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.

Gig Preview: Zhenya Strigalev's Smiling Organizm, Sela Bar

                                                   Zhenya Strigalev (photo: Angus Forbes)

Guitarist and promoter Nik Svarc has announced a special gig scheduled for November 24th at Sela Bar in Leeds which will feature a host of internationally renowned musicians.

Zhenya Strigalev's Smiling Organizm has performed across the UK and internationally in recent years as well as recording an album (self-titled). The line-up of the group has changed a number of times but what has remained consistent is the level of world-class musicianship showcased in the group.

The band have performed at Sela Bar previously with US drummer Eric Harland and this time the line-up includes trumpeter Alex Sipiagin, Eric Harland, Mike Janisch, Liam Noble and Linley Marthe.

This gig is sure to sell-out so keep an eye on the Jazz Jam at Sela facebook page for news on buying tickets as well as their other gigs coming up this autumn.