Gig Preview: First Ladies of Swing with Clare Teal & Guy Barker, GIJF March 31st

2017 seems to be filled with important jazz dates, not least the centenary of vocalist and civil rights activist Lena Horne.

As part of the Gateshead International Jazz Festival, vocalist & BBC Radio 2 presenter Clare Teal will celebrate Lena's life as part of her First Ladies of Swing concert.

Joined by her Hollywood Orchestra led by Guy Barker, Teal will perform songs from the Great American Songbook made famous by Ella Fitzgerald, Nancy Wilson, Nina Simone, Peggy Lee and of course, Lena Horne.

Trumpeter guy Barker played with Horne for 3 months in 1985 at the Adelphi Theatre in London.

At the heart of this programme are three specially commissioned pieces. Guy Barker has been asked to re-imagine three classics associated with Lena Horne to be performed for the first time at Gateshead International Jazz Festival.  The chosen songs are Stormy Weather, which was Lena Horne’s signature tune, Something to Live For, written by Billy Strayhorn and which Lena often performed, and the ever popular Singin’ in the Rain, which Clare Teal will interpret in her own unique style.

For more information on this, and the rest of the GIJF programme visit the Sage Gateshead website.

Misha Mengelberg Photo Exhibiton at Sage Gateshead, March 14th - April 14th

News is spreading throughout the global community of jazz and improvised music of the death of influential musician and composer Misha Mengelberg who died in Amsterdam today aged 81.

A co-founder of the Instant Composer Pool Orchestra, Mengelberg's life is being celebrated at the Sage Gateshead in a month-long photography exhibition which features images from both Dutch and international photographers.

Mengelberg's career stretched over many decades and he collaborated with the likes of Derek Bailey, Han Bennink, Peter Brotzmann, Evan Parker and Anthony Braxton.

The ICP Orchestra will also perform live at the Sage on April 1st as part of the Gateshead International Jazz Festival.

For more information, see Mengelberg's wikipedia page and the Sage Gateshead website.

Gig Preview: NYJO 'Three Nations Under One Groove' at Sage Gateshead, April 1st

The National Youth Jazz Orchestra has set up a three date tour in collaboration with two visiting international youth jazz orchestras, including one date in the North as part of the Gateshead International Jazz Festival on April 1st.

After a number of successful collaborations with Germany's BuJazzO and the Dutch Nationaal Jeugd Jazz Orkest, they have put together these three special performances featuring all three ensembles which are sure to be unforgettable gigs!

NYJO MD Mark Armstrong says

The whole concept for “Three Nations Under One Groove” is to demonstrate that jazz is a universal language spoken by young musicians across Europe, with the variety of colours and “jazz dialects” used by all three nations coming together to add nuance and conversation to the repertoire we play.

One key element was that although all three groups brought their own repertoire and players, we would perform as mixed groups rather than separately as NYJO, BuJazzO and NJJO. The music ranged from NYJO’s eclectic mix of arrangements and commissions, original compositions by the NJJO director Martin Fondse, the epic Cuban Fire by Johnny Richards for Stan Kenton, and a “jazz concerto grosso” for big band and small solo group specially written for the project.

Tickets for the Gateshead performance cost £15 and can be bought through the Sage Gateshead website.

For more information, visit the NYJO website.

Gateshead International Jazz Festival 2017 - Programme Announced

You might be looking forward to settling in for your festive break, but for some the hard work never stops. The programme for the 2017 Gateshead International Jazz Festival has been announced this week so it's time to get your diary and start thinking about what you'll be seeing between 31st March and 2nd April. Here's just a few highlights to whet your appetite - we'll take a more in-depth look at the programme in early 2017...

Fresh from their large scale gig at this year's EFG London Jazz Festival, Laura Jurd and her group Dinosaur will be perform at the Sage joined by tuba player Daniel Herskedal's trio.

Stalwart of the European jazz scene, trumpeter Thomasz Stanko, is famed for his ability to bring together exciting musicians from across the world to perform with. He doesn't disappoint this time, as he is joined by the Finnish pianist Alexi Tuomarila and two US jazz giants, Gerald Cleaver and Reuben Rogers.

If you like your jazz to have some vocals, definitely don't miss Clare Teal as she appears with 17 piece Hollywood Orchestra led by Guy Barker.

Saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings will pay homage to the music of South Africa when he is joined by some of the best young South African musicians.

That's just the tip of the iceberg so visit the Sage website to find out more and stay tuned for a more comprehensive festival preview from us soon.

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. 

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.

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!)

 

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.

MALIJA come to the North in March & April

UK jazz supergroup MALIJA are scheduled to play a number of Northern dates in the coming week, playing material from their newest album, The Day I Had Everything (out on Edition Records). The album has been very well received since it was released in late 2015.

Mark Lockheart, Liam Noble and Jasper Hoiby are all hugely respected in their own right, and this trio which formed in 2014 after an invitation to perform at Rochester Jazz Festival in New York, is fast becoming one of the country's best loved ensembles.

From the Edition Records website...

Featuring original material by all three members, the trio’s diverse influences include bluegrass, tango and old-fashion jungle grooves. It’s hard to describe this music but perhaps Jasper put it brilliantly when he described the trio’s music as “weird, simple, complicated, free, tight, floaty, ugly, beautiful and heartfelt depending on your mood”.

MALIJA will perform at Seven Jazz in Leeds on Thursday 31st March, at the Crucible Studio as part of the Sheffield Jazz programme on Friday 1st April, at NCEM in York on Sunday April 3rd and finally at the Gateshead International Jazz Festival on Sunday 17th April.

For more information, visit the Edition Records website.

NJ Advent Calendar - Spring Festivals (December 11th)

As the wind howls and days get ever colder, let's open door number 11 and look at all of the jazz festivals we can look forward to in spring...


Gateshead International Jazz Festival (early/mid April)

Starting off the festival season is Gateshead's annual weekend festival at the Sage. This festival is run by Ros Rigby and her team and is produced by Serious so expect big name acts from the UK and abroad. The line-up for 2016 has already been announced and will feature performances from Gregory Porter, Evan Parker and a special large scale performance by Phil Meadows' Engines Orchestra and the Northern Sinfonia, amongst many others. Everything takes place under one roof too, which is pretty handy.

Darlington Jazz Festival (late April)

Running over a long weekend, this festival presents performances across Darlington. There's a strong focus on Northern artists and last year they had acts like Durham Alumni Big Band, Al Wood, Matt Roberts and Jamil Sheriff. There's a great tradition of jazz education and big band playing in this area and it's reflected in the festival programming.

Ribble Valley Jazz & Blues Festival (Bank Holiday weekend, May)

A 5 Day Jazz Festival with over 40 bands, 350 musicians, a blues stage, a soul stage, lots of free music in pubs, a picnic in the park and a Saturday Street Party - what better way to spend your bank holiday monday. Geoff Jackson and his team run this festival annually and are always looking for volunteers (see the website) to help out. 2016's programme includes headliners like Ben Crosland, Ray Gelato and Courtney Pine.

Keswick Jazz Festival (mid May)

Set in the picturesque Lake District, this festival is a celebration of traditional, New Orleans and Mainstream jazz. The programme showcases a wealth of UK talent and as well as many live performances, there are also talks and dance classes. Expect artists like Roy Williams, Enrico Tomasso, Keith Nichols and The Basin Street Brawlers.

Line-Up Revealed for 2016 Gateshead International Jazz Festival

The first batch of artists in the line-up for next year's Gateshead International Jazz Festival has been released this week. The festival will run from 15th-17th April next year, now in its 12th year programmed by The Sage and Serious.

Tickets go on sale on Friday 27th November, either through the website or by calling the box office on 0191 443 4661 and there's a Multi-Buy offer that gives a discount to those buying tickets to more than one gig during the festival.

There's a strong international presence in the festival. Vocalist Gregory Porter is back after his sell-out appearance last year. Trumpeter Terence Blanchard brings his quintet E-Collective and speaking of trumpeters, Ibrahim Maalouf premieres music from his new album Red and Black Light AND France's Airelle Besson is in duo with Nelson Veras. There's also Charles Barkley, and two American piano exports - Kris Bowers and Michel Reis.

Closer to home, there's a wide selection of British jazz offerings. Fans of vocal jazz will be pleased to see Liane Carroll featured in the programme. Courtney Pine and Zoe Rahman bring their duo playing music from Song (A Ballad Book). There's a solo performance from Evan Parker and John Surman pairs up with the Alexander Hawkins Trio. Preceding a showing of the Tubby Hayes film, Tubby Hayes; A Man In A Hurry, Simon Spillett will perform his tribute to the late saxophonist. Finally, Arun Ghosh will appear and LCoM graduate Phil Meadows appears with the Royal Northern Sinfonia and Jambone in a large-scale performance of Lifecycles.

Festival Preview: Gateshead International Jazz Festival

The 11th Gateshead International Jazz Festival will take place at the Sage between 10th and 12th April. The programme displays a wide variety of jazz both from the UK and abroad and there will be seminars and workshops running throughout the weekend, too. Full details of the programme are on the Sage website, but below are the NJN team's highlights...

Friday 10th April

11am - Take The Green Train (A seminar of sustainability in Music by Europe Jazz Network & Julia's Bicycle)
6.30pm - New York Brass Band
7.30pm - Under Milk Wood (50th Anniversary performance with pre-concert talk by Bobby Wellins & Clark Tracey at 6.30pm)

Saturday 11th April

2pm - PlayJazz! workshop with Iain Ballamy
7.45pm - Double Bill: Zoe Gilby's Pannonica & Alice Zawadski Quintet
10.45pm - Beats & Pieces

Sunday 12th April

3pm - What's The Score? Exploring free improvisation with Cath Roberts & Rachel Musson
6.30pm - Jambone and Beats & Pieces

The Spring Quartet and Herskedal/Neset at Gateshead International Jazz Festival, 05/04/14

On the Saturday night of this year’s Gateshead International Jazz Festival was the performance by The Spring Quartet; a concert that was regarded by many to be the headline attraction of the weekend. This ensemble is something of a supergroup, featuring the stellar line-up of Joe Lovano, Esperanza Spalding and Leo Genovese under the leadership of the legendary Jack DeJohnette, and their photographs could be seen on posters, leaflets and programmes throughout the festival, further increasing the hype and excitement gathering around this performance.