Sommaire pour July 2022 de Jazzwise

Experience and Judgement Atlantic There’s little that’s wrong with this 1974 LP by pianist Andy Bey – apart from the naff cover, of course. It was designed and directed by Atlantic’s head of art Bob Defrin, who really should have known better than to surround an uncertain-smiling Bey with Saturnian rings. He’d done some great work over the years, for the likes of Aretha Franklin, Freddie King, Mingus and the MJQ, so why a man of Defrin’s experience packaged Bley’s funky, soulful cosmic jazz in a cheesy and cheap-looking 1970s Athena poster-style airbrushed portrait with silly circles which bisect the artist’s face is a bit of a headscratcher. More comical than cosmic, the cover hardly screams ‘play me!’ and creates the impression of an album that belongs on the wall…

Like so many artists, clarinettist Arun Ghosh emerged from lockdown with something unexpected. Recent album Seclused in Light featured a set of Indo-Western fusion instrumentals with Arun’s clarinet a presence throughout. His next tour, however, showcases ‘Canticle Of The Sun’, an as-yet unrecorded cycle of 11 songs in 13th Century Umbrian dialect, scored for an eight-strong ensemble including saxophonist Camilla George, bass player Ruth Goller and vocalists Seaming To and Irini Arabatzi. Especially surprising is that, while playing keyboards and acting as Musical Director, Ghosh has restricted his clarinet to just one cameo appearance. “I do really look forward to that moment,” he admits. “And maybe I’m taking a risk for people who come to hear me as a clarinettist, but I don’t want to get in the way of…

A pair of glasses hover over a black moustache. Film buffs might take this image as a visual calling card for Groucho Marx, but the sight of a silver harmonica just under the black facial hair makes it clear that this is the avatar of a great musician rather than comedian: Toots Thielemans. The revered exponent of the mouth organ, whose playing marked jazz, pop, television and cinema throughout the 20th century is the subject of a new exhibition, Toots 100: The Sound Of A Belgian Legend at the KBR (Royal Library Of Belgium) in Brussels. It offers a compelling view of a pioneer. Born in the working class Marolles district of the city now at the heart of the European Union, Thielemans belongs to the select group of players…

ARC Trio and the John Daversa Big Band ARCeology: The Music of MSM Schmidt Blue Canoe BC1480 (CD, DL) Jimmy Haslip (b), Scott Kinsey, Michael Schmidt (ky), Gergö Borlai (d), John Daversa Big Band, plus Nguyên Lê, Mike Miller, Steve Khan, Oz Noy, Steve Tavaglione, Judd Miller, Mer Sal and others. Rec. 2020 If you like big-band fusion, you’ll like this large-forces, multiple-guestspot makeover of the music of Bremen-based jazz fusion keyboardist Michael Schmidt led by former Yellowjackets bassist Jimmy Haslip. Schmidt and Haslip originally considered working with the likes of the WDR big band, veterans of such cutting-edge crossovers, but eventually settled on the John Daversa Big Band. And the latter make a great sound. In addition to Schmidt, Haslip’s ARC Trio and Daversa’s troupe, there are some great…

Peter Brötzmann/Fred van Hove/Han Bennink Jazz In Der Kammer Nr.71 TROST TR 222 (CD, DL) Peter Brötzmann (as, ts), Fred van Hove (p) and Han Bennink (d). Rec. 4 November 1974 The trio of iconic (West) German tenor-slinger, Peter Brötzmann, Dutch drummer Han Bennink and Belgian pianist Fred van Hove evolved out of the octet that recorded Brötzmann’s Machine Gun in 1968. This live recording captures them a year before van Hove left the group in 1975, at a time when they’d been performing together intensively for several years. It positively rages with energy and ideas. While American free-jazz is an influence – detectable in Brötzmann’s wailing skronk, Bennink’s savage bursts of power-swing and van Hove’s percussive post-Cecil Taylor kineticism – it’s also clear how much of a break with…

Classical BROUGHT TO YOU BY David Orlowsky/David Bergmüller Alter Ego Warner Classics The lyricism and novel sound world suggest moments on Ralph Towner and Paolo Fresu’s 2008 album Chiaroscuro (ECM). The fragility and tenderness, maybe Chet Baker singing ‘My funny Valentine’. Then you watch the ‘official videos’. Eileen, an exquisite short film by Sue Healey featuring the 107-year-old dancer Eileen Kramer. The grungier ‘Cold Song’ (Purcell as you’ve never heard him before, replete with reverb), featuring a considerably younger dancer this time, Jana Gatt. And you wish you never knew what a lute was. Or a clarinet, for that matter. Because the historical and stylistic associations only get in the way. You just want to be in a dimly lit club or small bar, in the days when they were…

BBC RADIO 2 88-91 FM Big Band Special (Mon, 11pm), Jamie Cullum show (Tues, 9pm) BBC RADIO 3 90-93 FM J to Z (Sat 5pm) Leeds Jazz Festival Special: Concert highlights from all-female powerhouse ensemble Issie Barratt's INTERCHANGE (18 June) The best in jazz - past, present and future (25 June) The best in jazz - past, present and future (9 July) The best in jazz - past, present and future (16 July) The best in jazz - past, present and future (23 July) The best in jazz - past, present and future (30 July) BBC RADIO 6 MUSIC DAB Gilles Peterson, Sat 3pm JAZZ FM DAB, Sky, Alexa, smartphone, tablet and online at jazzfm.com (Mon – Fri) 6am-6.30am Business Breakfast, 6.30am-10am Jazz FM Breakfast with Nigel Williams, 10am-2pm Midmornings…

Twenty-one years after bursting on to the scene with their mix of alt-rock, jazz and classical influences, the iconoclastic band The Bad Plus return with a new lineup, with founding members Dave King and Reid Anderson joined by guitarist Ben Monder and tenor saxophonist Chris Speed. All appear on their new eponymously titled album which is set for release on Edition Records on 30 September, ahead of their European tour. It’s the band’s third album for the label, with previous efforts Activity Infinity and Never Stop both featuring pianist Orrin Evans. Commenting on this latest iteration of their ever-evolving line up King said: “We believe we’re making the same statement we did with the piano twenty-one years ago, just with a completely different instrumentation,” with Anderson adding: “To me the…

The nominees have been announced for the prestigious Parliamentary Jazz Awards. Organised by the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group (APPJAG) with the support of PizzaExpress Live. the winners, chosen by judging members of the APPJAG, will be announced on 5 July at a ceremony at Pizza Express, Holborn. The nominees are: Jazz Vocalist of the Year: Emma Smith, Claire Martin, Brigitte Beraha, Jo Harrop. Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year: Tony Kofi, Xhosa Cole, Fergus McCreadie. Jazz Venue/Promoter/Festival of the Year: Toulouse Lautrec, London; The Globe, Newcastle upon Tyne; Verdict, Brighton. Jazz Media Award: The Jazz Podcast, London Jazz News, Jane Cornwell. Jazz Education Award: Jazz Camp For Girls, Nikki Yeoh, Pete Churchill. Jazz Album of the Year: Matt Ridley The Antidote, Daniel Casimir Boxed In, Jo Harrop The Heart…

Sax/bass/drums trio Partikel are set to mark their decade together with the aptly titled fifth album, Anniversary Song, which is released in June on the German label Berthold Records. Co-led by saxophonist Duncan Eagles, bassist Max Luthert and drummer Eric Ford, the group go back to their original acoustic sound with a set full of powerful playing as heard on effusive opener ‘Catford Muse’ which is capped by a driving sax/drums face-off. Having written all the music in 2019, Eagles was dismayed that the pandemic put things on hold until summer 2021, commenting: “I was worried that I would be rusty and that this complicated music would get the better of us. While doing my best to keep focused throughout the pandemic the reality of two years of next to…

For several decades, Charles Lloyd has occupied his own space in jazz. He’s done it by following his uniquely creative muse, as much out of curiosity as creativity, to see how close it takes him to the source of meaning, “I think as an improviser, you just go deeper and deeper, and you don’t find a way out in the end, but that’s okay,” he reflects with a wry smile. Now one of jazz’s cherished elders, the tenor saxophonist has long been aware of how the jazz solo could either be a 'thing-in-itself' or come embodied in a broader concept, where context could influence, or even enhance, meaning. It has meant he’s always been open to, and has increasingly searched for, alternative ways to frame his improvisational skills. Early on…

Damn. Forgot to ask her! What’s it like being A Genius? I mean, guitarist Mary Halvorson has a bit of paper (and the dosh) to prove it. And not many can claim that. In 2019 Halvorson was awarded a stonking $625,000 by the MacArthur Foundation. To be used over five years, the award acknowledges her years of steadfast commitment to new music through her composing and guitar playing. The Fellowship, commonly known as the ‘Genius’ fund, intends no less than to “recognize the potential to create objects of beauty and awe, advance our understanding of society, and foment change to improve the human condition.” No pressure, then. Beneficiaries from the jazz world have included Halvorson’s mentor Anthony Braxton and writer Stanley Crouch. But awards also went to the likes of…

Nduduzo Makhathini In the Spirit of Ntu Blue Note 455050 (CD, LP, DL) EDITOR’S CHOICE Nduduzo Makhathini (p), Robin Fassie Kock (t), Linda Sikhakhane (ts), Stephen de Souza (b), Dane Paris (d), Gontse Makhene (perc), Dylan Tabisher (vb) and Anna Widauer (v) plus guest: Jaleel Shaw (as). Rec. date not stated This is the second album by Makhathini to be issued on the Blue Note imprint; the first – Modes of Communication: Letters from the Underworlds – was named one of the best jazz albums of 2020 by The New York Times. But In the Spirit of the Ntu is the first to be released on the newly-formed Blue Note Africa imprint, and suggests Universal is looking to give welcome exposure to some of the dynamic young musicians on the…

Blue Notes Legacy: Live in South Africa 1964 Ogun/Cadillac OGCD 024 (CD) Chris McGregor (p), Mongezi Feza (t), Dudu Pukwana (as), Nick Moyake (ts), Johnny Dyani (b) and Louis Moholo-Moholo (d). Rec. 1964 Blue Notes in Concert Ogun/Cadillac OGCD 027 (CD) Chris McGregor (p), Dudu Pukwana (as), Johnny Dyani (b) and Louis Moholo-Moholo (d). Rec. 16 April 1977 Blue Notes For Mongezi Ogun/Cadillac OGCD 026 (CD) Chris McGregor (p), Dudu Pukwana (as), Johnny Dyani (b) and Louis Moholo-Moholo (d). Rec. 23 December 1976 Blue Notes For Johnny Ogun/Cadillac OGCD 028 (CD) Chris McGregor (p), Dudu Pukwana (as) and Louis Moholo-Moholo (d). Rec. August 1987 One year before Live in South Africa 1964, Chris McGregor recorded Jazz: The African Sound as Chris McGregor and the Castle Lager Big Band. With original…

As Love Supreme Jazz Festival returns this month after a three-year hiatus, it’s worth remembering why festivals are so special. Not least because they remind us that jazz and its core tenet of improvisation, thrives beyond the intimate spaces of a jazz club. There can be few finer examples of this than, in 2017, when Herbie Hancock headlined Love Supreme, he looked genuinely surprised that 7,000 people had turned up to see him, firing him up into an intense adrenalin-fuelled performance that the band’s virtuoso drummer, Vinnie Colaiuta, reportedly said afterwards pushed the band all the way as they clung on to keep up. Likewise, the frisson that Chick Corea created with the presence of a flamenco dancer on his 2019 set, added a visceral passionate edge to the music,…

PHILIPPE: 1 You Must Believe in Spring by Bill Evans “My favourite album by my favourite pianist. As Miles Davis once said about Bill Evans, he plays the piano ‘the way it should be played’.” 2 Porgy and Bess by Eddy Louiss and Ivan Jullien “The first jazz record that my father showed to me. I was deeply impacted by its powerful sound, groove and interpretation.” 3 É Tempo de Samba by Zimbo Trio “This group has influenced huge numbers of Brazilian pianists and groups. This record taught me how to play samba on piano.” MELODY: 4 Kind of Blue by Miles Davis “This album has already stolen the hearts of jazz and non-jazz lovers everywhere. But truth be told, it’s one of my favourites too. Every time I listen,…

Jay McShann is a key figure from the pre-rock period when blues and jazz were intimately linked, especially in metropolitan areas like Kansas City, where he landed up in 1937. He became a national figure towards the end of the big-band era, but was later prominent in the blues revival and, supplementing his piano with vocals, maintained a career well into the 1980s. Back in the late 1930s and early 40s, McShann was expert at doing enough on piano to inspire an ensemble, second only perhaps to Count Basie, whose own band left KC just before McShann arrived. In fact his rhythm players, bassist Gene Ramey and drummer Gus Johnson, both worked for Basie in the early 1950s. Having regularly employed blues singers (among others Walter Brown, Jimmy Witherspoon and…

• ALL ABOARD THE NORTHERN LINE Music development agency Jazz North has announced its new roster of names for its leading artist Northern Line support scheme that continues to champion the new wave of distinctive jazz bands emerging in the north of England. The six artists awarded a place on the artist support programme are Hannabiell & the Midnight Blue Collective, MC Nelson, TC & The Groove Family, Marco Woolf, Yaatri and Ni Maxine. The six artists will perform at the Northern Line Showcase at Hull Jazz Festival in November 2022 in front of a public audience and invited music industry guests. The Northern Line bands were selected by an independent panel of UK-wide industry experts and tastemakers: John Doran (The Quietus), Claire Umney (Jazz FM), Dennis Rollins MBE (trombonist),…

The first time Fergus McCreadie made the jazz world sit up and take note was in 2018. Watching back footage of the pianist blasting through two characterful originals at the final of the BBC Young Jazz Musician competition it’s easy to see why. Though saxophonist Xhosa Cole would take the crown on the night, McCreadie’s card was marked: as a technically solid player, but, more interestingly, also as a young man patiently constructing a distinct musical identity. “The best musicians are the ones you listen to, and you can tell it’s them without needing to see it written down,” he tells me during a long Zoom session on a quiet Monday afternoon. McCreadie arranges his tastes around his penchant for individuality. For Bach, it’s Glenn Gould over Andras Schiff; for…

Maria Chiara Argiró Forest City Innovative Leisure This London-based Italian singer-keyboardist, who toured extensively with indie band These New Puritans, makes an interesting, cohesive if emotionally aloof recording that blurs the boundaries between low-key electronica and explorative, darkhued post-rock in the Radioheadish vein, with a sprinkling of surface jazziness. Tia Brazda When I Get Low Flatcar A Canadian songstress who likes to inhabit a quaint musical universe of sixties torch songs, blues and swing standards, largely succeeds in penetrating through the cobwebby context with a vivacious vocal and a sense of jazz-inflected elasticity in her delivery. Jazzrausch Bigband Emergenz ACT Music A project devised for Munich’s in-demand contemporary dancefloor big band Jazzrausch by co-founder Leonhard Kuhn, whose use of subtle Ableton-live electronica aids the good-time late-nineties nu-jazz house feel here…

Neil Ardley Kaleidoscope of Rainbows Gull GULP1018 (LP) Neil Ardley (comp, cond, syn), Ian Carr (t, flh), Bob Bertles, Barbara Thompson (fl, ss, as), Brian Smith (fl, ss, ts), Tony Coe (alt, bs alt, ts), Geoff Castle, Dave Macrae (el p, synth), Ken Shaw (g), Paul Buckmaster (clo), Roger Sutton (b), Roger Sellers (d) and Trevor Tomkins (vib, perc). Rec: 1976. This is the final part of an Ardley trilogy, preceded by two highly collectable British jazz vinyl albums, Greek Variations (1969) and A Symphony of Amaranths (1971). For some reason, Kaleidoscope of Rainbows has not (yet) been assiduously pursued by collectors, despite being just as strong in both concept and execution as its predecessors. While its instrumental scale appears small, its orchestral intension remains broad and ambitious. The underlying…

Brian Morton Kind of Blue: Modern Jazz’s Holy Grail Jazz Images HB £14.99 Jazz Images Records pose a bit of a problem for us jazz followers: while they offer classic jazz at competitive prices, the original album sleeves (and CD inserts) have been changed to feature photographs by the likes of William Caxton, Francis Wolff and Jean-Pierre Leloir. This is a courageous step when many fans prefer the original cover art. This particular release of Kind of Blue is on CD and includes a 92-page book by Penguin Guide To Jazz author Brian Morton It’s copiously illustrated with rare, and some previously unpublished, photos presented in an attractive package with the KoB compact disc attached to the rear inner cover. Jazz Images has also released a similar Chet Baker Sings…

Alive, Alive… Oh! When is a live recording not a live recording? It’s a vexed question that has confounded record collectors, discographers, and jazz fans over aeons of time. Well at least since the beginning of the 1960s, when I joined eager hordes rummaging through the LP racks at specialist records dealers like Doug Dobell’s on Charing Cross Road in search of gold dust. That’s how I came across Visages Du Jazz, a single LP released on the Guilde du Jazz label. I rushed home to play its 16 tracks featuring historic performances by the Count Basie Band, the Benny Goodman Sextet, James P Johnson and Sydney Bechet. C’est miraculous! It was all recorded live during one of two Spirituals To Swing concerts, hosted by John Hammond at Carnegie Hall,…