Moving forwards sharing news

Jazz North would like to thank Kim Macari for her dedication and commitment running the Northern Jazz News blog over the past 5 years.  Jazz North has supported this enterprise from the outset as a service for the northern jazz community.

Moving forwards we will be continuing this service by sharing news about the northern jazz scene via the jazznorth.org website and social media.

http://www.jazznorth.org/category/news/other-news/


If you have news you would like to share please get in touch via the contact form on jazznorth.org 

New from Discus - See One, Do One, Teach One

Martin Archer's label Discus Music released their 64th album on August 1st as the third in a series of quartet releases featuring new combinations of musicians from the Discus family.

Deep Tide Quartet features Martin Archer on tenor sax, Kim Macari on trumpet, Laura Cole on piano and Walt Shaw on percussion & live electronics.

Open ended jazz playing with no stylistic limits – written scores, graphic scores, improvisation – improvisation which is inclusive of melody and structure – whatever we feel like playing – plenty of space for the music to develop its direction – concentrated and careful listening - ultimately rooted in, and building on the tradition of, pure jazz skill no matter where the music takes us.

Though originally conceived as a recording project, the band quickly decided to work together and take the band out live. Their debut was at The Verdict in Brighton in July and dates are confirmed in Liverpool, Birmingham, Sheffield and Bristol in the coming months. 

For more information and to listen to/buy the album, visit the Discus Music website.

NYJC comes to Yorkshire

In the recent Arts Council England announcement, the National Youth Jazz Collective was was pleased to be announced as one of the organisations to remain an NPO (national portfolio organisation), meaning their funding is secured until 2022.

Following that good news, NYJC have announced that they will be extending their Workshops to five new locations in addition to London and Hampshire; Essex, Bedfordshire, Bristol, Leicester and South Yorkshire.

In each of these locations, 6 full day workshops will take place between October and June. The sessions will be run by professional jazz musicians with each small group working together as a band throughout the year. Musicians will work on improvising, learning new tunes, creative leadership skills and more. Each session culminates in an evening concert, allowing each group to showcase what they've worked on. The faculty of tutors includes some of the UK's finest improvising musicians including Nikki Yeoh, Tom Hewson, Issie Barratt, Kim Macari, Tori Freestone and more.

Musicians of all instruments aged between 8 and 18 are welcome and sessions are tailored for all abilities.

To find out more, visit the National Youth Jazz Collective website.

Family Band UK Tour kicks off at Wakefield Jazz, February 24th

Fiery quartet Family Band have announced a tour stretching from Newcastle to London which commences this Friday, 24th February.

2016 saw the band selected for the Jazz North Northern Line initiative, receive BBC radio play and record their first full length album. Now as 2017 gets started, they will perform a number of live performances showcasing material from their upcoming album as well as newly composed works.

This is a superb, freewheeling band composed of four long-time musical collaborators and friends.    Rooted in the music of Ornette Coleman and the 1960’s avant-garde, Family Band play powerful music – moments of fierce intensity, a tender spirituality and the blues combine to form an emotionally complex and cathartic whole that rarely fails to move.   They are currently preparing a second CD of music recorded live at the Manchester Jazz Festival at a terrific and well-received gig.
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“What a revelation – exciting group, gradually revealing more and more depth and thrilling the audience to the very end” – Blow The Fuse, The Vortex

Tour Dates

Friday 24th February - Wakefield Jazz
Monday 27th February - The Wonder Inn, Manchester
Wednesday 1st March - The Lescar, Sheffield
Friday 17th March - The Jazz Cafe, Newcastle
March 27th March - Jazz in the Round at The Cockpit, London
Friday 7th April - JATP, Bradford

NJN Jazz Advent Calendar - Family Band (Dec 13th)

With only 12 days to go until good old Santy Claus gets to work and besides the elves at the North Pole, behind door number 13 there are four little jazz elves working hard - Family Band.

Currently preparing to release an album on BUG Records in early 2017, check out this video of the band by Maria Alzamora of Tom Riviere's composition Mao 2 - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VkiSpgAr5uE

Rooted in the music of Ornette Coleman and the 1960’s avant-garde, Family Band play powerful and freewheeling music – moments of fierce intensity, a tender spirituality and the blues combine to form an emotionally complex and cathartic whole that rarely fails to move. Comprised of four long-time musical collaborators and friends, the group recently released their eponymous debut album and are in the process of preparing their second release, an album of live material recorded at Manchester Jazz Festival.

“What a revelation – exciting group, gradually revealing more and more depth and thrilling the audience to the very end” – Blow The Fuse, The Vortex

“A band who aren’t afraid of the jazz tradition” – Jez Nelson, Jazz On 3

Trumpet – Kim Macari
Tenor Saxophone – Riley Stone-Lonergan
Double Bass – Tom Rivière
Drums – Steve Hanley

Buy their first EP here - https://bringlulu.bandcamp.com/album/family-band?from=embed

Take Five edition XII participants announced

Serious have announced the latest edition of Take Five, their development programme that supports exceptional musicians,

The Take Five initiative is aimed at British and UK based composer-performers and is designed to give some of the UK’s most talented emerging creative jazz musicians the opportunity to take ‘time out’ to develop their craft, build their careers and get their music out into the world.

Serious developed this scheme in 2004, in partnership with the Jerwood Charitable Foundation and PRS for Music Foundation, and has gone on to produce ten more successful editions, involving 80 musicians aged under 35. From Edition V onwards, additional funding has been received from Arts Council England and Help Musicians UK.

Take Five Edition VII is

Corrie Dick (Drums)

Duncan Eagles (Saxophone)

Kim Macari (Trumpet)

Paul Edis (Piano)

Olie Brice (Double Bass)

Rebecca Nash (Piano)

Richard Foote (Trombone)

Shirley Tetteh (Guitar)

For more information, visit the Serious website.

Gilad Hekselman Trio comes to Leeds, November 9th

One of the most highly regarded jazz guitars in the world will play a one-off performance in Leeds on November 9th as well as a masterclass at Leeds College of Music.

Gilad Hekselman moved from his native Israel to New York in 2004 and has earned his place at the top of his field working with musicians like Mark Turner, Chris Potter, Ari Hoenig, Avishai Cohen and more. To date he has released 5 albums as leader, his latest being Homes in 2015.

... possessing a distinctive lyricism and easily embraceable artfulness that seems to reach beyond his years... Hekselman has a pristine, crystalline sound and a bright playing style that seems as natural and sustaining as air and water... Imagine a brightly lit day, sunlight on water - you are there. If Monet’s waterlily studies were music this could be it... with a quiet assertiveness and expertise that is winning throughout... - Laurel Gross, All About Jazz

Gilad comes to Leeds with his trio featuring double bassist Joe Martin and drummer Kush Abadey. The gig takes place at Wharf Chambers and is hosted by Kim Macari's Apollo Jazz Network in collaboration with bassist and Sela Bar jazz promoter Tom Riviere. 

Tickets are priced at £10 and can be bought online through Ticket Tailor. Tickets are selling incredibly fast and are limited so people are advised to book early to avoid disappointment.

For more on Gilad, visit his website.

Jazz Line-Up explores UK hotspots for jazz talent

                                                                      Reuben Fowler

Aside from the cities home to jazz degree courses, there are many small towns and cities that can boast large numbers of their residents (or former residents) becoming professional jazz musicians. This can often be traced back to the passion of a single music teacher or the work of a youth jazz initiative to encourage enthusiasm for the art-form in seemingly unlikely places (including the North's very own Wakefield!)

BBC Radio asked Sebastian Scotney to explore four of these hotspots for a segment on their weekly Jazz Line-Up show which airs this Saturday 6th February at 5pm.  

 Two musicians from each of the four locations were interviewed and invited to discuss their reflections on jazz education. The segment will be interspersed with music from each participant.

Reuben Fowler and Matt Robinson represent Wakefield and are joined by Alton's Laura Jurd and Gwyneth Herbert, Norwich's George Crowley and Kit Downes and Dunfermline's Calum Gourlay and Kim Macari.

You can find the programme on the BBC website and it will be available live and for a time on Catch-Up. 

Family Band Album Launch in Leeds, November 1st

Family Band, a chord-less quartet led by bassist Tom Riviere and featuring Riley Stone-Lonergan, Kim Macari and Steve Hanley, will release their first album at a launch concert at Seven Jazz on Sunday November 1st.

The album features predominantly original material and will be available through Bandcamp on a Pay-What-You-Feel basis.

Tom says...

In short, I want to stop thinking when I improvise. Sometimes when I’m on stage I experience moments in which it is as if I’m an outside observer listening to myself and the band play. This is a very satisfying feeling – much more enjoyable than the analytical state of mind I often fall into whilst performing – and I’d like to experience it more often. To that end, it made sense to me to put together a project loosely inspired by the aforementioned groups (Ornette Coleman and Coltrane) as the more open structures that they often favour lend themselves to what it is that I seek: music that I can feel – rather than think – my way through.

The launch gig will be part of Seven's Unplugged series which allows audiences and musicians to connect by using the 'in the round' format. Family Band will also premiere a whole set of newly written music at the gig.

Follow this link to hear a track from the release, Bring Lulu.

Leeds Fold Studio Party, October 29th

Recently, a group of jazz musicians in Leeds took over a rehearsal and recording studio. Their aim is to use the space as a hub for creative and improvised music in the North and to provide affordable rehearsal and recording facilities. Spearheaded by composer James Hamilton, Leeds Fold also includes musicians Kim Macari, Will Howard, Jamil Sheriff, Sam Quintana and Kathy Dyson.

Leeds Fold have operated for a few months already, but on October 29th the doors will be opened to all for a party to celebrate the space. There will be a set by the Leeds Fold musicians, a recording of an original christmas song written by vocal outfit the Honeybirds (and mass handbell choir led by James!) and a jam until the early hours.

Attendees can register their place online for free and attendance is on a Pay-What-You-Feel basis at the door (all funds go into the running of the studio). Places are limited so be quick!

For more information on the space, visit the Leeds Fold website or read this article written by Apollo Jazz Network.

Rothwell Jazz Festival

Musician and promoter James Robinson is hosting a two-day jazz festival at The Hare and Hounds in Rothwell.

Each evening will feature three musicians, showcased in one-hour sets performing with a house band led by James Robinson. Both nights are free entry and more information can be found on the Rothwell Jazz Festival facebook event page.


Monday

7pm - Lee Hallam
8.30pm - Laurie Briggs
10pm - Jim Corry

Tuesday

7pm - Kim Macari
8.30pm - Kate Peters
10pm - Joel Purnell

Hare and Hounds, Commercial Street, Wakefield, LS26 0QD

Gig Preview: Yorkshire Jazz Suite, Seven Arts June 29th

Seven Arts
Sunday 29th June
1pm-6pm
£7/5 (advance purchase is advised)

An afternoon of Jazz is being hosted by Seven Jazz and Jazz Yorkshire as part of Le Grand Depart Fringe Festival, featuring a showcase of Northern Jazz talent.

James Hamilton (Big Band) - Following on from a commission project run by Jazz Yorkshire, James Hamilton will conduct the Doncaster Jazz Orchestra through the premiere of his new work, the Yorkshire Jazz Suite. The suite is described as an hour long take on the Yorkshire landscape and people, with musical influences ranging from Duke Ellington to Kenny Wheeler.

Matt Bourne (Solo Piano) - Pianist and composer Matt Bourne has won countless awards including the Perrier Jazz Award and a BBC Jazz Award for Innovation. His contribution to the UK jazz scene is almost unrivaled and his set will showcase his solo piano talents.

Kim Macari (Sextet) - Since receiving a commission from Seven Jazz in 2011, Kim has gone on to win an Emerging Excellence Award in 2013, study with Ingrid Jensen and Ralph Alessi and tour her transatlantic group LOCUS. In her set, she will be joined by LOCUS bandmates Riley Stone-Lonergan, Sam Leak and special guest from NYC, Leah Gough-Cooper as well as Tom Riviere and Steve Hanley.

Al Wood - Multi-instrumentalist Al Wood has had a profilic career, spending time in the Maynard Ferguson Big Band, running countless groups and working as Deputy Head of Jazz at Leeds College of Music.

Tickets for the event can be booked HERE and booking is advised as it is likely to sell out.

North well represented in Emerging Excellence Awards

  

Saxophonist James Mainwaring, trumpeter Kim Macari and pianist John Escreet have been announced as recipients of Musicians Benevolent Fund's Emerging Excellence Awards. Twenty-five top young musicians from all genres of music received awards, with all 3 jazz musicians hailing from The North.

MBF (soon be rebranded as Help Musicians UK) describe the scheme as

supporting emerging artists who demonstrate musical excellence and are already achieving significant impact in their field to fund an important development opportunity, project or programme that has lasting impact on their career.

Saxophonist James Mainwaring plans to use his Award to enable him to host a creative residency for his quartet, while Kim will travel to New York to study with Ingrid Jensen, record original material at an NYC studio and start work on setting up US/UK gig exchanges through Apollo Jazz Network.

For full details of the Awards, see the Musicians Benevolent Fund Press Release.