Indholdsfortegnelse for September 2023 i Jazzwise

Mulatu Astatke, London Brew, Judi Jackson and more added to EFG London Jazz Festival More headliners have been added to the bill for this year’s edition of the city-spanning EFG London Jazz Festival, which runs from 10 to 19 November. These include an opening concert from legendary Ethiopian multi-instrumentalist Mulatu Astatke - best known as 'the father of Ethio-jazz' – who will celebrate his 80th birthday with an appearance at the Barbican. The following weekend, on Saturday 18 November, the Barbican will also host the exciting London Brew project for its first ever live performance of music from the group’s eponymous album that was released earlier this year. Based on Miles Davis’ iconic Bitches Brew LP, the London Brew improvised sessions were recorded in lockdown and featured a star-studded gathering…

I once had the chance to interview Wayne Shorter – about 20 years ago – and when he answered my fairly ordinary opening question, “What do you think about when you’re playing?”, he gave a typically extraordinary answer: “Flying around the universe…” And through all his impassioned talk of his favourite Marvel Comic character, The Green Lantern, visiting comic shops and discussions about his life in music, the mischievous spark in his eyes always gave you the impression his mind was indeed racing around a parallel dimension. There was a warmth and wisdom too, and a wry wit that created a knowing half smile to match that spark in his eyes. When his death was announced in March, while half expected, it still came as a shock, as one of…

Highlighting serious talent now bubbling under the radar…. NAME: Jay Verma INSTRUMENT: Piano EXPERIENCE: JayVerma is a pianist from London who will be releasing his debut EP this year. He has worked with artists including Cleo Sol, Little Simz, Sam Ryder, Olivia Dean, Unknown T, Chronixx and Tom Rosenthal. His aesthetic versatility and sound has led to major performances on Graham Norton Show, Mahogany, Wembley Arena, and BBC. In 2017, Jay was awarded a scholarship to study at London’s prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He stands out as a distinctive artist due to his unique passion for jazz, folk, Disney scores and Grime which imbues his music with an authentic and original sound on the instrument. THIS FUTURE MOVER SAYS: “I love artists who can take complex musical ingredients that…

Jacqui Dankworth (below left), Tony Kofi, Ben Shankland, Alligator Gumbo and Paul Edis are among the line-up for the third annual Leyburn Jazz Festival, which runs from 19 to 22 October in the Yorkshire Dales. The opening night includes performances by guitarist Edison Herbert and gypsy jazzers Hot Club du Nord, with Friday’s shows including vocalist Natalie Wildgoose and Leeds favourites Alligator Gumbo, and award-winning altoist Kofi lines up with pianist Paul Edis, the festival’s artist in residence, for a quartet performance at St. Matthew’s Church. Edis also plays with his Trio on the Saturday in a special set honouring the music of Bill Evans, as well as appearances by fast-rising Scottish pianist Ben Shankland and ever-popular vocalist Dankworth also on the bill. Hull veterans The Climax Jazz and Blues…

João PIAS Recordings PIASR5165 (CD, LP, DL) EDITOR’S CHOICE Bebel Gilberto (v), plus various personnel including Guilherme Monteiro (g, arr). Rec. date not stated This latest album from the genre-bending, Grammy nominated Brazilian singer-songwriter Bebel Gilberto is a touching tribute to her father, João – one of the key innovators in bossa nova, helping to define that iconic Brazilian sound for a global audience – who passed away in 2019. In covering her father’s songs, Gilberto highlights two albums which acted as “the guide for my inspiration” – the classic 1973 bossa nova album João Gilberto, plus the 1977 album Amoroso, which featured arrangements by Claus Ogerman. Album opener ‘Adeus America’ expresses the longing to return to Brazil, crystallised in the haunting refrain, “O samba mandou me chamar (Samba’s sent…

This Moment Abstract Logix ABLX 68 (CD, LP, DL) John McLaughlin (g, g syn), Zakir Hussain (tabla, perc), Shankar Mahadevan (v, Konokol), Ganesh Rajagopalan (vn, Konokol), Selvaganesh Vinayakram (perc, Konokol). Rec. 2021-23 Two years in the making, and 22 years since their last album, Saturday Night In Bombay, Shakti’s latest album, This Moment, is their finest achievement yet. It is also quite different to any of the Shakti and Remember Shakti albums that preceded it. It marks the successful integration of Shankar Mahadevan’s voice within the ensemble, brings Konokol [essentially the art of performing percussion syllables vocally in South Indian Carnatic music] forward as a central element of their performance, introduces atmospheric guitar synth washes and features some stunning guitar and guitar synth playing by John McLaughlin. For the avoidance…

Landmark Recording Excellent Good Average Disappointing Kenny Barron/Buster Williams The Complete Two As One Red Records 123336-1 (CD, 2 LP, DL) Kenny Barron (p) and Buster Williams (b). Rec. July 1986 These sessions, gathered together for the first time in this limited-edition (on vinyl at least) set, were recorded at the same time as the legendary group Sphere appeared at the Umbria Jazz Festival in 1986, providing two excellent titles for Red Records in the process. Barron and Williams represented 50 per cent of that group, and the opportunity was taken to record Barron in his own right. The pianist, after a long period of incubation, was hitting a level of virtuosity never previously demonstrated on record; with Sphere in live performance, he would develop even further with what would…

Rhythm Changes: Jazz, Culture, Discourse Alan Stanbridge Routledge HB £125, E-book £35.09 At many a jazz conference over the last few years, Alan Stanbridge has been a vital and engaging contributor, wearing his knowledge lightly, but gently – and often provocatively – questioning everyone from keynote speakers to first-time post-doc researchers. Many in the UK will also know Alan for his roles as Director of the Glasgow Jazz Festival and of Jazz Services, before his move to Canada to become a Professor of Music and Culture at the University of Toronto. This experience makes him unusual among those academics who theorise about jazz, as he has first-hand knowledge both of the business, and of numerous musicians who have shaped the music over the last quarter century. Consequently this book, despite…

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The recipients of the 2023 Parliamentary Jazz Awards were announced at a ceremony at PizzaExpress Live, Holborn on 4 July. Organised by the All-Party Parliamentary Jazz Group (APPJG) with the support of PizzaExpress Live, the Awards celebrate and recognise the vibrancy, diversity, talent and breadth of the jazz scene throughout the United Kingdom. The award categories reflect the ever-increasing scope of talent from within the UK’s jazz scene – and for the first time include a jazz photography award. The APPJG currently has over 110 members from the House of Commons and House of Lords across all political parties. Their aim is to encourage wider and deeper enjoyment of jazz, to increase Parliamentarians’ understanding of the jazz industry and issues surrounding it, to promote jazz as a musical form and…

There’s a strong programme of established stars and emerging names at Piano Smithfield, the basement jazz club near the Barbican in London. Promoted by JBGB Events, the line-up includes vocal newcomer Eliana Veinberga (28 September); 2023 Parliamentary Jazz Award-winning singer Jo Harrop (below) backed by pianist Paul Edis (5 Oct); and vocalist James Hudson delves into the Nat 'King' Cole songbook (12 Oct). Also appearing are UK trombonists Mark Nightingale and Callum Au with their Sounds of J&K set, which features the swinging sounds of the 1950s and 60s groups led by JJ Johnson and Kai Winding (19 Oct); and prodigious singer Immy Churchill, who appears with her trio (26 Oct). Further JBGB concerts this autumn include Gareth Lockrane Big Band at Pizza Express Jazz Club, Dean Street (PEJC) on…

– The Art Ensemble of Chicago Not quite as long-lived as the Stones, the Art Ensemble were also an offspring of the 1960s, and specifically of the AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians). The Ensemble’s founder members first recorded for Chicago’s Delmark label in 1966 with albums led by Joseph Jarman (Song For) and Roscoe Mitchell (Sound, which also included Lester Bowie and Malachi Favors). But it wasn’t till their extended European stay (1969-71) that they became 'The Art Ensemble' and also added drummer Don Moyé, doing more than a dozen albums on small French labels. On returning to the US, documentation was more sporadic but, after releasing their 1972 Ann Arbor Festival performance on Atlantic (Bap-Tizum), it was decided to do a non-live follow-up. The then-fledgling producer…

• BASSIST CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE RECEIVES WIGMORE MEDAL US jazz bassist, composer and educator Christian McBride, was awarded the Wigmore Medal on 17 July, during a performance at London’s Wigmore Hall. McBride, an Associate Artist at the venue, was presented with the award by Matthew Palmer, Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in London, and Wigmore Hall director John Gilhooly. The award honours exceptional musicians of international standing who have developed a close relationship with Wigmore Hall. McBride said: "Walking into the hallowed space that is Wigmore Hall for the first time in 2013 was a wonder to behold. I was not expecting to eventually develop and maintain a relationship with the Wigmore over the next decade. To be officially inducted into a hall that has featured such legendary…

Landmark Recording Excellent Good Average Disappointing Ambrose Akinmusire Beauty Is Enough Origami Harvest OH001 (CD, LP, DL) Ambrose Akinmusire (t). Rec. 2022 Since his 2008 debut Prelude, Ambrose Akinmusire has been nothing if not adventurous; and this latest release consolidates his ambition in no small measure. Solo horn recordings are still relatively uncommon (certainly compared to those on piano) but the trumpeter proves himself more than adept on this set which has many of the qualities that drew audiences to Akinmusire in the first place. Richness of tone; precision of articulation; ingenuity of timbre that, when he pursues microtonal avenues, creates the sense that particular sounds are almost hermetically sealed before being slowly squeezed and pinched into the air. In other words there is a high degree of technical mastery,…

Harold López-Nussa Timba a la Americana Blue Note 4887533 (CD, LP, DL) Harold López-Nussa (p, ky, syn), Grégoire Maret (harm), Luques Curtis (b), Ruy Adrian López-Nussa (d) and Bárbaro 'Machito' Crespo (perc). Rec. 2023 Cuban pianist and composer Harold Lopez-Nussa has seen his star rise at dizzying, swinging speed since his feature on Gilles Peterson’s Havana Cultura compilation back in 2016. Previously signed to Mack Avenue, for whom he crafted a blend of Afro-Cuban rhythms and modern jazz with his quartet, bringing in vocalist Cimafunk and unlikely adds such as French accordionist Vincent Peirani, Lopez-Nussa now brings his magic to Blue Note for his tenth studio album, which finds Michael 'Snarky Puppy' League on production duties. All the winning elements are here: songo, reggaeton and indeed, timba, the funky hard-driving…

Continuing Pi Recordings PI98 (CD, 2 LP, DL) EDITOR’S CHOICE Tyshawn Sorey (d), Aaron Diehl (p) and Matt Brewer (b). Rec. December 2022 In recent years, the astonishingly prolific American composer/improviser Tyshawn Sorey has written contemporary classical song-cycles, pieces for experimental chamber orchestras, led spontaneous-composition projects with improvisers and much more - but jazz is never far from his mind. In 2022 the classic-covers session Mesmerism and the live quartet set The Off-Off Broadway Guide to Synergism were widely admired, with this year’s Continuing likely to be even more so. Wayne Shorter’s slow-walking 'Reincarnation Blues' is driven by such a muscular bassline from Brewer and crunching snare hits from Sorey that the groove becomes the song, while the subtle Diehl hints at and delicately embroiders the theme in quietly spiralling…

Black Rhythm Revolution! Prestige/Jazz Dispensary CR00523 (LP, DL) RECOMMENDED Idris Muhammad (d), Virgil Jones (t), Clarence Thomas (ts, ss), Harold Mabern (el p), Melvin Sparks (g), Jimmy Lewis (el b) and Buddy Caldwell (cga). Rec. 1970 Bernard Purdie Purdie Good! Prestige/Jazz Dispensary CR00522 (LP, DL) Bernard Purdie (d), Tippy Larkin (t), Warren Daniels, Charlie Brown (ts), Harold Wheeler (el p), Ted Dunbar, Bily Nichols (el g), Gordon Edwards (el b) and Norman Pride (cga). Rec. April 1971 Two great drummers, two very different outcomes. Jazz was a part of New Orleans-born Idris Muhammad’s upbringing early on, and he developed his hip, funky style during a stay in New York in the early 1960s, when he gigged with Roland Kirk, Kenny Dorham, Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan and most famously, Lou Donaldson.…

Ronnie Scott’s, London Isn’t it always the way: you’ve just sat snug on your bar stool, chocker with anticipation as Ben Cottrell’s baton rises for the band’s first huzzah when the woman with the Anita O’Day bonnet sits plumb in front of you. Nice hat. Lousy view. Turns out of course she’s the bass player (and sculptor) Marcus Vergette’s cousin. Which so fits an Uncommon Orchestra gig. Because everyone at a gig driven by Mike and Kate Westbrook is, or is treated as, family. The Uncommon Orchestra’s uncommon constituents like Chris Biscoe, Pete Whyman, Alan Wakeman and accordionist extraordinaire Karen Street have been decades-long voices in various Westbrook ensembles. But even relative newbies like a decidedly boisterous brass section are all democratically integrated, as befits the hymn to liberty which…

All listings are run free but due to space restrictions cannot be guaranteed to appear – expanded gig listings can be found at www.jazzwise.com/gig-guide FRIDAY 1 Beverley Skeete 606 Club, 90 Lots Road, London SW10 1-2 Mindi Abair Pizza Express Jazz Club, 10 Dean Street, London W1 1 Marius Ptas The Bear Club, Mill Yard, 24A Guildford Street, Luton 1 Bude Jazz Festival: Alan Barnes, Chris Newman and more Various venues, Bude 1 Djangada Verdict Jazz Club, 159 Edward Street, Kemptown, Brighton 1 Ian Shaw Ronnie Scott’s, 47 Frith Street, London W1 1 Audio Strut Peggy’s Skylight, 3 George Street, Nottingham 1 Barb Jungr Crazy Coqs, Brasserie Zedel, 20 Sherwood Street, London W1 1 Jeremy McMurray and the Pocket Jazz Orchestra Saltburn Community Hall, Albion Terrace, Saltburn-by-sea 1 Blicher Hemmer…

The 100 Jazz Albums That Shook The World is an exclusive 100-page definitive guide to the most important and influential jazz albums that have gone on to change and shape the course of the music from the 1920s to the present day. ■ Print-only, premium quality, publication edited and conceived by Jazzwise’s editor-in-chief Jon Newey ■ The first time a fully annotated top 100 jazz album countdown from 100 to No.1 has been published in book form ■ Includes new in-depth editorial on each album from Jazzwise’s acclaimed team of writers, plus in-depth features on the making of the top three albums, a look at the albums that almost made the cut and a guide to buying the featured titles on LP and CD “This superbly written assemblage is an engrossing…

Multi-award-winning singer songwriter Ian Shaw is set to release his new studio album, Greek Street Friday, on CD, digital download and via streaming platforms on 1 September on his own Silent Wish Records imprint, with a vinyl version to follow in the autumn. The new album sees Shaw – known for his soulful versatility and virtuosity – explore his early musical and lyrical influences. These include Bowie, Steely Dan, Al Jarreau, early Elton John, Billy Joel, to create 11 autobiographical portraits of people and places such as 1980s London and New York, through to subject matter such as loving and losing, basement bars, poets, friendships, lovers, near-escapes and far-away places. Expanding his jazz roots into the realms of blues-rock and pop, Greek Street Friday mixes jazz-informed musicianship with hip and…

We're back in September 1957, you're leafing through 7 September issue of Melody Maker and you've got five bob left of your meagre wages for your monthly jazz recital. So, what’s it gonna be? With that money burning a deep hole in your pocket, do you rush to the mainstream delights of Humphrey Lyttelton and His Band, with Jimmy Skidmore, Kathy Stobart and our old friend Bert Courtley, at Conway Hall on the 6th, shortly before Humph recorded his I Play As I Please album, where you'll have a shilling left over for a pint of mild? Or, are you going to patiently bide your time for 13 more days, jump on the tube to Wembley Town Hall and feast yourself on this All Star Jazz Concert: a life changing…

1 Who Are You Now by Madison Cunningham “I'm in love with this woman (musically speaking). For me, Madison represents the future of commercial music. Her perfect 'twisty-turny' songwriting and guitar playing strike a refreshingly good balance. The edginess, rawness and simplicity of the production and live band set up just serve to highlight her abilities on this record. More albums that sound like this please – go and see her live!” 2 Tropical Brainstorm by Kirsty MacColl “Part of the soundtrack to my childhood, my mum used to put this on when she was painting the house and I was 'helping' her as a toddler. There’s something so captivating and comforting about the record. No doubt it’s influenced my songwriting to this day, perhaps one of the first instances…

Regional promoter Jazz Midlands has launched a new scheme, Jazz Central Mentoring, which pairs five emerging Midlands-based jazz musicians with established and experienced high-profile professionals. Initiated by bassist Arnie Somogyi (pictured right), who teaches jazz at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, the scheme is supported by Phil Rose of Jazz Midlands and Birmingham Jazz. The successful five applicants will be offered help to develop their compositional, performance, artist profile and professional network skills under the guidance of the scheme’s mentors, Soweto Kinch, Alex Hitchcock, Trish Clowes (above right), Laura Jurd and Neil Yates. Selected via a 'straightforward and accessible' application process (which required candidates to submit a 500-word proposal, outlining their project) the five successful musicians on this year’s scheme are: vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Lucy Mellenfield (mentored by Neil Yates); saxophonists Liam Brennan (Laura…

The Symphonic Music of Wayne Shorter will climax the EFG London Jazz Festival at The Royal Festival Hall on 19 November. The lineup features Ravi Coltrane, Esperanza Spalding, Danilo Pérez, John Patitucci, Terri Lyne Carrington and the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Clark Rundell. “We will play ‘Gaia’,” Carrington told me by email. “An extended piece that truly showcases Wayne’s brilliance. I hope we play ‘Forbidden Plan-It’, it’s a real challenge because it is so rhythmic and sometimes orchestras are not used to playing this particular rhythmic style. It’s kind of funky with a lot of off beats.” ’Midnight in Carlotta’s Hair’ (the title a line from Lord Dunsany’s 1926 fantasy novel The Charwoman’s Shadow) is also slated for the LJF concert: “This is a classic, motific piece by Wayne that…

Passage Blue Note B003706102 (CD, DL) EDITOR’S CHOICE Johnathan Blake (d), Immanuel Wilkins (as), Joel Ross (vb), David Virelles (p, ky) and Dezron Douglas (b). Rec. 2023 Running through this varied and absorbing record are Johnathan Blake’s reflections on and tributes to his late father, the violinist John Blake Jr, who died in 2014. After a solo drum memory of fellow percussionist Lawrence Leathers, the band launches into ‘Passage’ which has a long alto solo by Wilkins at its core, but an equally strong and direct contribution from Virelles. This piece is a direct celebration of the elder Blake, its extrovert style intended to reflect his personality. The next generation are not neglected either, on ‘Muna and Johna’s Playtime’ dedicated to Johnathan’s teenage children. With a piano left hand ostinato…

Nite Bjuti Whirlwind Recordings WR4803 (CD, LP, DL) EDITOR’S CHOICE Candice Hoyes (v, pedals), Mimi Jones (b, pedals) and Val Jeanty (perc, d, elec, pedals). Rec. 2021 Black music has a long history of experiments in sound and this engrossing new collaborative trio makes a significant addition to it. Nite Bjuti was initially born when vocalist Candice Hoyes invited electronicist turntablist Val Jeanty to accompany her at an Afrofuturism concert at Jazz At Lincoln Center in 2018. The duo then carried on their partnership on studio jams and invited bassist Mimi Jones to turn two into three. The resulting equation works. Much of the material on this eponymous debut feels like a single fertile melodic or rhythmic idea that is allowed to grow in all manner of unexpected ways that…

Jakob Bänsch Opening Jazzline CD On the evidence of this, his debut album, young trumpeter Bänsch is a player to keep an ear out for. This is expansive music, and, whether sombre or exuberant, he has an exquisite tone on both trumpet and flugelhorn and he has chosen his collaborators well. A mature talent already. Max Light Henceforth SteepleChase CD Backed by Noah Preminger on sax and Kim Cass and Dan Weiss as the rhythm section, guitarist Light – an alumnus of the New England Conservatory in Boston – delivers a very pleasing session of self-penned tunes, with Preminger a vital musical presence. Light shows real promise as a composer and player. Yoni Mayraz Dybbuk Tse! Astigmatic CD Highly-rated, Israeli-born keyboardist Mayraz makes his debut with a fiery, live-in-the-studio album…

You’ve Got To Learn Verve B0037882 (CD, LP, DL) Nina Simone (p, v), Rudy Stevenson (g), Lisle Atkinson (b) and Bobby Hamilton (d). Rec. 2 July 1966 At just 32 minutes in length, this album is short, but very much on the sweet side; in fact, it’s utterly magnificent. Recorded live at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1966, not only has none of the material been made available before, it’s also of the very highest grade – easily eclipsing Nina at Newport, the famous live album from the 1960 Newport festival. While that LP highlighted Simone’s instrumental skills, this latest album’s all about her singing, and how it intersects emotionally with her political engagement. Newport promoter George Wein donated the tapes of Simone’s performance to the US Library of Congress,…

Vintage REVO Series VRB523 Time was when the Vintage brand was seen as the poor man’s alternative to the likes of Gibson and Fender. And in the early days, there were certainly quality control issues aplenty as the factories in the Far East came up to speed. Times, as they say, have changed, and today’s Vintage instruments are a match for their illustrious competitors in almost every department. One of the latest releases from the Vintage stable is the three-pickup VRB523. The single cutaway body is fashioned from Okoume, a wood that is very similar to mahogany with clear and bright trebles, but with slightly warmer tonal characteristics. The bolt on maple neck supports a Jatoba board that carries twenty-two medium/heavy frets and acrylic dot position markers. Beyond the GraphTech…

September 23 Radio BBC RADIO 2 88-91 FM and DAB Big Band Special (Mon, 11pm), Jamie Cullum show (Tues, 9pm) BBC RADIO 3 90-93 FM and DAB J to Z (Sat 5pm) Melanie Charles' inspirations (26 August) Branford Marsalis (2 September) London Jazz Festival Preview, plus Corinne Bailey Rae on her jazz inspirations (9 September) Japanese Jazz Special (16 September) Sam Rivers Centenary (23 September) J to Z celebrates National Poetry Day with a jazz and spoken word special (30 September) Jazz Record Requests (Sun, 4pm) Freeness with Corey Mwamba (Sat, Midnight) 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 with Danielle Perrys,…

Write in to us here at Letters Dept, Jazzwise Magazine, St Jude’s Church, Dulwich Road, London SE24 0PB or email letters@jazzwise.com Watts going on? It’s always a good day when the latest issue of Jazzwise drops on the mat, and this one is no exception. I loved the item on Zoe [Rahman], very much a vastly underestimated talent. I saw her quite a few years ago at my old haunt, the ace Watermill Jazz Club; the grand piano had been placed in the centre of the room and we all sat round in a circle! She was ace and such a very great personality – it was a memorable evening. However, the reason for me writing relates to Jon Newey’s review in the same issue of the Charlie Watts box…