Let's Get Lost Festival, Doncaster 4th February

There's a jam packed concert going on in Doncaster on Thursday 4th February presented by the Let's Get Lost Festival.

From the event page...

Bringing together people of all ages from across Yorkshire, this event looks to explore an eclectic blend of styles from across the globe. Expect a diverse experience at an incredible venue in the heart of Doncaster.

The line-up includes Dennis Rollins & DYJO, Garforth Jazz Rock band, Arts Live Folk Band, Roma Khamoro, Vale Academy's Taiko Drummers and Wind Band, Semi-Skimmed Soul and Don Valley Academy.

The event starts at 7pm and there are a limited number of free tickets available through the CAST Doncaster website. You can also contact info@letsgetlostfestival.co.uk for further information (at time of print, the CAST Doncaster website was not working!)

This event is part of the School Partnership Trust Academies festival programme, supported and funded by Arts Council England, CapeUK, D.A.R.T.S, Doncaster Youth Jazz Association and Arts Live.

Jazz North Education Conference - 8th March

                                                  Dr Kathy Dyson (Photo: Porl Medlock)

Jazz North have announced the date for their annual Education Conference and networking day as March 8th. As in previous years, the event will be held at Leeds College of Music.

This will be our fourth annual jazz education conference day and a valuable opportunity to find out what Jazz North can offer Music Education Hubs and the jazz education sector, listen to case studies from hubs and delivery organisations, network with colleagues and discuss how we might work together to mutual benefit. 

Music teachers, youth music leaders, Music Hubs and freelance musicians/teachers are invited to attend the event and for the first time, there will be 5-minute bulletin slots offered to all attendees to provide a snapshot of the work they do or perhaps a pitch for a new project.

A full list of speakers is expected within the coming weeks and you can visit the Jazz North website to sign up and read reports from previous conferences.

Jazz January - Can Jazz Work on Normal People?

There's an interesting experiment going on in London this month as Matt Pannell asks the question - Can jazz music work on normal people?

The project will see a number of people who haven't been to jazz venues before attend gigs with 'jazz advisers' to guide and inform. Matt then logs the results, noting their highs and lows and overall views.

There are a number of reviews already completed on the site with one more to go before the result is published. It seems that the majority of the concerts are big band gigs, but the final gig with the Steve Gadd trio.

An interesting look into people's perceptions of jazz and it's especially nice to see some children being taken to gigs (their reactions seemed to be the most positive of all).

Head over to JazzJanuary and have a read...

Artist Submissions welcome for the first LUME Festival

Cath Roberts and Dee Byrne are champions of original, improvised music and their work with LUME has been praised across the country. Their programming is full of surprises and the team are at the forefront of the wave of musicians now involved in promoting jazz and improvised music.

This year, they have announced that they will round of their season of gigs with the first ever LUME Festival. The one day event will take place on 26th June at I’klectik Artlab near Waterloo in London and they have issued a call out for musicians and groups who want to be a part of it.

As part of programming this, we’re putting the call out for submissions. Bands, soloists, new collaborations: we’d like to hear from you. These are the things we’re looking for:

Original music. To us this means new music composed by the musicians who are playing.
Improvised music. We are also into spontaneous composition! Totally improvised music created in the moment. If your project fits into one or both of those categories then we want to know about it.

There is an online submission form for the interested musicians on the LUME website and submissions will be accepted until 5pm on February 12th.

Funding Success for Corey Mwamba and Out Front!

                                                Corey Mwamba (Photo by George Harris)

Highly respected vibes player Corey Mwamba has received an Arts Council grant over over £31,000 to produce a 9 month programme of work and a mini-festival intended to raise the profile of contemporary improvised music.

The initiative is called Out Front! and will feature a number of high profile artists performing in Derby starting from March, with the festival scheduled for Autumn.

In a recent article for Derby Telegraph, Mwamba said

This latest funding from Arts Council England will enable us to create a fantastic series of events here and work with others to further strengthen the music and arts scene. We're looking forward to hosting local innovative jazz and improvised music groups who haven't had the chances to perform in the area, as well as national and international acts. It's very exciting and we are also hoping to have more involvement and support from people in Derby and the wider Midlands.

Corey's website is full of information on all of his projects and further information on Out Front! will be available soon.

 

DYJA Announce New Appointment for Dennis Rollins

Doncaster Youth Jazz Association have announced Dennis Rollins as their new Associate Director of Band Studies. In this role, Rollins will lead the senior DYJO ensemble and work closely with John Ellis (both pictured above) to develop the strategy of the organisation.

Rollins has been associated with the organisation since his early days as a musician and since leaving as a player, he has regularly returned to give workshops and feature as a guest soloist in concerts.

In a press release, John Ellis says 

I could not be more pleased. Dennis will bring a wealth of jazz knowledge and experience to this position. I cannot thank him enough for joining me on this journey. I am now very optimistic for the long-term future of the Doncaster Youth Jazz Association John Ellis MBE

Gig Preview: Printmakers in York (January 27th)

The Printmakers have become one of the UK's most beloved groups. The band's line-up features some of the country's most creative musicians - Mike Walker, Mark Lockheart, Norma Winstone, Steve Watts and James Maddren. In May 2015, they received their debut album, Westerly, to critical acclaim and on January 27th they are to perform at The Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall in York.

‘Wonderful playing from some of Britain’s best jazz artists, not to mention a deeply creative, almost orchestral approach to the collective sound that totally serves the music, or more accurately, serves the song.’ Jazzwise Magazine

Tickets for the event cost £16/14/5 and audiences are advised to book soon as it's sure to be a full house. For full information visit the York University website and the website of bandleader Nikki Iles.

Still time to apply for 12Points Festival 2016

There is still time to apply for a place in the 2016 12 Points festival, with their submission deadline extended to January 30th.

This marks their 10th festival and it will take place in San Sebastian in Northern Spain (pictured above). The 4 day event will run concurrently with Jazzaldia, Europe's longest running jazz festival and coincides with San Sebastian being named European Capital of Culture 2016.

Applications must be made through the online portal on the 12 Points website and applicants should include press materials, videos, audio and descriptions of their music. For full information and guidance on applying, see the website.

Paris Sur Tyne to Celebrate 50 years of Jazz North East

                                          Syvlain Darrifourcq Photo by Caroline Pottier


 It's a big year for Jazz North East as they celebrate 50 years of promoting live jazz. Their programme is jam-packed with special events throughout the year but next on the agenda is Paris sur Tyne, an all-day extravaganza of Anglo-French jazz.

On January 24th, the Lit and Phil in Newcastle will be taken over by JNE to host a day of music performed by some of France and the UK's leading improvisers. There will be two sessions, one running 2pm until 6pm then another from 7pm until 11pm. Audiences can attend all day for £20/16 or attend one of the sessions for £12/10.

The line-up and schedule are listed below but for more information on JNE's 50th year visit their website or book tickets for the event at Seetickets.com. 

Line-Up:

• Xavier Camarasa
• Valentin Ceccaldi
• Théo Ceccaldi
• Sylvain Darrifourcq
• Roberto Negro
• Guillaume Aknine
• Corey Mwamba
• Andy Champion 

 Schedule:

Afternoon Session (2pm until 6pm) - In Love With, Sonsale, Theo Ceccaldi Trio, Garibaldi Plop

Evening Session (7pm - 11pm) - Babies, Milesdavisquintet!, Liaisons Dangereuses,  Menage a Huit
 

Gogo Penguin Tour 2016

2016 is already shaping up to be a busy year for Manchester trio Gogo Penguin, with the release of their Blue Note debut Man Made Object and extensive touring in the UK and internationally.

The group have been invited to perform at Coachella Festival in California, as well as some NYC shows and they are scheduled to make their debut at the Blue Note in Tokyo - all of this before June!

Those closer to home will be able to see the band as they tour the UK in February with dates in Leeds, Manchester, Cardiff, Glasgow, Aberdeen and London amongst others. Following this, the band head to Europe for a further 20+ dates.

See below for their full tour dates and head to the Gogo Penguin website to find out more and pre-order the new album.

B-Jazz Composition Contest - Applications now open!

B-Jazz is a Belgium jazz competition aimed at international musicians under 30. They have launched their Jazz Composition Contest and are calling for composers to submit their work to be in with a chance of winning a 2,000 euro cash prize.

The winning composition will then be interpreted and performed by the finalists in the B-Jazz Contest (finalists announced 21st January) on 18-19 March in OPEK Leuven, Belgium.

Criteria:

- Contest is open to composers of all nationalities born on or after 1st January 1986.

- Each applicant should only submit one piece

- Compositions should be submitted as a score (max. 3 pages) and a demo (mp3 quality or better)

- Compositions are judged blindfold so no links to websites or names should be included on the score, just the title of the piece.


The deadline for submissions is February 15th 2016 and full information can be found on the B-Jazz website.

Reqium for a Dreamer: A Celebration of John Taylor, January 29th

The National Centre for Early Music in York is to host a celebration of the life and work of pianist John Taylor on January 29th.

Julian Arguelles and Steve Watts will lead an ensemble made up of former students of John's, all of whom are now professional jazz musicians.

John Taylor was an inspirational pianist, composer and musician who worked alongside some of the greatest jazz stars on the concert platform and in the recording studio in addition to his solo career.  Following his sudden death on 17 July last year we celebrate his extraordinary talent and the influence that he had on two generations of musicians.  John joined the Department of Music as a lecturer in 2005 and continued to give masterclasses and recitals both there and at the NCEM.

The concert takes place at 7.30pm and tickets cost £16/14 and £5 for students. For more information, see the event page on York University's website.

Line-Up:

Julian Argüelles saxophones
Steve Watts bass
Tom Gibbs piano
Raph Clarkson trombone
Twm Dylan bass
Dave Smyth drums

Big News for Band on the Wall

Manchester's Band on the Wall has recently announced the good news that it has secured funding for an expansion which will see the capacity increase 35%.

The charity that runs Band on the Wall, Inner City Music, were successful in a funding application to Arts Council England, which is to be stage one in a two stage plan estimated at around £2.5 million.

These development plans will also see an increase in the provision of educational facilities and charitable activities run by Brighter Sound, its partner charity.

From press release...

Gavin Sharp. CEO, Inner City Music said: While we have a long way to go to secure the extension of Band on the Wall, this first stage of funding is crucial to allow us to develop our plans and we are very grateful to Arts Council England for its support.
Now is the right time to extend Band on the Wall, with the huge amount of development taking place in our neighbourhood – such as NOMA - and the rapid growth of Manchester City Centre we want to be able to bring exceptional, international artists to our growing audience.

Find out more about Band on the Wall by visiting their website and see this newspaper article for further information on the funding.

Voting Now Open for the 2016 Parliamentary Jazz Awards

It's that time again! Voting is now open for the 2016 Parliamentary Jazz Awards. From the results of this open voting system, nominees for each category will be chosen and the winners will be announced at the ceremony at the House of Commons on May 10th.

Voters can submit one nomination for each of the following categories -

Vocalist of the Year
Instrumentalist of the Year
Ensemble of the Year
Venue of the Year
Media Award
Education Award
Newcomer of the Year
Services to Jazz Award

(2015 winners pictured above)

Voting forms can be filled in by clicking on this link or visiting the JazzUK website.

Surprise Fusebox gig with MOLE, Saturday 9th January

Fusebox has announced a surprise gig will take place at the Fox and Newt in Leeds this Saturday, 9th January featuring a brand new group - MOLE.

Fusebox's main programme doesn't start until the end of January, but the group are in Leeds writing and recording so have decided to debut the material live.

Event Details -

MOLE is a brand new Anglo/Irish/Norwegian/French collaboration between the LIMA-compadres Christophe de Bezenac (saxophones), Petter Frost Fadnes (saxophones), Dave Kane (double bass) and Paul Hession (kit). MOLE represents the unexpected, the uncanny, the ambiguous, and searches the dark undercurrents of sonic possibilities in their pursuit of righteousness, peace and good music. MOLE is an acoustic quartet that will tear you a new one.

Except some FULL ON FREE JAZZ & MODERN COMPOSITION amongst other things !!!

So, if you are suffering with the post Christmas, New Year blues then come and be uplifted with MOLE and be among the first to hear their new work.

The indomitable, Chris Sharkey (guitar and electronics) will be providing support with a solo set.

Doors open at 8.00pm and we are still only charging £8/£6 in 2016

Gig Preview: Mingus Big Band in Leeds, January 23rd 2016

Howard Assembly Room in Leeds is starting 2016 with a bang with an exclusive performance by the Mingus Big Band ahead of its 12 show residency at Ronnie Scotts.

The band, led by the bassist's widow Sue Mingus, has a huge international reputation with performance schedules that span Europe and the US, 10 albums and 7 Grammy nominations. The personnel has read like a who's who in jazz over the years with people like Randy Brecker, Seamus Blake, Dave Kikoski, Conrad Herwig and Jeff 'Tain' Watts occupying chairs.

the band...has a huge repertoire, ferocious wildness mixed with pin point precision and ultimate lyricism.

This is a gig that's sure to sell out so audiences are advised to book early through the Opera North website. Find out more about the band on their website.

Line-up:

Trumpets: Tatum Greenblatt, Philip Harper, Alex Norris 
Saxophones: Abraham Burton, Wayne Escoffery, Mark Gross, Brandon Wright & Ronnie Cuber
Trombones: Chris Bates, Luis Bonilla, Earl McIntrye
Drums: Donald Edwards
Bass: Boris Kozlov 
Piano: Theo Hill

Jazz & Improv Vocal Workshops in Brampton

 

Calling all vocalists in Cumbria - BlueJam Arts director Jilly Jarman is starting a series of jazz and improvisation sessions for singers in Brampton, beginning on January 13th.

The sessions will run each Wednesday from 7-9pm and deal with topics like song, groove, harmonies, rhythm and improvisation. All singers are welcomed, regardless of what style they usually sing.

Jilly says there are about 12 of us who attend regularly and we manage to produce some great music while having a lot of fun!

The cost to attend all five sessions (from now until half-term) is £35 or £7.50 on the door, £4 for children and young people. Sessions are held at The Hut, Brampton Community Centre.

To find out more about all the work BlueJam Arts do, visit their website.

Northern gigs for Wildflower Sextet

Saxophonist Matt Anderson is bringing his Wildflower sextet back up North for three gigs in January, after his recent move to London to study at the Royal Academy of Music.

The band released their debut album on Jellymould Jazz to a very positive reception. Jazzwise said Their own unique stamp on Shorter's very personal repertoire... of a quality that resonates with its inspirational source... Enjoyably un-pretentious.

From press release...

The sextet draws on an all-star line-up of UK jazz musicians. Laura Jurd was recently named 'Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year' at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards and a BBC New Generation Artist, and has recently released her second album 'Human Spirit'. Guitarist Alex Munk is a recent graduate of the Royal Academy of Music and is currently working with a number of distinguished UK musicians/groups including Stan Sulzmann Big Band, Ivo Neame and Trish Clowes as well as his own band Flying Machines. Pianist Jamil Sheriff is the Jazz Pathway Leader at Leeds College of Music and is well known for his own projects such as his Octet, Big Band and Trio. Finally, drummer Sam Gardner and bassist Sam Vicary have built up a rapport playing together in a variety of settings, from appearing with jazz artists such as Jiannis Pavlidis, Tim Whitehead and Krzysztof Urbanski to performing and recording with ambient hip-hop band Ikestra, and the latter has recently recorded and toured across Europe with the Cinematic Orchestra.

Tour Dates

29/01/16 – Ushaw College, Durham, DH7 9RH, 7:30pm, tickets £? – see www.ushaw.org

30/01/16 – Zeffirelli’s, Ambleside, LA22 9DJ, 8:30pm, tickets free – see www.zeffirellis.com

31/01/16 – 7arts Centre, Leeds, LS7 3PD, 1pm, £10/8/5 – see www.sevenjazz.co.uk (note – for this

gig, trumpeter Mark Chandler will be substituting for Laura Jurd)

NYJC seeks new part-time Executive Director

The National Youth Jazz Collective is seeking a new addition to their team in the form of a part-time Executive Director.

From the website...

You will be an experienced Senior Manager able to lead a delivery and management team with particular skills in:

• Charities and arts organisations
• music performance and education activities
• regional and national work
• partnership working
• fundraising and financial management

You will relish the challenge of managing a disparate and sometimes distant team of professionals, volunteers, ex-students and supporters. You will enjoy bringing new skillsets into the organisation and forming new partnerships with like-minded music and business companies & charities.

Issie Barratt says it's a great opportunity for a top arts professional to come join us in building a great new future for jazz!. We’ve a very lovely management and artistic team and enthusiastic President, Vice Presidents and Board of Trustees. We got NPO status in April 2015 and are now based at Kings Place, which is a great place to be.

The deadline for applications is 12 noon on Monday 11th January 2016. Successful candidates will be invited to interview in London on 14th January and 19th January.

Full information can be found on the NYJC's website.