Alex Munk's Flying Machines Kickstarter Launched

Jazz listeners first came across guitarist Alex Munk when he came to Leeds to study Jazz at Leeds College of Music from 2006-2009. He then moved to London to study his Masters at the Royal Academy in London and since then, he has proved himself to be a guitarist at the forefront of the jazz scene. He has maintained his connections with the North, bringing his own group Flying Machines to perform in Leeds as well as working with fellow LCoM Alumnus Matt Anderson in his group Wildflower and in 2015, he was invited to take part in an all-star big band put together by Nikki Iles to celebrate 50 years of Leeds College of Music.

Alex has recently recorded his debut album with his quartet, Flying Machines and has now launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to help with mastering, CD and print costs and PR. Their target is £3,500 and the total currently stands at 38% with 20 days to go.

Alex says

We have the end in sight! It's been a long haul (no pun intended) but the final mixes of our debut album, which we recorded last year, sound like they did in my wildest dreams. All the rehearsing and gigging really paid off. We've captured 9 original compositions in the studio and there's something on the album for everyone, from visceral, rock out improv to lyrical ballads and lush soundscapes. We worked with an incredible engineer called Tim Thomas for both the recording and mixing; he has done a wonderful job of bringing this music to life. 

We are aiming for a late September 2016 album launch date, ahead of our national tour in February 2017. We already have a number of dates booked, from Cornwall, London to Edinburgh - we hope to see you at one of them! We'll be adding more dates as we go along.

Donors can opt to pledge at a number of different levels, each with their own rewards. These range from digital downloads of the album to guitar lessons and private gigs by the band.

You can find out more about Alex and Flying Machines by visiting his website, and to learn more about the Kickstarter and donate, see their campaign page.

Tremplin Jazz Avignon Contest 2016 - Submissions open until Saturday

Submissions for the Tremplin Jazz Avignon Contest are open until Saturday of this week (30th) for ensembles from across Europe.

Since 1992, this French outdoor jazz festival has run a contest open to emerging ensembles across Europe. The winners are given a gig supporting the headline act of the next festival as well as three days of recording in a studio in France. This year, the judging panel is led by Kyle Eastwood.

The eligibility criteria states -


- Bands of between 2 and 6 people and all based in the EU
- No age limits
- No overlapping (musicians cannot compete in more than one band)
-Winners from previous years cannot apply
- Bands can be represented by an indie record label (preferably their own)

The application must include bios of each member, at least 3 high quality recordings with at least one original work and hi-res photographs.

You can find the full list of rules & regulations here and the registration form here.

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JazzFM Award Winners Announced

The 2016 Jazz FM Awards were held in London last night including performances by Kansas Smittys, Kandace Springs and Hiatus Kaiyote. Congratulations to all the winners, listed in full below.


Instrumentalist of the Year – Mark Lockheart 
Vocalist of the Year – Lauren Kinsella
Breakthrough Act of the Year – Binker & Moses

Blues Artist of the Year – Gary Clark Jr
Soul Artist of the Year (Sponsored by RCS) – Jill Scott

International Artist Of the Year (Sponsored by Yamaha) – Kamasi Washington
Album Of the Year – Choose Your Weapon by Hiatus Kaiyote

UK Jazz Act of the Year  – Binker & Moses

Digital Initiative of the Year – Jacob Collier

Lifetime Achievement Award - Quincy Jones
Jazz Innovation of the Year  – Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah
Live Experience of the Year  – Ice-T and Ron McCurdy – The Langston Hughes Project at the Barbican

Impact Award – Gregory Porter

Music Support - Don't Suffer In Silence

A new website has been set up to offer support to people in the music industry struggling with issues related to stress, mental health, substance and alcohol abuse and other addictions.

The site offers a range of resources and their dedicated helpline can be used at any time to find appropriate support and/or treatment through their network of support workers and health professionals. Set up by a small group of music industry professionals (including musicians, engineers, promoters etc) in connection to a Director of Clinical Services, Music Support's mission is to offer confidential, sympathetic and non-judgemental support.

The service aims to become a central body for specialised support within the music industry, run by a team who understand the unique challenges and circumstances faced by musicians and music professionals.

For more information, visit the Music Support website.

Big Band Sundays in Doncaster

Lovers of big band music should make sure the Diamond Live Lounge in Doncaster is on their radar and head down to one of their upcoming Big Band Sunday gigs.

The North boasts an impressive number of big bands and jazz orchestras and Diamond Live Lounge will host two such examples this season - Ronnie Bottomley's Jazz Orchestra on Sunday April 24th followed by the Tom Sharp Jazz Orchestra on Sunday 8th May.

Music starts at 2pm and entry is £10. Audiences for this Sunday's gig will be treated to two sets of music arranged by the great drummer Ronnie Bottomley and performed by a band full of the North's favourite improvisers.

Tom Sharp brings his band in May, fresh from their victory at the Great North Big Band Competition and with a programme full of the great big band writers.

The Diamond Live Lounge is situtated on Wood Street, a few minutes from Doncaster train station.

Louse Gibbs Singing Workshop, June 4th

Renowned vocalist and teacher Louise Gibbs will run a one-day vocal masterclass on June 4th for vocalists who want to feel more relaxed and free in their singing.

The session will run from 10am until 5pm and is limited to 10 participants which ensures that each vocalist will receive ample performance time and tuition. Louise is joined by Sam Leak (piano), Sam Gardner (drums) and Mark Lewandowksi (double bass).

The masterclass will allow singers to -

• explore your “jazz voice”

• learn new repertoire

• develop your improvising skills

• learn how to direct a band and prepare for a jam session

• perform with greater confidence

• experience singing with a supportive trio of top young UK musicians

Louise is a distinguished educator and has taught at a number top UK universities and conservatoires including Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Goldsmiths, RNCM and LCoM as well as many workshops worldwide.

The cost of the session is £75 (£60 for full time students) and includes lunch & refreshments.

To book a place, contact Louise by emailing louise@jazzmine.co.uk.

Ros Rigby Steps Down after 15 years at Sage Gateshead

                                           Ros Rigby, promoting the 10th GIJF in 2013

Ros Rigby has announced that she will step down as Performance Programme Director of Sage Gateshead at the end of July. 

Ros has held the post for 15 years and is a well respected figure in jazz through her work as the driving force of the Gateshead International Jazz Festival and as a central figure in the Europe Jazz Network. 

In a statement published by the Sage Gateshead on 20th April, Managing Director Abigaul Pogson said 

In Ros we have been lucky to have such a dedicated and passionate advocate of culture who has given so much to this region over so long, and for the last fifteen years has made a formative contribution to Sage Gateshead. Her programmes and festivals – not least the Gateshead International Jazz Festival which we’ve enjoyed again this past weekend – have helped put Sage Gateshead on the national and international map. We are very sad to see her go, but thank her very warmly for everything she has done. 

Ros says -

Being involved in the development of Sage Gateshead from the mid-1990s onwards has been an enormous privilege, and I will take with me very many vivid memories of both successful events and challenging moments, wonderful artists and hugely committed staff and partners. I look forward to having continued contact with the company on a different basis, and also to having more time to become involved in other developments in the region and beyond. Tamsin Austin and I have worked together very closely since she was appointed in 2003, and I cannot think of a better person to lead the work of our team, and to take it in new and exciting directions. 

The Sage has confirmed that Tamsin Austin, currently Head of Popular and Contemporary Programming, will take over the role from September 2016.

Read the full press release here. 

Parliamentary Jazz Award Nominees Announced

Congratulations to Jamil Sheriff and Seven Jazz for their nominations in this year's APPJAG Parliamentary Jazz Awards.

The full list of nominations was announced this week ahead of the awards ceremony on 10th May. Jamil Sheriff is nominated for the Jazz Education Award and Seven Jazz receives the nomination for Venue of the Year.

The full list of nominations are as follows -

Services to Jazz Award: Mike Janisch, Mary Greig, Evan Parker
Jazz Education Award:  Jamil Sheriff, Dr Tommy Smith, Gary Crosby OBE
Venue of the Year: Seven Jazz - Leeds, Jazz Re:Freshed at Mau Mau - London, Watermill - Dorking
Album of the Year: Let It Be Told - Julian Arguelles,  A Room Somewhere - Liam Noble, Seaside - Liane Carroll
Newcomer of the Year: Binker & Moses, Corrie Dick, Theon Cross
Instrumentalist of the Year: Alex Hawkins, Django Bates, Evan Parker, Liam Noble
Vocalist of the Year: Ian Shaw, Eska, Emilia Martensson
Jazz Media Award: Chris Phillips - Jazz FM, Mary Greig - Jazz in London, Jez Nelson - Jazz on 3, Richard Williams

SNJO come to Gateshead with the music of Dave Brubeck

The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra is widely regarded as one of the UK's best large ensembles. Helmed by tenor saxophonist Tommy Smith, the band work with internationally celebrated musicians multiple times a year as well as releasing albums. In the last two years, they have worked with Kurt Elling, Bob Mintzer, Benny Golson and Mike Stern.

The band don't often venture south of the border but the North is lucky enough to host them this year as part of the Gateshead International Jazz Festival. Their programme is celebrating the music of Dave Brubeck and they welcome two featured guests - Bill Dobbins and John Nugent.

Pianist Bill Dobbins was commissioned by the SNJO to arrange the music of Brubeck. He is currently Professor of Jazz at Eastman School of music in New York. He is joined by alto saxophonist John Nugent.

The concert is on 30th April at the Sage Gateshead. Full information on the gig can be found on the GIJF website and the SNJO website.

Tour Preview: Preston Glasgow Lowe UK Tour, April 2016

Preston Glasgow Lowe are a trio that are pushing the conventions of guitar trio music forward. In February 2016, they released their debut album on Whirlwind Records to high praise and they are now embarking on an extensive UK tour in April.

All three members of the group are sought after improvising musicians in London and between them, they rack up an impressive collective CV of recordings and performances with internationally renowned musicians (Peter Ind, Melody Gardot, Tommy Smith, Randy Brecker, Gilad Atzmon...)

"compelling mix of sophisticated harmonic/rhythmic ideas and dazzling soloistic technique" - Jazzwise

For more information on the band, visit the Preston Glasgow Lowe website. Their full tour dates are listed below.

April 2016

13th - Dempsey's, Cardiff
14th - Bonnington Theatre, Nottingham
15th - Fusebox, Leeds
16th - The Verdict, Brighton
17th - Southampton Modern Jazz Club, Southampton
20th - Lescar, Sheffield
21st - The Future Inn, Bristol
22nd - Hot Numbers Coffee, Cambridge
24th - The Alex, Felixstowe
26th - The Phoenix, York
28th - Jazz Bar, Edinburgh
29th - Cafe Lento, Leeds
30th - Jazz Coop (The Globe), Newcastle

Christine Tobin Quartet at Swaledale Festival

Swaledale Festival runs from 28th May until June 11th. Situated in the Yorkshire Dales, the festival is a celebration of arts, music and walking which has run since 1972. Their 2016 programme is as varied as ever with a number of guided walks (many of which are already sold out!), exhibitions, lectures on art appreciation, a large number of classical and folk concerts and more. Opening the festival on May 28th is jazz vocalist Christine Tobin with her new project Remembering Elis Regina.

Joined by Mark Lewandowski on double bass, Kate Shortt on cello and long-time collaborator Phil Robson on guitar, Christine explores the music of Brasilian singer Elis Regina. Tobin cites Regina as her greatest hero and the concert will feature the music of Jobim and Nascimento amongst others.

Gorgeous, affecting and deeply human - The Guardian

The concert is at St Andrews Church in Grinton on Saturday 28th May. Start time - 7.30pm. Tickets cost £16 and only £3 for under 19s.

Full information on this concert and the rest of the festival programme can be found on the Swaledale Festival website.

Be Part of Chris Sharkey's Make It/Break It at Gateshead International Jazz Festival

Guitarist Chris Sharkey has been commissioned by Serious to create a new piece of music which will be performed at Gateshead and London Jazz Festivals. The piece is called Make It/Break It and is a very ambitious work which will be see over 100 musicians taking part.

Chris has put a call out today for more people to be involved in the performance at Gateshead Jazz Festival this coming Sunday (April 17th).

He says -

Musicians of the North East of England! I'm doing something at Gateshead International Jazz Festival 2016 on Sunday and want you to be part of it. It's called Make it/ Break it.  We get together for one day, make something, perform it once, then it's gone. I'll need you for most of the day (from around 11am) then we play at 6.30 in the concourse which will be PACKED with people.
 
ANYONE, regardless of instrument or ability can be a part of this.
 
If you show up, I'll give you something important to do.
 
There is NO DEADLINE and NO SELECTION PROCESS.
 
Reply to the email in the link below, hit me up [on facebook] or just show up on the day.
 
We've got a pretty large ensemble already but I really want to push it over the edge - I hope you can come and be a part of it


For more information, see the event page on Sage Gateshead website. (The article states a deadline of March 18th for people who wish to be involved but as Chris says above, this is not the case!)

 

Acts Announced for LUME Festival & Kickstarter Launched

Earlier in the year, we reported on the plans for LUME festival, a day of music run by Dee Byrne and Cath Roberts in London. Committed to supporting original and improvised music, the musicians have worked tirelessly to promote live music in London in recent years. The festival marks their next step and after an open call for submissions, today they launched a Kickstarter to support the running of the event.

The North will be strongly represented with three out of the six groups hailing from Manchester and Leeds. Ant Traditions is a duo featuring pianist Adam Fairhall and David Birchall (Manchester), Hot Beef Three are from Leeds and feature Ollie Dover, Craig Scott and Andrew Lisle and guitarist Anton Hunter brings his large ensemble work Article XI, a previous recipient of the Manchester Jazz Festival commission.

These three Northern groups are joined by Birmingham's Little Church, Kjær/Musson/Marshall from London and Blueblut from Austria.

LUME has received some core funding from Arts Council England to support their work but their newly launched Kickstarter will raise funds to help with travel costs and artist fees to ensure they feature as much music as they can. Donors will receive a number of rewards depending on the amount they donate including Live at LUME cds, tickets to the festival, a special trip to London Aquarium with Cath and Dee and a special piece written for you and performed by Word of Moth.

For full information on the Kickstarter which runs until May 12th, visit the website.

Burton Agnes Jazz Festival, 1st-3rd July

As we move toward summer, it's time for jazz fans to get out their diaries and figure out how many of the numerous summer jazz festivals they can fit in. Burton Agnes Festival takes place from 1st to 3rd July and has become a favourite for all ages due to the picturesque surroundings, varied programme and camping facilities.

This year, the programme contains many of this year's Northern Line acts including Bugalu Foundation, Manjula and Pan Jumby, all of whom bring influences from music and culture around the globe. For fans of vocal jazz, Elaine Delmar appears on Saturday 2nd, performing the music of Cole Porter and George Gershwin.

Those interested in attending should head over to Bebop Spoken Here, Lance Liddle's wonderful blog as he is currently running a competition to win a full weekend pass for a family (the comp runs until May 27th).

For full information on line-up, ticketing and location visit the Burton Agnes Jazz Festival website.

Barb Jungr in Grimsby

Described by the Village Voice (NYC) as being one of the best interpreters of Jacques Brel and Bob Dylan on the planet, vocalist Barb Jungr has developed a huge international following since her formative days growing up in Rochdale. She brings her latest work, Hard Rain: The Songs of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen to Grimsby on Saturday 9th April as the headline act at a brand new festival.

The Look Up Festival is influenced by the Sakura Matsuri festivals in Japan and the team have programmed a variety of events across three days including Haiku poetry, Taiko drumming and live music.

In a recent article in the Grimsby Telegraph, Look Up's co-curator Josie Gray had this to say about Barb's performance -

To have a performer of such quality and reputation joining us for our festival is beyond exciting," says Josie. "We look forward to inviting lots of people in to St Martin's over the weekend and giving them a warm and hospitable welcome.

Read more from this article here: http://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/Look-host-bands-artists/story-29055153-detail/story.html#ixzz45F9gNJXc

 

Tickets cost £8 (£6 concessions) and can be obtained by contacting the Grimsby and Cleethorpes Tourist information centre on 01472 323 111.

 

For more information on Barb Jungr, visit her website. 

See Miles Ahead early with Record Store day

Icon Film Distribution has announced a partnership with Record Store Day UK to provide jazz fans with the chance to see the new Don Cheadle film, Miles Ahead, for free in advance of its general release.

 Offering customers’ exclusive access to films before cinema release is a first for Record Store Day and something we are very excited to be involved in”, says Rupert Morrison of Drift Records, RSD’s spokesperson. “Record Store Day celebrations aim to unite those through their love of music and partnering with Icon Films for the Miles Ahead movie does exactly that. Given the musical icon that Miles Davis is, this is the perfect partnership.

The special screenings will take place on April 18th and will be at a number of locations nationwide including Hyde Park Picture House in Leeds and Home in Manchester.

Tickets become available on Monday 11th April and can be collected at the following record stores - Crash Records, Jumbo Records and Norman Records in Leeds and Piccadilly Records, Vinyl Exchange and Vinyl Revival in Manchester.

For full information, see the Record Store Day UK website.

Help Smoove&Turrell go to Canada Music Week

When not being one of the North's most in-demand jazz bass players and being a pillar of the jazz scene in the North East, Andy Champion is the bassist for Northern Funk outfit Smoove & Turrell.

Since 2009, the band have released 3 albums, appeared numerous times on national radio and toured extensively. They have supported Nile Rodgers and Martha and the Vandellas and appeared at international festivals.

This week, the band announced that they have been selected from thousands of bands to represent the UK music industry at Canada Music Week - a huge international music festival that is attended by US festival directors and bookers and agents from across the world.

In order to take advantage of this opportunity, Smoove & Turrell have to raise £5,000 and they have set up a Crowdfunder campaign to do so. It's going well so far with 71 backers and 53% of their total raised. Donors will receive a number of rewards including special merchandise and chances to win tickets to festivals and a one-off gig from the band themselves.

For full information, visit their Crowdfunder page. The campaign runs until April 29th.

Gig Preview: Laura Mvula at The Wardrobe, May 14th

Vocalist and songwriter Laura Mvula shot to fame with her debut album Sing to the Moon in 2013. For many jazz listeners, she came on the radar with her powerful re-recording of Sing to the Moon with the world-famous Metropole Orkest the following year. Since then, she has performed at many jazz festivals and recently recorded with Snarky Puppy.

Mvula comes to Leeds on May 14th to perform at the Wardrobe. This is a gig likely to attract listen from many different genres (Laura's latest single features Nile Rodgers) and is a chance to see the singer in an intimate venue.

Tickets cost £15.00 and can be purchased on the Luna Tickets website.

Find out more about Laura Mvula on her website.

Jazz Coop Seeks volunteers for GIJF

The Jazz Coop is seeking volunteers to man their stand at the Sage Gateshead during the International Jazz Festival (15th-17th April).

Situated in the main concourse, the Coop hopes that their stand can be used to promote their education programmes and upcoming gigs as well as attracting new investors.

They are asking for people to give two hours of their time during the following periods -

Friday - 8-10pm
Saturday - 1-5pm and 7-11pm
Sunday - 1-9pm

Those interested should contact Anne on 0191 4560888 or through email on annalex@btinternet.com.

Find out more about the organisation at the Jazz Coop website.
See full programme for Gateshead International Jazz Festival on the Sage Gateshead website.

New Roster of Jazz North Northern Line Artists Announced

Jazz North have announced the 10 newest Northern Line groups to take part in their flagship scheme to promote the best of jazz in the North.

Now in its third season, Northern Line selects groups to take part in the scheme for a period of just over a year, offering the groups to promoters at a subsidised rate to support both promoters and artists in furthering the art-form.

Artists are selected by a panel of musicians, industry professionals and promoters. Since 2013, the scheme has supported 37 artists and has seen them perform over 400 gigs with 130 promoters.

The groups selected to be this year's Northern Line Ambassador Artists are -

Firebird Quartet
HTrio
Inclusion Principle
Johnny Hunter Quartet
Maja Bugge solo
Portmanteau
Taupe
The Jamie Brownfield Quartet
Pat McCarthy Quartet ft Shannon Reilly
Tom Riviere's Family Band

You can find out more about the scheme and the artists by visiting the Jazz North website.