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/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.

Review : LJF opening night launch

Steve Coleman
Drawing by Geoff Winston. All Rights Reserved.

Jazz on 3/ London Jazz Festival opening night launch
(Ronnie Scott's, 11th November 2011. Review by John L Walters)

The Jazz on 3 festival launch gig at Ronnie's was bookended by two exceptional performances: the superb tuba-player Oren Marshall; and singer Gregory Porter, who deserves every bit of hype  thrown his way.

After a short steampunk solo (sadly off-air) that pushed the tuba through a phalanx of effects, Marshall's Anglo-Ghanaian Charming Transport Band kicked off a highly entertaining evening, which can beheard on the BBC's iPlayer until 18 Nov2011.

Oren Marshall
Drawing by Geoff Winston. All Rights Reserved

In between were sets by Steve Coleman's inscrutable trio Reflex (Marcus Gilmore, drums; Cuban pianist David Virelles). Coleman's appearance was a career high point for presenter Jez Nelson, clutching a treasured piece of Coleman vinyl from the 1980s. Nelson asked the saxophonist about the advantages of playing in a trio. 'We get to play more,' said Coleman.

He was followed by the curious punk-prog-thrash of Guillaume Perret's Electric Epic [playing at C.A.M.P. next Wednesday], whose intricately stacked layers of noise gave me a feeling of déjà entendu.

Gregory Porter
Drawing by Geoff Winston. All Rights Reserved

That criticism might be levelled at Gregory Porter, whose opener, a perfect reading of the Carmichael-Mercer standard Skylark, wastimeless. Yet Porter is completely contemporary, transcending eraswith an audacious, high-octane version of Wayne Shorter's Back Nile and ending with a funky, full throated 1960 What?, prompting  a no-holds-barred performance from the venue's own trio of JamesPearson, Sam Burgess and Dave Ohm.

londonjazzfestival.org.uk

Review: Colin Towns Mask Orchestra

Colin Towns Mask Orchestra, Ronnie Scott's 2010
Photo credit: Roger Thomas

Colin Towns Mask Orchestra
(Ronnie Scott's, 30th September 2011. Review by Patrick Hadfield)

More than a year since their last outing at Ronnie Scott’s, Colin Towns’ Mask Orchestra were back in Soho last week, this time playing Towns’ tribute to Miles Davis’ electric period, “Visions of Miles”, which he recorded with regular collaborators the HR Big Band in 2009.


Squeezing onto the small stage, the many members of the orchestra spilled into the audience. Towns conducted from the front of the audience – and those sitting close to the band will have had a blast.

This is not easy music to adapt and present, if only because it is so well-known. Towns didn’t simply transcribe the original pieces: he created new music, full of texture and depth. Much of Miles’ original music from his electric era was famously cut together by his producer, Teo Macero creating the tracks we are now so familiar with. Towns has added another layer, another dimension, by reworking the riffs and themes, turning famous solos into the tune and having musicians play solos over them.

Whilst most of the material came from Davis’ electric period, with compositions from albums from In A Silent Way through to Tutu, Towns included a piece from Gil Evans’ orchestration of Porgy and Bess. Towns explained that he thought Evans was central to Davis development and his willingness to embrace rock rhythms in the invention of jazz-rock.

The spirit of Evans as well as Miles was ever-present in this gig, Towns’ rich arrangements clearly influenced by Evans. Towns’ use of trombones didn’t always work for me, and once or twice it felt as if he had taken the easy option of scoring for Steve Lodder's synthesiser when he had a whole orchestra available to recreate the sounds of the sixties. The band were impressively funky, and the trumpets led by Henry Lowther did a superb job of reinterpreting Miles’ trumpet. Julian Siegel and the rest of saxophone section were excellent, too.

My one real quibble rests with the audience: where I was seated, there was loud, non-stop chatter; the music was loud, so the tables nearby must have been very loud for me to hear them over the band, despite them being asked by a members of Ronnie’s staff to be quiet. This lack of respect for the musicians and the rest of the audience was unforgiveable, and marred an otherwise excellent concert.

ronniescotts.co.uk / colintowns.com

Review: Matthew Herbert Big Band

Matthew Herbert Big Band at Brecon Jazz Festival 2011
Photo credit: Finn Beales

Matthew Herbert Big Band (Ronnie Scott's, Part of Britjazz Festival, 13th August 2011. Review by Sarah Ellen Hughes)

Q. How do you fit 100 musicians onto the stage at Ronnie’s?

A. Put a 17-strong big band in the hands of sampling wizard Matthew Herbert.

The Matthew Herbert Big Band has a unique sound. Quite apart from having a politically-charged theme throughout most of the program to challenge the audience intellectually, every sound the band makes is recorded and sampled there and then by composer/leader Herbert, a set-up to inspire and challenge the audience’s perception of big band music. For this band doesn’t conform to your typical idea of the big band swing, instrumental solos and the occasional song. No, this is a band that’s big, existing to play the music of Matthew Herbert’s mind.

The singer (on this occasion, a flamboyant Alice Grant) is a major part of the story-telling, so is featured in every tune. The music is an eccentric mix of retro-pop, electronica and funk-fusion, its messages cryptic yet hard-hitting. Here is a man with many things to say about the state of this world’s affairs, using the big band as instruments for his message. There were some awesome swinging moments, particularly in the appropriately entitled The Battle, as it appeared to be a battle between the live musicians and the ‘nutty professor’ bent over his desk working the samples.

Herbert didn’t restrict his orchestra to the sounds of the instrumentalists – he sampled water bottles being blown, slapped cheeks, the audience singing a high note, newspapers ripping – the musicians then showering newspaper confetti over their band-mates like school boys.

The juxtaposition of this carefree frolicking, the happy-go-lucky sounds of the big band, the robotic stature of singer and the band leader pumping out remixed words of political relevance was interesting, powerful and at times overwhelming. Herbert didn’t say much, leaving the audience to decide what the sacks over the head meant, or the significance of the trumpet section making rhythms by hitting batteries on the bells of their instruments. Luckily, I was seated next to a part-time-dep for the band, who divulged song titles and stories behind the performances (this one in particular was about a Brit who had had a phone charger in his hand luggage and was sent to Guantanamo Bay).

Matthew Herbert at Middelheim 2007

Photo credit: Eddy Westveer

I was grateful for the back-stories because otherwise a lot of it would have gone straight over my head. Herbert did, however, find it necessary to introduce a new piece – a poignant, moving and beautifully orchestrated piece about the Iraq war, using a beep (recorded from his new-born son’s intensive care unit alarm) to represent 100 people killed in Iraq between 2003 and 2007. He had initially wanted each beep to represent one person, but explained that the piece would have lasted almost 100 hours. The beep still outlasted the piece of music, even vastly sped up.

I feel inclined to raise the question of what was this band doing in a fortnight of programming intended to celebrate British Jazz at Ronnie’s, given that it was not playing jazz. Nevertheless, it was a fantastic evening of music, raucous at times, but highly engaging.

http://www.ronniescotts.co.uk/

Review: Michael Garrick Big Band plus Garrick/ Etheridge

Michael Garrick Big Band outside Ronnie Scott's, August 2011

Photo Credit: Sisi Burn. All Rights Reserved

Michael Garrick Big Band/ Chris Garrick and John Etheridge
(Ronnie Scott’s, part of Brit Jazz Fest, 2nd August 2011, review by Trevor Bannister)
If Chris Garrick and John Etheridge set the embers glowing in the first set of this magnificent double bill, then the appearance of the Michael Garrick Big Band really had the flames leaping to the ceiling in the second. This was jazz of the first order, inspired undoubtedly by the setting and unique atmosphere of Ronnie Scott’s, and enhanced by the club’s excellent sound system. "After all," as Michael Garrick pointed out, "they have a Church of Coltrane in America; this club is the equivalent over here, except it's dedicated to Ronnie Scott. Think of the musicians who’ve played here: it’s what we all aspire to."

GARRICK/ETHERIDGE
Quite how Chris Garrick and John Etheridge create such an astonishing range of sounds from the basic format of violin/guitar duo remains a mystery. The result, however, is a feast for the ears, as the pair express material drawn from a range of often unexpected sources in a manner which explores every nuance and subtlety to the full. Who would have thought that a corny Country & Western warhorse might turn up on a jazz gig, but their interpretation of ‘Tennessee Waltz’ revealed an aching
pathos to the song which had previously lain hidden.

In a trice, the duo could switch from the haunting qualities of Peter Gabriel’s ‘Mercy Street’ to the colour and excitement of a South African township in Abdullah Ibrahim’s ‘Msunduza’, the gentle swing of the Hot Club of France with ‘Let’s Fall in Love’ and ‘Undecided’, evoke the Brazilian rainforest with Luiz Bonfa’s ‘Gentle Rain’, or bring the house down with laughter with an hilarious ‘Blue Moon’; the violin sounding like the wheezing of a tobacco addict on his first cigarette of the day.

Great music! But for this listener, the standout performance of the set came with the final number, Ennio Morricone’s bitter-sweet theme to ‘Hotel Paradiso’.

MICHAEL GARRICK BIG BAND
The final member of the trumpet section had just squeezed into his place at the back of the bandstand when Michael Garrick counted in the big band and let rip with the scat introduction to George Wallington’s ‘Lemon Drop’. What an opener! With Sam Bullard’s baritone to the fore and the rest of the band chomping-at-the-bit for solo space, there was no doubt that the audience were in for a rare treat. The standard never faltered for a moment throughout the ninety-minute set. ‘Night Time’ brought a change of mood, with excellent solos from Dave Shulman on alto and Gabriel Garrick on flugel-horn, more than justifying an airing after a lifetime spent in the back drawer of Garrick senior’s music file. How many more treasures remain to be discovered?

Garrick’s admiration for Joe Harriott found expression in two numbers by the great altoist; ‘Spiritual Blues’, a great tune, propelled by Matt Ridley and Alan Jackson in the rhythm section, with a lovely searing introduction involving just about the entire orchestra, followed by ‘Abstract’. Joe Harriott invented European free-form jazz and first recorded this in 1960. Dave Shulman stated Harriott’s original solo and then it was every-man-for-himself, culminating in a wonderful solo by bass-trombonist Dave Eaglestone, in which, to the delight of the audience, he extracted ultra-low notes from his instrument. Encouraging everyone to efforts of ever more ferocity, Garrick held the proceedings together with a masterful touch, literally sculpturing the sound as it soared into passionate chaos.

'Lady of the Aurian Wood’, the CD title of Garrick's "magic life of Duke" prompted a guest appearance by the superb Nette Robinson, whose crystal diction and warm vocal tones perfectly captured this evocation of sunrise over a fairytale forest.

‘Floating On Summer’ evoked an equally appealing vision of clouds drifting across an infinity of blue sky. Excellent solos from Dave Shulman on soprano sax and the bass of Matt Ridley.

‘Shiva’, dating back to Garrick’s first quartet and a residency in Ronnie Scott’s Gerrard Street Club in 1959, raised the temperature again with Andrew Linham really digging in on alto. Further reflections on Ronnie and his many kindnesses led into ‘Say Your Prayers', one of a brand new blues trilogy dedicated to him. This piece struck a mighty blues groove with Garrick’s rolling boogie introduction, and for this
writer was the absolute highlight of the evening; fine solos all round and all the more fascinating for the sudden breaks in tension and short interpolations between Garrick and guitarist Chris Allard.

As the set moved towards a close Nette joined the band again for a hilarious ‘Midsummer Departures’ followed by a feature for Tony Woods on tenor, ‘Rustat’s Grave Song’ from Garrick’s Jazz Praises at St Paul's. Too often confined to the quiet backwaters of the British jazz scene, this show proved that the Michael Garrick Big Band has a worthy place in the roster of all that have graced the stage at Ronnie Scott’s. We look forward to much more from it.

Full personnel: Gabriel Garrick, George Hogg, Rory Simmons, Steve Fishwick (tps)
Dave Eaglestone, Martin Gladdish, Mattias Eskilsson (tbs);
Dave Shulman, Andrew Linham, Sam Walker, Tony Woods, Sam Bullard( rds);
Chris Allard(g); Michael Garrick (p);Matt Ridley (bs); Alan Jackson (d); Nette Robinson (vcl).

www.ronniescotts.co.uk

Review : Jazz Verse Jukebox/ Soweto Kinch

Soweto Kinch

Photo from Oxford Jazz Festival by Barker Evans. All Rights Reserved

Jazz Verse Jukebox featuring Soweto Kinch.
(Ronnie Scott's. Part of 2011 Britjazz Festival. Review by Sarah Ellen Hughes)

The Jazz Verse Jukebox is a feast of jazz, spoken word and creative poetry which has a monthly residency upstairs in Ronnie’s Bar. For the third Brit Jazz Festival, this eclectic and original evening was invited downstairs for one of the most diverse and entertaining nights I have had the pleasure of appreciating at Ronnie Scott’s.

The hostess for the Jukebox is the charismatic Jumoké Fashola – charming, entertaining, and a little bit nuts! Her excitement of being “downstairs at Ronnie’s” could hardly be contained, as she opened the evening with her trio – Simon Wallace on the piano, Winston Clifford on drums and Davide Mantovani on bass. They performed a sublime I’m A Stranger, and a low-down and dirty Colour Purple which stylistically suited Fashola to a T, getting the crowd whooping and stamping – and this was only the second number!

Appropriately, this gig featured a couple of tunes written by Simon Wallace and Fran Landesman, which Fashola performed as a tribute to the late lyricist and poet, who had performed at Jazz Verse a number of times over the last two years. The beaming smile disappeared for a moment for a wonderfully moving Scars - a gorgeous but little-known Landesman creation. The idea of the Jukebox is to host a melange of poets, backed or not by the Jukebox trio. Highlights included a rather superb young poet called Holly McNish who took to the stage solo and performed a brilliantly clever poem in French and English, the whole room in the palm of her hand. Zena Edwards was a delight too, preferring to offer her poetry over the backing of the trio which elevated it to a higher level, allowing her to feed off rhythms and melody. She also performed deftly on the kalimba (thumb piano) and sang in Zulu, with a voice reminiscent of Lizz Wright and Lauryn Hill. It was inspiring.

I felt refreshed by listening to the poets and their verses. Somehow, the spoken word grabs you with its relevance and rhyme, parts of which I found to be moving and hilarious in equal measure. The honesty and transparency of the poets’ words was quite something, and I didn’t expect to feel as uplifted as I did.

Soweto Kinch finished the night off with a bit of freestyle, incorporating the audience’s offerings of words beginning with the letters of JUKEBOX. How you fit the words jazz, utopia, kinetic, existentialism, Boris, onomatopoeia and Xanadu into a rap I’ve no idea! But somehow he managed it. And in style too. I'll be tuning into the Jazz Verse jukebox again.


www.sarahellenhughes.co.uk / www.ronniescotts.co.uk

Ronnie Scott's Britjazz Festival Aug 1st - 14th

Orphy Robinson
Appearing at Britjazz at Ronnie Scott's on Monday 8th August

The first two Ronnie Scott's Britjazz Festival in 2009 and 2010 sold out completely.The third runs this year from August 1st to 14th, and most of the gigs are close to full, or getting there. There's double bill every night, but admission prices are typically lower than most of the year. The club opens at 6pm every evening.

A few noteworthy gigs:

- They've played Montreux. And the Sydney Opera House, but this is the first ever appearance at Ronnie's for the Matthew Herbert Big Band. The band has no shortage of lively characters, plus singers TBA. Saturday 13th.

- A first apearance at Ronnie's since the 1970's by Chris Barber and the first for his big band (6th), and Ronnie's debuts for the Michael Garrick Big Band (2nd) and Orphy Robinson's Codefive (8th)

- A return to the club by acclaimed Manchester big band Beats n Pieces with some new repertoire

- Singers: Claire Martin, Liane Carroll, Ian Shaw, Earl Okin, Gwyneth Herbert

 - Mercury Prize nominee Gwilym Simcock

PRIZE DRAW

We are working with Ronnie Scott's and LondonJazz newsletter readers can choose between no fewer than three prizes this week

PRIZE ONE - A pair of tickets for Thursday 4th August
CLAIRE MARTIN/SIR RICHARD RODNEY BENNETT and the BOBBY WELLINS QUARTET

PRIZE TWO -A pair of tickets for Friday 12th August
BLINQ QUARTET (Brendan Reilly, Liane Caroll, Ian Shaw, Natalie Williams)
+ AYANNA WITTER-JOHNSON QUARTET

PRIZE THREE - PICK YOUR OWN
Put your name in the hat to go to ANY EVENING of the festival. List below.


FULL PROGRAMME FOR BRITJAZZ
Monday 1st August
CELEBRATING HUMPH WITH THE HUMPHREY LYTTELTON BAND
+ LAURA JURD QUINTET FEAT. MICK FOSTER

Tuesday 2nd August
THE MICHAEL GARRICK BIG BAND + JOHN ETHERIDGE/CHRISTIAN GARRICK

Wednesday 3rd August
BEATS AND PIECES + KAIROS 4TET

Thursday 4th August
CLAIRE MARTIN/SIR RICHARD RODNEY BENNETT + BOBBY WELLINS QUARTET

Friday 5th August
LUCINDA BELLE ORCHESTRA + EARL OKIN

Saturday 6th August
CHRIS BARBER BAND + ANDY DAVIES QUINTET

Sunday 7th August
THE JAZZVERSE JUKEBOX with Jumoke Fashola and SOWETO KINCH

Monday 8th August
MATTHEW HALSALL WITH NAT BIRCHALL ‘A TRIBUTE TO JOHN & ALICE COLTRANE” + ORPHY ROBINSON’S CODEFIVE

Tuesday 9th August
ECLECTICA! + GWYNETH HERBERT

Wednesday 10th August
TOMMY SMITH’S KARMA + NEWT

Thursday 11th August
GWILYM SIMCOCK TRIO + STEPHANO D’SILVA QUARTET PERFOMING THE MUSIC OF AMANCIO D’SILVA

Friday 12th August
BLINQ QUARTET (Brendan Reilly, Liane Caroll, Ian Shaw, Natalie Williams)
+ AYANNA WITTER-JOHNSON QUARTET

Saturday 13th August
MATTHEW HERBERT BIG BAND + SEAMING TO TRIO

Sunday 14th August
NATALIE WILLIAMS SOUL FAMILY WITH SPECIAL GUEST ROACHFORD

www.ronniescott's.co.uk

Review: Gary Burton New Quartet

Gary Burton and Julian Lage
Drawing by Geoffrey Winston. Copyright (c) 2011. All Rights Reserved.

Gary Burton New Quartet
(Ronnie Scott's Club, 5th July 2011. Review by Tony Heiberg)

Gary Burton's  CD from 2009, Quartet Live, featuring Pat Metheny, has durable appeal. I also admire the playing of Julian Lage. So I had eagerly looked forward to this concert, and was not disappointed.

In his opening remarks, Burton recalled his first appearance at Ronnie's and the nervousness he had felt when looking out in to the audience, and spotted Count Basie, Gerry Mulligan and Sarah Vaughan. He then introduced Mongo Santamaria's Afro Blue by mentioning that the composer had had a great fan in Marlon Brando, who frequently sat in on bongos - with limited success.

The quartet established its lush, enchanting, collective sound  from the outset of this number, with intricate ensemble passages and solos from Burton and Lage that were both melodious and virtuosic. The next number, Never The Same Way, by Burton's regular bassist Scott Colley was in a 7/4 model groove set up by guitarist Julian Lage playing chordal arpeggios in a style influenced by John McLaughlin. Jorge Roeder, who is depping for Colley on this tour, later played a bass solo with horn-like dexterity and melodic content with telepathic comping from drummer Antonio Sanchez and Lage.The band then played a delightfully swinging version of I Hear A Rhapsody with Burton playing variations of the melody and Lage using wide intervals and outside phrases. Antonio's drum solo was so melodious that one could plainly hear the tune while he improvised.

Burton mentioned the irony of 1940's and 50's radical Thelonuis Monk being "today's most played jazz composer" before introducing the neglected gem Light Blue, one of Monk's best tunes.

This tune also produced one telling incident. The band was on dazzling form and Julian Lage, whose solo began with a Django-like phrase and garnered an ecstatic response from the young music students at the bar, along with everyone else, was publicly chided by Burton.  The bandleader pointed out that Julian, described earlier by Burton as "today's hot guitarist" had been "dropping six bars from the form during your solo over the last three nights." Lage appeared nonplussed, and Burton apologised.

Burton and Lage's relationship is now that of two colleagues, but they have played together off and on for some ten years, since Julian was thirteen. Unsurprisingly therefore, given their respective ages, and Burton's deep and long experience as teacher and mentor, they can sometimes drift back involuntarily into that of  master and pupil.

The band closed the first set with Antonio Sanchez's Did You Get It? a boppy blues with altered changes that swung intensely. Sanchez also wrote Common Ground, the second set's opening number and the title track for their new CD. Burton's Was It So Long Ago? is a beautiful tune with Lage playing some flamenco type phrases and Vadim Neselovski's Late Night Sunrise took us in to a mystical landscape, particularly during bassist Jorge Roeder's tremolos.

Gary, again recalling the glory days, mentioned how Ronnie Scott got a lot of his gags from regular customer Spike Milligan "a frustrated trumpet player" and from Peter Sellers, ditto, on the drums.

Lage then had a solo spot that sounded like a modern classical guitar etude - state of the art chord voicings along with a steady tremolo - but which turned out instead to be an intro to My Funny Valentine. After the tune Gary pointed out that Richard Rodgers was a stickler for how he wanted his tunes played and "once rang up Ella Fitzgerald to shout at her". Turning to Lage, Burton drifted back into his persona of the wise but stern pedagogue: "so what he would have made of your intro I hesitate to say".

The concert ended with a mesmerising version of Pat Metheny's Elucidation with elegant melodic interplay between the four band members culminating in a standing ovation and an encore of  Bags' Groove,  Milt Jackson's most famous blues.

www.ronniescotts.co.uk

Royal Academy Junior Jazz end-of-year gig at Ronnie Scott's

Left to Right: Nick Smart, Gareth Lockrane (Head of the Royal Academy’s Junior Jazz Department),
Mike Walker, Simon Colam

Fran Hardcastle writes...

This fifth annual Royal Academy of Music Junior Jazz end-of-year gig at Ronnie Scott's was the first under new Head of Junior Jazz Gareth Lockrane.  I had the pleasure of dropping to hear the next generation of working jazz musicians, currently starting from the tender age of 13 showcase their impressive talents through music from Mike Walker and Iain Ballamy and well-known standards. The students' impressively assured ensemble performances, coached by Lockrane and Simon Colam showcased a few stars in the making.

Previous Junior Jazz Course graduates have included Kit Downes, Josh Blackmore of Curios, Dave Hamblett, Freddie Gavita and busy bassist Tim Thornton.

The only Junior course which is dedicated solely to jazz has a near 100 per cent success rate in placing students in conservatoire jazz courses. The kids travel from as far as Bristol and Lincolnshire and bursaries and scholarships are available. Visiting musicians have included Joe Lovano and Dave Liebman. The efforts of Lockrane and Colam with the support of former head of the Junior Department, (and now the Royal Academy's  Head of Jazz) Nick Smart resulted in a rewarding gig on Sunday. Keep an eye out for next year’s gig if you’re into star-spotting.

Celebrating Forty Years of Jazz in London

Here's an anniversary worth celebrating. The indispensable listings guide,  Jazz in London, is forty years old this summer. We first asked the driving force behind the publication, MARY GREIG, to tell us her story. We then invited a few people to show Mary their appreciation for her irreplaceable contribution to the capital's musical life.

Mary Greig writes:

The story of Jazz In London started in 1971, forty years ago . . . at a time when contemporary Jazz was even more of a minority music than it is today. At that time, there were only two major clubs ( Ronnie Scott’s and the 100 Club ) although, interestingly, the jazz audience could support three specialist Jazz record shops within walking distance of each other (Dobell’s, Asman’s and Collet’s). It was a very intimate, small sub-culture in Soho in those days, and it would be no surprise to find yourself drinking alongside the great American musicians who were performing at Ronnie Scott’s at the time, or alongside luminaries of the art world like Francis Bacon.


Jazz in London was started by John Jack, a record producer and champion of the contemporary end of Jazz music. He lived, as he does now, in Charing Cross Road, and ranthe jazz sessions at Ronnie’s Old Place in Gerrard Street, which provided a showcase for many of the young players who have since gained international recognition:- John Surman, Mike Osborne, Mike Westbrook and many others.

This was pre Time Out London, and information on where to hear Jazz was mainly word of mouth and posters, so John started to produce a folded A4 sheet called Jazz in London, with a strapline of “Mainly The Newer Trends In The Music”. The early editions listed around a dozen venues, two of which were weekly venues run by Jazz Centre Society, the forerunner to Jazz Services.

In 1973 John took on the full-time commitment of Cadillac Records, so Jazz In London was passed over to me. I was very involved in the jazz scene and was active in running clubs for Jazz Centre Society, and working in Collet’s Jazz Record Shop. I knew a lot about the Jazz scene, but nothing about how to produce a publication. In this pre-technology era, I learned to use cut-and-paste typed text and Letraset to compose the layout, pasting it all out on boards and taking the boards to the printer. Some of the early issues look extremely clunky now, but nobody seemed to mind at the time.

I’ve continued to produce Jazz In London single-handedly since then, and over that time it hasgrown from a single A4 sheet to the multi-page publication that it is today. Although a bit of a technophobe, I’ve managed to get to grips with the fundamentals of desk-top publishing, so these days it gets sent to the printer down the phone line, rather than on bits of card! In recent years I’ve been immensely aided by Mick Sexton, who since 2003 has been the person who puts the publication online, (LINK) and also helps me with the distribution.

I think the extraordinary longevity of Jazz in London is essentially down to it having been a one-person operation, and being very pro-active about getting information. Also, I’ve always kept to the simple format of providing information, rather than branching into editorial content. And by keeping it simple, costs are contained and therefore advertising is very affordable to small promoters. It reflects a genuine network of promoters, performers, punters etc. who all contribute in their separate ways to a healthy scene. So that now, something that started as a labour of love seems to have become an important underpinning of the London Jazz community, and I suppose I’m rather proud of that.

The Jazz scene has, of course, now changed beyond recognition, with the huge expansion ofwonderful young talent and the recognition of the music conservatoires that jazz is a music worthy of their curriculum. These days I find myself typing the names of many musicians that I’ve never even heard, whereas 35 years ago, they were all my mates!


Steve Rubie, 606 Club:

Jazz In London has been an essential part of the London jazz scene for as long as I can remember. Tirelessly put together every month, without a break for the last 40 years or so, by the indefatigable and immensely knowledgeable Mary Greig it is a major resource on the UK jazz scene. Although now available on-line Mary still produces this unique free guide in it's original printed version and it says something about how important it is that here at the Club we regularly distribute quite literally hundreds of them every month. As a leading UK venue we consider being in JiL a core part of our promotional strategy and greatly value its effectiveness in getting knowledge of our gigs to the listening public. Long may it continue...

Simon Carter, Boaters Jazz:

I don't know where we'd all be without Mary! I've known her for almost 20 years, and yet we've never met! However, we talk regularly on the phone and she has always shown a great interest in the gig at Boaters and been incredibly supportive over the years. The London jazz scene owes Mary a huge debt of gratitutde as without her tireless efforts to produce accurate and informative listings there would be no platform for the small jazz gig to survive and thrive. She deserves a medal for her incredible work.

　
Paul Pace, Ronnie Scotts , Spicejazz at the Spice of Life:

Mary, you have been steadfast and totally reliable in providing the best unbiased, accurate and most comprehensive listings publication of the contemporary jazz scene in London. It also rivals the jazz listings of other major world cities including New York, and to have single-handedly produced a publication at this level over an impressive 40 years deserves the utmost respect of the jazz community, from both punters and performers alike. You and JiL have been an integral part of the scene for as long as I can remember and you have been very much a friend of the music and its practitioners, a consistent supporter of ‘grassroots’ venues, Ronnie’s and for a while, a welcoming sight behind the counter at Ray’s Jazz Shop during your earlier years in London. I raise a glass or two in your honour, and look forward to seeing you soon – A big thanks Mary, and I am sure, from many others too!

Simon Cooke, Ronnie Scott’s:

We at Ronnie’s are grateful and fully appreciate the not inconsiderable effort that goes into compiling the best jazz listings publication that London has to offer. Thanks for your unflagging support through the years. May we congratulate you on your anniversary and the singularly high quality of ‘Jazz in London’!

Norma Winstone:

Like many other musicians, I know how much Mary’s painstaking work over four decades has contributed to bring audiences to gigs in London, week in week out. Thank you for keeping all of us in touch!

Review: Danilo Perez

Danilo Perez Trio
(Ronnie Scott's, May 16th 2011, first night of two)

We learn rules, immutable laws. Because they help us to make sense of the world and our place in it. For some it is the three laws of thermodynamics. For others, perhaps, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. For many, the mere fact that their are two teams of eleven players, of whom one on each team can handle a spherical ball 27-28 inches in circumference.

And then there are phenomena on this earth which don't need those externally imposed rules, they can follow their own. They are competely free. Like the left hand of Panamanian pianist Danilo Perez.

Perez has been the regular pianist of that sanspareil supergroup, the Wayne Shorter Quartet. But what is remarkable about Perez' playing in the trio he has had for the past nine years with bassist Ben Street and drummer Adam Cruz is the extent to which all three players are rhythmically let off the leash. And yet their music-making has constant propulsion, forward momentum, the trio land together, con forza, on a dime, and people in the audience can naturally groove along to it. The trust, the watchfulness of this group defy belief and confound expectation.

In some tunes, a beautifully limpid Besame Mucho, for example or particularly a triumphally declaimed Monk's Ask Me Now the tunes were stated in a transparent 4/4, but then, progressively, the pulse, the harmonic rhythm would be subverted.

They are in town for one more night. Go.

Support tonight was from vocalist Polly Gibbons with the fine trio of James Pearson on piano, Laurence Cottle on bass and Pedro Segundo drums. Highlights were Gibbons' touching, emotional performance of Phoebe Snow's "Something Real (Before I Die)", and the trio's infectious propulsive backbeat groove to "I wish I knew" which rounded off their short set.

Review: Christian McBride's Inside Straight

Christian McBide's Inside Straight
(Ronnie Scott's, May 7th 2011, late set)

Is there anyone else out there like me, with a weakness for tales of perseverance receiving its reward?

The story starts two years ago, when Christian McBride, this week's Ronnie Scott's headliner, was last visiting London. He gave a masterclass at Guildhall School. He told the students how, as a seventeen year-old, he had got his first job with Freddie Hubbard's band: by learning how to play as many Freddie Hubbard tunes as he could find. Pianist Gabriel Latchin, one of the students in that masterclass made sure he heeded McBride's advice. What he's been doing in the past two years has been to learn a whole raft of Christian McBride tunes. Last night, with every seat in Ronnie Scott's taken for the late set, his moment came....

McBride: So what would you like to play?

Latchin: (shrug)

McBride : You're our guest, you get to call the tune. It can be whatever you like.

Latchin: (inaudible)

McBride: (astonished): He wants to play one of mine. "The Shade of the Cedar Tree."

Latchin clearly enjoyed his moment on the last set of McBride's three-night residency at Ronnie Scott's, and acquitted himself fine in thee tune dedicated to Cedar Walton from the 2004 album Gettin' To It (above).

The 100 Greatest Jazz Albums site defines well what McBride is aiming at with the 2009 album "Kind of Brown" - and with the Inside Straight quintet: to produce: "upbeat, straight-ahead jazz with a strong bebop feel and swing." There have been changes in personnel since that album, but the spirit is the same. As an agenda, that may not be enough for some commentators. There were moments last night when the band settled back into an in-the-pocket swing tempo - the closer, Zawinl's Mercy, Mercy, Mercy a case in point, when the joy in communicating is its own fulfilment.

As McBride himself pointed out, the key relationship is that of bassist and drummer. and in Ulysses Owens Jr., McBride clearly has a feisty and positive sparring partner. Pianist Peter Martin plays with descriptive colour, and McBride was to be seen benignly at Martin's attempts to pull the first beat away from true, as if on a piece of elastic. Vibes-player Warren Wolf Jr. played punchily and challengingly, and alto saxophonist Jaleel Shaw played and communicated well, but sometimes looks disconcertingly detached.

McBride as presence and charisma, and a highly persuasive approach to communicating melody. There are few tunes in the standards repertoire with gaps quite as gaping as those in "East of the Sun," so McBride's way to make the sustained notes sing, to hold the line, was masterly.

Support band the Sammy Mayne Quartet were at their best in "You're My Everything." Phil Robson on guitar as first soloist set the agenda by thinking radically yet subtly, flexibly yet teasingly across the beat, and throwing out a rhythmic challenge which next soloist Sammy Mayne duly picked up. Sam Burgess on bass gave a sprininess to the 3/4 version of "The Way You Look Tonight." Drummer Pedro Segundo, increasingly a treasured presence at Ronnie's, unfailingly brought out smiles from the band, and spontaneous applause from the audience each and every time he got a feature.


www.ronniescotts.co.uk

Review: Kurt Rosenwinkel

Kurt Rosenwinkel
(Ronnie Scott’s, 18th April 2011 -first night of two - review by Tom Gray)

The notable presence of young, attentive listeners in this Ronnie’s audience spoke volumes about Kurt Rosenwinkel’s influence among the next generation of up-and-coming musicians. As he demonstrated here, he unquestionably belongs in a select group of guitarists including John Scofield and Bill Frisell, who, through a skilful synthesis of technique and electronic effects, have crafted a deeply personal sound that would rarely trouble anyone in a blindfold test.

On this gig, Rosenwinkel headed up a quartet which paced itself like a pack of elite marathon runners during a set of serious post-bop originals spanning nearly two hours. For the first four numbers, the tempos of the tunes barely exceeded a gentle canter, yet the brawny and unpretentious playing of Eric Revis on bass and Justin Faulkner on drums maintained a slow-burning intensity, which later progressed into a full-on simmer on the samba undertow of ‘Brooklyn Sometimes’. This is a rhythm section who make it emphatically clear about where ‘one’ is in each bar, which served the music well in this case.

The rather oblique heads of some of Rosenwinkel’s tunes came and went fleetingly, barely registering in the memory. This brought the improvisation into much sharper focus, and with some meaty and unconventional harmonic progressions to get stuck into, Rosenwinkel and the impressive Aaron Parks on piano stretched out, showcasing their contrasting approaches. Rosenwinkel favoured effusive and densely contoured phrases of sustained notes which sung through like a horn player’s lines and he occasionally allowed himself the odd flourish of metal-head guitar heroics. Parks, on the other hand, constructed his more spacious solos with Zen-like restraint, avoiding the merest hint of cliché or a half-baked idea. It is not hard to see why Kit Downes is a fan.

Compared to Rosenwinkel’s nonchalantly breezy playing with his standards trio, this music demanded a significant investment of patience from the listener. The pay-off—which became more and more apparent as the tempos finally broke free of their shackles towards the end—was a thrillingly absorbing set that was about as good as a guitar-led ensemble can get.

ronniescott's.co.uk