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.

Reqium for a Dreamer: A Celebration of John Taylor, January 29th

The National Centre for Early Music in York is to host a celebration of the life and work of pianist John Taylor on January 29th.

Julian Arguelles and Steve Watts will lead an ensemble made up of former students of John's, all of whom are now professional jazz musicians.

John Taylor was an inspirational pianist, composer and musician who worked alongside some of the greatest jazz stars on the concert platform and in the recording studio in addition to his solo career.  Following his sudden death on 17 July last year we celebrate his extraordinary talent and the influence that he had on two generations of musicians.  John joined the Department of Music as a lecturer in 2005 and continued to give masterclasses and recitals both there and at the NCEM.

The concert takes place at 7.30pm and tickets cost £16/14 and £5 for students. For more information, see the event page on York University's website.

Line-Up:

Julian Argüelles saxophones
Steve Watts bass
Tom Gibbs piano
Raph Clarkson trombone
Twm Dylan bass
Dave Smyth drums