Louse Gibbs Singing Workshop, June 4th

Renowned vocalist and teacher Louise Gibbs will run a one-day vocal masterclass on June 4th for vocalists who want to feel more relaxed and free in their singing.

The session will run from 10am until 5pm and is limited to 10 participants which ensures that each vocalist will receive ample performance time and tuition. Louise is joined by Sam Leak (piano), Sam Gardner (drums) and Mark Lewandowksi (double bass).

The masterclass will allow singers to -

• explore your “jazz voice”

• learn new repertoire

• develop your improvising skills

• learn how to direct a band and prepare for a jam session

• perform with greater confidence

• experience singing with a supportive trio of top young UK musicians

Louise is a distinguished educator and has taught at a number top UK universities and conservatoires including Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Goldsmiths, RNCM and LCoM as well as many workshops worldwide.

The cost of the session is £75 (£60 for full time students) and includes lunch & refreshments.

To book a place, contact Louise by emailing louise@jazzmine.co.uk.

Northern gigs for Wildflower Sextet

Saxophonist Matt Anderson is bringing his Wildflower sextet back up North for three gigs in January, after his recent move to London to study at the Royal Academy of Music.

The band released their debut album on Jellymould Jazz to a very positive reception. Jazzwise said Their own unique stamp on Shorter's very personal repertoire... of a quality that resonates with its inspirational source... Enjoyably un-pretentious.

From press release...

The sextet draws on an all-star line-up of UK jazz musicians. Laura Jurd was recently named 'Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year' at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards and a BBC New Generation Artist, and has recently released her second album 'Human Spirit'. Guitarist Alex Munk is a recent graduate of the Royal Academy of Music and is currently working with a number of distinguished UK musicians/groups including Stan Sulzmann Big Band, Ivo Neame and Trish Clowes as well as his own band Flying Machines. Pianist Jamil Sheriff is the Jazz Pathway Leader at Leeds College of Music and is well known for his own projects such as his Octet, Big Band and Trio. Finally, drummer Sam Gardner and bassist Sam Vicary have built up a rapport playing together in a variety of settings, from appearing with jazz artists such as Jiannis Pavlidis, Tim Whitehead and Krzysztof Urbanski to performing and recording with ambient hip-hop band Ikestra, and the latter has recently recorded and toured across Europe with the Cinematic Orchestra.

Tour Dates

29/01/16 – Ushaw College, Durham, DH7 9RH, 7:30pm, tickets £? – see www.ushaw.org

30/01/16 – Zeffirelli’s, Ambleside, LA22 9DJ, 8:30pm, tickets free – see www.zeffirellis.com

31/01/16 – 7arts Centre, Leeds, LS7 3PD, 1pm, £10/8/5 – see www.sevenjazz.co.uk (note – for this

gig, trumpeter Mark Chandler will be substituting for Laura Jurd)

Gig Preview: Matt Roberts plays Fats Navarro at Heart, 25th April

Jazz at Heart presents: Matt Roberts plays Fats Navarro
Saturday 25th April 
HEART Arts Centre, Bennett Road, Leeds
7.30pm
£8/6

When not busy touring with bands like Gentleman's Dub Club, Everything Everything and Paloma Faith or leading his own big band, trumpeter Matt Roberts has found some time to work on the music of Fats Navarro for his upcoming gig at HEART on April 26th.

Navarro was known for his work with big band leaders including Benny Goodman, Billy Eckstine and Lionel Hampton and recorded with luminaries like Charlie Parker, Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis, Bud Powell and Illinois Jacquet. This impressive CV is made even more so by the fact that Navarro died tragically young, aged only 26.

Matt will be joined by Matt Anderson (tenor), Ben Lowman (alto), Sam Watts (piano), Sam Gardner (drums) and Simon Read (double bass).

Gig Preview: Krzysztof Urbanski's Urban Jazz Society in Leeds

Jazz at Heart Presents: Urban Jazz Society
Heart Arts Centre, Headingley
Saturday 28th March
7.30pm

Multi-award winning saxophonist Krzysztof Urbanski brings his newest project, Urban Jazz Society to Heart this Saturday (28th March).

Described as one of the best in his generation by the Thelonious Monk Jazz Institute, Urbanski has made the North of England his home recently and has teamed up with 4 UK musicians to perform his original music which pulls in elements from hip-hop, R&B and jazz.

Krzysztof is joined by Stuart McCallum on guitar, Ashley Henry on piano, Sam Gardner on drums and Sam Vicary on bass.

For more information and to hear tracks from their debut recording, see Krzysztof Urbanski's website.

Gig Preview: Samadhi at Sela Bar

Samadhi Quintet
Sela Bar, Leeds
March 15th, 10pm
Free Entry

Marking the release of their debut album, The Dance of Venus, on F-IRE label, Samadhi will perform at Sela Bar on March 15th.

Led by drummer and composer Sam Gardner, the group received a touring grant from Jazz Services and will perform in a number of cities in England this month.

Samadhi – achieved through meditation – is a state of consciousness where the logical and analytical ability of the being becomes silent. It is thus a space from which music flows, unimpeded by the ego’s thought and judgement.

Samadhi Quintet explore ‘number in time’, the essential nature of music by combining the highly structured numerical systems of rhythm found in Indian classical music and the pinpoint precision grooves and rich harmonic progressions of hip-hop.

Full information, videos and upcoming tour dates can be found on the Samadhi website.

Jazz in Leeds - Autumn/Winter Programme

Photo by Jon Stanley Austin

Seven Jazz in Chapel Allerton Leeds have announced their Autumn/Winter programme which began with the Chapel Allerton Festival Jazz Sunday on 31 August in Regent Street and will run through to the Christmas Party at Inkwell on Sunday afternoon 21 December with the Nicola Farnon Trio.

2014 marks the seventh anniversary of Seven Jazz – the club started on the 30 September 2007. Seven Jazz now run international fortnightly concerts on Thursdays at Seven Arts and weekly showcase events for local bands at both Seven Arts and Inkwell, along with two fortnightly jazz workshops for musicians and a jazz choir. Since 2007 Seven Jazz (which is run by volunteers) has run over 500 gigs. In 2015 will embark on yet another venture, the Leeds Jazz Festival

Details of all of the gigs can be found on the Seven Jazz website www.sevenjazz.co.uk and are listed below. The evening international concert series start at 8.30pm, and the Sunday afternoon showcase gigs run between 1 and 4pm; ticket prices are detailed on the website; evening gigs are typically £16/14 concessions with a £5 standby ticket for full time students, Sunday lunchtime gigs are £7/5 concessions.

Wildflower Sextet Crowdfunding Campaign

The Wild Flower Sextet have launched a crowdfunding campaign to support the making of their debut album, which they are recording on February 22nd and 23rd in the Leeds College of Music recital room after receiving a place on the Jazz Services Recording Support scheme.