBLICATIONS! 27

JAZZ ON THE ROAD JazzUK speaks to three more bands hitting the road in October and November with the help of our National Touring Support Scheme. For more information on the scheme and the bands involved, see the Jazz Services website.

Rachel Cohen How long has this group been together?

I put this quartet together specifically to record my album Halftime at the end of 2012. I have played a lot with the guys individually; Phil was teaching at Birmingham Conservatoire while I was a student there, Calum and I were in youth bands together growing up in Scotland, and Jim has been the drummer for my trio in Birmingham for years

so we’ve played together a huge amount. It’s been great to have them all in the same band.

What’s the latest project?

We finished recording the CD a while back so since then my main focus has been setting up for its release in October and organising this tour. The album is being released through the record label Whirlwind Recordings and the launch is being featured as part of their first festival on October the 11th at King’s Place.

There’s so much music happening over three days - not to be missed!

What are your hopes for this tour and the future?

That everyone enjoys the gigs!

Playing live is so important and when you really develop as a band.

I also love composing so I’m really looking forward to getting my music out there and writing more for this band.

What can audiences expect from one of your gigs?

Some amazing playing and a great vibe from the band, I just want everyone to have fun.

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

We all get on so well, and they make me laugh so much. And the playing is amazing; touring with them is going to be really fun…

Rachael Cohen tours from the 8th October – see http://rachaelcohenmusic.com/ for more details.

Alexander Hawkins & Louis Moholo-Moholo How long have you been playing together?

Rachael Cohen © Stephen Jay

28

Louis and I first worked together in 2009, when Evan Parker asked me to sub in the Foxes Fox quartet (which features Evan, Louis, and John Edwards). A few weeks after that, Louis saw me in the audience

Alexander Hawkins & Louis Moholo-Moholo © Roberto Cifarelli

for a gig by his own group, asked if I’d like to sit in for the second set, and I’ve been lucky enough to play with him regularly since then. Our first duo concert was in 2011, to open a concert season in Italy.

we can take our music to as many people as possible, as often as possible.

What’s the latest project?

It’s a little bit difficult to talk about a ‘typical’ gig with Louis - part of his greatness is that the moment is everything, so it simply depends.

Material-wise, I’m sure we’ll be playing from the great repertoires of both the Blue Notes and Brotherhood of Breath...we love Ellington too, so there may well be some of that in there, and maybe also the odd classic from the Spirits Rejoice or Viva La Black books…

We’ve been playing a lot as a duo recently, supporting our album Keep Your Heart Straight, which was released on the Ogun label last year. On this tour, we’ll also be joined for a couple of dates by John Edwards and Jason Yarde - both long-time bandmates of Louis, for a new quartet.

What are your hopes for this tour and the future?

I’m excited to play more with Louis outside London – in the last few years, it’s mostly been London or abroad for us, so it will be great to take the music outside the capital.

I suspect we’ll also record again on this trip, so do look out for the results… In the future, I just hope

What can audiences expect from one of your gigs?

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

To be honest with you, there’s nothing bad about it. I grew up with this music, and I love it; and I get to listen to one of its greatest pioneers each night from the best seat in the house.

Alexander Hawkins and Louis Moholo-Moholo tour from 18th October - see www.alexanderhawkins.com for more details.

Alex Garnett, Bunch of Fives How long have you been playing together?

I’ve known and worked with all the group members for a number of years, especially Mike and Tim, but I consider this to be a new group as the music we are coming together to tour with this November has been written especially for the occasion.

What’s the latest project?

The tour will end with a recording date to produce a musical document of our touring experience.

This will be released in the hope of extending our music to a wider

29

national audience, breaking onto the continent and possibly further afield. I’ve been involved in a fair few projects that first make an album and then promote it by touring. More often than not, by the end of a tour everyone is feeling looser and way more creative on the material - that’s possibly the best time to record an album.

What are your hopes for this tour and the future?

It’s difficult in today’s climate to be in a working band in the old sense of the word. Survival dictates the consistency and growth of any group, and frequency of gigs improves the rapport of musicians and ultimately the creative experience.

I for one find myself spread across

Alex Garnett 30

the spectrum of the jazz idiom, at times in bands with personnel fluctuation, so it is a luxury to be able to maintain the same line up year-in year-out, or indeed to be able to provide enough employment to keep people on board. Touring provides a short burst of life and focus to groups that may not be fortunate enough to work all the time.

The aim of this tour is to provide ourselves a concentrated stream of experience within which we as a group can relax about the trials of the music business and get down to the business of making music.

What can audiences expect from one of your gigs?

Expect an exciting, eclectic clash of personalities joining forces to

create a deep blend of harmony, melody and rhythm.

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

The things that can make touring a drag, like 40 miles in 5 hours on the M1 on a Friday afternoon, or forgetting one’s roller bag on the forecourt of a Jet services in Scunthorpe (but that’s another story…) pale into insignificance with guys that are a buzz to hang out with. The journey is as much as the music itself.

Alex Garnett’s Bunch Of Fives tours from 11th November 2013 – see www.whirlwindrecordings.com/ alex-garnett/ for more details.