WHAT'S NEW

Taiko Jazz

Japanese Taiko drumming is powerful and impressive, it is also becoming increasingly popular in the UK. (In Japanese taiko means great drum). If you are not familiar with it, click here for a video. For the past few years, there has been a national Taiko Festival held in Devon, and more and more schools are involving children of all ages in Taiko; now schools from across the UK stage a concert at the Festival. We wondered whether jazz had embraced Taiko drumming.

In April of this year the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra directed by Tommy Smith performed God Of Fire in concert with Mugenko Taiko - click here for a video of the performance. Reviewing the concert in the Scottish Herald, Rob Adams said:

The gods smiled on Tommy Smith’s latest project for the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra.

That’s the Shinto gods who, given the music’s popularity in Japan, may well have received homage from jazz musicians before but who probably, like the rest of us, won’t have experienced the alliance of big band jazz and taiko drumming.

Smith’s challenge in uniting his charges with the Lanarkshire-based Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers didn’t just lie in creating suitable music ... in one notable sequence, firstly altoist Martin Kershaw then tenorist Konrad Wiszniewski building boldly creative saxophone improvisations over a steady, restrained taiko groove. (Click here for the full review).

Saxophonist Jim Cameron and pianist Ron Hadley have also worked with Taiko - click here for an extract of their live performance with Obama Taiko at Shimabara Castle in Nagasaki. In America, bass player Tatso Aoki, the founder Chicago's Asian/American jazz festival has played with Taiko drums in a jazz trio, there is a short video available from a programme called The Slant - click here. Does anyone have any other experience of working with Taiko?

Michael Garrick Big Band Videos

Here are some videos to enjoy. At the beginning of August, Radio 3's Jazz Line-Up programme paid tribute to Michel Garrick who was awarded an MBE in this year's Queen's Birthday Honours. In the programme Michael directed his Big Band through a number of his classic compositions, but Radio 3 has continued to make four videos available on its website of the Big Band at Maida Vale studios playing Amethyst, First Born, Plenty of Nuttin' and Shambolism. Click here for the website and then go to the bottom of the page for the videos.

The Big Band includes Steve Waterman, Martin Shaw, Steven Fishwick, Gabriel Garrick (Trumpets); Mark D'Silva, Dave Eaglestone, Alistair White (Trombones); Martin Hathaway, Mick Foster, Sam Walker, Sam Bullard, Dave Shulman (Reeds); Mike Garrick (Piano); Dominic Ashworth (Guitar); Matt Ridley (Bass) and Alan Jackson (Drums).

On Monday 20th September at the Pizza Express, Dean Street, London, Michael will be launching his new album with singer Nette Robinson Remembered Time. The album on the Jazz Academy label is a rich celebration of the music of Michael's former tutor, Bill Evans. Tickets are £15 and the band includes Tony Woods (saxes), Gabriel Garrick (trumpet/flugelhorn) and Matt Ridley (double bass),

Click here for Michael's website.

Taster

The idea behind this item is to offer a 'taste' of a musician, singer or band that you might not have come across before.

This month we savour the music of:

Giles Barratt and the Kino Orchestra

Giles Barratt was born and grew up in Swansea. Taking up the guitar in his mid-teens he started playing in local rock bands until at the age of twenty-two, he heard Wes Montgomery and Grant Green and started to become interested in jazz. In the summer of 2007, Giles went to Poland to play a few gigs. 'I decided to stay in Krakow due to its good music scene,' he says. 'I felt that musicians were treated better than in the UK, Krakow has a very good jazz history and there are lots of venues to perform. There are many in the Rynek (market place) like Harris Jazz bar, Piec Art and in the jewish quarter you have the great Alchemia. There are also jazz musicians from the music college in Katowice which is quite near Krakow.'

Giles met Bartek Betkowski, the sax and flute player through a mutual friend, and they started playing and meeting once a week and occasionally doing a duo gig here and there. 'Once I had enough compostions of my own,' continues Giles, 'we decided to bring in more musicians and to record. It helped with Bartek being involved in the jazz scene, and he had been to college in Katowice, so he knew many musicians.'

'Krakow and Poland has a good jazz heritage, especially strong during the communist era when musicians had to play in secret locations. Poland has many great musicians, people like Tomas Stanko and Krzysztof Komeda, to name but two.'

Giles's band the Kino Orchestra Experience is strong on Latin jazz, and is also developing is own particular style. The Kino Orchestra is Giles Barratt (guitar), Krystian Jaworz (keyboards), Bartek Betkowski (sax/flute), Pawel Kluba (bass) and Michal Peiker (drums).

Click here to taste their music with a video from their recording session. Click here for more tracks on their Myspace site and for gig details. Click here for a brief funky video of Giles and Bartek playing at the Alchemia.

The band's album will be released in November on the label A Future Without.

Click here for more information about the story of jazz in Poland.

Sonny Rollins Award

The Edward MacDowell Medal is an award given each year by the MacDowell Colony to an artist who has made an outstanding contribution to his or her field. This year on Sunday August 15th, the MacDowell Colony awarded the Edward MacDowell Medal to Sonny Rollins.

For more information and a picture, click here . Sonny has already won a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004, and the Polar Music Prize in 2007 (click here for a video of the Polar award ceremony and an interview with Sonny).

Yorkshire Jazz Mentoring Scheme

If you live in the Yorkshire/Humber region and if catch this item early in the month, there might just be time to apply for this scheme before the closing date of 10th September. Jazz Yorkshire is inviting musicians to apply for the new Jazz Yorkshire Futures Scheme. The aim of the scheme is to provide mentoring and career development for jazz musicians in the early part of their career while working from a Yorkshire / Humber base.

The selected musicians 2010-11 will benefit from:

• £500 Commission for writing new work
• Personal mentoring (with mentor of your choice).
• Practical workshop sessions
• Two days studio time to record your band
• Support to produce promotional CD / website and flyers
• Undertake tour around the Jazz Yorkshire Promoter Network in the Spring 2011.

The applicants can be of any age but due to funding sources for this scheme, preference will be given to musicians who have have graduated from Higher Education within the 3 past years.

For more details and an online application form click here.

Photographic Memory

When Bruce Turner and Jim Bray Rambled

A couple of years ago, we featured two items about jazz and folk (click here). Discussing how some jazz musicians also performed in folk groups, Alex Balmforth sent us this picture of Alan Lomax and the Ramblers with Bruce Turner and Jim Bray.

Back Row: Alan Lomax, Bruce Turner, Jim Bray, Brian Daly.
Front Row: Peggy Seeger, Ewan MacColl, Shirley Collins.

Chris Duff has come across the photograph and writes:

'Regarding the photograph of Alan Lomax and The Ramblers sent to you by my friend, Alex Balmforth, I forwarded the page with the photograph to a good friend of mine in the folk world who knows Shirley Collins well and to my knowledge, has presented her in folk clubs since the 1960s. He tells me he has seen the photo before and can confirm the line-up as Alex states. He is going to forward the page to Shirley to see if she has any comments to make'.

'Sandy Brown was one of my favourite clarinettists. I saw and heard him many times in the '60s and early '70s with Al Fairweather and also as a guest musician. I was involved with the Sussex Jazz Society during much of this time as editor of the monthly newsletter and taking the money at the door at the Fox and Hounds, Haywards Heath, the SJS "headquarters". Sandy came down from London many times to play with Mike Collier and the resident Fourteen Foot Band. Without exception, he played to a full house. Those were the days!'

Do you have a photograph that triggers a jazz memory for you? Perhaps it would trigger memories for other people too? We'd like to hear from you and the photo doesn't need to be a work of art as long as you can make out the detail. You could either email a JPEG copy of the photo to us or if you would prefer, post it to us and we could copy it, and send the original back to you. (Click here for our contact details).

Click here for more Photographic Memories.

Golden Ticket

No, not an opportunity to visit Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, but nearly as good! Our congratulations to Kit Downes, Calum Gourlay and James Maddren on their album Golden being nominated for this year's barclaycard Mercury Prize (click here for the shortlist, click here for more about the prize). They may not be the bookie's choice, the last we heard that was the band XX for their album XX or Dizzee Rascal for Tongue 'N Cheek, but the Mercury Prize has a reputation for being awarded to outside chances rather than the favourites. We hope it goes to the Kit Downes Trio, as readers of this website will know, we have really enjoyed Golden - and if they do win, they will be able to buy a lot of chocolate.The winner is decided at the Awards Show on 7th September. We shall let you know the result on our Late News page as soon as we hear.

That Track

Bye Bye Blackbird

Blackbird, blackbird singing the blues all day
Right outside of my door
Blackbird, blackbird why do you sit and say
There's no sunshine in store

All through the winter you hung around
Now I begin to feel homeward bound
Blackbird, blackbird gotta be on my way
Where there's sunshine galore

Bye, Bye Blackbird was written by Ray Henderson with lyrics by Mort Dixon and first published in 1926. Everyone knows the chorus, but the verses are rarely heard. Although the meaning behind the song is uncertain, there has been suggestions that it is about a prostitute giving up her work and going home to her mother: 'No one here can love and understand me, Oh, what hard luck stories they all hand me ...'
Others argue that the lyrics are more about the “blackbirds and bluebirds” theme of the 1920s and returning home to someone who loves you. Click here for a video recorded in January 2010 of Matt Tolentino and his Singapore Slingers performing 'My Blackbirds Are Bluebirds Now'. Sam Lanin recorded 'My Blackbirds Are Bluebirds Now' back in 1928 with Jack Teagarden on trombone (click here). Bye, Bye Blackbird was first recorded by the 'first American crooner', Gene Austin in 1926 and was in the year's top twenty records.

Mr Gene Austin

Pack up all my care and woe
Here I go, singing low
Bye bye blackbird
Where somebody waits for me
Sugar's sweet, so is she
Bye bye blackbird

Do you have any idea how many versions there are of Bye, Bye Blackbird on the internet? Let's put it this way, if you need four and twenty to bake a pie, you could open a pie shop. So, which ones to choose for this month's article? We start with a version by the wonderful Julie London recorded in Japan in 1964 with the Bobby Troup Quintet. The bass player is Don Bagley. (Click here).

The first instrumental version we have chosen has to be the one from John Coltrane and Miles Davis. It is, of course, a classic, and we should remember that it brought Trane the 1981 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist. Click here.

The next two versions we have chosen from the many other performances available: The first is by a young man named Tony Smith tackling the tune on a programme called 'Talent Tuesday' (click here). The second is very different and by trumpeter and bandleader Woody Shaw, playing flugelhorn in 1978 (click here). Woody died eleven years later at the age of 44.

Woody Shaw

We go out on a 'grand finale' video of Liza Minelli performing the song choreographed by the great Bob Fosse (click here).

No one here can love and understand me
Oh, what hard luck stories they all hand me
Make my bed and light the light
I'll arrive late tonight
Blackbird, bye bye

For more information and the complete lyrics, including the bit about bluebirds, click here.

We thought that five clips would be enough for you before you got bored, but if you have the stamina, here are two more videos that should not be left 'singing in the dead of night'. The first is by Toots Thielemans on jazz harmonica (click here) and the other by Chet Baker (click here). Are there others we should have included?

Listening To Music On Your Computer

We could do with your help here. During September we are trying to put together an article for next month's edition on the different / best ways of listening to music on the computer. What do you do? Desk-top computers do not usually come with speakers, you have to buy them as extras. Laptops often have very limited sound reproduction. Do you have two (2.0) speakers, 2.1 (two speakers with a subwoofer to improve the base), 5.1 (five speakers with a subwoofer), headphones - or do you take the sound through an amplifier and then into speakers? What has been good, what has been poor in your experience (please let us know in non-technical terms if you can). We have been able to find very little guidance on the internet.

The speaker manufacturers Altec Lansing say: Nowadays, computers aren't just computers, they're personal media hubs. Your music, videos, games and applications are all there. It's where you get your news and where a lot of people watch movies.Even TV. So, how's the sound on your computer? What's so hard about building a speaker system? Not much, right? Mount a driver in a box or some enclosure, connect an amplifier, and voilà, you've got your speaker system ... or .........

This magazine links to you a lot of music and video - it would be good to get the best from them. There are certainly ways of improving the sound on your PC without it costing an arm and a leg. Please Let us know what you recommend.

Jazz Quiz for September

Months and Seasons

In this month's quiz we ask you to solve clues to fifteen songs/tunes that have either a month or a season in the title. After the clue we have given you the number of words in each answer.

(Have a go and then check out the 'Answers' page where you will also find some great clips).

Click here for the September Jazz Quiz.

Out Clubbing

Jazz and Blues in the Ribble Valley

Ribble Valley Jazz and Blues has only been around for three years, but already it has established a real presence in Lancashire.

The club was set up in 2007 by a number of local jazz enthusiasts who wanted to bring jazz performances to the area, and to develop the interest of young people in jazz, both as performers and audience.

There is a small committee that organises premises and books performers. Gigs and big band concerts are booked at various venues in Lancashire, but the club’s main venues are the New Atrium Cafe Bar in Clitheroe Castle each month for jazz groups, and The Grand in Clitheroe for big band concerts and larger groups. The Grand is a multi-million pound arts and music centre and one of the best facilities in the north of England. There are also events at local pubs, hotels, village halls and churches. Now that’s an active club!

The Atrium Bar

Secretary Clive Greenwood says: ‘We started by using a local pub for the monthly gigs, and then moved to the Atrium Cafe Bar to develop the club. The Atrium is in a 12th Century Norman Castle, so it offers a unique and attractive setting. Just over twelve months ago, we developed the Sunday Lunch Big Band concept, and needed larger premises, so we discussed and arranged this with The Grand in Clitheroe.’

The Grand

Ribble Valley Jazz and Blues has now become a limited company, and has an application in with the Charity Commission to become a Charity Company Limited by Guarantee. This means that there have to be 6 Directors (soon to also become Trustees) each with various main responsibilities such as membership, booking, promotion and other functions.

The plan is to spread the workload and to try and establish a sound financial footing for the club. Clive Greenwood says: ‘The programme of events is discussed and decided by all the directors/trustees, and booking is shared between two people. We have set up sub groups that include at least one of the directors/trustees and a number of members. For example, for our annual Festival, we have a Festival Action Group which I lead. The group works out a business plan, decides on artists, identifies the wider range of venues needed by the Festival, and arranges all the activities from stewards to promotion.’

In 2010 the Festival staged 24 events over a long bank holiday weekend with musicians such as Jacqui Dankworth, Alan Barnes, Simon Spillett, the Al Wood Big Band and the Northern Jazz Orchestra performing. There were also performances from local youth bands and jazz groups following a series of workshops leading up to the Festival. The idea of setting up workshops and involving local youth bands at UK jazz festivals seems to be a growing and valuable trend. Ribble Valley Jazz and Blues is already putting together a programme for the 2011 Festival – for more information go to their website: www.rvjazzandblues.co.uk.

Attendance at Ribble Valley Jazz and Blues gigs varies according to the artist and other factors, as does the age group. Generally the age group is more mature. A survey taken at this year’s Ribble Valley Jazz Festival (with a 25% response, so has credibility), showed that over 50% of the audience were 60+, and very few were in the age group 20 to 35.

The Northern Jazz Orchestra

The club invites people to become members, and the annual subscription helps to support the cash flow. Subscribing members get reduced entrance fees amongst other benefits. Entrance fees, and any ancillary income is to cover costs of artists and venue. Clive says: ‘We have obtained grants to cover the costs of tutors and workshop venues where income is rather limited, and sponsorship has been forthcoming for our major event, the Ribble Valley Jazz Festival.’

So what styles of jazz does the club find that people enjoy? ‘We endeavour to cater for the wide range of all styles of jazz,’ says Clive. ‘That is not always commercially viable in a provincial locality such as ours, and we have to take this into account in our programming. Mainstream jazz certainly attracts more interest.’

Clive goes on to describe how the club is working to involve young people: ‘We have arranged workshop activities lead by prominent jazz musicians such as Alan Barnes, Greg Abate, Al Wood and Paul Rigby of the Northern Jazz Orchestra. They work with local youth jazz groups and school swing bands, in some cases with those groups performing at the Ribble Valley Jazz Festival.’

Leeds College Big Band

‘Sunday Lunch Big Band Concerts are arranged by the club every three months, and often showcase youth Big Bands including Leeds College, Wigan Youth Jazz Orchestra, Chethams School of Music, Lancashire Student Jazz Orchestra and the local Clitheroe Royal Grammar School.’

‘The club is currently undertaking a project with two local colleges including a performance at the colleges and a recording of a youth jazz group.’

Details of gigs and more information about Ribble Valley Jazz and Blues can be found on their website www.rvjazzandblues.co.uk or on their Facebook page: click here

Gigs booked for September are:

Sunday, 12th September: the Wigan Youth Jazz Orchestra at the Grand, York Street Clitheroe (Tel: 01200 421599). 12.00 midday to 3.00 pm. £16.50 including a 2 course lunch. Concessions for members and under 16s.

Thursday, 16th September: The Ben Allen Quintet at the New Atrium Café bar, Clitheroe Castle. (Tel: 07870 908 159). Tickets on the door £10. Concessions for members and under 16s.

Video Of The Month

Dizzy Gillespie and Arturo Sandoval - Night In Tunisia

As the notes to this video say: In 1985, Dizzy Gillespie returned to Cuba after an absence of 40 years. He was one of the first American jazz musicians to add Afro-Cuban elements to his music, and Cubans to his big band. Most notably, in the 40s, was percussionist, Chano Pozo.

A then-young Arturo Sandoval (trumpet) and Gonzalo Rubalcaba (piano) sit in with Dizzy's band. Bari sax player, Sayyd Abdul al-Khabbyr, is remarkable. Walter Davis is on in this number too.Great fun!

Click here for this month's video.

Profile - Jack Free

Trombone player Jackie Free was born in Leytonstone, East London, on the 28th March, 1932. He was into music from an early age, playing trombone in the local Boys Brigade band, which won quite a few competitions, even appearing at Belle View in Manchester and coming second in the final.

Looking back, Jackie says: ‘About 1948 or 1949, I started playing jazz music with like-minded young musicians at the Leyton Youth Club. The band included Dave Jones on clarinet (later to become a star with the Kenny Ball band), and a fine cornet player, Johnny Rowden, who later played and recorded with the Dave Carey Jazz Band.’

Photograph © Jack Free

Jackie did his National Service from 1950 to 1952 in the Royal Air Force and managed to play with many service bands and for dances in the Officers’ Mess. After demob, he played some local gigs before he joined the Harry Walton Jazz Band in 1954.

‘Harry was a fine pianist,’ Jackie recalls. ‘He played in the style of his heroes, Fats Waller and Teddy Wilson. I remember that in 1956, we played at a private party for Lord and Lady Donegal, and the guests of honour were the great Louis Armstrong and Mezz Mezzrow, that Chicago-style jazzman who wrote the famous book about jazz Really The Blues. I think we were probably the first British band to play with Louis after World War II. Playing with him was the greatest moment of my career!’

Jackie with Louis Armstrong
Photograph © Jack Free

‘Lord and Lady Donegal had a club along the Embankment in London, a big house with a great tapestry on the wall – reminded you of the Bayoux Tapestry. It was really a jazz club for debutantes, but all the major visiting musicians played there – they would say “Let’s go down the Lords”, as if it were the cricket ground! Judy Garland, Sophie Tucker, Louis Armstrong, George Lewis – they all played there.’

After six years with Harry Walton, Jackie left and freelanced for a short time, playing with fine musicians such as Alan Wickham and Gerry Salisbury. Then, in 1962 he joined Freddy Randall and his band.

Jackie Free and eight year old Enfield boy, Brian Ling, with the Freddy Randall band. 'God knows what tune we were playing, but Dave had to write out the kid's solo.'

Click here for a Movietone News video of the band playing on this occasion in 1964 at Wood Green Jazz Club.

Photograph © Jack Free

‘This band had the great Dave Shepherd on clarinet and the late Nevil Skrimshire on guitar,’ says Jackie. ‘I did recordings and many broadcasts with Freddy. There was a time when Bruce Turner was playing in the band – as you know, Bruce used to call everyone ‘Dad’. I was the last one there on this occasion and there was an old boy sweeping up the floor. “Are you in the band?” He asked. When I relied “yes”, he said “It’s nice to know there is a father and his son playing in the band!”

The Pizza Express All Stars with L-R
Jackie Free, Colin Smith, Dave Shepherd, Bruce Turner

Photograph © Jack Free

‘In 1965, after three years, I left and joined Dave Shepherd’s band. This band had Bill Thompson on trumpet, Dave Shepherd on clarinet, Pat Mason on piano, Bob Bryan on double bass and Johnny Richardson on drums. ’

‘The band usually played Sunday lunchtimes. I remember that one Sunday at Cook’s Ferry Inn this chap came up and said that his friend was a visiting American musician and he sit in with us? We said fine and his friend played great Dixieland jazz on the saxophone. At the end, Alan Wickham was announcing the musicians and I said not to forget the chap who sat in. “What’s his name?” said Alan. I asked and was told it was Sonny Stitt! We were speechless! What a fine musician! He was playing tenor sax, although he had made his name playing alto sax.’

‘On another occasion we were asked to play at the opening of a pub called The Cauliflower. We started playing to about eight or ten old fellows who were drinking at the bar and got no acknowledgement at all. The pub slowly filled up and the gig went OK, but at the end, one of the old boys came up and said, “You here again tonight?” “No, sorry,” we said. “Thank God for that,” he mumbled.

Jackie left Dave Shepherd’s band in 1970 to freelance again. He played with Joe Loss’s Ambassadors Orchestra and then around 1980, he joined drummer John Petters’ band and toured with Billy Butterfield (the trumpeter with Bob Crosby’s Bob Cats), and played and recorded with Wild Bill Davison, Yank Lawson, and veteran pianist Art Hodes.

‘Those were great musicians to play with, especially for a trombone player whose heroes are Lou McGarity, Cutty Cutshall, George Brunis and Jack Teagarden.’

Photograph © Jack Free

In the 1980s, Jackie formed his own band Jack Free and the Chicagoans. ‘Over the years I have had some fine musicians playing in my band,’ he says. ‘ People like Digby Fairweather, Mike Cotton, John Patey, Dave Shepherd, Enrico Tomasso … I have made three albums so far. My first CD had John Patey (trumpet), Julian Marc Stringle (clarinet), Nick Dawson (piano), Murray Salmon (string bass) and Martin Guy (drums).

In early 2009, Jack was having trouble with his heart again: I could hardly walk to the door,’ he says. ‘I went to see the consultant in London who told me that I needed another heart by-pass, but there was a likely chance I would die on the operating table. He said he wouldn’t have it done. I wasn’t happy with this, so was referred to Papworth Hospital where they did a triple bypass and fitted a pacemaker – now I walk two miles a day’.

The front line of the Herts and Essex Jazz Band with Jackie Free, Mike Cotton and Julian Stringle

Photograph © Jack Free

In November, 2009, Jackie and the band were in the recording studio making that third album ‘Jackie Free’s Chicagoans’ – fifteen tracks of favourites like Wolverine Blues, Baby Won’t You Please Come Home, Fine And Dandy, When It’s Sleepy Time Down South …. The CD is not available through commercial outlets, but Jack has a number copies available – if you would like a copy at £10, Jackie has a few available - contact him by clicking here if you would like more information.

‘During 2010 I am still playing at various jazz festivals with my latest band,’ says Jack. ‘We have Pete Rudeforth (trumpet), John Crocker (clarinet and saxes), John China (piano), Murray Salmon (bass) and Martin Guy (drums) – all brilliant musicians.’

At 78, Jack is feeling fine and plays regularly around the country with other bands as well as with his own – London, Watford, Lincoln, Bournemouth, Bracklesham Bay … ‘I hope the gigs will keep coming in,’ he says.

So do we …..

Astar Recording Studios Loan Scheme

Astar Studios at Heywood in Lancashire is owned by producer Andy Ross. This is the studio where the Kit Downes Trio recorded their album Golden, nominated for this year’s Mercury prize. Andy has recently finished producing the 2010 Yamaha New Jazz Sessions CD with the Yamaha Jazz Scholars we wrote about in August (click here for more information). The CD, which will also feature a number of guest artists, will be issued free with the December/January issue of Jazzwise magazine.

The studio boasts ‘the latest state-of-the-art digital control room technology, a large live room with stunning acoustics for recording jazz and a relaxing chill-out area’, but a key factor is Astar’s interest free loan scheme of up to £5,000 over two years.

Andy Ross says: The 0% loan scheme enables us to work with talented musicians we might otherwise have had to turn away on grounds of means. Getting any type of credit has always been extremely difficult for musicians, so the opportunity to offer interest free finance for recording services sits well with Astar’s philosophy to empower artists with the best possible recordings, visuals and business plan to get them noticed. The loans are of course subject to status but can be taken out either by the artist directly or on their behalf by a manager, family member or friend. This opens the door for artists and bands to make the record they always dreamed of and spread the costs of promotion and gigging. For independent managers and labels on a limited budget it also creates the opportunity to develop new artists on a profit share basis.’

A variety of packages are available under the scheme – where artists are looking to release and market their recordings independently, the costs can be of course far less than £5,000. This could also be important for artists from outside the area who might need to travel to the studios and stay somewhere nearby for a few days. Andy Ross is happy to negotiate packages to meet individual needs. For more information, click here for Astar’s website.

UK Jazz Festivals

Click here for information about Jazz Festivals in the UK during 2010. If you know of a Festival that we have missed out, please contact us, if possible giving us a website reference for the event.

There are festivals in September in Chatham (Kent), Scarborough and Imperial Wharf (London).

Serious Learning at the 2010 London Jazz Festival

This year Serious Learning is focusing on an array of participatory events which can be accessed by all ages. For the very young they are programming a series of Jazz For Toddlers concerts for 3 -  5 year olds and parents in outer London venues. For 8 -16 year olds there will be a number of jazz improvisation workshops led by artists featuring in this year’s Festival. For jazz lovers of all ages, there will also be jazz vocal workshops, talks and master classes…..plenty of reasons to get out and about this November!

It also looks set to be a great year for the Serious Learning Beyond Concerts programme, which includes a Romany jazz project in partnership with artsdepot in Barnet, workshops and school concerts in Greenwich and an urban jazz project in Bromley.

Aspiring music journalist? Get involved

Now’s the time for aspiring music writers to up their game with the return of The Write Stuff, the new writers’ initiative.

In its eighth year, The Write Stuff is run by the London Jazz Festival in partnership with Jazzwise magazine and gives new writers the opportunity to work with professional journalists to improve their writing skills, develop an understanding of jazz criticism, and see a stack of concerts!

To read more about The Write Stuff and to find out how to apply, click here.

If you would like to hear more about the Serious Learning and Participation programme please contact nadine.wood@serious.org and check out their website by clicking here.

Compact Disc of the Month

Grant Stewart - Around The Corner

Jon Turner from Broad Street Jazz says: 'Look out for some new albums coming from the Sharp Nine label. This is an American label carrying some excellent straight-ahead, 'boppish' music, often interpreting Standards.' John has recommended two albums to be issued by Sharp Nine on 21st September: Down With It by Russian born Dmitry Baevsky and Around the Corner by Canadian tenor saxophonist Grant Stewart. Grant moved from Canada to New York when he was nineteen since when he has performed with many top jazz musicians.

Click here to read more about Grant Stewart and to watch videos of him playing.

Grant Stewart - Around The Corner will be available at £13.99, including UK postage, from Broad Street Jazz, 11 Broad Street, Bath, BA1 5LJ.

Click here for the Sharp Nine website where you can find out more about the albums Jon recommends and listen to some great samples from other albums.

Vinyl Album of the Month

John Coltrane - Coltrane's Sound

Last month we featured John Coltrane's album My Favourite Things. This is another quality LP from Rhino records described as 'Coltrane's overlooked masterpiece'. This is said to be one of the most underrated entries in Trane's catalogue; the All Music Guide says: 'These recordings remain among Trane's finest'. The line up is John Coltrane (tenor and soprano sax), McCoy Tyner (piano), Steve Davis (bass) and Elvin Jones (drums), and the tracks include: The Night Has A Thousand Eyes, Central Park West, Liberia, Body and Soul, Equinox and Satellite.

The stereo LP is of the Atlantic SD1419 album, on 180 gram vinyl taken from the original analog masters packaged in the original sleeve design.

Click here to listen to track samples. (Note: the tracks 26-2 and Body and Soul (alternate take) are only on the CD and mp3 downloads).

The LP John Coltrane - Coltrane's Sound is available at £15.99 (plus postage) from Broad Street Jazz, 11 Broad Street, Bath, BA1 5LJ.

Ten New Releases and Re-Issues for September

For the September selection of ten new releases and re-issues recommended by Broad Street Jazz record shop in Bath click here.

This month's selection includes albums by Dave Douglas, Bill Charlap, Esperanza Spalding, Conrad Herwig, Norma Winstone, Kenny Werner, Jim Rotondi, Vijay Iyer, Grant Stewart and Dmitry Baevsky.

You can sample many of these albums and find out more when you go to the September selection.

Jazz CD and DVD Reviews

Musicweb International is a really useful website that has many reviews of albums and DVDs going back to 2003 and is always worth a visit. You can give it a try by clicking here www.musicweb-international.com/jazz/index2010.html

More Room To Lounge

Cado Bell has been justifiably concerned by the number of musicians passing through the Departure Lounge in recent weeks and imagines a situation where we might need to apply for an extension. Cado suggests that a planning application might bring the following response:

Dear Sir,

Re: Application to Extend Departure Lounge

I write to inform you that your recent application for planning permission to extend the Departure Lounge has been granted in full, subject to the following conditions being met by you under the emergency accommodation provisions bylaw:

1. The erection of double doors to be fitted with door stops to cater for the larger clients carrying gear at the end of the new corridor leading to the Heaven's Gate waiting area.

2. The extension of bar facilities to include extra seating capacity and of course ample stock of spirits with no more than eight to the bar at any one day.

3. New reception area to include no less than 4 quick check-in desks to cater for current demand and an on-duty facilitator to arrange deps for jazz musos worried about their next gig.

4. Jamming in the contemplation area to be prohibited at all times.

5. All musicians now allowed to use main entrance, except drummers who must still use the back door then pass through the kitchen, past the laundry room to the service lift.

6. The granting of a license to change the name of the pub to "The Last Bar" subject to approval the family of the late Charlie Parker.

7. Drum cases to be neatly stacked and covered with black table cloths.

8. Stipulation to enlarged landscaped garden area not to exceed beyond the stream, paved walkway, overpass and rockpool.

9. Granting of permission subject to just taking it to the bridge.

10. Bandstand to include larger area to accommodate rhythm section.

11. A de-composing room for composers.

12. Managers and Agents subject to 15% admission charge.

13. Vocalists to have own dressing rooms with extra large flattering mirrors with soft lighting on all sides.

We hope that the above requirements can be implemented without delay, and I look forward to passing over through your newly refurbished premises sometime in the future. I'm sure your staff will make the transition to a higher place a pleasurable experience in the new surroundings.
When news spreads of the new luxurious facilities, I'm sure people will be dying to get in.

For and on behalf of the great plan planning department

Willie Makit

Departure Lounge

Information has arrived about the following musicians who have passed through the 'Departure Lounge' since our last update. Click on their names for their obituaries:

Jack Parnell - British drummer and bandleader who played with Buddy Featherstonhaugh and then formed the Lewis-Parnell Jazzmen with Vic Lewis. In 1945 he joined Ted Heath's band until in 1951, he formed his own band. After working for ATV as musical director, he toured with the Best of British Jazz show during the 1990s.
Jack's family has opened an online book of condolence (click here). Click here for a video of Jack and his Orchestra that features his drumming.

Abbey Lincoln - Singer inluenced early in her life by Billie Holiday and who went on to sing with Benny Carter, Max Roach (who she married), Stan Getz and Hank Johnson amongst others. In 1957 she became a champion of the Civil Rights movement. Click here for an interesting video where Abbey Lincoln discusses Billie Holiday with La-Verne Cody Gittens. Click here for a video of Abbey singing with Max Roach.

Herman Leonard - Photographer who achieved acclaim as one of the key photographers of jazz - his iconic photograph of Dexter Gordon on the bandstand at the Royal Roost Club being one of the best known. Thanks to Cado Bell for telling us about this slideshow of his pictures that you can watch if you click here. Click here for a video of an interview with Herman Leonard. Click here for the Herman Leonard website.

Phillip Walker - Guitarist and Blues singer born in Louisiana where he worked with Lonesome Sundown and Long John Hunter before moving to Los Angeles. In 1969, began working with producers and songwriters Bromberg and Walker and collaborated with them for the next 20 years. Click here to listen to Phillip playing and singing Trouble In My Home.

Robbie Jansen - South African alto saxophonist, flautist, singer, arranger and composer who was a key figure in the Cape jazz scene. By 13 he had played in two school bands. Worked with Abdullah Ibrahim, Basil Coetzee and the bands Juluka, Spirits Rejoice, Workforce and Sabenza. Click here for a video of Robbie playing live in Cape Town in 2005.

Gene 'Mighty Flea' Conners - American trombone player who owed much to JJ Johnson's slide trombone style. Played with Lionel Hampton and depped for the Count Basie and Ray Charles Orchestras. Click here for a video of the Mighty Flea and The Voyagers playing What A Wonderful World.

Forum

Alexander Stewart

Last month we profiled young singer Alexander Stewart (click here). Jonathan Bell went to see Alexander at Ronnie Scott's club and writes:

'Thought I would drop you a line regarding Alexander Stewart.  I saw him perform at Ronnie Scott's on the 1st August and what a performance.  I had heard Alex before on television and thought he was good then, however, his performance on Sunday was exceptional, faultless and effortless for someone of his age.  He performed a great selection of songs and delivered them with unique style.  His pianist and musical director - Alex Webb has carefully selected his choice of songs and has done a great job with the arrangements.  So much so that he has even converted me to liking Paul Simon!!  I think that song choice and arrangements will be key to Alex's success in the future as he needs to stear clear of being labelled a 'Bublé' sound-alike.  If you have not already done so, and the opportunity comes along, then I would recommend trying to see Alex live.'

Lost - phosphorescent PVC toy kangaroo

Simon King in North Wales writes: I remember a pilgrimage from Corby/Kettering in the 60s to feast on the sound of Pee Wee Russell. We used to go to see people like Ken Collier in London, Bedford, Rugby and in Northants. Recall Northampton, Birmingham and Cleethorpes jazz festivalsl. It was also the night I lost the phosphorescent PVC toy kangaroo I had made on a test rig at the chemical company where I worked at the time.

Not that Simon is asking - but if anyone has come across a kangaroo .......and there could be a reward!

Cooks Ferry Inn

John Capes adds to the memories of the club at Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton:

In the mid to late 1950's (I cannot recall the precise dates) I and my wife used to go to Cooks Ferry on Sunday lunchtimes when Freddy Randall played with what I suppose must have been a pick up band including Geoge Chisholm, Lennie Felix and Ian Wheeler. We had not been to the Ferry since the forties and it was great to hear Freddy again. I did record two sessions on a cassette recorder but lent these to an acquaintance who left the area (Enfield) without returning them.

George Chisholm at Cooks Ferry Inn

Photograph © John Capes

On one of these sessions I took my Leica camera loaded with 400 asa film and photographed the band. Unfortunately the lighting was low and even more unfortunately a red lamp was used over the stage giving illumination similar to a darkroom! I ended up taking shots at f2 and 1/8th of a second but even so and with forced development the negatives are very thin needing at that time grade 6 hard paper. I have attached a shot of George Chisholm which as you will see is quite grainy.

New Merlin's Cave

In August we published an article about New Merlin's Cave, a venue that thrived in Clerkenwell during the 1970s (click here). Dave Bowen remembers the place well:

'Pleased to read the piece about the New Merlins Cave. I was a regular visitor and sometime sitter-in there in the early 70s. Was it John Chilton who dubbed it The Pudding Club in tribute to the numbers of children with their parents? It wasn't exactly a healthy place for them to be considering the fug of smoke that hung in the air. You had the added interest of the possibility of a famous guest sitting in.'

'One such memorable occasion was a visit by trumpet player Bill Coleman and I seem to recall the clarinettist Matty Matlock having a blow on another session. Sandy Brown came down sometimes and I still recall a great extended solo he played on "I Can't Get Started". I read somewhere that the writer Laurie Lee was also a fan and regular visitor.'

A story that would be remembered only by the musicians  involved (and I'm sure confirmed by my old mate Mel Henry who was also present) was a late night private birthday drink at the New Merlins Cave for Johnny Parker (late lamented) which ended with the sudden arrival, through all portals, of a what seemed like a very large contingent of local police officers who must have suspected it was the site of an illegal drinking den. What stands out in my memory is the trumpet player Alan Wickham, no shrinking violet he, who encircled a group of rather startled young coppers, berating them for victimising innocent musicians having a quiet private drink when they should be doing something useful out in the streets and dealing with "all these blanking protesting students". Happy days!'

Please let us know if you can add to our recollections and pictures of New Merlin's Cave, the Dancing Slipper, the Six Bells (Chelsea), Cooks Ferry Inn (Edmonton), or Eel Pie Island.

Joe Harriott

Joe Harriott was featured in last month's Photographic Memory - see picture below (click here for Photographic Memories). Pete Pohl writes:

'I heard Joe Harriott play at the 100  club  ca.1952.  He "sat in" for a few numbers with the Band of the evening  (Humph ???). Took Me back a few years!   I had fogotten him completly till I read the article.'

Does anyone else remember Joe?

Harry Miller - Drummer

In last month's Photographic Memory picture with Joe Harriott was drummer Harry Miller. We wondered if anyone knew what had become of Harry. There was a well known bass player also named Harry Miller that some people picked up on, but that was a different Harry. Bunny Austin has come up with some other interesting information about 'drummer Harry':-

'Harry Miller (real name Harry Shillingworth) was a very good drummer, playing in the Freddy Randall band from circa 1946 to 1950 when Freddy replaced him with Lennie Hastings. Harry recorded with the Freddy Randall band in June 1948 and again in September 1948 on the old Cleveland Rhythm Club label. Harry also recorded six sides with Freddy on the Tempo label in September 1949.

Harry Miller (left) with Joe Harriott
Photograph courtesy of Bunny Austin

In the 1950's Harry Miller ran his own band, and also acted as a band booker. I played for Harry in the Whitechapel area of the east end of London along with my friend Laurie Harris, an alto player. The venues were generally over a type of Burton's clothing stores. Harry's mum and dad used to carry in Harry's drum kit and assemble it on the stage, then when the gig was finished they would dismantle the drum kit and march off! Harry's dad was an accordion player. Sometimes, to liven things up, Harry would fire off his blank cartridge automatic! (Not exactly the way to introduce the band to the citizens of Whitechapel!). Laurie Harris told me half the audience vanished when Harry did his party trick!

In the 1960's Harry Miller was a member of the Ferry Boat Jazzmen who played on Sunday lunchtimes at the Cook's Ferry Inn at Edmonton, north London.This band had Nevil Skrimshire on guitar, Harry Miller on drums, Ted Fawcett bass, Alan Wickham trumpet, Dave Jones clarinet, Bert Murray trombone, Pat Mason on piano and Jack Jacobs alto/clarinet. Harry would sing one or two numbers (he was quite a good vocalist).

About this time Harry Miller also lead a band on Sunday nights at a rugby club not far from the Ferry. I played at this venue a few times. One night Jimmy Skidmore and Art Elefson turned up to play - they nearly blew the roof off! I lost touch with Harry Miller towards the end of the 1960's, but perhaps there are a few people who can help with later news. I know that Harry has died, quite some years ago, diabetes trouble, but don't have a definite date, but I'm tracking it down.'

The New Paul Whiteman Orchestra

Cado Bell is looking for information about The New Paul Whiteman Orchestra that recorded in London in the mid-1970s, and in particular the details of the scores for two tracks: Reaching For Someone and Mississippi Mud , both recorded in 1975. Don Helme has helped with the information that an album called The Dick Sudhalter Legacy 1967-2001 (on Challenge Records) has three tracks by Sudhalter's New Paul Whiteman Orchestra, which was a British re-creation of the original band from the 1920s. The rest is a compilation of bands led by Saudhalter (who also wrote the book Bix: Man and Legend, about Bix Beiderbecke). Don believes that the New Paul Whiteman Orchestra made 2 LPs but as far as he can see, they are now combined as a CD called Plays The Music Of The Roaring Twenties. Please contact us if you are able to give Cado any more information.

Launch of the Edinburgh Jazz Archive

The launch of the Edinburgh Jazz Archive at the Central Library during the Edinburgh Jazz Festival under the title "Capital Jazz" was a successful event. Jim Keppie writes:

'There was a goodly attendance of jazz enthusiasts and performers from yesteryear and today to view the assembled material on display covering the approximate period 1945-80. This consisted of explanatory texts, photographs, books, instruments and memorabilia as well as books containing memoirs and profile listings of local performers

Musical support was provided by Ron Carruthers (piano), Tony Howard (guitar), Billy Allison (drums) and John Burgess (reeds) with speeches by Councillor Ron Cairns (Edinburgh City Council), Jim Keppie (EJAG) and Hil Williamson (Edinburgh City Library).

Among those present were Ralph Laing, Mike Hart, Bill Strachan, Drew Landles, Andrew Gilmour, Jim Young, Mike Pollett, Graham Blamire, Jean Mundell, Roger Craik, Winnie Scott (widow of Janol Scott) and Ishbel Semple (widow of John Semple).

For more information about the Archive click here.

Sandy Brown and Edinburgh's Six Swinging Decades

Eddie Fowler has brough to our attention an article by Kenny Mathieson as a preview of this Year's Edinburgh Jazz Festival:

'Typically for jazz, there were two differing schools of thought in Edinburgh in 1950. One looked to the New Orleans jazz of King Oliver, Louis Armstrong and Jelly Roll Morton for inspiration, the other to the Chicago school of Eddie Condon, Bix Beiderbecke and Jack Teagarden.

Clarinettist Sandy Brown and the so-called Royal High School Gang lead the New Orleans faction, along with such musicians as trumpeter Al Fairweather and pianist Stan Greig, while the Condon-ites united around the Semple brothers, Archie and John, and trumpeter Alex Welsh.

Mike Hart was allied with the Royal High group. He remembers going to listen regularly to the clarinetist at the Edinburgh Jazz Club in a church hall in Riego Street in Tollcross as a teenager in 1950, and later played drums in Brown's band.

"Riego Street was a grotty church hall where some of us were underage," he recalls, "and we used to have tea and biscuits at the interval while the musicians went across to the pub. There was a much younger audience at that stage – jazz was our music, our pop music if you like.

"I found Sandy very irascible. He was not an easy person to get on with. When he announced the tunes, he would tell Al Fairweather, and Al would turn round and tell us – he seemed to have an aversion to talking to the young whipper-snappers in the rhythm section.'

This is just part of an interesting and longer article - click here to read the full version.

Harry Lock - Clarinet

Eric Jackson writes: Would anyone know the fate of Harry Lock - Peanuts-style clarinetist often in the jam sessions at the Tally Ho on Sundays in the sixties and prominent on the LP recorded there? He was big mate of Alan Littlejohns and sometimes depped in the Kenny Ball band.Very smart dresser and subject to jokes about bow locks and employment in Cecil Gee's window.

Barbecue Jazz Band

Roger Trobridge has been contacted by someone who went to school with jazz harmonica player Cyril Davies in New Denham, London, and later played with him in the Barbecue Jazz Band in the early 1950s. Roger was unaware of this and thought Cyril had just played with Steve Lane and the Southern Stompers. The Barbecue Jazz Band started up in 1950 and in 1952 featured Ron Ware (cornet/leader), Mick Clift (trombone), David Morgan/Frank Bond (drums), Kenneth Eltringham (clarinet), Terry Bowler (tuba), Brian Powell (piano) and Cyril Davies (banjo/vocals).

Can anyone help with more information about the Barbecue Jazz Band and the musicians who played in it? It probably lasted from 1950 to 1952 and met in The Hut, Yiewsley, Hillingdon? It appears that the band was recorded at The Hut by someone with a portable recording who recorded direct to a disc. The players all got a disc afterwards. Roger, who has a recording on an aluminium disc coated with plastic (an 'acetate'?) which looks unplayable, also wonders if anyone can help with more information about this? The label has the words 'A Gold Star Recording and the brand SMS around the central hole: HUT 29-1-52.

Roger is also interested in finding out about people who were recording some of the early bands in the 50s in the clubs. 'Not the proper labels who had their own studios. I think there was a shop in Oxford Street where bands could go and I think there was a singer called George Brock who had a recorder...'

Please contact us if you can help.

Harry Beckett Memorial Concert at Cafe Oto, London E8

There will be a memorial concert for trumpeter Harry Beckett on Sunday 10 October 2010 at 6.00 pm. at 18 - 22 Ashwin Street, Dalston, London E8 3DL. Tickets will be available on the door (price not yet confirmed). There is due to be a great list of musicians paying tribute to Harry - click here for more information.

Right Up Our Street

Roger Strong recently took this photograph travelling south in New Zealand. He says:

'We had just spent six nights and seven days on a 100ft Milford Wanderer in the incredible isolation and marvellous scenery of Fiordland.

In Te Anau township with a backdrop of the mountains that surround the town by Lake Te Anau, I saw this road sign and thought that you might like a copy.'

Forum Articles

There is now a wide variety of interesting jazz articles on our Forum page. Click here to see the index.

Verona Chard Tour

Fololwing the successful launch of her great new album Fever at the 606 Club, singer Verona Chard is on tour in the UK:

9 September - Cafe Chai, London W5 2NP 020 8992 1571 Gig and Jam
10 September - Cornerhouse, Surbiton KT6 7SB 020 8296 9012
16 September - Jazz in The Big Top - Gerry Cottle's Circus - Stratford upon Avon info@ukjazzradio.com
18 September - Old Joint Stock, Birmingham B2 5NY 0121 200 0946
19 September - VoiceBox, Derby DE1 1JQ (+ singers workshop) 01332 295297
24 September - Library Theatre, Luton LU1 2NG 01582 547474
30 September - St James's Wine Vaults, Bath BA1 2TW with Jazzhouse Trio 01225 310335

Click here for more information.

Colchester Jazz Club - Essex

Colchester Jazz Club tells us that it has a full programme for September at Stanway Rovers Football Club, New Farm Road with Ring 01206 501891 for more information. Doors open at 7.00 pm, music starts at 7.45 p.m.
September 5th: The French Quarter All Stars
September 12th: Chicago Teddy Bears Society Jazz Band
September 19th: Laurie Chescoe's Reunion Band
September 26th: The Dart Valley Stompers

The Electric Palace, Harwich - Essex

The Electric Palace at King's Quay in Harwich, Essex is a venue that holds jazz gigs once a month on a Thursday evening. Membership is £1 for one visit or £4 (£2 concessions) for a year.
2nd September: The Stowe Valley Stompers - £7 plus membership
23rd September: The Laurie Chescoe Reunion Band - tickets £8 plus membership.

Hideaway, 2 Empire Mews, Stanthorpe Road, Streatham, London SW16 2ED

Alexander Stewart will be performing at this new jazz haunt south of the Thames on Sunday, 12th September at 9.00 pm with Alex Webb (piano), Nathaniel Facey (alto sax), Gary Crosby (bass) and Andy Chapman (drums).

Map Cafe, 46 Grafton Road, London, NW5 3DU
www.mapmusic.net

1st September: The Steve Fishwick Quartet - 7 pm - £10
5th September: Cai Marle-Garcia Quartet - 1.30 to 6 pm - £4 (£2 musicians)
8th September: Damon Brown/Leon Greening Quartet - 7 pm - £10
10th September: Leon Greening Quartet - 7 pm - £10
12th September Cai Marle-Garcia Quartet with Zem Audu - 1.30 - 6 pm - £4 (£2 musicians)
15th September: Geoff Gascoyne Band - 7 pm - £10
16th, 17th & 18th September: Carol Grimes and Trio - 7 pm - £12
19th September: Cai Marle-Garcia Quartet with Sarah Ellen Hughes - 1.30 - 6 pm - £4 (£2 musicians)
22nd September: Ed Jones New Quartet - 7 pm- £10
23rd September: John Etheridge - 7 pm - £10
24th September: The Michael Storey Band - 7 pm - £10
26th September: Cai Marle-Garcia Quartet with Sarah Ellen Hughes - 1.30 - 6 pm - £4 (£2 musicians)
29th September: Henry Lowther Quartet - 7 pm - £10
The Sunday afternoon sessions with Cai Marle-Garcia include a jam session where everyone is welcome to come down and play.

Dick Laurie's Elastic Band - Putney

Don Helme and Cado Bell tell us that the band will be playing on:

the last Sunday of every month at The Half Moon, 93 Lower Richmond Rd, Putney, SW15 from 1.30- 4.30pm
and
the first Sunday of every month at the Prince of Wales, 646 Garratt Lane, corner of Summerstown Rd, from 1.30 - 4.30pm

Admission free, good food, easy parking and plentiful public transport to both venues.

Pizza Express, 10 Dean Street, London W1

For nearly 40 years this basement club in the heart of Soho has been one of London’s favourite jazz night-spots and one of the best modern mainstream jazz venues in Europe. Pizza Express has been getting together its programme for September. Book Online www.pizzaexpresslive.com. Box Office 08456 027 017 Click here for full listings. September gigs are:

Friday 3rd - Monday 6th: Jeff Golub and Mindi Abair. £25 / £23 (Sat 4th Late) / £22 (Mon 6th)  
Tuesday 7th: Benet McLean Album Launch. £15
Wednesday 8th & Thursday 9th: Nikki Yanofsky. £20
Friday 10th & Saturday 11th: Flight of Hand featuring Dave O'Higgins. £20
Sunday 12th: Anita Wardell & Michael L. Roberts. £15
Monday 13th: Robert Mitchell's Panacea (8tet Edition). £15
Tuesday 14th: Largo featuring Gast Waltzing & Leana Sealy. £15
Wednesday 15th: Mishka Adama. £15.
Thursday 16th & Friday 17th: Antonio Forcione's Greatest (Almost) Hits (Solo). £15.
Satuday 18th: Samara. £15.
Sunday 19th: David Rees-Williams Trio. £15.
Monday 20th: Michael Garrick CD Album Launch of' 'Remembered Time'. £15.
Tuesday 21st: Lea Delaria's Wall2Wall. Jerome Kern Songbook. £20
Wednesday 22nd: Maria Pia De Vito / Huw Warren - Dialektos. £15
Thursday 23rd: Karin Krog Quartet. £17.50.
Friday 24th & Saturday 25th: Rebecca Parris Quartet. £20.
Sunday 26th: David Linx / Diederik Wissels. £15.
Monday 27th: Chris Allard Band. £12.
Tuesday 28th: Mark Lockheart's 'In Deep'. £12.
Wednsday 29th & Thursday 30th: Freddy Cole. £28.

Basilico Ristoranti and Lounge, Victoria, BC, Canada

The New Dave Keen Trio: Every Wednesday 6:00pm until 8:30 pm. Great Italian food and straight ahead jazz from Dave Keen (tenor sax), Bill Gobby (guitar) and Don Cox (string bass). Dave says: 'Everybody has been raving about the food and how reasonably priced the menu is.' Be sure and make a reservation: 250-391-5589.
Basilico Ristorante & Lounge, 832 Goldstream Avenue, Victoria, BC.

Profiles

There are now links to a number of musicians' profiles that we have put together on this site as well as other people who are included on the Who's Who page.

Click on the person's name to read their profile:
Yazz Ahmed : Norrie Anderson : Zem Audu : Bunny Austin : James Gardiner-Bateman : Bill Bramwell : Willie Burns : Bryan Corbett : Bob Craig : Roy Crimmins : George Crockett : Terry Cryer: Kit Downes : Stu Eaton : William Ellis : Belle Gonzales : Lew Hooper : Rowan Hudson : Dizzy Jackson : Iestyn Jones : Dave Keir : Alan Littlejohns : Tony Milliner : Corey Mwamba : Johnny Parker : Dave Paxton : John Randall : Sam Rapley : Alex Revell : Sue Richardson : Matana Roberts : Alvin Roy : Ron Rubin : Gerry Salisbury : Alexander Stewart : Mo Umansky : Felix Weldon : Ruby Wood :

Let us know if you would like us to add a profile.

Items carried over from August

The following items appeared on the August What's New page but may still be of interest to readers:

Black Jazz in Scotland

Kwaku, editor of British Black Music, has written to us saying:

'We were in Edinburgh a fortnight ago and whilst waiting for our train, decided to while away the time in the central music library. I asked if there was any black music from Scotland that I could browse through. I read the history of Scottish rock and pop, which had a smattering of R&B connections and the staff were very nice and helpful but had to admit there was hardly anything so specific.'

We contacted the Central Music Library and are grateful to Garry Gale who looked into the query again. Garry says:

'I've done a bit of digging about and haven't really come up with anything .... lots of black musicians came to Scotland to perform.. Louis Armstrong, Big Bill Broonzy and many other great American and European jazz musicians. In the 60s there was a thriving interest in soul and ska, especially in Glasgow, and there were some clubs which specifically catered for that audience but, again, there is no evidence of any local black musicians being involved ... performers tended to come from London or Liverpool.

There is a new book, just published, which claims to be the most authoritative history of popular music in Glasgow:  Minstrels, Poets and Vagabonds (click here). Our copy hasn't arrived yet but I will scan it when it comes in for any relevant information.

Finlay Quaye was born in Edinburgh, and went to school there for a while... but spent most of his career in London. He now lives in Berlin. His formative years introduced him to jazz and his father and uncle were both well established  black musicians.. but again not in Scotland ... Finlay's mother was Scottish (white)

I have also looked at quite a lot of archival jazz photographs and cannot see any evidence of any black musicians in any of the bands and nor can any 'current survivor's of the old Edinburgh Jazz scene recall any local black musicians playing in Edinburgh.

Via 'pub talk' a couple of names have come up: Aki Remally is a funk guitarist based in Edinburgh, he plays sessions with other musicians across the UK and beyond (Hendrix inspired) click here for details, click here for video. Also Jimmy Hebrews who has now passed away apparently played in Edinburgh in the 1980's - I have no details as yet.

I will keep this enquiry 'on file' though, in case something comes up or if one of my contacts can shine further light on the subject.'

This is intriguing! Can anyone give us any details of black Scottish jazz musicians? Contact us.

Serious Learning - New Audiences Scheme

This scheme from Serious Learning allows school and community groups to access concerts that they would not usually have the opportunity to attend due to financial, cultural or geographical barriers. Each year, Serious allocates over 500 tickets to the scheme. In the past, groups have seen amazing artists such as Naturally 7, Portico Quartet, Femi Kuti and Courtney Pine. To register your interest in the scheme, contact Nadine Wood, the Learning Coordinator at Serious.