Vote Jazz in the Yorkshire Gig Guide Grassroots Awards

The Yorkshire Gig Guide is running a Grassroots Awards ceremony honouring the venues, promoters and festivals for live music across Yorkshire. Members of public are invited to vote on categories including promoter of the year, established and new festivals of the year and outstanding contribution amongst others. Public voting closes on Sunday August 16th and a Top Five in each category will be announced. Winners will be revealed at a ceremony at Musicport Festival in Whitby on Friday October 16th.

Scattered amongst the many nominees are some jazz promoters, venues and festivals. We've listed them below and if you'd like to cast your votes, visit the Grassroots Awards online voting form.

Outstanding Established Festival of 2015 - Marsden Jazz Festival

Outstanding Contribution - Barney Stevenson (director of Marsden Jazz Festival)

Outstanding Small Live Venue (nb - these venues don't exclusively host jazz but it's a part of their regular programming so we've included them)

Glyde House, Bradford (home of JATP), Fox and Newt (home of Fusebox), Seven Arts (home of Seven Jazz)

Outstanding Songwriting - Jasmine Kennedy (who recently appeared with James Hamilton's Jazz Orchestra)

Beats & Pieces All In album launch dates

Since it's release on June 8th, Beats & Pieces' new album All In has received four star reviews from the Guardian, The Times, Jazzwise and The Evening Standard.

The band have two album launch dates coming up; one at the Soup Kitchen in Manchester on July 7th and another at Ronnie Scott's in London on July 8th. Unfortunately (or fortunately, if you are in the band!) the Ronnie Scott's date has already sold out so you're advised to get in quick to ensure you get into their Manchester gig.

There are also a couple of Northern dates for the band coming up later in the year -

September 27th - Scarborough Jazz Festival
November 18th - The Wardrobe, Leeds
November 19th - Sheffield Uni Student Union

More information on those dates, getting tickets and where to buy the album can be found on the Beats & Pieces website.

They embrace old-school big-band bravura; backbeat-driven soul-jazz swelling to massive horn harmonies; Steve Reichian keyboard minimalism… The pumping, R&B guitar-powered Hendo also drops an exuberant hint as to how hard they rock on a live show… The young band’s collectively grooving energy – and the gifted Cottrell’s composing – have moved up a few notches further - John Fordham, The Guardian ****

 

Weekend Workshop at The Globe - Sign-up open now

The Globe in Newcastle, run by the Jazz Coop, is hosting their first weekend-long jazz workshop in August (1st and 2nd) and sign-up is open now.

The course will be led by James Birkett and Judith Thompson, two of the jazz tutors at the Globe's regular series of jazz workshops. The weekend has have sessions split into two abilities and will cover areas like learning tunes, arrangements, leading bands and an improvisation skills/jazz theory class. Saturday 1st's session will run from 9.30pm until 5pm and will also feature an evening performance by the Williams-Tanton quartet and jam session. Sunday 2nd will run from 9.30am until 5pm and will culminate in a performance by all participants.

The cost of the weekend is a very reasonable £82 and participants can opt to pay an extra £16 for the provision of food and refreshments. Accommodation is not included.

Full details of the course structure can be found on the Jazz Coop website.

Mike Walker's Rope Project Fundraiser

A couple of months ago, we reported on guitarist Mike Walker's new project-in-the-making, Ropes. It's an ambitious project featuring a 22-piece string orchestra and Mike is currently working to raise the funds necessary to record a band of that size!

On July 10th, there will be a special fundraiser gig at Zeffirellis in Ambleside. The gig will feature Mike alongside pianist Les Chisnall and saxophonist Iain Dixon, both of whom feature on Mike's new project.

At the gig, audience members will be able to preorder the new album for £10. We've heard that there are only 80 places available for the audience so we suggest getting in there quickly as we suspect it will be a sell-out!

Gig Preview: Tom Maddison Nonet

Tom Maddison Nonet
Sunday June 28th, 1.30pm
Seven Arts, Leeds (Harrogate Road)
£7/5

Here's a gig for those of you who enjoy large ensembles! Tom Maddison is a recent graduate of LCoM and since leaving, he's been busy gigging as a double bass player in a number of groups including the Big Easy and Portmanteau. For this group he's not only the bassist and band leader but the composer, too. His writing has been described as being akin to Brian Blade's Fellowship and the band have been working hard toward this gig so it's sure to be a good one. This ensemble is another prime example of the talent being produced by LCoM each year (incidentally, LCoM is 50 this year so we should perhaps expect some celebrations later in the year...)

The band features -

Thomas Maddison - double bass/composer
Simon Dennis - trumpet/flugel
Will Howard - tenor/flute
Jonny Faull - clarinet/alto
James Boyes - alto/tenor
Tom I'Anson - trombone
Jonny Tunnard - piano
Craig Scott - guitar
John Arnesen - drums

News: Royst Trio announces Canada/USA Tour

Leeds-based vocal trio Royst have announced their complete touring schedule for their Canada/USA Tour in July 2015.

The group will tour from 6th-22nd July, performing 8 dates across Canada and New York The tour is supported by The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Canada, Norsk Jazzforum and Stikk/Music Norway.

For more information on the band, visit their website.

Tour Schedule -

9th July - Scandanavia House, New York
10th July - Bar Thalia, New York (collaboration with Mimi Jones)
11th July - The Rainbow Bistro, Ottawa
12th July - BBAM! Gallery, Montreal (double bill with Fruiting Bodies)
13th July - Workshop with Fruiting Bodies, Montreal
15th July - Workshop and Performance at Lula Lounge, Toronto (supporting Paulo Flores)
18th July - Hamilton World Music Festival
19th July - Hamilton World Music Festival

Ribble Valley International Piano Week

The world of jazz piano is well represented at Ribble Valley International Piano Week in July with a rare solo appearance by Gwilym Simcock.

The festival runs from 15th until the 18th July and takes place at The Croston Theatre in Westholme School, Blackburn. Gwilym Simcock will perform on July 16th at 7.45pm, with a pre-concert talk with Gwilym and Steve Berry at 6.30pm.

Gwilym Simcock is one of the UK’s most gifted pianists and composers, able to move effortlessly between jazz and classical styles and also to inhabit both at once. His skill in dovetailing different musical traditions, and his dazzling keyboard skills will, we’re sure, result in one of the most exciting performances we’ve ever heard at the Piano Week. It is a little different for us, undoubtedly – but we think you’ll be enthralled by his astonishing talent. You may hear glimpses of Ravel or of Stravinsky as he takes us on an original journey through jazz standards and his own compositions.

Visit the Ribble Valley Piano Week website for more details.

Burton Agnes Jazz Festival, 3rd-5th July

The annual Burton Agnes Jazz Festival takes place this year from 3rd until the 5th July. Set in the beautiful surroundings of Burton Agnes Hall, this indoor and outdoor festival features a wide range of jazz from the UK. You can check out their full programme on the website, but we've selected a few highlights across the weekend.

Friday 3rd July

A Dread Supreme - This 10 piece group have built up a strong following with their unique Roots take on jazz from the 60s and protest folk. One for those with their dancing shoes.

Saturday 4th July

The Mahakasyapa Ensemble - Led by bassist Paul Baxter, this ensemble will premiere a new suite commissioned by the festival. Featuring Neil Yates, Stuart McDonald and Olivia Moore.

Sunday 5th July

Nicola Farnon - Sheffield-based Nicola Farnon was selected to take part in the Jazz North Northern Line scheme and for good reason; arranged standards mixed with original works.

Instrument Amnesty at Ronnie Scott's

In partnership with Sistema England and Music Fund EU, Ronnie Scott's will hold a musical instrument amnesty on July 11th to provide instruments for young musicians in the UK and abroad.

People with old instruments stashed away and never used are invited to make an appointment on July 11th to have their instrument looked at. Instruments will have tracking numbers fitted so that donors can be informed of their final destination.

Sistema was set up by Julian Lloyd Webber, inspired by El Sistema in Venezuela. Their aim is to transform the lives of children, young people and their communities through music making. Sistema will distribute the donated instruments in the UK.

Music Fund EU provides instruments to international conflict zones from their base in Brussels. They support musicians and music schools in areas like Africa, The Middle East and Central America. Music Fund EU will distribute donated instruments internationally.

For full information, see the Ronnie Scott's website.

Gig Preview: Nadim Teimoori at The White Rabbit, Leeds

Nadim Teimoori Quintet
The White Rabbit, Leeds (York Place)
23rd June, 8pm
Free Entry

Saxophonist Nadim Teimoori is widely regarded by the musicians community as one of the UK's finest and most exciting improvisers. Mention his name and you'll be guaranteed to hear high praise and excitement. Originally from Doncaster, Nadim first studied at Leeds College of Music on their Btec course before moving to London to study at the Royal Academy of Music. For many years he was first tenor in NYJO and he caught the attention of Stan and Clark Tracey with whom he regularly played with (see this clip of the Stan Tracey Quintet). In 2014, he was a finalist at the Riga International Jazz Competition.

On 23rd June, he makes a rare appearance in the North as a band-leader at the popular White Rabbit in Leeds. Playing with him will be Riley Stone-Lonergan, Martin Longhawn, Steve Hanley and Simon Read. The band will be play a set before opening up to a jam.

Free entry - don't miss it!

NEWS: Aaron Parks Trio in Leeds

October might seem like a long way off but audiences are advised to get in early and book tickets for what is sure to be a sell-out performance by NYC pianist Aaron Parks in trio with Ben Street and Billy Hart.

Appearing at the Howard Assembly Room on October 2nd, this date is part of Parks' first UK tour. Lauded as a musician at the forefront of the improvising scene in NYC, he has already built up an impressive discography including four albums for Terence Blanchard and his own records Invisible Cinema and his ECM solo release Arborescence.

Drummer Billy Hart has a career that spans decades and includes time with musicians like Miles Davis and Wes Montgomery. Continually looking forward, Hart has produced a number of acclaimed albums in recent years including All Our Reasons and One Is The Other, both on ECM.

Finishing off the line-up, Ben Street appears on Billy's two ECM releases and has also recorded with people like Kurt Rosenwinkel and Mark Turner. A student of Buster Williams and Miroslav Vitous, he is a sought after musical collaborator for many.

Tickets cost £12.50 and can be ordered from the Howard Assembly Room website.

Tutors All-Stars group Perform at LCoM

Five of the LCoM jazz faculty are hosting an evening of original material at the college on Tuesday 23rd June, 7.30pm. The band will feature Joel Purnell (sax), Steve Fishwick (trumpet), Jamil Sheriff (piano), Zoltan Dekany (bass) and Sebastiaan De Krom (drums).

The college has welcomed a number of new teaching staff in recent years and seems to be focusing on performance opportunities and raising the profile of the college. In addition to this event, LCoM also hosts B-Side, a monthly night featuring live jazz and vinyl.

Tickets are free and can be obtained at the LCoM desk.

LCoM Alumni nominated for LMA Rising Star Awards

Three graduates from the LCoM jazz course have been nominated for Rising Star Awards in the London Music Awards. The winners will be announced tonight at a ceremony at the Roundhouse in London.

Pianist Sam Watts graduated from the jazz course in 2010 and has since moved to London to study a Masters degree. Saxophonists Riley Stone-Lonergan and Phil Meadows graduated in 2011 and were both featured heavily in the National Youth Jazz Orchestra for a number of years. Phil Meadows currently directs the Engines Orchestra in London who recently picked up  Parliamentary Jazz Award and Riley, a winner of the Yamaha Jazz Scholar Award, has gone on to study with Seamus Blake, Chris Cheek and Joel Frahm in New York.

Congratulations to all three nominees and we wish them luck!

Ornette Coleman 1930 - 2015

Ornette Coleman, one of Jazz's most innovative and unique voices, has died aged 85. A representative of his family reported that Coleman suffered a cardiac arrest in the morning of Thursday June 11th.

A major contributor to the free jazz movement in the 1960s, his approach to melody and harmony inspired generations of jazz musicians and works of his like The Shape of Jazz To Come are celebrated as seminal recordings in jazz history. In 2007, he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music for his album Sound Grammar.

Tributes and full obituaries are expected in the jazz media across the world in the coming days.

Jazz at Northern Aldborough Festival

                                                                Guy Barker & Ian Shaw

The Northern Aldborough Festival has been promoting live music in Boroughbridge in North Yorkshire annually since 1994. This year, the festival takes place from the 11th until the 20th of June, featuring performances in a wide range of styles. In their programme this year there are two jazz events featuring trumpeter Guy Barker with Ian Shaw and vocalist Martha D Lewis.

Guy Barker & Ian Shaw 
12th June, 7.30pm
The Old Hall, North Deighton

Award-winning trumpeter, composer and broadcaster Guy Barker joins forces with award-winning jazz vocalist, pianist and broadcaster Ian Shaw in an evening celebrating the fabulous force that is The Cinema. Behind the scenes, the bad, the bitchy, the beautiful, black and white romance, gangland murder and mayhem; Chaplin, Bogart, Baloo and Bond. With no apology, this jazz odd couple present a musical Babylon for all tastes . . . but no popcorn or children! With Guy’s mother an actress, his father a stuntman, and Ian’s childhood an obsessive period of black and white films and musty old Picturegoers handed down from an aunt, this two hour two-hander is a must.

Martha D Lewis: Trilogy of the Greek Blues
18th June, 7.30pm
St Andrews Church 

Lewis leads high powered, spirited top class world and jazz musicians in a 3 part show packed with an evocative nostalgic music journey which begins from shanty towns urban Athens 1910’s 'rembetika' repertoire; leading to Vintage Europeanized Greek music years of 40’s-60’s reminiscent of the Piaf and Dietrich era; and forwards to Lewis’ CD release, the award nominated ‘Homage To Roza ’an album of contemporary remakes of classic rebetika songs by the early Queen of Rembetika, Roza Eskenazy. Critically acclaimed as ‘Nu Rembetika’ this album is "a stimulating contribution to the margins and borders of World music leading to its own groundbreaking genre".  

For full information on the festival, visit the Aldborough Festival website. 

JazzFM Award Winners Announced

                                                   Zara McFarlane - winner of Vocalist of the Year

The winners of the 2015 JazzFM Awards were announced at Vinopolis in London last night, including categories voted on by the public and those decided by a judging panel. Congratulations to all the winners, especially to Manchester's Gogo Penguin who scooped the UK Jazz Act of the Year.

Winners:

Instrumentalist of the Year - Shabaka Hutchings
Vocalist of the Year - Zara McFarlane
Breakthrough Act - Bill Laurance
Jazz Innovation - Jason Moran
International Jazz Act - Gregory Porter
Blues Artist - Dr John
Soul Artist - Jarrod Lawson
Lifetime Achievement Award - Hugh Masekela
UK Jazz Act of the Year - Gogo Penguin (PUBLIC VOTE)
Live Experience of the Year - Loose Tubes at Cheltenham Jazz Festival (PUBLIC VOTE)
Album of the Year - Dianne Reeves 'Beautiful Life' (PUBLIC VOTE)

Richard Havers talks Blue Note in York

The York Festival of Ideas runs this year from 9th-21st June with a theme of Secrets & Discoveries. This varied festival hosts performance, discussions and exhibitions which broadly interpret the main theme. One such event may interest jazz listeners as Richard Havers discusses 75 years of Blue Note on June 16th.

Jazz historian and author Richard Havers is well known in the field of jazz writing and most recently, he has published his book Uncompromising Expression, an encyclopedic look at the Blue Note record label over the past 75 years. Havers will use the book as the basis for his talk which will also feature musical examples.

The event takes place on Tuesday 16th June from 6.30pm until 7.30pm and is free to attend, although sign-up is required. You can reserve your place on the Festival of Ideas website.

Leeds Musicians head to Montreal

Recently we published an article about the Montreal Jazz Festival and their BBC Introducing scheme. Jamie Cullum was leading the charge to select artists to be featured at this international festival. The three acts that were chosen have now been announced and Leeds will be well represented by singer/songwriter Malaika Shaw.

Ireland-born and now Leeds based, Malaika will appear with her group featuring LCoM alumni Jack Chandler, Dan Hudson and Leon Johnson. Also chosen to take part in the scheme were Mammal Hands (featuring Nick Smart, Jesse Barrett and Jordan Smart) and the Peter Edwards trio featuring Moses Boyd and Max Luthert.

You can find out more about Malaika through her facebook page and youtube channel.

Congratulations to all artists selected and we wish them good luck in Montreal!

Chetham's Big Band & Jazz Ensemble at Band on the Wall

Chetham's School of Music is renowned nationally as a producer of highly skilled and talented young musicians. Set up in 1990, the school's big band programme has provided these young musicians numerous performance opportunities to play big band music live across the country, win countless awards and to perform alongside musicians like Bob Mintzer, Pete King, Bobby Shew and Tim Garland.

On 23rd June, the big bands and jazz ensembles from Chetham's will put on a concert at Band on the Wall in Manchester, led by directors Richard Iles and Jim Muirhead. The evening is a chance for audiences to catch the upcoming jazz talent ( the school boasts a number of respected jazz musicians among their alumni, including Phil Meadows, John Escreet and Alex Bone).

Tickets cost £10/8 and can be bought from the Band on the Wall website. The site also has listings for other upcoming gigs including Martin Taylor, Soil and Pimp Sessions and a special Jazz on 3 broadcast.

Video: James Hamilton Jazz Orchestra at Seven Jazz

James Hamilton brought his Jazz Orchestra to Seven Arts in Leeds last week, performing two suites written by James; one to commemorate Doncaster Jazz Association and the other a commission by Jazz Yorkshire. In the second set, James invited seven singer/songwriters from the Leeds Music Scene to perform with the band, each singing their own material arranged for big band by James. A sold out audience attended and Seven Jazz promoter Steve Crocker managed to capture a number of the pieces on film. Below are links to some of the videos- you can visit Seven Jazz facebook page for more.

Jasmine Kennedy with JHJO - 'Percy Anderson'

Simon Wainwright with JHJO - 'Drink The Drink'

Jazz Yorkshire Suite - JHJO

Gig Preview: Sam Watts Solo Piano at Heart

Saturday 13th June
Jazz at Heart presents Sam Watts Solo Piano
£8/6conc
7.30pm

On June 13th, Jazz at Heart will host a special concert featuring pianist Sam Watts, a mixture of performance and discussion.

A year ago, pianist and composer Sam Watts gave a solo piano concert, interspersed with some of his thoughts and ideas about music. It was the talk of Headingley and many people asked for it to be repeated because they’d missed it – or wanted to see it again! So, we’re bringing him back!
Sam will be talking about how we listen to and perceive music and about exactly how it works and how we can better understand it, with illustrated examples. He is a great communicator and this concert/gig will suit music lovers, young and old.
 There will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions and discuss the ideas collectively. The concert will include music by Duke Ellington, Claude Debussy, traditional Brazilian music, and many others as well as Sam’s own compositions.
Sam is a brilliant jazz pianist who has taken the capital by storm since he left Leeds College of Music. He has been known cause people to cry with the beauty of his playing, so bring hankies!

More information on Sam can be found on his website. 
See the Jazz at Heart website for details on other upcoming gigs, workshops and jam sessions.

Marsden Jazz Announces Headliners for 2015

                                                             Jean Toussaint by Benjamin Amure

Marsden Jazz Festival has announced their Headliners for this year's festival, running from 9-11 October. American saxophonist and member of the seminal Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers Jean Toussaint leads this group of headline acts, bringing his Blakey Project to the festival on October 11th.

Also featured is clarinet player Evan Christopher, who brings his Django a la Creole project with New Orleans banjo player Don Vappie. Evan was featured in the Sunday Time's Top Jazz Albums of the year in 2014. Bradford-born Arun Ghosh, fresh from his Jazz Instrumentalist of the year award at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards, will appear with his sextet.

The festival categorises their line-up into a number of different strands and as well as the headliners, artists who will take part in the New Stream section of the programme were also announced. This strand features Apes Grapes, Laura Cole's Metamorphic, The Geordie Approach and Lauren Kinsella.

Jean Toussaint’s time with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers inspired his career as a jazz musician so it will definitely be a highlight to see his performance dedicated to Art Blakey, 25 years after his death.

There’s always a great family atmosphere during the festival weekend and last year we had over 50 free events, as well as our headliners and New Stream gigs, so there really is something for everyone. - Barney Stevenson, Festival Director

Details on these acts and the entire festival can be found on the Marsden Jazz Festival website.