Showing posts with label London. Show all posts
Showing posts with label London. Show all posts

Thursday, 27 October 2016

NYJO are recruiting for 2017


The National Youth Jazz Orchestra is recruiting for 2017 and are on the lookout for talented instrumentalist aged 24 and under from across the UK.

From the NYJO website...

You will work with NYJO’s Artistic and Music Director Mark Armstrong, performing an eclectic repertoire of new music and classics from the big band canon, giving inspiring concerts around the country and also be involved in delivering NYJO’s learning and participation programme. Successful applicants normally hold their position in the band for at least one year.
Recent NYJO highlights include performances at the EFG London Jazz Festival, a major European tour with the German and Dutch National Youth Jazz Orchestras, an annual residency at Ronnie Scott’s, recording a celebrated 50th anniversary double-album ‘NYJO FIFTY’, and a landmark collaboration at the Barbican with Jazz at Lincoln Center.

“We are looking forward to auditioning potential new NYJO chair holders in January. Although an audition is a short amount of time to gauge a player’s potential, their choice of material and ability to play it, combined with sight-reading, gives a good indication of how they might fit in the band. For some really important chairs, a trial period may be needed to ensure the right person fills the role.”
“Although we rehearse in London every Saturday morning, through our partnership with Help Musicians we have the funds to help pay travel expenses to any players based away from London, should they be invited to attend regular rehearsals. Even if you are not successful in becoming a chair holder with the band, it is possible that you will be asked to be an ‘authorised deputy’ which means doing some gigs with the band, provided you can attend some rehearsals. We’re excited about hearing you play!”
Mark Armstrong, NYJO’s Artistic and Music Director 

Auditions will take place in London on January 7th and in Manchester on January 8th. Applications will be accepted until November 14th 2016.
For full infomation, see the NYJO website.

Wednesday, 18 May 2016

Efpi Festival in London, June 25th



Manchester record label Efpi will run an evening of music at King's Place in London on June 25th, showcasing three of the ensembles they represent.

The evening will celebrate two of the latest releases on the label - Johnny Hunter Quartet's While We Still Can (which will be officially launched at the event) and Let Spin's Let Go. Joining these two ensembles, award-winning Beats & Pieces will round off the event.

From the King's Place website -

A big band for modern times’, Beats & Pieces regularly perform across the UK and Europe to consistent audience and critical acclaim. The release last year of their second album All In reaffirmed their reputation as one of the most original large ensembles around, and anyone who has experienced one of their gigs before will attest to their high-energy live show.

Let Spin brings together members of Beats & Pieces, Melt Yourself Down and Led Bib, and is a band brimming with confidence, effortlessly switching between thrashy punk, wistful reflection and complex yet engaging improvisation.

Drummer and composer Johnny Hunter’s quartet explores the freedoms and challenges presented by the absence of a harmony instrument, drawing on the piano-less groups of Sonny Rollins, Dave Douglas and Jim Black amongst others.

Tickets for the event cost £19.50 and can be bought from the King's Place website.

Thursday, 28 January 2016

Artist Submissions welcome for the first LUME Festival


Cath Roberts and Dee Byrne are champions of original, improvised music and their work with LUME has been praised across the country. Their programming is full of surprises and the team are at the forefront of the wave of musicians now involved in promoting jazz and improvised music.

This year, they have announced that they will round of their season of gigs with the first ever LUME Festival. The one day event will take place on 26th June at I’klectik Artlab near Waterloo in London and they have issued a call out for musicians and groups who want to be a part of it.

As part of programming this, we’re putting the call out for submissions. Bands, soloists, new collaborations: we’d like to hear from you. These are the things we’re looking for:

Original music. To us this means new music composed by the musicians who are playing.
Improvised music. We are also into spontaneous composition! Totally improvised music created in the moment. If your project fits into one or both of those categories then we want to know about it.

There is an online submission form for the interested musicians on the LUME website and submissions will be accepted until 5pm on February 12th.

Thursday, 11 June 2015

JazzFM Award Winners Announced

                                                   Zara McFarlane - winner of Vocalist of the Year

The winners of the 2015 JazzFM Awards were announced at Vinopolis in London last night, including categories voted on by the public and those decided by a judging panel. Congratulations to all the winners, especially to Manchester's Gogo Penguin who scooped the UK Jazz Act of the Year.

Winners:

Instrumentalist of the Year - Shabaka Hutchings
Vocalist of the Year - Zara McFarlane
Breakthrough Act - Bill Laurance
Jazz Innovation - Jason Moran
International Jazz Act - Gregory Porter
Blues Artist - Dr John
Soul Artist - Jarrod Lawson
Lifetime Achievement Award - Hugh Masekela
UK Jazz Act of the Year - Gogo Penguin (PUBLIC VOTE)
Live Experience of the Year - Loose Tubes at Cheltenham Jazz Festival (PUBLIC VOTE)
Album of the Year - Dianne Reeves 'Beautiful Life' (PUBLIC VOTE)

Thursday, 28 May 2015

Talk Jazz with BASCA...

                                                             BASCA's Jazz Exec Committee

On June 15th, BASCA will host a free event open to jazz composers, musicians and promoters to discuss professional needs and ambitions and how BASCA would be best placed to move forward with their work.

BASCA is totally committed to establishing and maintaining a support network for jazz composers, songwriters, arrangers and lyricists and is keen to regularly host events such as this so we can collectively discuss and offer support for professional concerns, issues and ambitions (Vick Bain: CEO)

With this in mind, we are hosting a forum for jazz composers to collectively discuss professional concerns, needs and ambitions and how we might collectively address, canvas and facilitate them (after an initial welcome from the Chair and brief introductions from the committee) before adjourning to a more sociable drinks reception.

The event takes place at King’s College (Nash Theatre), Strand, London WC2R 2LS and runs from 6pm until 9.30pm. It is free to attend but sign-up is required.

Sign-up at the BASCA website.

Thursday, 12 March 2015

APPJAG Jazz Awards 2015 Winners Announced

                                Photo Credit: Hayley Madden


The APPJAG Jazz Awards ceremony took place earlier this week, seeing LCoM alumnus Phil Meadows pick up the Jazz Ensemble of the Year award for his 23-piece crossover orchestra, The Engines Orchestra. Congratulations to Phil and all the other winners!

Winners:

Vocalist of the Year - Norma Winstone MBE
Instrumentalist of the Year - Laura Jurd
Album of the Year - Partisans 'Swamp'
Newcomer of the Year - Peter Edwards
Venue of the Year - St Ives Jazz Club
Media Award - LondonJazzNews
Education Award - NYJO
Services to Jazz Award - Chris Hodgkins
Ensemble of the Year - Engines Orchestra
Special Award - Peter Ind

Wednesday, 4 March 2015

JazzFM Awards 2015






This year's JazzFM awards will take place in London on Wednesday 10th June at Vinopolis, London Bridge.

This will be 3rd JazzFM and marks 25 years of JazzFM. The winners of awards in 11 categories (including jazz innovation of the year, breakout act of the year and international jazz act of the year amongst the usual fare) will be announced at the event, as well as a performance by Hugh Masekela who will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award.

More details can be found here - JazzFMawards.com

Friday, 19 December 2014

Durham University Big Band at Pizza Express, February 15th


Durham University Big Band are set to appear at London's Pizza Express on February 15th following a successful appearance there earlier this year.

This event will also feature the winning composition of the Durham Distillery Composition Prize, which was judged by Pete Churchill and Stan Sulzmann.

The band has produced many professional jazz musicians, many of whom have gone on to study and work on the London jazz scene.

The band are -

Tenor: Duncan Walker, Matt McKernan
Alto: Dan Garel, Felicity Evans
Bari: Naomi Tansey
Trombone: Chris Jones, Nat Jackson, Josh Harper, Luke Bentley
Trumpet: Sam Clark, Noah Lawrence, Rasmus Borowski, Charles Price
Keys: Matthew Jacobs
Guitar: Ollie Farley
Bass: Jonathan Berry
Drums: Tristan Bacon
Percussion: Maddie Ridout
Vocals: Will Lavelle, Laura Paul


For more information and details on how to book tickets to the event, see the Pizza Express website.