Aeroplanes at Brescia win Jimmy Woode Award

Aeroplanes at Brescia, a trio featuring three LCoM graduates - Adam Taylor, Katie Patterson and Sam Dutton-Taylor - have won the prestigious Jimmy Woode Award at the Tuscia in Jazz festival in Italy.

The band performed two sets of original music in the semi finals and finals, beating stiff competition from 4 other bands from across Europe. In addition to the main prize, drummer Katie Patterson also picked up the Up and Coming Musician award. They will return to the festival next year to perform a gig which will be recorded and released by Euronote Records.

Congratulations to the band!

The LS6 Jam Session Returns

 

Photo by Eliot Richards 

(Left to Right: Matthew Aplin, Tom Maddison, Ben Powling, Ben Riches)

Northern Jazz News is pleased to announce that after a hiatus of several months, the popular weekly jam night at LS6 Cafe (The Clock Cafe) will be returning on Wednesday 6th August. The night is run by saxophonist and journalist Ben Powling, and the first house band will be the fantastic Matthew Aplin Trio, featuring Matthew Aplin on piano, Tom Riviere on double bass and Steve Hanley on drums.
The house band will begin at 9pm, and the jam will run from 10pm until midnight.

HEART hosts UK Premiere of Bossa Nova film

HEART in Leeds is hosting a special event on Saturday 26th July celebrating Bossa Nova and the brazilian influence in jazz.

The event will feature the UK premiere of the film Bossa Nova: The Brazilian Music That Seduced The World, a film made by renowned film-maker Bret Primack as part of a NEA funded project curated by Strathmore Performing Arts Center and guitarist Ken Avis. The film explores the influence of Brazilian music on jazz around the 1960s, including the seminal recording by Stan Getz - Jazz Samba.

After the film, American group Veronneau will perform a set of vocal-led bossa nova and jazz as part of their UK tour with Apollo Jazz Network.

The event will begin at 7.30pm with the screening of the film and music will start from 8.45pm.

Tickets can be bought by contacting HEART or at the door and cost £8 (includes music and film)

See a trailer for the film HERE.

Manchester Jazz Festival so far...

The 2014 Manchester Jazz Festival is full swing and those not able to attend in person can stay up to date through the series of gig reviews written by singer and music journalist Rachel Maby.

A diverse programme (aided perhaps by the glorious sunshine) has meant that many gigs have sold out already, including the premiere of Anton Hunter's Article XI - this year's MJF Commission and US trio The Bad Plus. Monday's Jazz North showcase, 12 hours of music from their Northern Line groups, saw 7,000 people attend throughout the day.

Rachel's reviews can be seen on the MJF website.

Aeroplanes at Brescia head to Tuscia in Jazz Festival

Aeroplanes at Brescia, a trio of LCoM graduates, have been invited to take part in the 2014 European Jazz Award at the Tuscia in Jazz festival in Italy this week.

The trio features Adam Taylor on guitar, bassist Sam Dutton-Taylor and drummer Katie Patterson, playing original material by the group.

The group will compete to win the chance to record with the jazz label Euronote and to take part in masterclasses next year, and will be judged by a panel that includes US heavyweights Donny McCaslin and Kurt Rosenwinkel.

Hear Aeropanes at Brescia in action on their soundcloud page.

Rising Northern Jazz Talent to get Festival Showcase

Jam Experiment, a young band from Manchester, have been announced as the first group to take part in Jazz North's new Introducing scheme.

The group, compromised of musicians aged between 16 and 18, impressed a panel of festival directors, musicians and educators, who heard a wide range of applications for the scheme.

Pink Lane Jazz Coop Presents: Play Jazz! Workshop

Pink Lane Jazz Coop are hosting a series of jazz workshops at the Sage, taking place on the first Saturday of each month. The next workshop will take place on Saturday August 2nd.

Run by a panel of tutors including James Birkett, Stu Finden, Steve Glendinning, John Pope and Judith Thompson, the sessions are aimed at musicians aged 16 and over of all abilities and operate mainly through tutored small group settings.

Live In Rotterdam - Roller Trio

Roller Trio have released a new recording, Live In Rotterdam, documenting their appearance in the 2014 finals of the European Jazz Competition earlier this month.

One week prior to the competition, saxophonist James Mainwaring broke his right hand. Instead of forfeiting the competition, the band spent four days writing an entirely new set of material that would allow James to play with one hand.

These five tracks are now available for free or pay-what-you-want on the group's Bandcamp page.

Personnel -

James Mainwaring - one handed saxophone/electronics
Luke Wynters - guitar
Luke Reddin-Williams - drums
Jakub Hader - CD artwork

The group aptly added this quote to their Bandcamp page -

"...the imagination is unleashed by constraints. You break out of the box by stepping into shackles."
― Jonah Lehrer, Imagine: How Creativity Works

LCoM Appoints Gerry Godley as New Principal

Leeds College of Music has announced that Gerry Godley will take up the role of principal as of  22nd September 2014, succeeding current principal Philip Meaden.

A saxophonist and teacher, Gerry has been a supporter of improvised music and jazz throughout his career. Currently serving as the director of the Improvised Music Company in Ireland, the organisation responsible for the 12 Points Festival and Down With Jazz amongst other projects.

As well as his work with IMC, Gerry has previously held the post of Secretary General of the European Jazz Network.

Read More about the appointment of Gerry Godley on the LCoM website, and find out more about IMC and 12 Points festival.

BBC Introducing at Manchester Jazz Festival

The four bands who will be featured at the Manchester Jazz Festival as part of BBC Introducing has been announced -

Johnny Hunter Quartet
Brassy B
Peter Edwards Trio
Moss Freed's Moss Project

These four groups will perform at Band on the Wall on July 18th at 7.30pm and the performances will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3's Jazz on 3 presented by Jez Nelson.

Yamaha Jazz Scholars of 2014 Announced

Pianist and LCoM graduate Ashley Henry has been announced as one of this year's Yamaha Jazz Scholars.

Each year, one student from the final year at the UK's jazz courses is chosen as an outstanding young musician. This group will receive a cash prize, the opportunity to record for a CD released by Jazzwise and performance opportunities at the House of Commons and a London jazz venue.

Ashley is joined by -

Scott Chapman (drums) - Royal Academy of Music
Ed Haine (tenor) - Birmingham Conservatoire
Mark Lewandowski (bass) - Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Tom Dennis (trumpet) - Trinity Laban
Dan Smith (alto) - Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
Utsav Lal (piano) - Royal Scottish Conservatoire

Previous winners of the award from LCoM include Jay Davis, Riley Stone-Lonergan, Andrew Linham and Alex Munk. These musicians have gone on to study masters programmes in London, study abroad in NYC and all have gone onto building strong reputations as professional jazz musicians.

Congratulations to Ashley and the rest of the scholars!

Jon Faddis & Andy Champion Quintet at Durham Brass Festival

Tuesday 15th July
7.30pm
Gala Theatre, Durham
£12

American trumpeter Jon Faddis appears at the Durham International Brass Festival with North East bassist Andy Champion's Quintet on Tuesday 15th July.

The event, which is a commission event in partnership with Wigan Jazz Festival and Jazz North, also features Adrian Tilbrook, Graeme Wilson, Chris Hibbard and Paul Edis.

Yoga for Musicians in Leeds

Bassist Dave Kane has started running weekly yoga classes specifically designed for musicians in Leeds.

Highly experienced in yoga, Dave has spent time devising classes which focus on how to utilise yoga as a musician to become healthier, more efficient and more relaxed.

These classes run every Tuesday from 12pm until 1.15pm at the Yoga Space, 378 Meanwood Road, Leeds. Each class costs £6 to attend.

Dave has set up a facebook group with information on the sessions, plus links to yoga articles and videos - Yoga for Musicians UK.

In the meantime, watch the video above to hear Sonny Rollins discuss yoga and how it has helped him be a better musician.

New Jazz Night at The Woods, Chapel Allerton

A new venue is opening in Chapel Allerton on July 11th. The Woods will be a three-storey venue with a restaurant, a day-space for children's events and The Canopy, a space for performances and cinema.

Trombonist Matt Ball has been in touch to spread the word about the first three jazz gigs scheduled to take place at The Woods over the coming weeks.

See The Woods website for more information.

Jazz at Lotherton Hall, 19th July

Saturday 19th July
Lotherton Hall, West Yorkshire
7.30pm
£15/12

Edwardian country house Lotherton Hall is to play host to a jazz concert featuring two LCoM jazz graduates, Will Howard and Sam Watts on Saturday 19th July, performing music from the Great American Songbook.

Jazz Summer Party at The Globe

Friday 18th July
Jazz Summer Party
7.30pm until 2am
£7

Pink Lane Jazz Coop are preparing for their Jazz Summer Party - the first gig to take place in the UK' first co-operatively owned music venue, The Globe.

The event will feature three performances - NE favourites the Strictly Smokin' Big Band, DJ Funkmaster Jazz and poet John Challis.

Tickets can be bought for £7 on the door, or can be bought online at their Eventbrite page to ensure you secure a place at what is sure to be a busy gig!

Jazz@TheHubClub, Sheffield July 5th

Date: Saturday 5^th July

Time: 3pm

Venue: Crucible Theatre, Surrey Street, Sheffield S1

Tickets: £5 (£2)

To Book: Sheffield Theatres Box Office

Tel. 0114 2496000

In collaboration with Jazz North, Sheffield Music Hub are hosting an evening of Jazz at the Crucible on Saturday July 5th.

The event will feature two groups, Sheffield Youth Big Band and the Ashley Henry Trio. The big band will feature a group of highly talented young musicians playing classic big band repertoire under the direction of Dave Joyce. Ashley Henry, an inventive young pianist who recently graduated from LCoM will feature alongside bassist Simon Read and drummer Sam Gardner.

Information can be found on the event page of Sheffield Theatres, where tickets can also be booked.

Tour Preview: Veronneau UK Dates

Following on from Fat Face Trio's UK tour in June, Apollo Jazz Network welcomes another US group to perform in the UK this month - vocal-led bossa nova band Veronneau.

Jazz Tutor Vacancies at LCoM

Leeds College of Music has two vacancies available within their jazz pathway department and applications are being accepted until 9.00am on July 7th.

They are seeking a trumpet tutor and drum kit tutor with both positions offering approx. 5-8 hours per week.

We are looking for a highly experienced drum kit tutor/trumpet tutor, who will inspire and bring innovative practice to this progressive institute. The candidate[s] should have an extensive national and international performance portfolio and be comfortable working within a wide range of repertoire. The candidate will be expected to deliver one-to-one tuition for approximately one day a week throughout the academic year, guiding the student towards technical and performance assessments. The candidate will also be expected to partake in specialist group study sessions, guiding our student through a varied and progressive program of repertoire.

Full information on the posts as well as information on how to apply can be found on the Leeds College of Music Jobs page.

Jazz North NPO Success

Jazz North has been announced today as one of the organisations granted NPO (National Portfolio Organisation) status by the Arts Council England.

This secures funding for Jazz North for the next 3 years, with a total investment of £570,000.

Today's announcement included a total of 670 organisations granted regular funding through the NPO scheme, with 22 of those being music organisations in the North of England including Manchester Jazz Festival, J-Night, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival and Music in the Round.

For full information on today's Arts Council England announcement, visit their website.