NJN Jazz Advent Calendar - Matt Anderson (Dec 3rd)

Behind door number 3 is tenor saxophonist Matt Anderson. Having grown up in the North Yorkshire Moors, Matt went on to study at Leeds College of Music. He won the Yorkshire Jazz Award for Young Musician of the Year, so his Northern credentials couldn't get any stronger!

Click here to hear October Ending, an original piece of Matt's recorded as part of the St Marks series - https://youtu.be/B4hJGDNQBUw?list=PLnXND8caJS0KfPvCM28IeKcR3CxJZuW5m

Matt Anderson - tenor saxophone/composition
Ashley Henry - piano
Jay Davis - drums
Will Harris - double bass

London-based saxophonist and composer Matt Anderson presents a new quartet featuring four exciting young musicians all of whom are current students or alumni of the Royal Academy of Music’s fertile Jazz Masters programme. The band puts an emphasis on original writing, with arrangements often conceived together as a group, and takes inspiration from sources as wide-ranging as Wayne Shorter, folk music of the British Isles, the European jazz scene and groove/rock music. The band has also received coaching from F-IRE Collective founder Barak Schmool.

Originally hailing from the North Yorkshire Moors, Matt lived in Leeds for many years where he studied at Leeds College of Music before moving to London in 2015. While based in Leeds he appeared in many bands led by his former tutors such as those of Jamil Sheriff, Mark Donlon and Jamie Taylor, and is featured on Taylor's latest CD 'Introducing Outside Line.' In October last year he performed in Greece with Jiannis Pavlidis' Quintet featuring legendary American jazz drummer Greg Hutchinson. His band Wild Flower released their debut album in 2015 on the Jellymould Jazz label to widespread critical acclaim and airplay on BBC Radio 3 alongside a 13-date UK tour and launch gig at Pizza Express Dean Street, London.

VIDEO: Matt Anderson's October Ending

LCoM graduate and favourite of the Northern jazz scene Matt Anderson has released some new footage of his quartet playing a new composition, October Ending.

Matt says

This new video of my group the Matt Anderson Quartet finds us playing an original composition of mine entitled ‘October Ending.’ It’s the first in a series of four videos I’m calling the ‘St. Mark’s Series’ which I’ll be releasing weekly over the coming month, and is filmed ‘live in the studio’ at the St. Mark’s Church, Marylebone, where we did a session with the Royal Academy of Music recording team. The quartet features myself on tenor saxophone, Ashley Henry on piano, Will Harris on double-bass and Jay Davis on drums, and this is a relatively new project which we started last winter while three of us (myself, Ashley and Will) were studying on the MA course at the Academy. Jay is also an alumnus of the same course.

Audiences in the North are sure to recognise both Jay Davis and Ashley Henry as they too studied at Leeds College of Musix before moving to London to continue their studies at the RAM.

For more information, visit Matt Anderson's website.

BBC Introducing at Manchester Jazz Festival

As part of the Manchester Jazz Festival this year, Kevin Le Gendre and the Jazz on 3 team will be hosting a showcase event at Band on the Wall on Friday 31st July featuring four emerging groups from across the country.

Submissions through the BBC Music Uploader were invited from bands and were sifted through by a panel which include Kevin Le Gendre, Jez Nelson and Gilles Peterson to select the four who would take part -

Ashley Henry Trio - Ashley is a graduate of LCoM currently studying under Gwilym Simcock at the Royal Academy in London.

Nerija - Emerging from the Tomorrow Warriors project, this all-female septet cite Joe Henderson and Kurt Rosenwinkel among their influences.

Phaze Theory - London-based group with an interesting line-up that includes tuba, vocals, guitar and drums.

Cameron Vale - Hailing from Leeds, this quartet is currently part of Jazz North's Northern Line scheme and features four recent LCoM graduates.

The audience for this event is chosen through ballot but those not lucky enough to attend will be able to hear the show when it is broadcast on August 10th.

Gig Preview: Krzysztof Urbanski's Urban Jazz Society in Leeds

Jazz at Heart Presents: Urban Jazz Society
Heart Arts Centre, Headingley
Saturday 28th March
7.30pm

Multi-award winning saxophonist Krzysztof Urbanski brings his newest project, Urban Jazz Society to Heart this Saturday (28th March).

Described as one of the best in his generation by the Thelonious Monk Jazz Institute, Urbanski has made the North of England his home recently and has teamed up with 4 UK musicians to perform his original music which pulls in elements from hip-hop, R&B and jazz.

Krzysztof is joined by Stuart McCallum on guitar, Ashley Henry on piano, Sam Gardner on drums and Sam Vicary on bass.

For more information and to hear tracks from their debut recording, see Krzysztof Urbanski's website.

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!

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.