Volunteer at this year's Marsden Jazz Festival

Set in beautiful surroundings, the Marsden Jazz Festival takes over a village each October and fills it with jazz from mainstream to cutting edge in venues indoors and out. Each year, they run a programme packed full of performances ranging from youth ensembles from the local area to internationally recognised artists.

The festival team have put a call out to recruit volunteers to help run the festival. They have a very simple form to fill in and have a range of jobs on offer.

To find out more, visit the Marsden Jazz Festival website.

Marsden Jazz Festival sets a new generation of musicians on their way

Marsden Jazz Festival have done their bit to support the next generation of musicians with a donation of recorders to Marsden Junior School.

Marsden Jazz Festival takes place each October and this year celebrated their 25th birthday. With a real community atmosphere, the festival spills out into the streets and involves not only nationally and internationally renowned artists but also community music groups and youth ensembles.

In a recent press release, Director Barney Stevenson said

“We had a fantastic festival this year and wanted to do something to help inspire local children to become our headline performers of the future. Many of the children who first visited the festival with their families have gone on to play in school bands on our outdoor stages, and some have even returned years later as professional jazz artists. 

The staff and children at Marsden Junior School are always really supportive of the festival, and this year allowed us to use the playground for parking. We’re really pleased we’ve been able to donate the recorders which we hope will be used by children for years to come to get their first taste of performing music.”

Well done to Barney and the team for continuing to contribute to Marsden all year round. We look forward to their 26th festival next October...perhaps with a record choir this time?

For more information, visit the Marsden Jazz Festival website.

Wandering Monster announced as latest Jazz North Introduces recipients

Leeds based ensemble Wandering Monster have been announced today as the latest beneficiaries of the Jazz North Introduces scheme to support emerging jazz talent in the region.

The group, led by double bassist Sam Quintana, will perform at a number of high profile jazz festivals as part of the Introduces initiative, as well as receiving mentoring from one of the UK's leading jazz musicians and help with developing strong promotional materials like photographs and video footage.

Sam Quintana says

“I am thrilled that Wandering Monster have been awarded this opportunity. Since the band's formation two years ago we have developed a set of original material which I am really excited to showcase at some of the UK's best jazz festivals. Thanks to the scheme we will be performing to audiences who would otherwise never get to hear about Wandering Monster or listen to our music”.

Jazz North's Nigel Slee says

“We believe it is vital to help and support the next generation of jazz artists. Wandering Monster are an example of the exciting and diverse music that is being created by young musicians in the UK today. Thanks to our festival partners we can make sure their music is shared with audiences across the North”.

A junor award was also given to Muskrat Ramble. Aged between 12 and 16, Muskrat Ramble were the youngest applicants and impressed the panel with their enthusiasm and potential. They will be given mentoring sessions to develop their music.

Wandering Monster will appear first at Lancaster Jazz Festival on September 17th, followed by Marsden Jazz Festival on October 8th as well as performances at Liverpool Jazz Festival, Scarborough Jazz Festival and more later in the year.

To find out more about Wandering Monster and the JNI scheme, visit the Jazz North website.

Orpheus Project presents: Ellery Eskelin Trio UK Tour, October 2016

Following on from the highly successful inaugural tour featuring Ingrid Jensen back in May, the Orpheus Project (a partnership between NORVOLJazz and Apollo Jazz Network) have announced the second featured artist in the series, New York tenor saxophonist Ellery Eskelin.

From press release...

The Orpheus Project is proud to present tenor heavyweight Ellery Eskelin as their second featured artist. Joined by Chris Sharkey and Matt Bourne, the trio is comprised of three strong and individual creative voices that come together to create something greater than the considerable sum of its parts. The group will tour between October 8^th and October 14^th, creating performances are sure to be as unique as they are exciting.

For the past thirty years Ellery Eskelin has been at the forefront of the global creative improvised music scene. Based in New York City, he has traveled widely performing, recording and amassing a very personal and iconoclastic body of work. And yet Ellery Eskelin has always remained deeply committed to the traditions of jazz and American music. Eskelin embodies this seeming contradiction with ease. He does not see jazz as a style or idiom but as a process. Further, a process of creative development that has great relevancy to our time. In this pursuit Eskelin consistently delivers to the listening public unadulterated, passionate music with no excuses and no apologies.

For more information about the tour dates, links to book tickets and more, visit the Orpheus Project website. 

October 8^th – Marsden Jazz Festival

October 10^th – Con Cellar Bar, London

October 11^th – Fizzle, Birmingham (Ellery Eskelin Solo)

October 12^th – The Lescar, Sheffield

October 13^th – Seven Arts, Leeds (joint promotion – Seven Jazz & Fusebox)

October 14^th – The Globe, Newcastle (joint promotion – Jazz Coop & Jazz North East)

The Orpheus Project is a partnership between Apollo Jazz Network and NORVOLJazz which seeks to establish a touring network for jazz in the North of England. The project is generously supported by Arts Council England through the Grants for the Arts programme.

 

Vote for Jazz in the Yorkshire Gig Guide Grassroots Awards

It's that time of year again - voting is open for the 2016 Yorkshire Gig Guide Grassroots Awards. These awards celebrate the regional music scene and the people who make it all happen with awards for promoters, venues, festivals, media and more.

This year, the awards ceremony will be held at the Marsden Jazz Festival on Sudnay October 9th. The public are invited to vote to decide on the winners and the very simple online voting form will be available online until August 31st.

To see a full list of nominees and to vote, visit the Grassroots Awards 2016 website.

Below, we've listed the nominees connected to the jazz scene - great to see some familiar faces and names on the list!

Oustanding New Festival of 2016: Ilkley Jazz Festival

Oustanding Established Festival of 2016: Marsden Jazz Festival

Outstanding Contributon of 2016: Barney Stevenson

Outstanding Promoter of 2016: Barney Stevenson, Martin Powell

Oustanding Small Live Venue of 2016: Glyde House (home of JATP), Seven Arts, Cafe Lento, Fox and Newt (home of Fusebox), Wharf Chambers (home of Sproggits), Inkwell (venue for Seven Jazz)

Yorkshire Outstanding Music Club of 2016: Wakefield Jazz Club

Marsden Jazz Festival announces 2016 programme

The team at Marsden Jazz Festival have this week announced the line-up of their 2016 festival, taking place between 7-9^th October.

The festival is now in it's 25^th year and to mark this special birthday, a number of high profile artists and ensembles both from the UK and abroad have been announced as performers across the weekend. Here are a few top picks to whet your appetite...

Friday 7^th October

Ben Crosland : Tribute to Jaco Pastorius (8.30pm)

Bassist Ben Crosland has formed a sextet that mirrors the line-up of Jaco Pastorius's famous small group which included Randy Brecker and Peter Erskine. Ben is joined by Martin Shaw, Paul Kilvington, Mick Hutton (on steel pan!), Dave Tyas and Rod Mason.

Saturday 8^th October

Eskelin, Bourne & Sharkey (6.00pm)

Tenor saxophonist Ellery Eskelin is the second featured artist in the Orpheus Project, a funded joint project between Apollo Jazz Network and NORVOL Jazz. A globally celebrated voice in improvised music, Eskelin is joined by guitarist Chris Sharkey and pianist Matt Bourne as they premiere this brand new ensemble on the first date of their Orpheus Project tour.

Sunday 9^th October

Impossible Gentlemen (4.00pm)

Closing the festival, everyone's favourite jazz supergroup the Impossible Gentlemen. Gwilym Simcock, Mike Walker, Adam Nussbaum and Steve Rodby are now joined by saxophonist Iain Dixon and the band will play material from their third album, Let's Get Deluxe, which is out in July.

For full information on the programme, visit the Marsden Jazz Festival website. (www.marsdenjazzfestival.com)

NJ Advent Calendar - Winter Jazz Festivals (December 5th)

We all know that summer is a busy time for music festivals, but behind door number 5 are all of the jazz festivals in the North taking place in Autumn and Winter each year. Here in the North, we're very lucky to have 18 jazz festivals in the region across the year and don't worry, we'll be talking about those summery ones soon enough!


Marsden Jazz Festival (Early October)

Marsden Jazz Festival have not long finished their 2015 edition but work is already under way for next year which is their 25th Birthday. This festival, set in picturesque surroundings, draws over 10,000 visitors and their programme contains mainstream acts, international names, fringe events, contemporary improvised music and everything in between!

Whitley Bay Classic Jazz Party (Early November)

This festival on the coast has been running for 5 years and runs over a weekend in Early November each year. Their focus is on swing and early jazz and they have a mixture of UK, European and American artists on the programme.

Jazz On A Winter's Weekend (Early February)

Run by Geoff Matthews in Southport, the festival celebrates its 12th birthday in 2016. Almost always a sell-out, the festival runs over a weekend and features a varied programme - there's always a strong international presence as well as up and coming artists and big bands.

Liverpool International Jazz Festival (late February/early March)

This is a relatively new festival which runs from the Capstone Theatre in Liverpool and is programmed by Neil Campbell. Started up in 2013, the festival has so far programmed a number of big name acts from the UK and Europe and there is always a few Northern Line acts in there too, from Jazz North's flagship scheme.

Great North Big Band Festival (early March)

Probably the most specific festival on our list, this one is a celebration of big bands. There is a competition in which big bands from music colleges, regional initiatives and  universities compete as well as performances and workshops over the course of the weekend.

Adopt A Gig at Marsden Jazz Festival

Marsden Jazz Festival will celebrate their 25th birthday next year and are offering people the chance to adopt a gig in the festival to raise funds for the stream of free gigs that take place across the festival.

Kirklees Council has supported Marsden Jazz Festival previously and last year gave £10,000 to go toward the 70 free events in the festival. However, due to budget cuts the council is unable to give funding next year so the festival hope to raise these funds themselves.

For £50, you can adopt a gig at the festival either for yourself or as a gift for a friend or relative. This amount has be raised to £62.50 through GiftAid. Everyone who makes a donation will receive a certificate and have their names printed in the festival brochure. Donors can opt to let the festival choose which gig their donation will support or specify which gig they'd like to adopt.

In the run-up to christmas, this would make an ideal gift for a jazz fan or for one of the many people who attend the festival every year. Last year, more than 10,000 people visited the festival.

For more information, see the Marsden Jazz Festival website.

Congratulations, Marsden Jazz Festival!

The hard-working team at Marsden Jazz Festival have just completed another hugely successful festival and yesterday they received the news that the festival have a new award to put in their trophy cabinet.

The festival beat off stiff competition to receive Outstanding Established Festival at the Yorkshire Gig Guide Awards.

Congratulations to the team - see you in 2016!

Laura Kinsella and Ben Crosland premiere new work at Marsden Jazz Festival

The 2015 Marsden Jazz Festival is fast approaching (9th-11th October). The festival are committed to supporting new music and each year commission artists to produce new work to be premiered at the festival. This year, these commissions come from vocalist Lauren Kinsella and bassist Ben Crosland.

Lauren Kinsella's project is called What Window Do You Look Out Of? and features Tom Challenger (sax), Dan Nicholls (keys and electronics), Conor Chaplin (bass) and Simon Roth (drums).

I've been inspired by so many different aspects of culture over the past few months. An important starting point was the documentary 'Salt of the Earth', a beautiful film about photographer Sebastião Salgado and his work through a political, social and cultural lens. What his pictures convey about the world and human suffering are some of the most moving images I've ever seen.
 
The music was also inspired by other artists and writers, including Marsden-born poet Simon Armitage and his book 'Gig' and Patti Smith and her autobiography 'Just Kids'. Lastly and most importantly, I am inspired by the wonderful musicians in my ensemble that will play with me at Marsden.

Ben Crosland will present his interpretation of songs by the Kinks' Ray Davies. He is joined by John Etheridge (guitar), Dave O'Higgins (sax), Steve Lodder (piano) and Sebastiaan De Krom (drums).

I began my musical education at 13 by taking up the drums and the Kinks’ singles were constantly on as I played along in my bedroom. Fifty years on, as a bandleader and composer, I am again discovering new subtleties and strengths in these wonderful compositions. 

Ray Davies is a songwriter whose work is rooted in the blues, music hall, popular song, variety and musical theatre. His songs provide the perfect vehicles for jazz interpretation. He is self-evidently one of the greatest ever British songwriters. To my knowledge, no one has yet undertaken a serious study of his work in a jazz context.

Ben performs on Friday 9th October at the Marsden Royal British Legion with tickets costing £14. Lauren performs on Saturday 10th October at the same details and tickets cost £7. 

Full details can be found on the Marsden Jazz Festival website. 

Vote Jazz in the Yorkshire Gig Guide Grassroots Awards

The Yorkshire Gig Guide is running a Grassroots Awards ceremony honouring the venues, promoters and festivals for live music across Yorkshire. Members of public are invited to vote on categories including promoter of the year, established and new festivals of the year and outstanding contribution amongst others. Public voting closes on Sunday August 16th and a Top Five in each category will be announced. Winners will be revealed at a ceremony at Musicport Festival in Whitby on Friday October 16th.

Scattered amongst the many nominees are some jazz promoters, venues and festivals. We've listed them below and if you'd like to cast your votes, visit the Grassroots Awards online voting form.

Outstanding Established Festival of 2015 - Marsden Jazz Festival

Outstanding Contribution - Barney Stevenson (director of Marsden Jazz Festival)

Outstanding Small Live Venue (nb - these venues don't exclusively host jazz but it's a part of their regular programming so we've included them)

Glyde House, Bradford (home of JATP), Fox and Newt (home of Fusebox), Seven Arts (home of Seven Jazz)

Outstanding Songwriting - Jasmine Kennedy (who recently appeared with James Hamilton's Jazz Orchestra)

Marsden Jazz Announces Headliners for 2015

                                                             Jean Toussaint by Benjamin Amure

Marsden Jazz Festival has announced their Headliners for this year's festival, running from 9-11 October. American saxophonist and member of the seminal Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers Jean Toussaint leads this group of headline acts, bringing his Blakey Project to the festival on October 11th.

Also featured is clarinet player Evan Christopher, who brings his Django a la Creole project with New Orleans banjo player Don Vappie. Evan was featured in the Sunday Time's Top Jazz Albums of the year in 2014. Bradford-born Arun Ghosh, fresh from his Jazz Instrumentalist of the year award at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards, will appear with his sextet.

The festival categorises their line-up into a number of different strands and as well as the headliners, artists who will take part in the New Stream section of the programme were also announced. This strand features Apes Grapes, Laura Cole's Metamorphic, The Geordie Approach and Lauren Kinsella.

Jean Toussaint’s time with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers inspired his career as a jazz musician so it will definitely be a highlight to see his performance dedicated to Art Blakey, 25 years after his death.

There’s always a great family atmosphere during the festival weekend and last year we had over 50 free events, as well as our headliners and New Stream gigs, so there really is something for everyone. - Barney Stevenson, Festival Director

Details on these acts and the entire festival can be found on the Marsden Jazz Festival website.

Preview: Marsden Jazz Festival

This year's Marsden Jazz Festival runs from October 10th to 12th in venues throughout Marsden. Their diverse programme features groups from across the UK, spanning all types of jazz.

Rising star vibes player Lewis Wright will perform with Ben Crosland's Threeway on Friday, and the award-winning Troyka appear on Saturday afternoon. This year's Young Musician of the Year, Alex Bone, will perform with Jam Experiment at the Marsden Royal British Legion. Vocalist Louise Gibbs brings her Seven Deadly Sings project on Saturday evening, after receiving 4 stars from Jazzwise for her recent album release. The festival will close with a performance by Doncaster Jazz Alumni Orchestra featuring Dennis Rollins.

For information on the full line-up and details of how to book tickets, see the Marsden Jazz Festival website.

Rising Northern Jazz Talent to get Festival Showcase

Jam Experiment, a young band from Manchester, have been announced as the first group to take part in Jazz North's new Introducing scheme.

The group, compromised of musicians aged between 16 and 18, impressed a panel of festival directors, musicians and educators, who heard a wide range of applications for the scheme.