One Day Jazz Vocal Workshop with Nicki Allan, September 10th

Well loved jazz singer Nicki Allan has announced that she will host a one day jazz vocal workshop on September 10th at Inkwell in Chapel Allerton, Leeds.

Nicki says...

Would you like to learn to Scat Sing or do an intrumental solo with your voice but don't have the confidence or ability quite just yet? Then this could be for you..I'm running a Jazz Vocal Improvisation and Repertoire workshop to cover all of that stuff from simple, effective warm ups, modes and phrases to help you get going plus lots of interactive singing and scatting and an afternoon session putting it all together with repertoire and how to connect with lyrics with our live house jazz trio plus light lunch and all day refreshments are included in the price for just £75 for the whole day. 


To book a place simply email me, Nicki Allan at allannicki@hotmail.com or call 07905 482615 or better still, both.
Places are limited because this is an intimate workshop not a huge crowd. Everyone gets a go and gets to take part.

As Nicki says, space will be limited so if you're interested, book soon. To find out more about Nicki, visit her website - www.nickiallan.com.

Jazz on a Summer's Day in Chapel Allerton, June 10th

To celebrate (or perhaps to encourage) the lovely weather, Chapel Allerton Club are putting on a full day event, Jazz on a Summer's Day this Saturday, June 10th.

Starting at 1pm and free to attend, the day will include performances by Brendan Duffy, Nicki Allan, Ros Lewis and Marlena Rose.

See the poster below for full details!

Gig Preview: Nerija at Seven Arts

On Thursday 3rd November, Seven Jazz in Leeds presents one of the most talked about emerging ensembles in the UK - all-female group Nerija.

Recently nominated for Breakthrough Act of the Year 2016 at the JazzFM awards, Nerija are a group of London-based musicians that met through Tomorrow's Warriors. Since forming, they have toured together in the UK and Europe and have opened for Jazz Jamaica at Ronnie Scott's. Most recently, they released their debut EP, available on Bandcamp.

Nérija have their debut album out now, and it is well worth checking out. Comprised of young stars on the rise, they combine high energy with powerful talent and impressive jazz chops. Listen out for trumpeter Sheila Maurice-Grey and saxophonist Nubya Garcia in particular -  Jazzwise Nov 2016

Sheila Maurice-Grey - trumpet
Rosie Turton - trombone
Cassie Kinoshi - alto
Nubya Garcia - tenor
Shirley Tetteh - guitar
Inga Eichler - double bass
Lizy Exel - drums

The gig starts at 8pm and tickets cost £16/14 concessions. Support comes from Leeds vocalist Nel Begley.

To find out more about this and the other gigs lined up at Seven, visit the Seven Jazz website. 

Rommi Smith - Jazz and Poetry at Seven Arts, September 2nd

Jazz and Poetry are two artforms that have history together. Don't just take my word for it, read this NPR piece from 2014 that highlights five examples of albums where jazz and poetry meet - from Steve Swallow's long term collaboration with poet Robert Creeley to the setting of Elizabeth Bishop's verse by pianist Jeremy Siskind.

Rommi Smith is a perfect example; a poet, jazz singer and writer, she has written many works about jazz and can be seen performing with jazz musicians including Laura Cole and Jenni Molloy. On September 2nd, she teams up with pianist Dave Evans and bassist Kenny Higgins to perform these works at Seven Arts in Leeds. As if that wasn't enough, she will bne supported by Dave Evan's newest big band initiave (which we wrote about recently here).

Tickets for the event cost £10/8 and can be purchased through the Ticket Source website. Rommi will also be holding a workshop talk about her poetry before the gig which is free to all ticket holders.

Dave Evans leads brand new Festival Band for Chapel Allerton Village Jazz Festival

Dave Evans is putting together a brand new big band to perform twice during the Chapel Allerton Village Jazz Festival.

The idea behind the group is to bring together community musicians - local musicians who play instruments but may not perform regularly with a band. Between now and the performances (2nd and 3rd of September) Dave will work with the band six times to show how quickly a band can come together and perform.

The band have already had one rehearsal but if you're keen to be involved, email Dave at  evansdj01@hotmail.co.uk and see if there's a space to join in the fun. There will be sessions on August 4th, 25th August, 2nd September and more sessions will be announced.

The performances will take place on Friday 2nd September at Seven Arts (8pm) and then on Saturday 3rd September in Regent Street (4.30pm).

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.