Grammy Nominations -jazz

Grammy Nomination time. The full list of 78 categories (reduced from previous years)  is HERE Scroll down for the categories with a major jazz component. Other names appearing are Tony Bennett in two categories, one including his duet with Amy Winehouse; Pat Metheny in New Age; and Manfred Eicher who pops up as a classical producer.

Apart from the Danish Radio Big Band with three nominations for its album with Randy Brecker, and the French ONJ for work with John Hollenbeck, European music is notable by its absence.


30. Best Improvised Jazz Solo

All Or Nothing At All
Randy Brecker, soloist
Track from: The Jazz Ballad Song Book (Randy Brecker With DR Big Band)
[Half Note]

You Are My Sunshine
Ron Carter, soloist
Track from: This Is Jazz (Donald Harrison, Ron Carter &  Billy Cobham)
[Half Note]

500 Miles High
Chick Corea, soloist
Track from: Forever (Corea, Clarke & White)
[Concord Records]

Work
Fred Hersch, soloist
Track from: Alone At The Vanguard
[Palmetto Records]

Sonnymoon For Two
Sonny Rollins, soloist
Track from: Road Shows Vol. 2
[Doxy/Emarcy/Decca]

31. Best Jazz Vocal Album

'Round Midnight
Karrin Allyson
[Concord Jazz]

The Mosaic Project
Terri Lyne Carrington & Various Artists
[Concord Jazz]

The Gate
Kurt Elling
[Concord Jazz]

American Road
Tierney Sutton (Band)
[BFM Jazz]

The Music Of Randy Newman
Roseanna Vitro
[Motéma Music]


32. Best Jazz Instrumental Album

Bond: The Paris Sessions
Gerald Clayton
[Emarcy/Decca]

Forever
Corea, Clarke & White
[Concord Records]

Alone At The Vanguard
Fred Hersch
[Palmetto Records]

Bird Songs
Joe Lovano/Us Five
[Blue Note]

Road Shows Vol. 2
Sonny Rollins
[Doxy/Emarcy/Decca]

Timeline
Yellowjackets
[Mack Avenue Records]


33. Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

The Jazz Ballad Song Book
Randy Brecker With DR Big Band
[Half Note]

The Good Feeling
Christian McBride Big Band
[Mack Avenue Records]

40 Acres And A Burro
Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
[Zoho]

Legacy
Gerald Wilson Orchestra
[Mack Avenue Records]

Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook
Miguel Zenón
[Marsalis Music]

57. Best Instrumental Composition Falling Men
John Hollenbeck, composer (John Hollenbeck, Daniel Yvinec & Orchestre National de Jazz (ONJ))
Track from: Shut Up And Dance
[BEE JAZZ / Abeille Musique]

Hunting Wabbits 3 (Get Off My Lawn)
Gordon Goodwin, composer (Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band)
Track from: That's How We Roll
[Telarc International]

I Talk To The Trees
Randy Brecker, composer (Randy Brecker With DR Big Band)
Track from: The Jazz Ballad Song Book
[Half Note]

Life In Eleven
Béla Fleck & Howard Levy, composers (Béla Fleck & The Flecktones)
Track from: Rocket Science
[eOne Music]

Timeline
Russell Ferrante, composer (Yellowjackets)
Track from: Timeline
[Mack Avenue Records]

58. Best Instrumental Arrangement

All Or Nothing At All
Peter Jensen, arranger (Randy Brecker With DR Big Band)
Track from: The Jazz Ballad Song Book
[Half Note]

In The Beginning
Clare Fischer, arranger (The Clare Fischer Big Band)
Track from: Continuum
[Clare Fischer Productions/Clavo Records]

Nasty Dance
Bob Brookmeyer, arranger (The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra)
Track from: Forever Lasting - Live In Tokyo
[Planet Arts Recordings]

Rhapsody In Blue
Gordon Goodwin, arranger (Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band)
Track from: That's How We Roll
[Telarc International]

Song Without Words
Carlos Franzetti, arranger (Carlos Franzetti & Allison Brewster Franzetti)
Track from: Alborada
[Amapola Records]


59. Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)
Ao Mar
Vince Mendoza, arranger (Vince Mendoza)
Track from: Nights On Earth
[HORIZONTAL]

Moon Over Bourbon Street
Rob Mathes, arranger (Sting & The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra)
Track from: Sting Live In Berlin
[Deutsche Grammophon]

On Broadway
Kevin Axt, Ray Brinker, Trey Henry, Christian Jacob & Tierney Sutton, arrangers (The Tierney Sutton Band)
Track from: American Road
[BFM Jazz]

Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)
Jorge Calandrelli, arranger (Tony Bennett & Queen Latifah)
Track from: Duets II
[RPM/Columbia Records]

The Windmills Of Your Mind
William A. Ross, arranger (Barbra Streisand)
Track from: What Matters Most - Barbra Streisand Sings The Lyrics Of Alan And Marilyn Bergman
[Columbia Records]

The Special Issue Spotter

We trawl the world's journals so you don't have to:

Social Neuroscience of Psychiatric Disorders (Social Neuroscience).

Virtual Issue: Interrogation techniques, information-gathering and (false) confessions (Legal and Criminological Psychology).

Studies with Children and Adolescents (Rorschachiana).

The Health Benefits of Nature (Applied Psychology: Health and Wellbeing).

Emotions, Emotional Regulation and Offender Treatment (Journal of Forensic Psychiatry).

Celebrating Applied Psychology's 60th Birthday - Virtual Special Issue (Applied Psychology).

International Psychoanalytic Association centenary issue (The International Journal of Psychoanalysis).

--
Post compiled by Christian Jarrett for the BPS Research Digest.

Toshiba New Ultrabook Protege z830

Toshiba has launched its first Ultrabook - Protege Z830 on the 24th November 2011, calling it the thinnest and lightest 13.3inch Ultrabook (1.12kg & 15.9mm thick).







It did look suspiciously like a macbook air, keypads and all.

But it has rather impressive specs.

- Intel Core i5 & i7 processor
- 6GB RAM
- 128GB SSD disk space
- VGA & HDMI video input
- 1.3 mp webcam
- SD card reader
- 1x USB 3.0
- 2x USB 2.0
-fingerprint reader

And spill resistant keyboard is interesting.




The cost comes a bit steep priced at RM3999 for the Intel Core i5 and RM4799 for Intel Core i7.




Worth it? What say you?

Extras

Eye-catching studies that didn't make the final cut:

Asch experiment replicated with 6-year-old kids.

Still got it? What happens to narcissists' personalities when they get older?

Depressive realism research. Mild depression (but not moderate) linked with greater insight into one's own memory performance.

Teens who completed exercises focusing on their strengths showed boosts to their life satisfaction.

A taxonomy of kids' cries: "Screaming, yelling, whining, and crying: Categorical and intensity differences in vocal expressions of anger and sadness in children's tantrums"

Relevant to the Norwegian killer? The psychology of lone-wolf terrorism.

Seems obvious. Bored employees more likely to indulge in horseplay and other counter-productive behaviours at work.

Evidence for increased aggression in breast-feeding mothers.

No it can't. “Can It Read My Mind?” – What Do the Public and Experts Think of the Current (Mis)Uses of Neuroimaging?

Come on the Seagulls! Chanting football spectators show heightened aggression after a game, compared with non-chanters.

Emotions in music: "The results show that six basic emotions are perceivable in musical segments previously unknown to the listeners".

50 years on ... mental distress linked to the Nagasaki bomb.

--
Post written by Christian Jarrett for the BPS Research Digest.

homemade stock

I made a little mistake ordering the turkey this year. What I should say is that I made a mistake ordering the turkeys this year. I decided to go easy, and just order bone-in turkey breasts, versus the whole bird. I know, I know. Some of you are fainting at the mere thought of not having the big bird there on display.

This just made a lot more sense, since we all prefer my brined white meat. I didn't think to ask if they were single or double breasts. So, we ended up with 4 plump bone-in breasts. Oops (though the cook in me was secretly thrilled). We enjoyed a fabulous feast on Thanksgiving...some hearty turkey sandwiches picnicking at our local Nature Center the next day, and enjoyed a follow-up meal or two of the whole shebang. But I shredded a bunch of the turkey up and froze it along with both sets of bones, knowing that we'd tire of turkey before too long, and that I'd be inspired to cook again this week.

The urge to cook again came up more quickly than I expected. On Sunday, while my husband hung the outside lights with my dad, and the kids decorated our tree with their Meme, I made my first soup: Mark Bittman's super easy Turkey-Noodle Soup with Fresh Ginger. It was delicious, and fortuitous, since a head cold has had me sidelined the past two days. Nothing better than homemade soup when you're feeling sorry for yourself-- I mean sick.

Anyway, you can certainly make homemade soup with a multitude of good store-bought broths, but there's something special about starting with a homemade stock. So, if you tucked those turkey bones in the freezer last week like I mentioned on the FB page, then haul them out and make a pot with me. As you can see above, my turkey bones went straight from the freezer into the pot...

Homemade Stock

bones from a turkey, chicken or ham

a few stalks of celery

a few carrots

an onion if you have one, skin removed, quartered

a little garlic if you'd like, rough chopped

any fresh herbs you may have on hand

water

salt to taste

Place the bones in a large pot and fill with water. Add any vegetables or fresh herbs you would like to use to flavor the stock. Bring to a simmer and let it boil until desired level of flavor and thickness. Remove bones. You may also remove the veggies and herbs you used to flavor the broth, or leave them in. Up to you. Proceed as you would with any soup recipe. Stock freezes beautifully so if that's all you feel like cooking today, totally fine. Simply tuck it away in the freezer for a winter day when you want to make homemade soup.

CD Review: Centre-Line - A Virtual Joyride

Centre-Line - A Virtual Joyride
(Centre Line Music. CD Review by Chris Parker)

Drummer Darren Altman and saxophonist/EWI player Russell van den Berg have been playing together since they met at Leeds College of Music in 1993, and their musical bond is the foundation for Centre-Line's sound: joyous, full-on jazz-rock.

It is therefore no surprise to find endorsements from two of the form's most celebrated luminaries, Randy Brecker ('great, unique playing and writing') and Mike Stern ('really cool music') on the publicity flyer for the band's 2012 tour, and the US guitarist's tumultuous, inexhaustible energy and sheer appetite for soloing is immediately called to mind by the opening track of A Virtual Joyride, 'Saturday', which features van den Berg's throaty, passionate, (Michael) Breckeresque tenor roaring over the rhythm-section support of Altman and rock-solid bassist Jon Harvey.

The band is completed by the eloquent electric guitarist Jez Franks, and the album's atmospheric second track, 'Intro', ushers in Centre-Line's characteristic use of van den Berg's EWI, which blends naturally with Franks's playing to create the hypnotic spacey sounds so effective at creating contrast and tension in fusion music of this type.

Eight of the album's ten tracks are written by van den Berg, with a single composition from Franks (the title-track) and a swampy, almost grungy, slow-building jam-type closer from Altman, so there is a tightness and coherence to the set that calls to mind the band's satisfying live performances, in which jazz-rock is gleefully celebrated in a manner that is rarer since the demise of the Brecker brothers' band, but which can still be found in the music of Mike Stern, Dave Weckl, Steve Smith's Vital Information, Partisans et al.

Centre Line Music. Centre Line are on an extensive UK tour in Jan - March. Next London date:  January 20th – Olivers, Greenwich.

Jacqui Dankworth looks forward to performing at Blue Train on Saturday

Blue Train at 56 Stamford Street SE1 is opening this Friday 2nd with Natalie Williams. The next night features Jacqui Dankworth (above with husband Charlie Wood) who writes for LondonJazz:

"I'm really looking forward to performing with my trio at the Blue Train this Saturday and great that my husband Charlie Wood is going to be with us that night. It's encouraging to see a new jazz venue opening in London, and I wish it every success. Keep music LIVE!"

With a nod to a different Blue Train, here's hoping that Blue Train becomes "a window to the soul of South London." We will be reporting on the opening night.

Bluetrainjazzclub.com

100,000 Page Views in November

Thank you dear readers. LondonJazz has just exceeded 100,000 page views in a month for the first time since we started. OK OK. Not that kind of page.

How to make the ceiling of your room seem higher

If you've ever witnessed would-be buyers looking around a house, you'll have noticed their observations about each room are usually limited to: "hmm, it's a good size" or "hmm, it's rather small". Little wonder then that home-improvers are so often fixated on making their rooms appear as spacious as possible. Design lore will tell them that to do so, they should paint their ceilings as light as possible, and in particular make the ceiling lighter than the walls. This contrast between ceilings and walls, so the advice goes, will increase the perceived room height. Does it really?

The answer, until recently, would have remained elusive. Interior design and architecture are strangely disconnected from psychology research. But a new study by Daniel Oberfeld and his team has defied this tradition. Across two experiments they had 32 participants don 3-D glasses and use a sliding scale to judge the ceiling height of dozens of virtual rooms. The rooms were empty and the colours were in shades of grey so that only lightness was varied. In particular, the ceiling, walls and floor were varied to be either low, medium or high in lightness. The depth (6m) and width (4.5m) of the rooms were fixed, whilst the actual ceiling height varied between 2.9 to 3.1m.

Increasing the lightness of the ceiling did increase its perceived height, so that aspect of design lore was supported. However, contrary to the traditional advice, the rooms also appeared higher when the walls were lighter. Moreover, the effect of ceiling lightness and wall lightness was additive. So the contrast effect endorsed by traditional design lore was refuted. Floor lightness made no difference to estimates of ceiling height, so it can't be overall room lightness that's crucial, but only the combination of wall and ceiling lightness.

Oberfeld and his colleagues said that practical guidelines for increasing perceived room height should be modified in light of their findings. "A rule of thumb consistent with our data," they wrote, "would be: 'If you intend to make the room appear higher, paint both the ceiling and the walls in a light colour. You are free to choose the colour of the floor because it has no effect on the perceived height."

From a theoretical perspective the new results are somewhat puzzling. Traditional research in psychophysics has shown that brighter objects usually appear closer. If people judge the height of a room by estimating the distance between their eyes and the ceiling, you'd think a lighter ceiling would appear lower. The present results suggest people must use some other means to judge ceiling height. Another possibility is that people look at the angles in the corner of the room, where the walls meet the ceiling. Perhaps increased lightness alters the angles via a geometric illusion to make the room seem taller. No, that isn't it either: Oberfeld's team said ceiling and wall lightness should have opposite effects on those crucial angles, which is inconsistent with the finding that both led to an increase in perceived height.

So, thanks to this research, we now know how to make our rooms seem higher, but we don't yet know why the technique works!
_________________________________

Oberfeld, D., Hecht, H., and Gamer, M. (2011). Surface lightness influences perceived room height. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 63 (10), 1999-2011 DOI: 10.1080/17470211003646161

Post written by Christian Jarrett for the BPS Research Digest.

NYJO January residency is this week's prize. Plus NYJO at Leeds Educators' Conference

Start the year with NYJO at Ronnie's. This week's PRIZE DRAW for newsletter readers is a pair of tickets for the second night of the three-day NYJO residency at Ronnie Scott's, Tuesday January 3rd.

For this residency NYJO have commissioned two brand new pieces from Julian Joseph which will be premiered. Two of the new pieces NYJO premiered last year : Nikki Iles' "Hush", and Tim Garland's "Dawn before Dark before Dawn" are also on the programme. NYJO tells me it is taking "another step towards broadening our artistic scope and forging bonds with leading musicians and composers on the UK and International scenes".

And here's more proof of NYJO's other push, to integrate more effectively into the jazz education community:  NYJO will  be doing a workshop and performing the closing concert of the Leeds International Jazz Educators Conference on Friday 30 March 2012.

Newsletter subscribers please email me to put your names in the hat.

For details of the Leeds conference including the call for papers follow this link

Our previous NYJO post was about the new AUDITION PROCESS
nyjo.org.uk/ Ronnie Scott's

Review: Fire Room (Ken Vandermark/ Paal Nilssen-Love/ Lasse Marhaug)

Paal Nilssen-Love. Vortex November 2011
Drawing by Geoff Winston. All Rights Reserved

Fire Room (Ken Vandermark/ Paal Nilssen-Love/ Lasse Marhaug)
(Vortex, 23 November 2011; night two of 2-day residency; review and drawings by Geoff Winston)

In Fire Room there is a meshing of continents and blurring of genres. European jazz and punk tendencies, Chicago jazz, free jazz, Norwegian noise and death metal. With the amalgam of reeds (Ken Vandermark), drums (Paal Nilssen-Love) and electronics (Lasse Marhaug) it was interesting to see what Marhaug could bring to the more familiar team of Vandermark and Nilssen-Love, who have worked together and toured in various combinations since 2002 - from duets to the Chicago Tentet - always marked by their uncompromising energy and daunting technical proficiency. Nilssen-Love had first performed with fellow Norwegian Marhaug in 2003, and they have since recorded two albums as a duo.

The early percussive onslaught hardly eased off as Nilssen-Love grimaced with concentration to release a succession of pummeling fusillades which even Vandermark, with a slightly underpowered mix, had to work hard with at times to make himself fully audible. Marhaug was always present, either riding alongside the acoustic instruments, intervening with glitches, thrumming and interference or supplying more assertive echoes and gutteral noise. Sounds from the special effects portfolio evoked film animations and sci-fi landscapes, getting uncomfortably close to the literal and highlighting some limitations to the vocabulary.

Nilssen-Love defined the narrative, sticks held low, pedals pounding in a funky chowder of rolls which pushed Vandermark to soulful sax 'in extremis' and circular breathing to maintain the momentum. To a backdrop of electronic trembling and bubbling, he crashed metal as though dustbin lids, then scraped the drumstick on cymbals with the squeals of railway shunting. A rare, sampled repeat tone set the scene for Vandermark's starchy clarinet, skidding over the high register to a spacious background of desert thunder. As he set up honking sax rhythms, Nilssen-Love let rip on the hi-hat and Marhaug wheeled in dense washes to complete the barrage.

Ken Vandermark on clarinet. Vortex November 2011
Drawing by Geoff Winston. All Rights Reserved

There were quieter moments amongst the rambunctious attacks - Marhaug letting a dangling key hit an uncoiled spring, Nilssen-Love tapping a temple bell or scraping a hand-held cymbal on the larger cymbals, and Vandermark holding a single haunting note on clarinet.

The combined drone of clarinet and scratches set the scene for the final full-on assault of booming electronics, raucous sax and clattering, crashing percussion. This is a trio which, to the last, fends off all chances of slipping in to the comfort zone.

Vortex Jazz

CD Review: Mark Donlon - Kashasha

Mark Donlon Kashasha
(Fuzzy Moon FUZ007. CD review by Chris Parker)

Pianist Mark Donlon's previous album was a solo-piano CD, Ashia (F-IRE, 2007), described at the time as 'limpid, elegant, thoughtful and gently mellifluous … a rich, atmospheric album designed for slow savouring', but on this one he is joined by bassist Mick Hutton, drummer Gene Calderazzo and occasionally by saxophonist Julian Siegel.

The above adjectives all still apply to Donlon's playing, though as the opening (title) track incorporates a vigorous latin passage (Donlon is a latin music specialist, being the pianist in Roberto Pla's band), and Calderazzo in particular brings all his crackling energy to the proceedings, there is more variety, in both tone and tempo, on this album than was evident on its predecessor (the centrepiece of which was a three-piece epitaph for Michael Brecker).

On both the trio and quartet tracks, Donlon's rock-solid technique (he is one of the UK's most celebrated teachers and runs the CUK big band) is placed at the service of a pleasing variety of original compositions (plus Kenny Wheeler's 'The Jigsaw'), but a special highlight of Kashasha is his visit to one of the staples of his live performances, the Young/Washington classic 'My Foolish Heart', which (appropriately for a self-admonishing song along the lines of Cole Porter's 'Get Out of Town') receives a suitably affecting, tender treatment, laced with a hint of determination.

Such subtlety and intelligence are the hallmarks of this carefully judged and finely balanced album, and with Siegel addressing his solos with all his customary sophisticated swagger and Hutton also eloquent in his numerous solo contributions, this is a rich and absorbing set, and a fine addition to an increasingly impressive series of CDs from Fuzzy Moon.

Kashasha is available from Proper Music

Recovering patients describe their battles with an "anorexia voice"

People with anorexia find comfort in their illness at first, but then it becomes over-powering and they end up battling for control of their own minds. That's according to Sarah Williams and Marie Reid, who conducted an online focus group and email interviews with 14 people recovering from anorexia nervosa, aged 21 to 50 and including two men.

A consistent theme to emerge was that anorexia at first provided a sense of control and identity. The participants recalled enjoying striving for perfection. They saw thinness as an ideal that was within their means to reach. "Anorexia became a friend," said Natalie*. "When I was alone ... I knew that at least I had A." Jon said: "It was a way to control what was happening to me on a day to day basis, and also my weight."

Eventually though, rather than being a solution, anorexia became a problem all of its own. Said Lisa: "I call my anorexia 'the demon' who controls my thoughts, feelings, emotions and actions." Jon: "It's like there are two people in my head: the part that knows what needs to be done and the part of me that is trying to lead me astray. Ana is the part that is leading me astray and dominates me."

"Having developed the anorexic voice, participants came to feel that it was to an extent split from their authentic selves," said Williams and Reid. The research pair explained how their findings, placed in the context of similar results from past studies, provided useful ideas for therapeutic intervention. In particular, they suggested the need for recovering anorexia clients to acknowledge other positions beyond the anorexia voice and their own authentic self. "Wellness cannot simply be the absence of anorexia nervosa symptoms because this can intensify the inner battle with the anorexic voice," they said.

Williams and Reid advised using therapy to help build clients' sense of self. "This study suggests that this means developing the self beyond an ambivalent conflict between the authentic self and the anorexic voice," they said. "This would allow a new more positive dominant position to develop."

One approach that may be particularly suitable, according to Williams and Reid, is emotion-focused therapy (EFT). A technique used in EFT is for clients to address an empty chair, which represents their critical "anorexia voice". With the aid of the therapist, this can lead to a softening of the anorexic critic and the fostering of a new dominant position in the self. However, the researchers cautioned that there are "as yet ... no studies investigating the efficacy of externalisation techniques such as those used in EFT and this warrants further attention."
_________________________________

Williams, S., and Reid, M. (2011). ‘It's like there are two people in my head’: A phenomenological exploration of anorexia nervosa and its relationship to the self. Psychology and; Health, 1-18 DOI: 10.1080/08870446.2011.595488

*The names used here are the pseudonyms that appear in the paper.

Post written by Christian Jarrett for the BPS Research Digest.

Psychology books of the year 2011

The season has arrived when newspapers, magazines and bookshops publish their "books of the year" lists. The Digest has digested these for you, picking out the psychology books getting a mention:

Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything by Joshua Foer. The Sunday Times describes Foer's story of how he became American Memory Champion as "the most entertaining science book of the year". Also selected by Amazon.com editors as among the year's best non-fiction books.

The Indy says Steven Pinker's The Better Angels of Our Nature will generate more discussion than any other science book this year, adding: "His explanations for the apparent paradox of how brutality and even genocide in the modern world coexist with a trend towards diminished violence are entirely convincing." Also listed by the New York Times and Marginal Revolution.

Not strictly psychology, but the Times has chosen Tim Harford's Adapt: Why Success Always Starts with Failure as among the year's best science books. His "engaging" book "looks at how science and statistics can be used to predict commercial successes and industrial disasters and to inform public policy."

For the Guardian, both Jeanette Winterson and Hanif Kureishi chose Darian Leader's What is Madness? as among their favourite books of the year. Kureishi calls the book "magisterial" and describes how Leader "explains that the 'irrational' delusions and hallucinations of the mad are their attempts at sense." Winterson says it's a "thought-provoking book about how we diagnose and differentiate our many kinds of insanities."

Before I Go to Sleep, a novel by S. J. Watson is chosen by Waterstones as among their favourite paperbacks of 2011: "Memories define us. So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep? Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love - all forgotten overnight. And the one person you trust may only be telling you half the story. Welcome to Christine's life".

The New York Times highlights Thinking Fast, Thinking Slow By Daniel Kahneman: "a lucid and profound vision of flawed human reason in a book full of intellectual surprises and self-help value."

Mind's book of the year was won by Bobby Baker for Diary Drawings: Mental Illness and Me. "A collection of 158 drawings Baker created between 1997 and 2008, the diary provides us with an astonishing insight into her struggle to overcome mental and physical ill-health."

The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry by Jon Ronson, is chosen by Amazon.com's editors as among the best non-fiction titles this year. "In this madcap journey, a bestselling journalist investigates psychopaths and the industry of doctors, scientists, and everyone else who studies them."

Through the Language Glass: How Words Colour Your World by Guy Deutscher was shortlisted for this year's Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books (read the first chapter).

Finally, the British Psychological Society has just announced the shortlist for its 2011 Book of the Year Award.

--
Have you read any of these books? What did you think? Are there any psychology books published this year that you enjoyed but which aren't mentioned here? Please let us know via comments!

Suggestions pulled from comments and Twitter so far: Witness to an Extreme Century: A Memoir by Robert Jay Lifton; Altruism in Humans by C. Daniel Batson; An Anatomy of Addiction: Sigmund Freud, William Halsted, and the Miracle Drug Cocaine by Howard Markel; Redirect: The Surprising New Science of Psychological Change by Timothy Wilson; The Secret Life of Pronouns: What Our Words Say About Us by James Pennebaker; What Should We Do With Our Brain? by Catherine Malabou; Beyond the Brain: How Body and Environment Shape Animal and Human Minds by Louise Barrett ... (click comments to see why readers nominated some of these books).

--
Post compiled by Christian Jarrett for the BPS Research Digest.

Review/Preview: Natalie William's Soul Family

Natalie William's Soul Family. 06 November. Ronnie Scotts. Review by Fran Hardcastle.

Natalie William's Soul Family, the monthly residency that has been running for more than 5 years has developed a loyal following. Unsurprisingly. The atmosphere on stage infects the room with an exuberant energy and William’s conciliatory manner results in a buzzing, vocally appreciative audience. Last month I arrived at the venue in a bleak mood and within minutes of the show starting, felt rejuvenated.

The most exciting element of the show is Williams’ knack for introducing new artists that you’re grateful to discover and the prowess to pull big names to guest. Previous guests have included Alice Russell, Roachford, Jamie Cullum, Jarie Bernhoft and ESKA to name a few. November was no exception. Ethereal Danish discovery Marie Dalstrœm is a songwriter to look out for.

On the other end of the spectrum, Krystle Warren was hypnotic. Despite appearances on Jools Holland’s show, she is still criminally unknown in the UK. I first discovered her on French pianist, Eric Legnini’s album, The Vox. Live, her characterful delivery draws attention to a raw distinctive voice that offers an emotional hurricane of depth.

Williams’ also uses the show as a showcase for her own original brand of soul pop. From the hip swinging grooves of My Oh My, to the Jill Scott-esque Butterfly, in which Williams showed off her incredible range, floating up to whistle register. For jazz fans, her new material with Tom Cawley is something to keep an eye out for. New song, Little Girl, dedicated to Cawley’s daughter is classic songwriting bringing to mind Stevie & Paul Simon. An album is in the offing I hear.

The regular house band are the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Guitarist Ben Jones is a hidden gem well worthy of discovery by wider audiences. Solos offer an edge-of-the-seat rollercoaster ride. Bassist Robin Mularkey’s precision timing & propelling melodic phrasing underpin the group and balance well with drummer Martyn Kaine’s often witty delivery. Backing vocalists are drawn from the cream of the session scene. The force of personality that is Vula is currently the voice of DHL and is an impressive powerhouse of a sound. Brendan Reilly, also one quarter of BLINQ with Williams has a falsetto of liquid chocolate. November’s guest BV, Annabel Williams'(no relation) commanding delivery of Jill Scott’s Golden was a treat.

In an X Factor age, it is refreshing to see such an organic, inviting platform to discover new songwriting talent.

Soul Family perform the Motown Christmas Revue at Ronnie Scotts, Monday 5th to Saturday 10th December.

of course they are cooked!

Seriously you guys? The number of emails asking if I gave my family RAW eggs. Come on people. That was the before photo. No one commented on the sweet verbiage, but you all wondered if I cooked the eggs.... yes, I cooked them at 375 until they were set. You should do the same. They were fabulous.

thankful

thankful for our sweet boys,

our plentiful feast,

and waking up to both this morning. for more fabulous ideas on what to do with leftover turkey & sides you may have, mark bittman is definitely your guy. i hope your Thanksgiving gathering was wonderful!

RIP Joan Morrell (1938-2011)

Joan Morrell (1938-2011)

John Blandford writes:


Joan Morrell , who founded the Cambridge Modern Jazz Club in 1972 and ran it continuously since then, sadly died on November 20th.

Joan was a native of Huddersfield, Yorkshire, where she founded her first club while still a teenager, but it is the Cambridge club with which she will always be associated. The UK jazz scene is heavily dependent on volunteer promoters, and anyone who has carried out this role will know the tenacity and hard graft required to sustain a club over almost 40 years.

Ever a modernist, Joan played a major role in developing the early careers of numerous fledgling players who went on to become internationally renowned artists. One such, Iain Ballamy, remembers Joan’s enthusiasm to programme new, experimental, imaginative and sometimes obscure acts. Joan’s guiding principle was to champion, respect and support the music rather than to maximise ticket sales. Her policies have earned the club genuine respect and credibility from the hundreds of musicians who have played there.

Joan will be irreplaceable, but happily the club will continue in the spirit in which she nurtured and ran it. It is hoped that a memorial event will take place next year. RIP.

Joan Morrell. Born 14th March 1938 . Died 20th November 2011

Cambridge Modern Jazz / Mick Hutton wrote this tribute before the 606 benefit gig in August

Jacks been thinking...about Monday's Jazz Open Space

Our regular Friday columnist Jack Davies attended Monday's Jazz Open Space. Only constructive comments on this post will get published. 

There is a febrile energy in the UK Jazz community, a common recognition that things are not as they should be. Monday’s Open Space session at the Conway Hall, organised by Jazz Services and the Musicians’ Union was the latest effort to put some change in motion. The discussion was triggered by a remark to MPs and peers by Arts Council England’s chair, Dame Liz Forgan [cf. London Jazz article].


Rosie Hanley has summarized Monday's discussion. It raised a lot of issues. But the elephant in the room is that financial reality for jazz music can be very bleak: I was lucky enough to play four sold out or nearly sold out shows during last week’s London Jazz Festival, and my total earnings amounted to £41. When costs are factored in (rehearsal space, work turned down), I made a loss in the hundreds pounds.

The truth is the UK jazz industry is on the brink of being an amateur affair. I mean that in the original sense of the word – a reflection on the fact that artists love this music so much that they are willing to subsidise it themselves. I, like many of my friends, earn my money from teaching, and this income subsidises my music making. My classical musician peers receive subsidy, they have salaried jobs to aim for, and a multitude of organisations there to support them. For jazz graduates, there is no National Jazz Orchestra to guide them, no National Jazz Centre to put on concerts and give them performance opportunities. Once out of college, the only help to aim for is Jazz Services’ Touring Support Scheme, which in itself is under threat following a savage budget cut. It is for this reason the young jazz community has created and supported its own venues. There is a downcast acceptance amongst my generation that there is virtually no money or support for creative British jazz.

The great bassist Peter Ind spoke at the Open Space session about the need for passion in this debate. But that word encapsulates the very thing that is wrong. Those with a real love, a real dedication to this music are being made to suffer financially, and that should not, and does not have to be the case.

Open Space as a system of debate suffers from the lack of a chair-person, which would allow those less well known or confident to make their contributions heard. Discussion was largely steered by the esteemed and the eloquent. Equally, the jazz community as a whole suffers from a lack of musician-led professional oversight and guidance. It is often not our best musicians who receive critical acclaim and the associated performance platform – it is those who have been best at creating (that most offensive of terms) a “buzz” about themselves. Arts Council funding applications do not favour those with the strongest musical statement, they favour those who know how the system works.

There seemed to be a consensus on Monday that we need a strong organisation to galvanise us, to give us a voice, to lobby, to give us something to aspire to, to help those that need and deserve assistance.

In my opinion the jazz community is lacking two things: finance and leadership. The former will only follow when the latter is in place, and we cannot wait around in the hope that someone else will solve our own problems. We need leadership, we need action, and we need them now.

Jazz Open Space Website

The taste for competition peaks at age 50

No wonder parents' races at school sports days are such fraught affairs. A new study finds that far from us mellowing as we age, our inclination for competition increases through life, peaking around the age of 50.

Prior to their data collection, Ulrich Mayr and his colleagues had several reasons for expecting that preference to compete would peak in youth and fade thereafter. They cited reductions in testosterone with age; the documented shift with age to a more prosocial orientation (older people give more money to charity); an age-related shift to a mastery (rather than comparison) approach to skills; and age-related falls in confidence, perhaps based on actual cognitive declines with age.

The researchers set up a stall at a shopping mall and invited volunteers to solve mental arithmetic equations (e.g. "true or false: 7 + 2 + 3 - 6 = 5") as quickly as possible in return for points. Points were exchanged for modest cash prizes. The 543 participants (aged 25 to 75), in private booths, completed one round lasting 30-seconds in which they earned more points the more equations they solved. They then completed a second "competitive" round, in which they only earned points for solving more equations than a randomly chosen rival. Participants didn't get feedback on their performance until the experiment was over. Finally - and this was the crucial round - the participants could choose for the final round whether to play solo (known as "piece-rate"), like they had in the first round, or whether to compete once again against another randomly chosen participant. Afterwards participants estimated how well they thought they'd done, as a measure of their confidence.

There were some clear gender effects, consistent with past research. Women were far less likely than men to opt for the competitive version in the final round (correction: 36 per cent vs. 56 per cent). And there were clear age effects across both genders: the taste for competition against others increased with age, levelling off at about the age of 50. For example, nearly 70 per cent of men aged 45 to 54 opted to compete versus just over 50 per cent of men aged 25 to 34.

What lies behind the gender effects? Men and women performed equally well at the task under piece-rate conditions, but the women's performance did drop slightly in the competitive version. Women were also less confident than men. Women's confidence, unlike men's, was also related to their choice of whether to compete or not (men chose to compete without consideration of their likelihood of winning!). However, none of these factors was sizeable enough to explain the size of the gender difference in choice to compete.

What about the effects of age on preference for competition? There was no difference in actual performance with age. Changes in confidence also couldn't explain the age-related change. A potential explanation comes from a recent meta-analysis, which found that the trait of "social dominance" increases with age until the 50s. Said Mayr and his team: "Successfully engaging in competitions is critical for establishing social dominance and therefore it is plausible to assume that with such an increased interest in social dominance comes an increased 'taste for competition."

One important caveat needs to be mentioned. Because this was a cross-sectional study, it's possible that it's not age that's related to competitiveness but rather the era that the participants grew up in - or something else to do with their particular generation. To get around this problem, participants would need to be followed up throughout their lives, to see if their taste for competition changes as they age. However, the researchers can't see any reason why the fifty-somethings' upbringing should have led them to be more competitive than the 30-somethings. Yes, Baby Boomers are known for their competitiveness but 30-year-olds grew up in a prolonged economic downturn that might have increased their competitive tendencies.

What about you - have you found that your taste for competition has altered as you've aged? Or looking at your friends and family, do these results fit with your own experiences of their competitiveness? Please use comments to let us know.
_________________________________

Mayr, U., Wozniak, D., Davidson, C., Kuhns, D., and Harbaugh, W. (2011). Competitiveness across the life span: The feisty fifties. Psychology and Aging DOI: 10.1037/a0025655

NB. Percentages for men and women's preferences were quoted incorrectly before but have now been corrected.

Post written by Christian Jarrett for the BPS Research Digest.

Feast

Our round-up of the latest psychology links from around the web:

Tips from psychologists on how to maintain focus at work (New York Times). Don't worry, reading the Digest blog definitely counts as work.

Facebook users average just 3.74 degrees of separation from each other, according to new research.

But ... "It's not socially meaningful that a friend of your friends is buddies with an acquaintance of someone else's pal. It's just an innate feature of large, tangled networks," says mathematician Matt Parker for the Guardian.

Going into brain surgery with your eyes open. A shortlisted essay in the Wellcome Trust Science Writing Prize.

Chief Murdoch-hunter and MP Tom Watson leaps to the defence of violent video games.

"We’re Nowhere Near Artificial Brains," argues neurobiologist Mark Changizi.

Slate magazine reviews A Dangerous Method, the new Cronenberg film about Freud and Jung's relationship.

Vaughan Bell of Mind Hacks and The Psychologist reports on the New York psychoanalytic scene.

The November issue of the American Psychological Association's Monitor magazine is online and includes an article on suicides among psychologists.

This week's Science Weekly podcast from the Guardian reports from the recent Society for Neuroscience conference in Washington.

Former political spin-meister Alistair Campbell on myths about schizophrenia.

Animal intelligence researcher and scientist-in-residence at the Rambert Dance Company Nicky Clayton was on The Life Scientific on BBC Radio 4, currently available on iPlayer.

Watch psychology's Nobel winner, Daniel Kahneman, talk about the cognitive biases that affect our decisions.

The history of nude psychotherapy.

Does the language we speak shape how we think? The Economist hosted a debate.

How does Prozac work? Jonah Lehrer with an answer that might surprise you.

Read the opening chapters from this year's Royal Society Winton Prize for Science books, including Through the Language Glass: How Words Colour Your World.

Sarah-Jayne Blakemore was on BBC Radio 3 this week talking about teen brains and the need to change society attitudes towards teenagers. It's currently available on iPlayer.

A video introduction from the new editor of the Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders.

All in the Mind this week tackled riots, bullying and borderline personality disorder. It's currently on iPlayer.

It's locked behind a paywall unfortunately, but the Sunday Times had an intriguing article on the Met's elite team of super-recognisers. "A team of police officers with staggering memories for faces are naming and helping to catch rioters seen on even the blurriest CCTV footage."

Could you be a super-recogniser? There's still time to take part in a public experiment at London's Science Museum.

The December issue of The Psychologist magazine is online and includes an open-access article celebrating 25 years of the Health Psychology section at the British Psychological Society.

The advantages of being altruistic.

Chris Frith, author of "Making up the Mind: How the brain creates our mental world", was on Conscious.TV

Science writer David Dobbs on the need to distinguish between traits and behaviours when discussing behavioural genetics findings.

--
Post compiled by Christian Jarrett for the BPS Research Digest.

Coach ♥

Made my week. ^^

Jamie Cullum and Michael Parkinson at the Big Audition

Heather Small, Sir Michael Parkinson, Jamie Cullum
Pizza Express Big Audition Final, 23rd November 2011

Jamie Cullum does get it right, nails it. Last night he had a three song-spot before stepping onto the judging panel for Pizza Express's Big Audition at their cavernous Olympia branch. First song was Rihanna's 2007 song "Please Don't Stop the Music", which had some new words reinforcing the important role Pizza Express continues to play in employing musicians - and exhorting/instructing the restaurant chain to continue. His own All at Sea  was a thank you for how far he has come since the early days. The inclusion of a standard Cole Porter's  I've Got You Under My Skin was a doff of the cap to Sir Michael Parkinson, whose role in kickstarting Cullum's career was very significant.

Steve Jobs had three principles for "top performers", and the first of these was "integrity, or honesty and consistency of character". Mingus called it "play[ing] the truth of what I am". With Jamie Cullum - as with many improvisers - such characteristics genuinely do appear to come from deep.

Out of tens of thousands of entrants, the Big Audition's first prize last night went to Offbeat South. Call me an old softie (or worse), but my ears were more taken by the Yesberger Band's More Than Once.



Big Audition website

The Big Audition is sponsored by Barclaycard

Arun Ghosh: Primal Odyssey

Australian pianist ROB GRUNDEL finds narratives in the CDs he listens to, and writes here about Arun Ghosh's Primal Odyssey (Camoci):

It's quite simple.

Arun Ghosh is about to tell you a story.

He's going to tell you using three clarinets, a bass and some drums.

The whole story will take around 40 minutes. So let us begin.

This is Primal Odyssey, Ghosh's second album of Indo-Jazz. He has teamed up with some wonderful musicians on this release: Idris Rahman and Shabaka Hutchings holding down clarinet, bass clarinet and saxophone duties. Bassist Liran Dorin and drummer Pat Illingworth maintain the solid grooves.

Each of the 10 songs is concise. Within the first few bars Ghosh (or, more often, the rhythm section) introduces the feel, groove and drive of the song. From there, the band explore it, stretch in it and then finish without fanfare. The simplicity of the structures allow the musicians to really dig in. Ghosh's spectrum of playing ranges from delicate to Ayleresque wailing.

The music on this Indo-Jazz record is both foreign and familiar - its (and Ghosh's) heritage are betrayed by uneven rhythms, exotic scales and use of drones. At the same time it is raw, funky and vital. Also the combined texture of three clarinets makes for different listening than a more traditional jazz combo.

And so, what is the story that he tells? It is one where the tension rarely lets up - it keeps us enthralled, in the uptempo tracks such as Damascus and in the quiet, hypnotic moments like Eros. It is one of a hero, that much is sure. But wait! Trouble approaches. The villian is introduced. There is a skirmish, a long journey through a cold night, who is this beguiling woman? The final battle is close to being won.
And then it all ends in a wonderful release. Nocturne (Chandra Dhun) is a spare piece: with only the 3 clarinets mostly on 2 major chords - a change from the dramatic exoticism through the rest of the album.

The end brings sighs of fulfilment. But it is also a beginning. I'm eager to hear the whole story again soon - there are the favourite bits I will want experience again, but also the promise of fresh discoveries.

Camoci website

CD Review: Mike Gibbs - Here's a Song for You

Mike Gibbs - Here's a Song for You
(Fuzzy Moon FUZ005. CD Review by Chris Parker)

Given suitably responsive musicians (here the NDR Big Band) and a versatile singer (Norma Winstone), there are few composer/arrangers as reliably inventive in the field of song-setting as Mike Gibbs.

He was first paired with Winstone by Colin Towns for the latter's Provocateur label, and on this album's sleeve Gibbs describes the UK vocalist as 'extraordinarily extraordinary – who else so effortlessly delights, as if magic were a common ingredient', so it is no surprise to find that this album – a judiciously selected mix of standards and material by contemporary singer/songwriters, plus a Gibbs original, 'Some Shadows', including a transcription of a Kenny Wheeler solo – simply exudes class and elegance.

It begins, appropriately enough (Gibbs having collaborated with the great Canadian songwriter on her double album Don Juan's Reckless Daughter), with one of the most affecting versions of a Joni Mitchell song ever recorded. Winstone brings all her easy grace and touching sincerity to 'Blue', one of Mitchell's most introspective songs, but it is the subtle delicacy of Gibbs's arrangement, gently embellished by pianist Vladislav Sendecki, that immediately arrests the ear. Gibbs then ups the tempo for one of Cole Porter's most heart-on-sleeve proclamations of undying devotion, 'So in Love', and subsequently moves easily between Ellington material (a rousing 'Caravan', an absorbing visit to 'Daydream'), standards and more contemporary songs (Tom Waits's thought-provoking 'Soldier's Things', Nick Drake's 'Riverman', Randy Newman's 'I Think It's Going to Rain Today'), all featuring his characteristic layered, delectable harmonies and impeccably performed by a whip-smart, robust but sensitive band, its powerful rhythm section British (bassist Dave Whitford, drummer Mark Mondesir), its stellar soloists including trumpeter Reiner Winterschladen and tenorman Christof Lauer.

Gibbs praises executive producer Issie Barratt for 'tackling the formidable task of translating my jumbled ideas into the reality of a CD', but don't be fooled by his customary modesty: this is a carefully thought out programme by a master craftsman.

Fuzzy Moon Records

Review: Jef Neve & Pascal Schumacher/Jef Neve Trio

Jef Neve & Pascal Schumacher/Jef Neve Trio
(Pizza Express, Dean Street, Saturday 19th November. LJF2011. Review by Tom Gray)

In two very contrasting Saturday night sets at the Pizza Express, Belgian pianist Jef Neve demonstrated why his stock has steadily been rising in Europe over the last decade.

Neve opened the evening in a duo with the vibraphonist from Luxembourg Pascal Schumacher. While their meticulously arranged compositions and sheer virtuosity may have outbalanced the sense of improvisational daring, this set nevertheless had a lot going for it.

On ‘Together at Last’ (based on the chord progression to ‘Alone Together’), Neve and Schumacher’s neatly intertwined contrapuntal lines had shades of Chick Corea and Gary Burton. Obvious reference points were harder to identify on the Asian-tinged ‘Almalyk’, which was cinematic in the breadth of atmospheres it evoked in its meandering through-composed form.

Rather than the considerable dexterity on display, what really impressed was this pair’s command of dynamics, ranging from hushed pianissimo sections in which they coaxed full attention from the audience, through to huge fortissimo swells of sound. The only misstep to my ears was a rather too pristine rendition of Bud Powell’s be-bop classic ‘Hallucinations’ which left me wanting for something a bit closer to the raw, driving spirit of the original.

Happily the second set from Jef Neve’s trio, powered by Ruben Samama on bass and Teun Verbruggen on drums, had this in abundance. The close connection to European romantic composers in Neve’s music and his keen ear for a lyrical phrase coupled with a blistering technique makes comparison with Brad Mehldau inevitable. On a more superficial level, so did his posture at the piano at times, hunched over like a question mark with his elbows pointedly raised.

However, much of the appeal of Neve’s trio was that it didn’t take itself too seriously, offering self-depreciating laughter at ideas that didn’t quite pay off and letting its hair down on the euphoric vamps that concluded several numbers such as ‘Endless DC’. The contributions of New Yorker Samama stood out in particular - on top of his fine bass playing, his looped backing vocals and electronic manipulations generally enhanced the music more than they distracted from it. In a world that some may consider to be overcrowded with piano trios, this group puts forward a compelling case that they deserved to be heard.

jefneve.be

Jazz Open Space - Conference Report

ROSIE HANLEY attended the UK Jazz Open Space Conference on Monday 21st November at Conway Hall and reports on the day's proceedings:

Dozens of jazz aficionados, musicians, promoters, teachers, agents, press and more gathered at Conway Hall on Monday for an event presented by Jazz Services and the Musician’s Union to attempt to answer the question: What are we doing about jazz?


The question was raised after the Arts Council asked what the needs of the jazz community were. Subsequently a conference was planned and an open invitation was sent out to all those who were interested, passionate, angry about, or intrigued by jazz.

Each arrived with their own passions, woes, questions and/or agendas, participants somewhat tentatively gathered in a circle to learn how the day would unfold. The day was run using Open Space technology, which in essence allows for anyone’s voice to be heard at whatever place and time that person chooses.

Participants were given the opportunity to suggest a seminar topic and schedule the seminars into the day. The seminars put forward for discussion were:

-Does there need to be antipathy/tribalism in jazz?

-How do we get more recognition of UK jazz musicians on the European and World circuits?

-What are we worth?

-Are there enough black musicians on UK stages?

-More entry points for young people

-What is the future –and the value – of the voluntary jazz club?

-Should we address gender equality in jazz?

-How should local jazz clubs judge their success?

-Is jazz a four letter word?

-How do we increase the impact of Jazz Services?

-Should the BBC focus more on jazz?

-How can we increase audiences for jazz?

-Are UK promoters selling the music short?

-Is jazz music threatened by the fusion of RnB and Hip-hop becoming mainstream?

Participants were not obliged to attend any particular seminars and could go to all or none if they wished, as again, the principles of Open Space Technology are, whatever happens, happens for the right reason at that particular time or place. Therefore a diverse and somewhat disparate collection of ideas and questions surfaced. A short report of what was discussed in each scheduled seminar was written and can be accessed online: jazzopenspace.blogspot.com

The free laws of open space technology mean that the initial results are rather fragmented sketches of discussions which in the main, posed further thought provoking issues and questions; nonetheless they are a starting point, which successfully highlight some of the varying wants and needs of the jazz community. Of course, the results from the day only represent the views of those who attended. Further events such as this are needed on a much larger scale to be thorough.

A ‘closing circle’ was called at the end of the day and all participants were given a final chance to have their say if they wished. The recurring issue raised at this point was a concern for what happens next and how the conversations from the UK Jazz Open Space Day are to be taken forward. There will be a consultation exercise, details of which will emerge later.

Some discussions were difficult, tense, seemingly ‘going round in circles’, which at times led to a feeling of foreboding for the future of jazz. But I’m pleased to report triumph over adversity, as a more uplifting sense of community was felt by many, who realised that their own experiences were shared by others within the jazz community and viewed the day as incredibly productive, bolstering, and certainly a step in the right direction for the future of jazz.

Review: Jerry Dammers Spatial AKA Orchestra

Jerry Dammers Spatial AKA Orchestra
Barbican Hall, LJF2011.
Photo credit: Roger Thomas

Jerry Dammers Spatial AKA Orchestra
(Barbican Hall, 18th November 2011. Part of LJF 2011. Review by Roger Thomas)

No complaints about lack of diversity at the London Jazz Festival. There has been something for everybody from classic jazz to wild party. Jerry Dammers that fills the wild party category with his Spatial AKA Orchestra – a tribute to the great Sun Ra, who gave them the mantra 'Space Is The Place'.

Judging by all the gizmos dotted around the Barbican stage, something untypical of a jazz orchestra was about to kick off.

Indeed, the raucous entry through the auditorium of the Spatial AKA’s in their outlandish costumes made a lot of the audience look somewhat over-dressed.

But hey, what else would you expect from Dammers the creative mind behind such things as The Specials, 2-Tone and Free Nelson Mandela.

There is a definite party spirit from the outset and with further encouragement from rapper Anthony Joseph, singers Francine Luce and Johnny Clark, also Dammers making the occasional foray from his synthesizer command pod added to the drama.

Timeless songs like Ghost Town with politicised lyrics coupled with fiery sax solos (courtesy of Nathaniel Facey, Larry Stabbins) and Jerry’s wry banter generated moments of uproar.


However, after a lengthy set and with some party revelers beginning to look worn out the Orchestra left the same way they arrived leaving behind trombonist Harry Brown like a forlorn E.T. who finally rounds off the evening with a sobering rendition of Dvorak’s Going Home.


Did they go home? No! The band took the party to the Barbican foyer where the hard-core revelers continued raise the roof for some time.

Take your energy shots before going to see this Orchestra. And don't wear a suit, unless it's a space suit.

Jerry Dammers Spatial AKA Orchestra
Barbican Hall. LJF2011
Photo credit: Roger Thomas

Review: Peter Evans, Okkyung Lee, Evan Parker

Peter Evans, Vortex, November 2011
Drawing by Geoff Winston. All Rights Reserved.

Peter Evans, Okkyung Lee, Evan Parker
(Vortex, Monday 21 November 201. Review and drawing by Geoff Winston)

Evan Parker's opening remark that "the future of music is sitting either side of me" would also have been the perfect endnote to an utterly compelling performance by this extraordinary trio.

Parker, seated centrally onstage, was the perfect guide and foil to the two classically trained "youthful people" (as he put it) alongside him, who both gravitated to New York, cellist Okkyung Lee from Korea and trumpeter Peter Evans after graduation from Oberlin Conservatory, in 2000 and 2003, respectively. They had first played together as a trio in 2009 as one of the 20 performances of Parker's historic residency at John Zorn's The Stone in New York, which leaves no doubt as to the high regard in which Parker is held on the other side of the Atlantic.

Together, over two sets, they brewed up intense conversations, revealing a mesh of internal and external dialogues.

There was a telepathic closeness in the way they read one another. Within this format of commonality, each had the freedom to pursue their own trains of thought, pushing their instruments through a variety of sound barriers, dispensing with conventionally imposed constraints to offer highly individual readings of the harmonic and textural routes which evolved. There was an astonishing fecundity to the deviations from the mean, yet the intuitively held balance was maintained without fail. The rules were stretched and broken but nothing was gratuitous.

Evans was perhaps the most overtly deviant - rapidly switching between instruments, detaching the mouthpiece to blow air through the trumpet without mediation. He used the mute and the flat of his hand to dramatically change the sound and to escalate the volume to an ear-splitting screech. Lee skated over the notes, slithered along the fingerboard and found rasping, grated tones as she manipulated the bow with both hands, and paused to slide repetitively on a single note. Parker restated nervously emphatic trills on soprano to keep up the energetic chatter, echoed Evans' stark, breathed phrases and, with exultant momentum, filled the room with the tenor's resonance. Soft acoustic passages glowed with detail. The merest sounds were built up to form complex rhythms and allowed to decay.

The timbres would get blurred - Evans and Lee even took on woodwind sounds at different times. And with Evans spinning off at ultra-high energy on his left, and Lee going from matt to gloss tones on his right, Parker steered the ship, not into port, but through the only passage all evening that would count as a straight jazzy run before heading for a final Futurist aerodynamic whine and dive.

One moment of mild humour - when a mobile alarm bell went off, thankfully between numbers, and not exactly complementing the siren sounds and alarms mimicked during the performance, Parker quipped, "Electro-Acoustic ... missed your chance!", referring to his long-standing and fluid Ensemble which Evans joined in 2009.

Dramatic, captivating and fascinating to watch. Another Vortex highlight.

Current releases:

(1) Parker/Lee/Evans: ‘The Bleeding Edge’; CD on PSI (recorded in Whitstable)
(2) Peter Evans: ‘Beyond Civilized and Primitive’; limited edition vinyl LP on Dancing Wayang – 500 numbered copies – first 100 get bonus mini-CD.