Gig Preview: In/Out Trio at The Jazz Cafe, Newcastle June 17th

Tonight, the Jazz Cafe welcomes back some familiar faces for a trio gig which promises to delight and surprise audiences.

Back in February, the venue hosted Paul Baxter's Horace Silver project, Seven Pieces of Silver and now Paul returns, this time as one third of the In/Out trio. Joined by saxophonist Stuart MacDonald and drummer Johnny Hunter, this trio is a creative outlet for all three of these busy musicians which allows them to explore standards and original material, blurring the line between written and improvised content.

The members of the trio are well known in their hometown of Manchester, where they regularly appear as part of outfits like the Blind Monk Trio, the Manchester Jazz Collective and more.

Tickets cost £5 on the door. To find out more about the band, visit Paul Baxter's website (www.paulbaxtermusic.com) and to find out about other upcoming gigs at the Jazz Cafe, visit their website. (http://www.jazzcafe-newcastle.co.uk)

7 Pieces of Silver Tour 2016

7 Pieces of Silver, Paul Baxter's all star septet paying homage to Horace Silver is to release their debut album in early 2016 accompanied by a UK tour.

The band features a four piece horn front line (Alan Barnes, John McKillup, James Lancaster and Matt Ball) and a power house rhythm section of Paul Baxter, Andrej Baranek and Paul Smith.

From press release...

7 Pieces Of Silver consists of a 4-piece horn section with 3 rhythm, combined with the performance of Horace Silver’s Music, one of Jazz’s finest composers, can only result in an exciting, no holds barred show. Very excited about releasing the band’s eponymous debut album featuring Alan Barnes - February 25th on Hungry Bear Records.

Tour dates are listed below but the band are still accepting bookings - interested promoters should contact bookings@hungrybearrecords.co.uk.

For more information, visit the 7 Pieces of Silver website.

2nd February -St. Ives Jazz Club
3rd February - Restormel Arts, Cornwall
5th February - JATP, Bradford
 9th February - Dempseys, Cardiff
17th February - The Jazz Bar, Edinburgh
18th February - Jazz At The Blue Lamp, Aberdeen
19th February - The Jazz Cafe, Newcastle
20th February -  Zeffirellis, Ambleside
23rd February or 1st March - Parr Jazz at Fredericks, Liverpool
28th February -  Seven Jazz, Leeds
2nd March Scarborough Jazz Club

Burton Agnes Jazz Festival, 3rd-5th July

The annual Burton Agnes Jazz Festival takes place this year from 3rd until the 5th July. Set in the beautiful surroundings of Burton Agnes Hall, this indoor and outdoor festival features a wide range of jazz from the UK. You can check out their full programme on the website, but we've selected a few highlights across the weekend.

Friday 3rd July

A Dread Supreme - This 10 piece group have built up a strong following with their unique Roots take on jazz from the 60s and protest folk. One for those with their dancing shoes.

Saturday 4th July

The Mahakasyapa Ensemble - Led by bassist Paul Baxter, this ensemble will premiere a new suite commissioned by the festival. Featuring Neil Yates, Stuart McDonald and Olivia Moore.

Sunday 5th July

Nicola Farnon - Sheffield-based Nicola Farnon was selected to take part in the Jazz North Northern Line scheme and for good reason; arranged standards mixed with original works.

See Live Jazz without ever leaving your house...

There aren't many jazz fans who will dispute that it's a music best heard live. We in the North have a whole host of venues to attend and with a bit of planning and full tank of petrol, you could most probably see live jazz seven nights a week. However, for a whole host of reasons, sometimes it's just not possible to make it out to gigs. Well, thanks to a growing streaming industry, you can now see live jazz from the comfort of your own home.

The website (although there are others!) is Concert Window and allows you to buy tickets to tune in to the concert online. You can also decide yourself how much to pay for each ticket.

Sound engineer Barkley McKay, who runs the very popular Valley Wood Studios in Leeds, is starting a series of concerts from his studios which will be streamed on Concert Window. The inaugural gig will feature EYESHUTIGHT, a trio led by bassist Paul Baxter alongside Johnny Tomlinson and Kris Wright. It happens on April 21st and you can buy tickets now and until the gig starts.

Keep an eye out for future Valley Wood Studios concerts, and find out more on the Concert Window website.