Andchuck and J Frisco announced as new Jazz North Introduces recipients

Two ensembles have been named the recipients of this year's Jazz North Introduces scheme, J Frisco and Andchuck. The emerging ensembles will receive a number of high profile performance opportunities as well as mentoring and support with EPKs and press.

From the press release...


TWO OUTSTANDING bands of young musicians are being given the chance to make their name, thanks to a pioneering initiative by Jazz North, the organisation devoted to nurturing and showcasing talent. Manchester based Andchuck and Leeds band J Frisco are the latest beneficiaries of the Jazz North Introduces scheme, which will offer them high-profile exposure at leading jazz festivals in the north, along with guidance and supporting in promoting themselves.

 Now in its 5th round, Jazz North Introduces offers young musicians under 25 their first high profile showcase opportunities at major Jazz festivals across the North and Jazz North is delighted that additional funding support has enabled it to expand the scheme to support two bands in the current year. J Frisco is made up of Jemma Freese (Keyboards), Lara Jones (Saxophone) and Megan Roe (Guitar) who met whilst studying at Leeds College of Music and formed this free, experimental trio combining art and poetry with improvised music. Their aims are to change perceptions and break down boundaries through improvisation.

 Andchuck is a modern and experimental jazz quartet featuring Tom Chapman (Bass), Caitlin Laing (Saxophone), Jack March (Guitar) and Gabriel Alexander (Drums). Their main influences being Esbjorn Svensson Trio, Impossible Gentlemen and Snarky Puppy, they met at the Royal Northern College of Music and formed quickly, having played a few gigs across the North West already. The selection panel prioritized musical excellence, in terms of musicianship, creativity, innovation and potential. A shortlist was drawn up and assessed by an advisory panel consisting of experienced musicians, promoters, educators and Jazz North staff.

This year’s applications for Jazz North Introduces demonstrated the wealth of young talent in the north. ‘The Jazz North Introduces scheme provides a fantastic and unique opportunity for emerging musicians to present themselves to audiences and for promoters to showcase the best young talent developing in the north of England - Dave Shooter, Lancaster Jazz Festival.

 The initiative was open to bands of up to five musicians, 75 per cent of whom, including the nominated leader, must be under 25, and living or studying in the north of England. Both bands will receive a package of help as part of the Jazz North Introduces scheme, including payment and expenses for the gigs, a photo-shoot and assistance in creating an electronic press kit. Each band will be offered six showcase performances at leading northern jazz festivals during 2017-2018.

 Jazz North’s partners in the initiative were Gateshead International Jazz Festival, Lancaster Jazz Festival, Liverpool International Jazz Festival, Marsden Jazz Festival, Scarborough Jazz Festival, Manchester Jazz Festival, Cleethorpes Jazz Festival and Leeds College of Music.

Jazz North Awarded Strategic Touring Funding for Alt Shift J

Jazz North have been awarded over £70,000 from Arts Council England's Strategic Touring fund to develop Alt Shift J, a one-day pop jazz festival to showcase emerging artists and the use of digital technology, aiming to develop a younger audience for jazz and improvised music.

From the press release...

Jazz North has been awarded a grant of £71,646 from Arts Council England’s Strategic Touring fund to curate, produce and tour Alt Shift J, a one day pop-up jazz festival aimed at developing younger audiences for jazz.  The festival will present new artists and use digital technology to encourage more young people to experience jazz music both as participants and audience members.  Accompanied by an extensive audience engagement programme, the project will involve young people in programming the festival and will aim to inspire and engageindividuals and families who may not usually access the arts. Theaward was one of 8 Strategic Touring grants announced earlier this week.

Jazz North Alt Shift J will tour to Cleethorpes, Clitheroe, Middlesbrough and Penrith in Autumn 2018 and over the course of the project will:

•             Present 16 performances by extraordinary jazz artists, selected by a network of 8 local young scenebuilders

•             Deliver 24 interactive performances in local primary and secondary schools

•             Engage local residents through a programme of workshops and participatory activities

•             Stream each festival live to a worldwide audience

Partners on the project include The Culture House, Ribble Valley Jazz and Blues, Blue Jam Arts and Middlesbrough Town Hall.

Welcoming the grant, Lesley Jackson, Executive Director of Jazz North said: “We are really thrilled that Arts Council England is supporting this project: one that will help us to develop the next generation of jazz listeners. This investment will build on their support for the sector in recent years”

She continued “The way that young people engage with music is changing. Alt Shift J will give us the opportunity to redefine the genre and the word ‘jazz’, which often comes with its own baggage, and will break down some of the barriers that currently exist.  Developing younger audiences isn’t just about more and better marketing, so we will explore new ways to connect with them. The chance to use digital technology and work with promoters more closely will release the potential of this amazing music to reach more people and connect young audiences to their local venue.”

To find out more about Shift Alt J and about the other projects run by Jazz North, visit their website.

Artist Submissions Now Open for MJF 2017

 It seems like only yesterday that thousands of audience members descended on Manchester for the 2016 festival in July. But the work never stops in the running of a jazz festival and the team have announced that applications are now open for 2017.

There are three strands for artists to apply to -

General Festival Programme - to play at MJF in their main programme, artists and ensembles can use the very straight forward and easy to use online submission form.

MJF Introduces - This is festival's platform for supporting emerging talent and is open to regional bands aged between 16-25.

Irwin Mitchell MJF Originals 2017 - Each year, the festival commissions an artist to create a new piece of work to be premiered at the festival. Last year, guitarist and composer Anton Hunter produced an ambitious work for an 21 piece ensemble entitled Article XI.

For more information and to apply for any of these three strands, visit the MJF website.

Tremplin Jazz Avignon Contest 2016 - Submissions open until Saturday

Submissions for the Tremplin Jazz Avignon Contest are open until Saturday of this week (30th) for ensembles from across Europe.

Since 1992, this French outdoor jazz festival has run a contest open to emerging ensembles across Europe. The winners are given a gig supporting the headline act of the next festival as well as three days of recording in a studio in France. This year, the judging panel is led by Kyle Eastwood.

The eligibility criteria states -


- Bands of between 2 and 6 people and all based in the EU
- No age limits
- No overlapping (musicians cannot compete in more than one band)
-Winners from previous years cannot apply
- Bands can be represented by an indie record label (preferably their own)

The application must include bios of each member, at least 3 high quality recordings with at least one original work and hi-res photographs.

You can find the full list of rules & regulations here and the registration form here.

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Calling All Emerging Jazz Talent - Peter Whittingham Award 2016

Help Musicians UK have opened submissions for the 2016 Peter Whittingham Award, marking its 25th year supporting emerging jazz talent in the UK.

The award is presented each year to a musician or ensemble to support a career-building project with a cash prize of £5,000. An expert in survival medicine, Peter Whittingham was also a pianist who enjoyed the music of Gershwin, Porter, Sondheim, Bernstein, Shearing and Peterson. After his death in 1987 his family set up this award in his memory – and their connection with the award continues.

In recent years, musicians from the North have dominated the recipient list - Roller Trio, Reuben Fowler, Phil Meadows and Stretch Trio (pictured above) from 2011 to 2014.

Auditions will be held at Premises Studio in Hackney, London on December 2nd and the deadline for applications is Monday 2nd November at 6pm.The award is open to musicians in the first two years of their professional careers or those in higher education.

For more information, visit the Help Musicians UK website.
 

New Funding Platform for Emerging Musicians

Help Musicians UK have announced their latest funding source for emerging professional musicians - Career Development Bursaries. This fund offers bursaries between £500-£2000 to musicians between 21 - 30 or to those who have completed their full time music studies within the last 5 years.

Applicants can apply for funds to assist them with activities which would have a significant impact on their career. These include -

Masterclasses and short courses
Time-limited period of study with an expert in your field
Short period of intensive coaching ahead of a major performance or project

This kind of activity was previously funded through their Emerging Excellence Awards; recently Help Musicians UK split the fund into two parts - this one focused on career development and mentoring and the Emerging Artist Fund focused on working with crowdfunding to support album releases etc.

The deadline for applications for the first round of the career development bursaries is 18th September 2015, with another later in the year (20th November 2015).

Details on how to apply and full guidelines on the scheme can be found on their website.

Help Musicians UK Launches New Funding Scheme for Emerging Talent

Help Musicians UK have launched a new funding scheme in partnership with PledgeMusic to support artists at the early stages of their professional careers.

This £50,000 fund will go toward supporting artists and ensembles who have an engaged fan base and are at a turning point in their career but do not currently receive funding from any third-party sources. Those successful will receive support from Help Musicians UK if they hit their target on the crowd-funding platform PledgeMusic.

Tim Foxon, Talent Programme Manager says: In a challenging funding landscape, we’ve been looking at new ways to channel much-needed support to musicians in the early stages of their careers. We’re thrilled to be working with Pledge Music to identify some exciting upcoming acts for whom we hope this investment will make a significant impact.

Paul Barton PledgeMusic UK MD says: “Teaming up with Help Musicians UK ideally fits the PledgeMusic ethos every which way. The direct-to-fan model that PledgeMusic offers new, emerging artists and bands is an entry route into a career in music and from day 1, PledgeMusic has incorporated charity work and contributions into its campaigns. Working with Help Musicians UK is a most welcome expansion of this principle.

Applications are welcomed from now until May 29th and there are two further rounds with deadlines of August 31st and 30th November.

There is comprehensive information on how to apply and eligibility criteria on the Help Musicians UK website and you can find out more about their partnership on the PledgeMusic website.