Click on the images to read our latest interviews
November 2019
JULIA HÜLSMANN - Following Different Paths & Opening New Doors
With recent appearances at this years Cambridge Jazz Festival and the EFG London Jazz Festival, UK audiences have had the opportunity to hear German pianist Julia Hülsmann's trio first hand playing music from her remarkable new album, Not Far From Here released on ECM Records.
Augmenting her longstanding trio with tenor saxophonist, Uli Kempendorff has been an inspired choice, and the latest album is brimful of music that is full of energy, vitality, and above all that innate sense of musical unity that is rapidly becoming a trademark of the pianist's oeuvre... continue reading
With recent appearances at this years Cambridge Jazz Festival and the EFG London Jazz Festival, UK audiences have had the opportunity to hear German pianist Julia Hülsmann's trio first hand playing music from her remarkable new album, Not Far From Here released on ECM Records.
Augmenting her longstanding trio with tenor saxophonist, Uli Kempendorff has been an inspired choice, and the latest album is brimful of music that is full of energy, vitality, and above all that innate sense of musical unity that is rapidly becoming a trademark of the pianist's oeuvre... continue reading
October 2019
LYNNE ARRIALE - Giving Us These Days
When it comes to pianists, and piano trios in particular there is no dearth of talent out there. The piano trio has been a staple in the history of the music for many years, and it never ceases to amaze me that such trios not only produce such great music, but that the format continues to surprise and develop as the musicians all find new ways to establish their own identities.
One such musician is Lynne Arriale who for more than twenty five years has been delighting audiences around the globe with her immensely personal and lyrical piano playing, and London audiences get the opportunity to hear Lynne at the Pizza Express in Soho on 14th and 15th October with a trio featuring Jasper Somsen on bass and drummer, E.J. Strickland, and will be performing music from the pianist's fourteenth album as leader, Give Us These Days, and as in one of the lines of the poem from which the album takes its title, the pianist has every right as to be so bold as to stake her claim as to having one of the premier trios anywhere in the world... continue reading
When it comes to pianists, and piano trios in particular there is no dearth of talent out there. The piano trio has been a staple in the history of the music for many years, and it never ceases to amaze me that such trios not only produce such great music, but that the format continues to surprise and develop as the musicians all find new ways to establish their own identities.
One such musician is Lynne Arriale who for more than twenty five years has been delighting audiences around the globe with her immensely personal and lyrical piano playing, and London audiences get the opportunity to hear Lynne at the Pizza Express in Soho on 14th and 15th October with a trio featuring Jasper Somsen on bass and drummer, E.J. Strickland, and will be performing music from the pianist's fourteenth album as leader, Give Us These Days, and as in one of the lines of the poem from which the album takes its title, the pianist has every right as to be so bold as to stake her claim as to having one of the premier trios anywhere in the world... continue reading
September 2019
MARCO MARCONI - Exploring New Roads
Italian pianist Marco Marconi has been making quite a name for himself since relocating from his home country to the UK back in 2012. A classically trained jazz pianist his move to London to pursue his musical career, and finding himself drawn to the piano trio as a natural place for his burgeoning compositional and improvisational skills, has seen him to develop in a musician who is able to embrace the tradition of the music he loves, and with his own playing contribute to its continued development.
With two well received trio albums released on 33Jazz, Marconi is poised to release his third album for the imprint, New Roads, with an album launch at the 606 Club on 3rd October and for this recording and tour bringing an additional voice to the trio in tenor saxophonist, Max Ionata... continue reading
Italian pianist Marco Marconi has been making quite a name for himself since relocating from his home country to the UK back in 2012. A classically trained jazz pianist his move to London to pursue his musical career, and finding himself drawn to the piano trio as a natural place for his burgeoning compositional and improvisational skills, has seen him to develop in a musician who is able to embrace the tradition of the music he loves, and with his own playing contribute to its continued development.
With two well received trio albums released on 33Jazz, Marconi is poised to release his third album for the imprint, New Roads, with an album launch at the 606 Club on 3rd October and for this recording and tour bringing an additional voice to the trio in tenor saxophonist, Max Ionata... continue reading
JIM MULLEN - Bumpin' Along With Wes
In a long and distinguished career that has spanned a stint with the Average White Band, the hugely popular and successful Morrisey-Mullen Band with tenor saxophonist Dick Morrisey, and his own longstanding Organ Trio, Jim Mullen has never been one to stand still. Despite a serious illness in 2017 the Glasgow born guitarist continues to play in his own distinctive Wes Montgomery influenced style.
It was therefore inevitable that somewhere along the line, that he would record his own tribute to his idol, Bumpin': Celebrating Wes Montgomery... continue reading
In a long and distinguished career that has spanned a stint with the Average White Band, the hugely popular and successful Morrisey-Mullen Band with tenor saxophonist Dick Morrisey, and his own longstanding Organ Trio, Jim Mullen has never been one to stand still. Despite a serious illness in 2017 the Glasgow born guitarist continues to play in his own distinctive Wes Montgomery influenced style.
It was therefore inevitable that somewhere along the line, that he would record his own tribute to his idol, Bumpin': Celebrating Wes Montgomery... continue reading
July 2019
WENDY KIRKLAND - Taking A Huge Step Forward
After the success of her debut album, Piano Divas, pianist/singer Wendy Kirkland has followed this up with an new recording that positively oozes attitude. With an album that takes lessons learnt from the earlier set, Kirkland has taken her music along a more contemporary path, and in doing so has ensured that she will not lose of the following she has already built up, but also taken her music forward which will ensure that The Music's On Me will also appeal to an audience that likes their jazz with a bit more edge.
Another thing that becomes readily apparent on the new recording is just how good a pianist Kirkland is, an aspect of her work that is, on this outing, given far more prominence. It was therefore a real pleasure to have the opportunity to talk to Wendy about the album... continue reading
After the success of her debut album, Piano Divas, pianist/singer Wendy Kirkland has followed this up with an new recording that positively oozes attitude. With an album that takes lessons learnt from the earlier set, Kirkland has taken her music along a more contemporary path, and in doing so has ensured that she will not lose of the following she has already built up, but also taken her music forward which will ensure that The Music's On Me will also appeal to an audience that likes their jazz with a bit more edge.
Another thing that becomes readily apparent on the new recording is just how good a pianist Kirkland is, an aspect of her work that is, on this outing, given far more prominence. It was therefore a real pleasure to have the opportunity to talk to Wendy about the album... continue reading
CLAIRE MARTIN - Continuing To Swing & Believin' It
With the release of Believin' It, her twentieth album for Glasgow based Linn Records, it is difficult to remember a time when Claire Martin was not an integral part of the UK jazz scene.
Over the course of her career she has made consistently impressive albums that continue the lineage of the greats and show her command of the jazz language, while also demonstrating that that she acknowledges her influences but is indebted to no-one.
Through sheer determination and hard work she has a discography that reveals constant growth as an artist, always looking to push herself and her music to new heights, and has surpassed herself one again with this new album, and I was pleased to have the chance to talk to the singer about her latest recording and her new band... continue reading
With the release of Believin' It, her twentieth album for Glasgow based Linn Records, it is difficult to remember a time when Claire Martin was not an integral part of the UK jazz scene.
Over the course of her career she has made consistently impressive albums that continue the lineage of the greats and show her command of the jazz language, while also demonstrating that that she acknowledges her influences but is indebted to no-one.
Through sheer determination and hard work she has a discography that reveals constant growth as an artist, always looking to push herself and her music to new heights, and has surpassed herself one again with this new album, and I was pleased to have the chance to talk to the singer about her latest recording and her new band... continue reading
June 2019
KATE WILLIAMS & GEORGIA MANCIO - Finding Home & Touching Hearts
Every now and again there is a recording that comes along that presses all the right buttons, catching two artists at the pinnacle of their career, performing superbly crafted songs that appeal to the head and heart, and also perfectly capture the times in which we live. And this is just such a recording.
It is quite possible that there will be no finer album than released this year than Finding Home by Kate Williams and Georgia Mancio. A project that has been carefully planned and nurtured over a two year period, the hard work has certainly paid off.
Music of this calibre is rare indeed, but with their new album, and tour, Kate and Georgia have certainly delivered. This is a beautifully arranged and orchestrated set that not only acknowledges some of the greatest songs of the twentieth century, yet also contains some original material that tackles some of the difficult issues within the society in which we currently live... continue reading
Every now and again there is a recording that comes along that presses all the right buttons, catching two artists at the pinnacle of their career, performing superbly crafted songs that appeal to the head and heart, and also perfectly capture the times in which we live. And this is just such a recording.
It is quite possible that there will be no finer album than released this year than Finding Home by Kate Williams and Georgia Mancio. A project that has been carefully planned and nurtured over a two year period, the hard work has certainly paid off.
Music of this calibre is rare indeed, but with their new album, and tour, Kate and Georgia have certainly delivered. This is a beautifully arranged and orchestrated set that not only acknowledges some of the greatest songs of the twentieth century, yet also contains some original material that tackles some of the difficult issues within the society in which we currently live... continue reading
JIM BLOMFIELD - Re-Energising The Piano Trio
Since moving to Bristol in the early nineties, Jim Blomfield has built a career as one of the most dynamic pianist in the area. From his early beginnings taking classical piano lessons, his playing has developed and encompasses influences arising from electronica, rock and prog-rock, along with Latin and Salsa as much as it does from the jazz tradition.
A natural improviser it was inevitable that Blomfield was drawn to the vibrant South West and is a longstanding member of both the Andy Hague Quartet and various bands led by saxophonist, Kevin Figes with whom he has toured and recorded... continue reading
Since moving to Bristol in the early nineties, Jim Blomfield has built a career as one of the most dynamic pianist in the area. From his early beginnings taking classical piano lessons, his playing has developed and encompasses influences arising from electronica, rock and prog-rock, along with Latin and Salsa as much as it does from the jazz tradition.
A natural improviser it was inevitable that Blomfield was drawn to the vibrant South West and is a longstanding member of both the Andy Hague Quartet and various bands led by saxophonist, Kevin Figes with whom he has toured and recorded... continue reading
TRUDY KERR - Take Five & Well Kept Secrets
Their can be little doubt that one of Australia's finest imports is singer and lyricist, Trudy Kerr. In a move that in many ways is incredibly modest, she seems to have been keeping a low profile while making outstanding music that is in danger of becoming a well kept secret.
Having established a reputation as a fine interpreter of jazz standards and the Great American Songbook, Trudy has over the last few years turned to writing lyrics to many contemporary compositions, and recently recorded two fine albums available to the discerning listeners among us who have an ear to the ground, as well as on the music, and have been fortunate enough to secure their copies.
For those that haven't yet acquired these two gems, Nick Lea caught up with Trudy to talk about her new projects, and recent recordings...continue reading
Their can be little doubt that one of Australia's finest imports is singer and lyricist, Trudy Kerr. In a move that in many ways is incredibly modest, she seems to have been keeping a low profile while making outstanding music that is in danger of becoming a well kept secret.
Having established a reputation as a fine interpreter of jazz standards and the Great American Songbook, Trudy has over the last few years turned to writing lyrics to many contemporary compositions, and recently recorded two fine albums available to the discerning listeners among us who have an ear to the ground, as well as on the music, and have been fortunate enough to secure their copies.
For those that haven't yet acquired these two gems, Nick Lea caught up with Trudy to talk about her new projects, and recent recordings...continue reading
May 2019
HENRIK JENSEN - Superstition Is No Joke
Born in Denmark, Henrik Jensen was originally aiming at a career playing electric bass. This is the instrument that he came to study at The Musicians Institute in London in 1997. Within a few years, he had changed course and enrolled at the Royal Academy of Music as an Undergraduate student on their Jazz programme.
The transition to the double bass could explain the emphasis on acoustic (rather than electric) instruments and sounds in his ‘Followed by Thirteen’ (FB13) group and in the work with the ‘New Simplicity Trio’, with Italian drummer Antonio Fusco and UK pianist Bruno Heinen...continue reading
Born in Denmark, Henrik Jensen was originally aiming at a career playing electric bass. This is the instrument that he came to study at The Musicians Institute in London in 1997. Within a few years, he had changed course and enrolled at the Royal Academy of Music as an Undergraduate student on their Jazz programme.
The transition to the double bass could explain the emphasis on acoustic (rather than electric) instruments and sounds in his ‘Followed by Thirteen’ (FB13) group and in the work with the ‘New Simplicity Trio’, with Italian drummer Antonio Fusco and UK pianist Bruno Heinen...continue reading
March 2019
TOMMASO STARACE - A Narrow Escape & All That Jazz
In an era when musicians often have to create their own opportunities, working tirelessly at not just maintaining strict practice routines, sourcing and booking gigs, as well all the administrative tasks that this all entails it can be quite a juggling act to actually get out there and play. This is a juggling act that Italian born, London resident alto saxophonist Tommaso Starace has now mastered. With a busy diary, playing regulalrly in the UK and across Europe, saxophonist has found time to make not just one album, but two.
The recordings have completely different line-ups and approach their music, steeped in the hard bop and be-bop tradition, from almost opposite perspectives creating fresh and exciting music, that acknowledges the past whilst looking forward, one with a quintet and the other with a quartet. It was therefore with great interest that I took the opportunity to talk to Tommaso about the two new recordings...continue reading
In an era when musicians often have to create their own opportunities, working tirelessly at not just maintaining strict practice routines, sourcing and booking gigs, as well all the administrative tasks that this all entails it can be quite a juggling act to actually get out there and play. This is a juggling act that Italian born, London resident alto saxophonist Tommaso Starace has now mastered. With a busy diary, playing regulalrly in the UK and across Europe, saxophonist has found time to make not just one album, but two.
The recordings have completely different line-ups and approach their music, steeped in the hard bop and be-bop tradition, from almost opposite perspectives creating fresh and exciting music, that acknowledges the past whilst looking forward, one with a quintet and the other with a quartet. It was therefore with great interest that I took the opportunity to talk to Tommaso about the two new recordings...continue reading
February 2019
HILARY BURT - Stepping Off, And Flying Right
Brighton based composer/arranger and sometimes alto saxophonist/flautist, Hilary Burt seems to be one of the UK best kept secrets. If she is incredibly modest about her instrumental prowess, unfortunately she also exhibits the same traits about her writing an arranging skills as well, but with the release of her new album, Step Off And Fly with her band Blue Calluna, hopefully this will change.
She brings a freshness to her music that has an optimistic and sunny disposition, yet often fails to conform to expectations or genre limitations. Her work with Terry Pack's Trees allowed her to compose and arrange for a large ensemble presenting lots of colours with which to work, and remarkably she also is able to bring this skill to her writing for a smaller group too...continue reading
Brighton based composer/arranger and sometimes alto saxophonist/flautist, Hilary Burt seems to be one of the UK best kept secrets. If she is incredibly modest about her instrumental prowess, unfortunately she also exhibits the same traits about her writing an arranging skills as well, but with the release of her new album, Step Off And Fly with her band Blue Calluna, hopefully this will change.
She brings a freshness to her music that has an optimistic and sunny disposition, yet often fails to conform to expectations or genre limitations. Her work with Terry Pack's Trees allowed her to compose and arrange for a large ensemble presenting lots of colours with which to work, and remarkably she also is able to bring this skill to her writing for a smaller group too...continue reading
LAURA COLE - Looking Out Over The Precipice
The year 2018 has been an important one for improvising pianist/composer Laura Cole, who has released two double albums during the course of the year that not only reveal her to be one of the most important musicians working in this area of the music, but also perhaps shows that Cole has reached a maturity in her playing where she is able to truly express herself through her music...continue reading
The year 2018 has been an important one for improvising pianist/composer Laura Cole, who has released two double albums during the course of the year that not only reveal her to be one of the most important musicians working in this area of the music, but also perhaps shows that Cole has reached a maturity in her playing where she is able to truly express herself through her music...continue reading
November 2018
STAN SULZMANN - Celebrating 70
The month of November find the saxophonist out and about touring with his big band, the Neon Orchestra, and as Stan says, "I’m celebrating my 70th birthday, I’m out playing with great musicians and friends and I’ve written three new pieces. I also get to have fun playing some of my collection of my arrangements of British jazz musicians melodies that have stayed with me. Making a small tour with funding is a great opportunity to make all of this happen under good conditions in great venues. The band as always is a cross generational band reflecting my musical associations over the years. Performing and touring with a big band has always been difficult to get together, but opportunities do pop up now and again if you are lucky"... continue reading
The month of November find the saxophonist out and about touring with his big band, the Neon Orchestra, and as Stan says, "I’m celebrating my 70th birthday, I’m out playing with great musicians and friends and I’ve written three new pieces. I also get to have fun playing some of my collection of my arrangements of British jazz musicians melodies that have stayed with me. Making a small tour with funding is a great opportunity to make all of this happen under good conditions in great venues. The band as always is a cross generational band reflecting my musical associations over the years. Performing and touring with a big band has always been difficult to get together, but opportunities do pop up now and again if you are lucky"... continue reading
October 2018
PAUL BOOTH - Presenting The Bansangu Orchestra
Saxophonist, Paul Booth has now formed the Bansangu Orchestra with fellow conspirators, Giorgio Serci and Kevin Robinson, so just where did this idea for the big band come about, and what about the name of the orchestra? "Well the story comes from the Brazilian guitarist José Neto with whom I’ve been touring with for the last 12 years in Steve Winwood’s band" explains Paul. "José recounted a a story of when Airto Moreira would come off stage after a particularly great gig and tell everyone “'the band sounds good' expect with his strong accent it sounded more like 'ban san goo'. As soon as I heard it I was like 'that’s a wicked name for a band' and the rest is history." ...continue reading
Saxophonist, Paul Booth has now formed the Bansangu Orchestra with fellow conspirators, Giorgio Serci and Kevin Robinson, so just where did this idea for the big band come about, and what about the name of the orchestra? "Well the story comes from the Brazilian guitarist José Neto with whom I’ve been touring with for the last 12 years in Steve Winwood’s band" explains Paul. "José recounted a a story of when Airto Moreira would come off stage after a particularly great gig and tell everyone “'the band sounds good' expect with his strong accent it sounded more like 'ban san goo'. As soon as I heard it I was like 'that’s a wicked name for a band' and the rest is history." ...continue reading
September 2018
TORD GUSTAVSEN - The Paradoxical Virtuosity Of Sensual Minimalism
It has been eleven years since Gustavsen released the third of a set of captivating trio recordings that JazzTimes described as “distilled magic”. During the intervening period he has recorded with a quartet and worked with electronics and vocals, but is now back with a new trio. The title of the CD, ‘The Other Side’, could reflect a contrast to this recent work and a turning to the other side of his approach to music making, in the trio format. But the title could equally well reflect “…the way the trio plays as being the other side of virtuosity, a kind of paradoxical virtuosity where you don’t play all the notes you can but merely the notes that are really needed. It’s about subordinating your ego to the flow of the music – and that takes a kind of radical listening – listen more than you play. That’s a passion the three of us share.”... continue reading
It has been eleven years since Gustavsen released the third of a set of captivating trio recordings that JazzTimes described as “distilled magic”. During the intervening period he has recorded with a quartet and worked with electronics and vocals, but is now back with a new trio. The title of the CD, ‘The Other Side’, could reflect a contrast to this recent work and a turning to the other side of his approach to music making, in the trio format. But the title could equally well reflect “…the way the trio plays as being the other side of virtuosity, a kind of paradoxical virtuosity where you don’t play all the notes you can but merely the notes that are really needed. It’s about subordinating your ego to the flow of the music – and that takes a kind of radical listening – listen more than you play. That’s a passion the three of us share.”... continue reading
JOHN BAILEY - From A Dream Like State
Guitarist, John Bailey may be a new name to many, but his credentials speak of a well travelled and educated musician. Born in Huddersfield and playing in local heavy metal bands, he went on study both jazz and classical music, and has an MA in Jazz Performance from Leeds College of Music. John now spends his time between his teaching position at the University of Liverpool and touring as tenor Russel Watson's guitarist of choice.
Inbetween this busy schedule, he has found time to record for his own label Outhøuse Records, and it is with this his third album, Oneiric Sounds the guitarist has found the ideal setting for his own, very personal musical vision with a recording that deserves to be widely heard... continue reading
Guitarist, John Bailey may be a new name to many, but his credentials speak of a well travelled and educated musician. Born in Huddersfield and playing in local heavy metal bands, he went on study both jazz and classical music, and has an MA in Jazz Performance from Leeds College of Music. John now spends his time between his teaching position at the University of Liverpool and touring as tenor Russel Watson's guitarist of choice.
Inbetween this busy schedule, he has found time to record for his own label Outhøuse Records, and it is with this his third album, Oneiric Sounds the guitarist has found the ideal setting for his own, very personal musical vision with a recording that deserves to be widely heard... continue reading
June 2018
CLARK TRACEY - The Writing Of The Godfather Of British Jazz
On December 6th, 2013 British Jazz lost one of it's most important and influential figures. In a career spanning seven decades, Stan Tracey was crucial in placing British jazz on the international stage, proving that musicians on this side of the pond could be just as intuitive, innovative and original as their US counterparts. Indeed it was during his lengthy stint as house pianist at Ronnie Scott's Club in the sixties, supporting visiting American musicians, that led Sonny Rollins to ask if "anyone knows just how good he is?"
Surely then, a book on the maestro was long overdue, but who should write it? The answer came after Stan's passing when news broke that Clark Tracey was to be the one to write about Stan's life and achievements in music. So what finally prompted him to put pen to paper and write this book about the great man?... continue reading
On December 6th, 2013 British Jazz lost one of it's most important and influential figures. In a career spanning seven decades, Stan Tracey was crucial in placing British jazz on the international stage, proving that musicians on this side of the pond could be just as intuitive, innovative and original as their US counterparts. Indeed it was during his lengthy stint as house pianist at Ronnie Scott's Club in the sixties, supporting visiting American musicians, that led Sonny Rollins to ask if "anyone knows just how good he is?"
Surely then, a book on the maestro was long overdue, but who should write it? The answer came after Stan's passing when news broke that Clark Tracey was to be the one to write about Stan's life and achievements in music. So what finally prompted him to put pen to paper and write this book about the great man?... continue reading
BEVERLEY BEIRNE - Jazz, Fun & Eighties Pop
In 2012, British jazz singer Beverley Beirne released her highly acclaimed debut album, Seasons of Love. Now, she is about to present her follow-up album, Jazz Just Wants To Have Fun, featuring covers of a dozen tunes from the 1980s and produced by Jason Miles ( his cv includes Miles Davis, David Sanborn, Marcus Miller, George Benson and Grover Washington Jr).
Yorkshire-born Beverley got her love of jazz from her father, who was a big Ella Fitzgerald fan, but she initially moved into drama and musical theatre. But her heart was in becoming a jazz singer, and she studied jazz at Leeds College of Music. Since then, Beverley has been wowing audiences in Yorkshire and London, with a band featuring Sam Watts on piano, Flo Moore on double bass, Ben Brown on drums and Rob Hughes on saxophone... continue reading
In 2012, British jazz singer Beverley Beirne released her highly acclaimed debut album, Seasons of Love. Now, she is about to present her follow-up album, Jazz Just Wants To Have Fun, featuring covers of a dozen tunes from the 1980s and produced by Jason Miles ( his cv includes Miles Davis, David Sanborn, Marcus Miller, George Benson and Grover Washington Jr).
Yorkshire-born Beverley got her love of jazz from her father, who was a big Ella Fitzgerald fan, but she initially moved into drama and musical theatre. But her heart was in becoming a jazz singer, and she studied jazz at Leeds College of Music. Since then, Beverley has been wowing audiences in Yorkshire and London, with a band featuring Sam Watts on piano, Flo Moore on double bass, Ben Brown on drums and Rob Hughes on saxophone... continue reading
ALYN COSKER - Back In The Driving Seat
Some nine years after releasing his debut album as leader, Lyn's Une, for Linn Records, drummer Alyn Cosker is back in the driving seat with his new album featuring the core band from the earlier set and a host of guests to bring his original compositions to life.
As first call drummer for The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, saxophonists Tommy Smith and Paul Towndrow, trumpeter Colin Steele along with work with Eddi Reader and Scottish band Hue & Cry, his touring schedule is pretty hectic.
It was therefore a pleasure to catch up with Alyn and talk to him about the new album, and his enthusiasm and love for playing music in a wide range of musical styles... continue reading
Some nine years after releasing his debut album as leader, Lyn's Une, for Linn Records, drummer Alyn Cosker is back in the driving seat with his new album featuring the core band from the earlier set and a host of guests to bring his original compositions to life.
As first call drummer for The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, saxophonists Tommy Smith and Paul Towndrow, trumpeter Colin Steele along with work with Eddi Reader and Scottish band Hue & Cry, his touring schedule is pretty hectic.
It was therefore a pleasure to catch up with Alyn and talk to him about the new album, and his enthusiasm and love for playing music in a wide range of musical styles... continue reading
FERGUS McCREADIE - The Beginnings Of An Eventful Journey
It doesn't seem long ago that Scottish jazz musicians were spearheading a resurgence of the music in the UK. It was at the turn of the new Millennium that Tommy Smith started his Spartacus imprint, pianist Brian Kellock released the incredible Live at Henry's set, and Caber Records run by the Bancroft brothers was recording artists quite prolifically. Trumpeter, Colin Steele made a few superb albums for the imprint before being snapped up by ACT, and it was readily apparent that the Scottish jazz scene had a lot to say, and often in its own distinctive vernacular.
It is therefore reassuring to note that this momentum is not just being maintained but being propelled forward by a new generation of musicians, one of which is the gifted young pianist,Fergus McCreadie... continue reading
It doesn't seem long ago that Scottish jazz musicians were spearheading a resurgence of the music in the UK. It was at the turn of the new Millennium that Tommy Smith started his Spartacus imprint, pianist Brian Kellock released the incredible Live at Henry's set, and Caber Records run by the Bancroft brothers was recording artists quite prolifically. Trumpeter, Colin Steele made a few superb albums for the imprint before being snapped up by ACT, and it was readily apparent that the Scottish jazz scene had a lot to say, and often in its own distinctive vernacular.
It is therefore reassuring to note that this momentum is not just being maintained but being propelled forward by a new generation of musicians, one of which is the gifted young pianist,Fergus McCreadie... continue reading
April 2018
ARILD ANDERSEN - The Energy Flows Like A Circle
From a career that started in the early 1960s, Arild Andersen is one of the best bass players in the world and it was great to have the chance to ask him a few questions. He played on many of the early releases from ECM, including works by Jan Garbarek, Terje Rypdal and Bobo Stenson. His first three albums as a quartet leader were issued in ECM’s Old and New Master series in 2010. His playing has always kept a balance between richly sonorous melody lines and the ability to hint at the rhythm of a piece through the use of a judiciously placed phrase here and there. So, an obvious question was to ask about his philosophy of playing the bass... continue reading
From a career that started in the early 1960s, Arild Andersen is one of the best bass players in the world and it was great to have the chance to ask him a few questions. He played on many of the early releases from ECM, including works by Jan Garbarek, Terje Rypdal and Bobo Stenson. His first three albums as a quartet leader were issued in ECM’s Old and New Master series in 2010. His playing has always kept a balance between richly sonorous melody lines and the ability to hint at the rhythm of a piece through the use of a judiciously placed phrase here and there. So, an obvious question was to ask about his philosophy of playing the bass... continue reading
ED JONES - Bending Your Ear
London based saxophonist, Ed Jones, has been a mainstay of the UK scene for more than twenty-five years. He has forged a distinctive sound on both tenor and soprano saxophones, and embraced diverse musical situations from straight ahead and hard hitting jazz to free improvisation along with crossover projects with Incognito and US3, and also ventured into R&B with such legendary artists as Bootsy Collins, Chaka Khan Tina Turner.
With a significant discography under his own name, Jones formed his current quartet with Ross Stanley on piano, Riaan Vosloo on bass and drummer Tim Giles back in 2011, but has waited until now to release their first recording, For Your Ears Only. With the quartet currently touring the UK, Jazz Views took the opprtunity to catch up with Ed and talk to him about his latest release...continue reading
London based saxophonist, Ed Jones, has been a mainstay of the UK scene for more than twenty-five years. He has forged a distinctive sound on both tenor and soprano saxophones, and embraced diverse musical situations from straight ahead and hard hitting jazz to free improvisation along with crossover projects with Incognito and US3, and also ventured into R&B with such legendary artists as Bootsy Collins, Chaka Khan Tina Turner.
With a significant discography under his own name, Jones formed his current quartet with Ross Stanley on piano, Riaan Vosloo on bass and drummer Tim Giles back in 2011, but has waited until now to release their first recording, For Your Ears Only. With the quartet currently touring the UK, Jazz Views took the opprtunity to catch up with Ed and talk to him about his latest release...continue reading
SHEILA JORDAN - Back In The UK
Jazz Vocal Star Returns to the UK, April 2018
Preview and Interview by Georgia Mancio
Seeing and experiencing the spirit that is Sheila Jordan live is always a deeply nourishing and uplifting experience. Steeped in jazz history, championed by Charlie Parker, at 89 Sheila still travels the world performing and leading workshops to remind us that this highly intellectual art form is best served with a huge dollop of heart, humanity and soul... continue reading
Jazz Vocal Star Returns to the UK, April 2018
Preview and Interview by Georgia Mancio
Seeing and experiencing the spirit that is Sheila Jordan live is always a deeply nourishing and uplifting experience. Steeped in jazz history, championed by Charlie Parker, at 89 Sheila still travels the world performing and leading workshops to remind us that this highly intellectual art form is best served with a huge dollop of heart, humanity and soul... continue reading
March 2018
NORMA WINSTONE - Re-imagining Songs from the Silver Screen
Norma Winstone has long been recognised as one of the UKs foremost vocalists and lyricists. She has, over the course of her career followed her own path, and in doing so explored a wide variety of musical experiences from singing material from the Great American Songboook, along with singing wordlessly or adding her own distinctive lyrics to existing compositions.
Her versatility and her excellent sight reading skills would find her placed her in situations not often frequented by singers, as stints with the bands of Mike Westbrook and Michael Garrick in the sixties, and Ian Carr's fusion outfit Nucleus testify.In the late seventies she formed the trio Azimuth with pianist John Taylor and trumpeter, Kenny Wheeler. The group recorded five albums for ECM between 1979 and 1994, and Norma also recorded her own album with a trio of Tony Coe and John Taylor, Somehwere Called Home in 1986. This group of recordings, with their small and intimate setting produced chamber jazz of startilng beauty, and indications were that this was an extremely fruitful format for Norma...continue reading
Norma Winstone has long been recognised as one of the UKs foremost vocalists and lyricists. She has, over the course of her career followed her own path, and in doing so explored a wide variety of musical experiences from singing material from the Great American Songboook, along with singing wordlessly or adding her own distinctive lyrics to existing compositions.
Her versatility and her excellent sight reading skills would find her placed her in situations not often frequented by singers, as stints with the bands of Mike Westbrook and Michael Garrick in the sixties, and Ian Carr's fusion outfit Nucleus testify.In the late seventies she formed the trio Azimuth with pianist John Taylor and trumpeter, Kenny Wheeler. The group recorded five albums for ECM between 1979 and 1994, and Norma also recorded her own album with a trio of Tony Coe and John Taylor, Somehwere Called Home in 1986. This group of recordings, with their small and intimate setting produced chamber jazz of startilng beauty, and indications were that this was an extremely fruitful format for Norma...continue reading
HENRY LOWTHER - Making It True
With the release of the CD ‘can’t believe, won’t believe’, I took the opportunity to interview Henry Lowther about his new recording and his time in music. I began by asking how he decided on a name for the group. “I first thought of the name Still Waters many years ago because I like being near or on water and wanted a name that reflects its qualities in music - sometimes placid, sometimes in quiet motion and sometimes activated but always seeking rest and stillness.” The group’s name amply captures that gentleness of the music, but also hints at something that might be lurking in the deep. Perhaps, this ‘something’ could disturb the ambience and the CD’s title might hint at this. “I'm neither a sceptical or angry person. I have had, and am still having, a good life with music and close friends. Modern life certainly creates many distractions and we all should be on our guard against them...continue reading
With the release of the CD ‘can’t believe, won’t believe’, I took the opportunity to interview Henry Lowther about his new recording and his time in music. I began by asking how he decided on a name for the group. “I first thought of the name Still Waters many years ago because I like being near or on water and wanted a name that reflects its qualities in music - sometimes placid, sometimes in quiet motion and sometimes activated but always seeking rest and stillness.” The group’s name amply captures that gentleness of the music, but also hints at something that might be lurking in the deep. Perhaps, this ‘something’ could disturb the ambience and the CD’s title might hint at this. “I'm neither a sceptical or angry person. I have had, and am still having, a good life with music and close friends. Modern life certainly creates many distractions and we all should be on our guard against them...continue reading
JOHN SURMAN - Bound Together By Invisible Threads
Since his emergence on the UK jazz scene in the mid sixties with the Mike Westbrook band, John Surman has delighted and astounded musicians and audiences alike with the agility of his playing on the baritone saxophone. Coupled with his equal facility, and individual approach to both the soprano saxophone and bass clarinet he has established a worldwide reputation, playing with some of the biggest names in the music.
Irrespective of the context in which he finds himself, as soon as he puts the horn to his lips there is no mistaking the identity of the player. This is also true of his composing, with Surman having written for large and small ensembles for conventional jazz groups to choirs.
The saxophonist's last album for the ECM, the excellent solo set Saltash Bells, was released some five years ago and it is gratifying to note that the long wait for another album from the maestro has been well worth it...continue reading
Since his emergence on the UK jazz scene in the mid sixties with the Mike Westbrook band, John Surman has delighted and astounded musicians and audiences alike with the agility of his playing on the baritone saxophone. Coupled with his equal facility, and individual approach to both the soprano saxophone and bass clarinet he has established a worldwide reputation, playing with some of the biggest names in the music.
Irrespective of the context in which he finds himself, as soon as he puts the horn to his lips there is no mistaking the identity of the player. This is also true of his composing, with Surman having written for large and small ensembles for conventional jazz groups to choirs.
The saxophonist's last album for the ECM, the excellent solo set Saltash Bells, was released some five years ago and it is gratifying to note that the long wait for another album from the maestro has been well worth it...continue reading
February 2018
ANDY SHEPPARD - Connecting The Sounds
To coincide with the release of Andy Sheppard’s new CD, Romaria, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity ask the saxophonist some questions prior to the release of the album. Well, the reality was that I emailed some questions and Andy’s wife, Sara, read them and sent us back the recording of their conversation. She made an excellent interviewer and Andy gave some thoughtful and thought-provoking answers. The interview began by asking how the quartet had developed since the release of Surrounded by Sea a couple of years ago. “I think just by virtue of having played a few more gigs together and understood more the centre of this quartet, i.e., what we’re trying to achieve collectively, what kind of atmosphere, what kind of music we’re making together, that the music we’re playing is more mature. I wanted to continue the atmosphere of Surrounded by Sea and write music which would bring out the wonderful musicality of Eivind, Seb and Michel and also make the core a little more robust, with more of an emphasis on groove and energy than the last album.”...continue reading
To coincide with the release of Andy Sheppard’s new CD, Romaria, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity ask the saxophonist some questions prior to the release of the album. Well, the reality was that I emailed some questions and Andy’s wife, Sara, read them and sent us back the recording of their conversation. She made an excellent interviewer and Andy gave some thoughtful and thought-provoking answers. The interview began by asking how the quartet had developed since the release of Surrounded by Sea a couple of years ago. “I think just by virtue of having played a few more gigs together and understood more the centre of this quartet, i.e., what we’re trying to achieve collectively, what kind of atmosphere, what kind of music we’re making together, that the music we’re playing is more mature. I wanted to continue the atmosphere of Surrounded by Sea and write music which would bring out the wonderful musicality of Eivind, Seb and Michel and also make the core a little more robust, with more of an emphasis on groove and energy than the last album.”...continue reading
January 2018
KIT DOWNES - Enhancing The Truth
British pianist and composer Kit Downes has a resume that belies his young age. His performance and recording credits include collaborations with the likes of Stan Sulzmann, Julian Argüelles and Clark Tracey. Downes’ search for new sounds has led him to compose music for a number of ensembles including his own piano trio and prog-jazzers Troyka. This search for the new has led him back to the musical environments of his childhood and more specifically, the church organ. The product of this journey is the album Obsidian, released by a name synonymous with experimentation in improvisational music, ECM Records...continue reading
British pianist and composer Kit Downes has a resume that belies his young age. His performance and recording credits include collaborations with the likes of Stan Sulzmann, Julian Argüelles and Clark Tracey. Downes’ search for new sounds has led him to compose music for a number of ensembles including his own piano trio and prog-jazzers Troyka. This search for the new has led him back to the musical environments of his childhood and more specifically, the church organ. The product of this journey is the album Obsidian, released by a name synonymous with experimentation in improvisational music, ECM Records...continue reading
November 2017
KADRI VOORAND - An Extraordinary Talent
Jack Kenny was so intrigued by the music of Kadri Voorand from Estonia, heard as part of the London Jazz Festival, that he wanted to know more about the unique artist.
"We just love doing music, it is all about feeling and having fun for us. The main thing is to transfer emotion and energy to the listener. The latest "Armupurjus" - "Love Intoxication" was recorded in Italy, in Emme Producioni studios. This album is full of freedom. I guess I found myself in no-limit feeling. The whole band just did whatever we felt like doing...continue reading
Jack Kenny was so intrigued by the music of Kadri Voorand from Estonia, heard as part of the London Jazz Festival, that he wanted to know more about the unique artist.
"We just love doing music, it is all about feeling and having fun for us. The main thing is to transfer emotion and energy to the listener. The latest "Armupurjus" - "Love Intoxication" was recorded in Italy, in Emme Producioni studios. This album is full of freedom. I guess I found myself in no-limit feeling. The whole band just did whatever we felt like doing...continue reading
DJANGO BATES - Hanging In The Air...
The Study of Touch continues Bates’ exploration of the piano trio, which is somewhat ironic given his belief that there were enough piano trios in the world. He tells the story of, when, he had started teaching at Copenhagen’s Rhythmic Music Academy, in 2005, “I was walking along its corridors when I heard a drummer and a bass player playing in an ensemble in one of the practise rooms, and thought ‘If I ever changed my mind about piano trios I’d definitely want to use those two guys’”. The trio released their first recording, Belovèd Birdin 2010 and this was followed in 2012 by Confirmation (both released on Bates’ own Lost Marble label)...continue reading
The Study of Touch continues Bates’ exploration of the piano trio, which is somewhat ironic given his belief that there were enough piano trios in the world. He tells the story of, when, he had started teaching at Copenhagen’s Rhythmic Music Academy, in 2005, “I was walking along its corridors when I heard a drummer and a bass player playing in an ensemble in one of the practise rooms, and thought ‘If I ever changed my mind about piano trios I’d definitely want to use those two guys’”. The trio released their first recording, Belovèd Birdin 2010 and this was followed in 2012 by Confirmation (both released on Bates’ own Lost Marble label)...continue reading
BJÖRN MEYER - Bass(ically) Speaking
Solo bass albums are no rarity in the ECM discography, with superb solo recordings from the likes of Dave Holland, Miroslav Vitous, Barre Phillips and Eberhard Weber. To this illustrious list, we can now add Björn Meyer with his striking album Provenance. Whereas the other solos albums have featured double bass (along with Weber's custom built hybrid) , this is the first to feature all solo bass guitar.
Born in Sweden and now resident in Switzerland, Meyer's powerful bass guitar playing has been heard with Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin in which he was often a lead instrument, however with his solo project the bassist is able to more fully explore the sonic possibilities of the bass guitar within an acoustic space...continue reading
Solo bass albums are no rarity in the ECM discography, with superb solo recordings from the likes of Dave Holland, Miroslav Vitous, Barre Phillips and Eberhard Weber. To this illustrious list, we can now add Björn Meyer with his striking album Provenance. Whereas the other solos albums have featured double bass (along with Weber's custom built hybrid) , this is the first to feature all solo bass guitar.
Born in Sweden and now resident in Switzerland, Meyer's powerful bass guitar playing has been heard with Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin in which he was often a lead instrument, however with his solo project the bassist is able to more fully explore the sonic possibilities of the bass guitar within an acoustic space...continue reading
October 2017
|
TERRY PACK & HILARY BURT -
Growing Trees & Branching Out ...there is nothing quite the sound of Tree's. Described as an 'unfeasibly large ensemble' and the brainchild of bassist, Terry Pack, Trees is a big band that plays original compositions and arrangements by Terry and Hilary Burt by an assembled cast of players from in and around the Brighton area...continue reading |
DAVE O'HIGGINS - Suspending Time In Zog
Since bursting onto the UK jazz scene some thirty years ago, tenor and soprano saxophonist, Dave O'Higgins had stuck steadfastly to his roots in the music, but does so whilst sounding contemporary.
His playing maintains all the core values of the music of the fifties and sixties, yet speaks to audiences of all generations with his direct no nonsense approach to melody, harmony and time, all delivered with an assured and individual sound on his chosen horns.
As O'Higgins releases his new album on his own label, and embarks on an extensive UK tour, Jazz Views catches up with saxophonist to talk about his new album...continue reading
Since bursting onto the UK jazz scene some thirty years ago, tenor and soprano saxophonist, Dave O'Higgins had stuck steadfastly to his roots in the music, but does so whilst sounding contemporary.
His playing maintains all the core values of the music of the fifties and sixties, yet speaks to audiences of all generations with his direct no nonsense approach to melody, harmony and time, all delivered with an assured and individual sound on his chosen horns.
As O'Higgins releases his new album on his own label, and embarks on an extensive UK tour, Jazz Views catches up with saxophonist to talk about his new album...continue reading
September 2017
GEORGIA MANCIO & KATE WILLIAMS -
Hang(ing) At The Pizza Express
This is quite a year for award-winning jazz vocalist and lyricist Georgia Mancio with both the release of a new album, Songbook in collaboration with Grammy winning pianist, Alan Broadbent; and now the launch of her new festival, Hang with six shows over four nights and featuring seven different bands.
Of the many highlights, one event that does pique the interest is the intriguing meeting of pianist Kate Williams' Four Plus Three with Georgia , featuring newly arranged and composed music especially for the festival... continue reading
Hang(ing) At The Pizza Express
This is quite a year for award-winning jazz vocalist and lyricist Georgia Mancio with both the release of a new album, Songbook in collaboration with Grammy winning pianist, Alan Broadbent; and now the launch of her new festival, Hang with six shows over four nights and featuring seven different bands.
Of the many highlights, one event that does pique the interest is the intriguing meeting of pianist Kate Williams' Four Plus Three with Georgia , featuring newly arranged and composed music especially for the festival... continue reading
JULIAN COSTELLO - Transition Complete
After building himself a solid reputation with a couple of albums under his belt, saxophonist Julian Costello seemed to disappear from the scene. As always the truth tells a somewhat different story with Julian swapping occupations from a gigging musician to the more stable world of teaching.
Now his family are little older, the urge to once again pick up the horns has again required a change of course, and with the debut release of his new Quartet album on 33 Records the transition is now complete...continue reading
After building himself a solid reputation with a couple of albums under his belt, saxophonist Julian Costello seemed to disappear from the scene. As always the truth tells a somewhat different story with Julian swapping occupations from a gigging musician to the more stable world of teaching.
Now his family are little older, the urge to once again pick up the horns has again required a change of course, and with the debut release of his new Quartet album on 33 Records the transition is now complete...continue reading
August 2017
DAVID AMRAM - A Life In Music & Film
Anyone who has worked with Jack Kerouac, Charles Mingus, Leonard Bernstein and Arthur Miller is bound to have something interesting to say. Throw in Natalie Wood, Thelonious Monk, Elia Kazan. Frank Sinatra, Carmell Jones and Paul Horn and Pete Seeger. And you know that you are dealing with a super eclectic someone whose creativity knows no boundaries and a stylish French horn player to boot. He has composed over 100 orchestral and chamber works and written two operas. He has written a well-regarded book on Jack Kerouac. His theatre and film scores include the classic movies ‘Splendor In The Grass’ and ‘The Manchurian Candidate’. Jazz has always been a part of his life but not the only part.
Where do we start?
In the present. I have a new piece called ‘Partners’ which will celebrate the partnership of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, Lester Young and Billie Holiday, Machito Grillo and Celia Cruz. These three movements of the double concerto ‘Partners’ celebrate the spirit of the different genres of music that these three groups of partners created...continue reading
Anyone who has worked with Jack Kerouac, Charles Mingus, Leonard Bernstein and Arthur Miller is bound to have something interesting to say. Throw in Natalie Wood, Thelonious Monk, Elia Kazan. Frank Sinatra, Carmell Jones and Paul Horn and Pete Seeger. And you know that you are dealing with a super eclectic someone whose creativity knows no boundaries and a stylish French horn player to boot. He has composed over 100 orchestral and chamber works and written two operas. He has written a well-regarded book on Jack Kerouac. His theatre and film scores include the classic movies ‘Splendor In The Grass’ and ‘The Manchurian Candidate’. Jazz has always been a part of his life but not the only part.
Where do we start?
In the present. I have a new piece called ‘Partners’ which will celebrate the partnership of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, Lester Young and Billie Holiday, Machito Grillo and Celia Cruz. These three movements of the double concerto ‘Partners’ celebrate the spirit of the different genres of music that these three groups of partners created...continue reading
July 2017
TOMMY SMITH - Traneing For Life
As we entered into 2017, and the fiftieth anniversary of the death of John Coltrane loomed large it was readily apparent that as the year progressed that there would be a spate of tribute albums and reissues dedicated to the saxophonist's memory and the legacy that he left behind. The difficulty was always going to be deciding which were worthy of our attention and which could be left on the shelves.
When word first got out that Tommy Smith was going to release a new album, with a new quartet, there was immediately a buzz of excitement and and anticipation, and the resulting album Embodying The Light does not disappoint. If anything it raises Smith's stature still higher (if that were possible) in a heartfelt dedication that is unequivocally a homage to the Coltrane whilst also ensuring that there is no mistaking who is behind the tenor saxophone...continue reading
As we entered into 2017, and the fiftieth anniversary of the death of John Coltrane loomed large it was readily apparent that as the year progressed that there would be a spate of tribute albums and reissues dedicated to the saxophonist's memory and the legacy that he left behind. The difficulty was always going to be deciding which were worthy of our attention and which could be left on the shelves.
When word first got out that Tommy Smith was going to release a new album, with a new quartet, there was immediately a buzz of excitement and and anticipation, and the resulting album Embodying The Light does not disappoint. If anything it raises Smith's stature still higher (if that were possible) in a heartfelt dedication that is unequivocally a homage to the Coltrane whilst also ensuring that there is no mistaking who is behind the tenor saxophone...continue reading
PAUL DUNMALL- In The Spirit Of Coltrane
Since first coming to prominence in the late sevemties/early eighties with the group Spirit Level, saxophonist Paul Dunmall has made no secret of his love of the music of John Coltrane. Those that were fortunate enough to catch the group live before their eventual demise in 1989, would be enthralled by Dunmall's tenor excursions. Flights of fancy that would stretch the rhythm section of Tim Richards on piano, Paul Anstey on bass,and drummer Tony Orrell, and tear at the harmonic framework of the tune being played. This trait was clearly in evidence by the time the band recorded their second LP for Spotlite Records, the 1984 set Proud Owners on Dunmall's composition 'Rama & Sita' in a truly exhilarating performance...continue reading
Since first coming to prominence in the late sevemties/early eighties with the group Spirit Level, saxophonist Paul Dunmall has made no secret of his love of the music of John Coltrane. Those that were fortunate enough to catch the group live before their eventual demise in 1989, would be enthralled by Dunmall's tenor excursions. Flights of fancy that would stretch the rhythm section of Tim Richards on piano, Paul Anstey on bass,and drummer Tony Orrell, and tear at the harmonic framework of the tune being played. This trait was clearly in evidence by the time the band recorded their second LP for Spotlite Records, the 1984 set Proud Owners on Dunmall's composition 'Rama & Sita' in a truly exhilarating performance...continue reading
June 2017
OLGA KONKOVA - Playing The Tunes Just The Way They Are
Olga Konkova was born in Moscow and began her musical education in classical piano. She went on the study jazz at Berklee College in Boston. Asked about this switch in musical styles, she says, “ I always wanted to play, to perform on stage. But I compose as well. Jazz is a form of art that allows me to combine both of those things. I don't think I would be able to do that, playing and composing if I was a ‘classical’ musician. I know Shostakovich (among not so very many other people) graduated as a concert pianist and a composer. But he is a genius! It is simply too hard, with practising 7-12 hours per day to gain a repertoire as a classical pianist. It's almost inhuman to find an energy and time for studying a composition.”
In her playing the classical and jazz disciplines compete with and complement each other. As she puts it, she developed ‘La touché’ while studying classical piano, but combines this with the sense of timing that is very different in jazz...continue reading
Olga Konkova was born in Moscow and began her musical education in classical piano. She went on the study jazz at Berklee College in Boston. Asked about this switch in musical styles, she says, “ I always wanted to play, to perform on stage. But I compose as well. Jazz is a form of art that allows me to combine both of those things. I don't think I would be able to do that, playing and composing if I was a ‘classical’ musician. I know Shostakovich (among not so very many other people) graduated as a concert pianist and a composer. But he is a genius! It is simply too hard, with practising 7-12 hours per day to gain a repertoire as a classical pianist. It's almost inhuman to find an energy and time for studying a composition.”
In her playing the classical and jazz disciplines compete with and complement each other. As she puts it, she developed ‘La touché’ while studying classical piano, but combines this with the sense of timing that is very different in jazz...continue reading
TINA MAY - A Case of Paranoia
Tina May has long been hailed as one the UK's premier vocalists. With a list of accolades as long as your arm, and an impressive discography that stretches back as far as the early nineties May has toured and recorded with some of the top names in British and European jazz.
As one would expect with an artist of her stature, the singer has refused to stand still, and whether performing standards with her little big band (Divas and My Kinda Love for Hep), in a more intimate duo pianists Nikki Iles (Change Of Sky) and Enrico Pieranunzi (Home Is Where The heart Is) or top flight American's , tenor saxophonist Scott Hamilton (I'll Take Romance) and the legendary Ray Bryant on Tina May sings the Ray Bryant Song Book there is always a sense of a musician looking to push themselves, yet who also has the ability to rise to the occasion producing work that is utterly compelling... continue reading
Tina May has long been hailed as one the UK's premier vocalists. With a list of accolades as long as your arm, and an impressive discography that stretches back as far as the early nineties May has toured and recorded with some of the top names in British and European jazz.
As one would expect with an artist of her stature, the singer has refused to stand still, and whether performing standards with her little big band (Divas and My Kinda Love for Hep), in a more intimate duo pianists Nikki Iles (Change Of Sky) and Enrico Pieranunzi (Home Is Where The heart Is) or top flight American's , tenor saxophonist Scott Hamilton (I'll Take Romance) and the legendary Ray Bryant on Tina May sings the Ray Bryant Song Book there is always a sense of a musician looking to push themselves, yet who also has the ability to rise to the occasion producing work that is utterly compelling... continue reading
May 2017
GEORGIA MANCIO & ALAN BROADBENT - Setting New Standards
Every now and again something special comes along, and when Songbook was released last month it was readily apparent that this was one of those moments. An album that is utterly contemporary, completely within the tradition of the Great American Songbook, and yet not in awe of it. Indeed, such is the quality of the music and lyrics on this startlingly beautiful and original album that it is arguable that the songs by Georgia Mancio and Alan Broadbent deserve a place among them.
It was therefore a real pleasure to have the opportunity to talk to Georgia and Alan about the album, and their ongoing songwriting partnership...continue reading
Every now and again something special comes along, and when Songbook was released last month it was readily apparent that this was one of those moments. An album that is utterly contemporary, completely within the tradition of the Great American Songbook, and yet not in awe of it. Indeed, such is the quality of the music and lyrics on this startlingly beautiful and original album that it is arguable that the songs by Georgia Mancio and Alan Broadbent deserve a place among them.
It was therefore a real pleasure to have the opportunity to talk to Georgia and Alan about the album, and their ongoing songwriting partnership...continue reading
QUERCUS - Laying Down Roots & Branching Out
Quercus are currently one of the most intriguing trios on the UK scene, bringing the improvisational prowess of saxophonist Iain Ballamy and pianist Huw Warren together with the voice of folk singer June Tabor and embracing a musical repertoire that includes traditional songs alongside jazz standards, Bob Dylan and songs from musicals.
Both the saxophonist and pianist will be familiar to readers of this site, but it is the addition of June Tabor that sets Quesrcus apart as not just another trio, but one that stands out through the originality and sheer musicality of her voice. Tabor never fails to bring to life, in a most immediate way, the words to the song that communicate on a very intimate level to the listener. A true story teller, Tabor embraces the material in a manner that recalls the time honoured way of passing on stories and events through song from one generation to the next and bringing to our attention some old songs presented in a new light.
As the trio see the release of their second album, Nightfall for ECM, Jazz Views had the great pleasure of talking to June about the new album and the work of this remarkable group...continue reading
Quercus are currently one of the most intriguing trios on the UK scene, bringing the improvisational prowess of saxophonist Iain Ballamy and pianist Huw Warren together with the voice of folk singer June Tabor and embracing a musical repertoire that includes traditional songs alongside jazz standards, Bob Dylan and songs from musicals.
Both the saxophonist and pianist will be familiar to readers of this site, but it is the addition of June Tabor that sets Quesrcus apart as not just another trio, but one that stands out through the originality and sheer musicality of her voice. Tabor never fails to bring to life, in a most immediate way, the words to the song that communicate on a very intimate level to the listener. A true story teller, Tabor embraces the material in a manner that recalls the time honoured way of passing on stories and events through song from one generation to the next and bringing to our attention some old songs presented in a new light.
As the trio see the release of their second album, Nightfall for ECM, Jazz Views had the great pleasure of talking to June about the new album and the work of this remarkable group...continue reading
April 2017
COLIN STEELE - Emerging From The Darkest Place
Trumpeter Colin Steele's emergence onto the UK jazz scene with his debut album for his quintet, Twilight Dreams, on the Scottish Caber Records imprint at the turn of the millennium was a cause for celebration. As part of a mini revolution coming out of Scotland, Steele's music at once acknowledged the hard bop idiom with more than a hint of his Celtic roots coupled with joyously melodic writing that that was as infectious as it was deeply rooted in both jazz and the music of his homeland.
The debut album was followed at two year intervals by The Journey Home and Through The Waves, with the latter being released on the major label ACT, and it seemed that Colin Steele and his superb quintet had definitely arrived. It was at this point that the quintet and the trumpeter seemed to vanish from the scene with barely a ripple. Fast forward ten years and Colin Steele is back with a vengeance. Having reconvened the quintet and recorded a new album, Even In The Darkest Places, it seems as if no time has passed as the five musicians pick things up just as they left them, with the instantly identifiable group sound still intact and perhaps even sounding better than ever...continue reading
Trumpeter Colin Steele's emergence onto the UK jazz scene with his debut album for his quintet, Twilight Dreams, on the Scottish Caber Records imprint at the turn of the millennium was a cause for celebration. As part of a mini revolution coming out of Scotland, Steele's music at once acknowledged the hard bop idiom with more than a hint of his Celtic roots coupled with joyously melodic writing that that was as infectious as it was deeply rooted in both jazz and the music of his homeland.
The debut album was followed at two year intervals by The Journey Home and Through The Waves, with the latter being released on the major label ACT, and it seemed that Colin Steele and his superb quintet had definitely arrived. It was at this point that the quintet and the trumpeter seemed to vanish from the scene with barely a ripple. Fast forward ten years and Colin Steele is back with a vengeance. Having reconvened the quintet and recorded a new album, Even In The Darkest Places, it seems as if no time has passed as the five musicians pick things up just as they left them, with the instantly identifiable group sound still intact and perhaps even sounding better than ever...continue reading
March 2017
ALISON RAYNER - Life, Magic & Music
Bassist, Alison Rayner has been a mainstay on the British jazz scene for many years, initially coming to my attention in the all female Latin jazz group, The guest Stars , in the 1980's.. Along with guitarist, Deirdre Cartwright she co-runs a record label and jazz club under the banner of Blow The Fuse, bringing valuable opportunities to play for many musicians over the years and of course refining her own considerable talents. "I played a number of instruments from an early age - ukulele, guitar and piano - played in a band at school and also sang in choirs", recalls Alison. "In the mid 70s, desperate to be in a band again, I managed to inveigle my way into what would become Jam Today, a feminist rock band. We needed a bass player - I thought 'I could do that'! Gradually the rock became tinged with jazz-rock and I discovered bands like Weather Report, Chick Corea and Pat Metheny. "...continue reading
Bassist, Alison Rayner has been a mainstay on the British jazz scene for many years, initially coming to my attention in the all female Latin jazz group, The guest Stars , in the 1980's.. Along with guitarist, Deirdre Cartwright she co-runs a record label and jazz club under the banner of Blow The Fuse, bringing valuable opportunities to play for many musicians over the years and of course refining her own considerable talents. "I played a number of instruments from an early age - ukulele, guitar and piano - played in a band at school and also sang in choirs", recalls Alison. "In the mid 70s, desperate to be in a band again, I managed to inveigle my way into what would become Jam Today, a feminist rock band. We needed a bass player - I thought 'I could do that'! Gradually the rock became tinged with jazz-rock and I discovered bands like Weather Report, Chick Corea and Pat Metheny. "...continue reading
TRIO MEDIAEVAL & ARVE HENRIKSEN - Songs, Sagas & Poems
Since their formation in 1997, the Trio Mediaeval have carved out a reputation as being one of the finest all female a cappella groups, and have recorded a succession of highly acclaimed albums on the ECM New Series imprint and on March 3rd, Trio Mediaeval release their new album, Rímur, in collaboration with trumpeter Arve Henriksen.
Drawing their repertoire from medieval and contemporary music the three members of the trio, Anna Maria Friman, Linn Andrea Fuglseth and Berit Opheim (who joined the group on a permanent basis in 2014) it maybe all too easy to jump to comparisons with the Hilliard Ensemble who will be known to may non classical listeners for their recordings with saxophonist, Jan Garbarek. Whilst there is a link between the Trio and the Hilliard Ensemble, as the original members did attend workshops and study with the English vocal quartet, there perhaps the similarity ends...continue reading
Since their formation in 1997, the Trio Mediaeval have carved out a reputation as being one of the finest all female a cappella groups, and have recorded a succession of highly acclaimed albums on the ECM New Series imprint and on March 3rd, Trio Mediaeval release their new album, Rímur, in collaboration with trumpeter Arve Henriksen.
Drawing their repertoire from medieval and contemporary music the three members of the trio, Anna Maria Friman, Linn Andrea Fuglseth and Berit Opheim (who joined the group on a permanent basis in 2014) it maybe all too easy to jump to comparisons with the Hilliard Ensemble who will be known to may non classical listeners for their recordings with saxophonist, Jan Garbarek. Whilst there is a link between the Trio and the Hilliard Ensemble, as the original members did attend workshops and study with the English vocal quartet, there perhaps the similarity ends...continue reading
February 2017
TOMMY SMITH - New Uprising For Modern Jacobite
Saxophonist Tommy Smith has become somewhat of a ubiquitous presence on jazz's international stage with his work with the Arild Andersen Trio and the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra bringing in plaudits from around the globe. His music has always been far reaching, ranging from repertoire drawn from jazz standards and the Great American Songbook in his longstanding duo with pianist Brian Kellock to large scale works commissioned to be performed with the SNJO and guest musicians that have included Makoto Ozone, Mugenko Taiko Drummers, Kurt Elling, Joe Lovano and Bill Evans.
However, perhaps the biggest surprise, although one we should have seen coming, was his recording with another Scottish 'big band', the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Modern Jacobite featuring the saxophonist's first recorded symphonic composition...continue reading
Saxophonist Tommy Smith has become somewhat of a ubiquitous presence on jazz's international stage with his work with the Arild Andersen Trio and the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra bringing in plaudits from around the globe. His music has always been far reaching, ranging from repertoire drawn from jazz standards and the Great American Songbook in his longstanding duo with pianist Brian Kellock to large scale works commissioned to be performed with the SNJO and guest musicians that have included Makoto Ozone, Mugenko Taiko Drummers, Kurt Elling, Joe Lovano and Bill Evans.
However, perhaps the biggest surprise, although one we should have seen coming, was his recording with another Scottish 'big band', the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Modern Jacobite featuring the saxophonist's first recorded symphonic composition...continue reading
January 2017
EDDIE MYER - Finding The Groove & Keeping It Real
Bassist, Eddie Myer may well, as he puts it, started his musical career 'Much too late!', but a gig with the band Turin Brakes that is now into it's eighteenth year and his continued involvement with a variety of projects that include teaching at the British & Irish Modern Music Institute, his involvement with New Generation Jazz in Brighton, writing for various publications (including Jazz Views), and also running his own quintet; the Eddie Myer 5tet who have just released their second album which is too be launched this month at the 2017 South Coast Jazz Festival. It was therefore the ideal time to catch up with Eddie and speak to him about the new recording, and the juggling act that is his busy career...continue reading
(photograph courtesy of Brian O'Connor)
Bassist, Eddie Myer may well, as he puts it, started his musical career 'Much too late!', but a gig with the band Turin Brakes that is now into it's eighteenth year and his continued involvement with a variety of projects that include teaching at the British & Irish Modern Music Institute, his involvement with New Generation Jazz in Brighton, writing for various publications (including Jazz Views), and also running his own quintet; the Eddie Myer 5tet who have just released their second album which is too be launched this month at the 2017 South Coast Jazz Festival. It was therefore the ideal time to catch up with Eddie and speak to him about the new recording, and the juggling act that is his busy career...continue reading
(photograph courtesy of Brian O'Connor)
2016
TRYGVE SEIM - Singing Songs Of Rumi
Norwegian saxophonist, Trygve Seim is now becoming a ubiquitous presence on the European scene and garnering favourable comparrisons with fellow countryman, Jan Garbarek. Like Garbarek, Seim plays tenor and soprano saxophone with an instantly identifiable sound on each, but that is perhaps where the similarities end. Whereas the older man carved out a career, predominantly as leader (especially since the end of the seventies), Trygve is happy to have a far more promiscuous career and can frequently be heard in other people's bands and recordings, saying that "Playing in different projects gives me free musical development. I learn new things and also get to know new people. But, of course, it is a criterion that I like the music and that I feel that I can contribute in some way."
This modest approach to his work provides plenty of opportunity to follow his career, having appeared on more than 20 albums on ECM many of which have been for other people, or collaborative projects and this also perhaps has had a slightly negative impact as if there is a reluctance to push himself forward as leader. Making a big splash with his debut album Different Rivers in 2001 which was followed up by the incredible Sangam for large ensemble a few years later, it seems to have taken quite some time before this new album under Trygve's own name was to appear...continue reading
Norwegian saxophonist, Trygve Seim is now becoming a ubiquitous presence on the European scene and garnering favourable comparrisons with fellow countryman, Jan Garbarek. Like Garbarek, Seim plays tenor and soprano saxophone with an instantly identifiable sound on each, but that is perhaps where the similarities end. Whereas the older man carved out a career, predominantly as leader (especially since the end of the seventies), Trygve is happy to have a far more promiscuous career and can frequently be heard in other people's bands and recordings, saying that "Playing in different projects gives me free musical development. I learn new things and also get to know new people. But, of course, it is a criterion that I like the music and that I feel that I can contribute in some way."
This modest approach to his work provides plenty of opportunity to follow his career, having appeared on more than 20 albums on ECM many of which have been for other people, or collaborative projects and this also perhaps has had a slightly negative impact as if there is a reluctance to push himself forward as leader. Making a big splash with his debut album Different Rivers in 2001 which was followed up by the incredible Sangam for large ensemble a few years later, it seems to have taken quite some time before this new album under Trygve's own name was to appear...continue reading
NIGEL PRICE - Around The UK in 56 Dates
Guitarist Nigel Price, has undertaken and brought to fruition two remarkable achievements. Firstly, he has organised a mammoth fifty-six date tour of the UK for his organ trio, and secondly has recorded his latest album, Heads & Tales Volume 2, that follows up the highly acclaimed Volume 1 recorded in 2011.
The organ trio featuring Ross Stanley on Hammond Organ and drummer, Matt Home are now firmly bedded down and their empathy and enthusiasm for the music is immediately evident. The new album is brimful of new compositions based on familiar standards that positively sizzle, and swing hard along the way. This is simply great jazz played from within the tradition with a contemporary feel that is deeply infectious.
At just over the half way point of the tour, Jazz Views catches up with Nigel to find out how the tour is going, and to talk about his new album...continue reading
Guitarist Nigel Price, has undertaken and brought to fruition two remarkable achievements. Firstly, he has organised a mammoth fifty-six date tour of the UK for his organ trio, and secondly has recorded his latest album, Heads & Tales Volume 2, that follows up the highly acclaimed Volume 1 recorded in 2011.
The organ trio featuring Ross Stanley on Hammond Organ and drummer, Matt Home are now firmly bedded down and their empathy and enthusiasm for the music is immediately evident. The new album is brimful of new compositions based on familiar standards that positively sizzle, and swing hard along the way. This is simply great jazz played from within the tradition with a contemporary feel that is deeply infectious.
At just over the half way point of the tour, Jazz Views catches up with Nigel to find out how the tour is going, and to talk about his new album...continue reading
PETER ERSKINE - As It Was: Now
Cutting his teeth in the big bands of Maynard Ferguson and Stan Kenton, drummer Peter Erskine quickly earned himself a reputation as one of the most important musicians of his generation. Quickly cementing this reputation with his tenure behind the kit for Weather Report and subsequently with Michael Brecker and Mike Maneri in Steps Ahead, Erskine's career was firmly established.
The eighties and nineties found the drummer touring and recording with the John Abercrombie Trio, Kenny Wheeler and a trio with Jan Garbarek and Miroslav Vitous that produced the album Star; however perhaps most importantly from this association with ECM was the trio that Peter Erskine was to lead with pianist, John Taylor and bassist, Palle Danielsson that would result in four superb albums for the imprint...continue reading
Cutting his teeth in the big bands of Maynard Ferguson and Stan Kenton, drummer Peter Erskine quickly earned himself a reputation as one of the most important musicians of his generation. Quickly cementing this reputation with his tenure behind the kit for Weather Report and subsequently with Michael Brecker and Mike Maneri in Steps Ahead, Erskine's career was firmly established.
The eighties and nineties found the drummer touring and recording with the John Abercrombie Trio, Kenny Wheeler and a trio with Jan Garbarek and Miroslav Vitous that produced the album Star; however perhaps most importantly from this association with ECM was the trio that Peter Erskine was to lead with pianist, John Taylor and bassist, Palle Danielsson that would result in four superb albums for the imprint...continue reading
JANE IRA BLOOM - The Perfect Triangle
With her new album, Early Americans, soprano saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom has taken a leap of faith and once again pushed at the boundaries of her already considerable achievements. Not content to sit back on her laurels, she is a restless explorer on her instrument and chosen idiom, and always looking for new contexts in which to place her individual and instantly identifiable saxophone sound.
Coupled with her idiosyncratic compositions and impeccable choice of musical sparring partners Bloom's music is never less than absorbing and full of movement, as is the saxophonist herself as she twist and turns her body with the music, restlessly searching for the point in time when performance, composition and interaction become blurred into that perfect moment when nothing else exists except the purity of the collective creative process...continue reading
With her new album, Early Americans, soprano saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom has taken a leap of faith and once again pushed at the boundaries of her already considerable achievements. Not content to sit back on her laurels, she is a restless explorer on her instrument and chosen idiom, and always looking for new contexts in which to place her individual and instantly identifiable saxophone sound.
Coupled with her idiosyncratic compositions and impeccable choice of musical sparring partners Bloom's music is never less than absorbing and full of movement, as is the saxophonist herself as she twist and turns her body with the music, restlessly searching for the point in time when performance, composition and interaction become blurred into that perfect moment when nothing else exists except the purity of the collective creative process...continue reading
LAUREN BUSH - An Abundance Of Treasures
Lauren Bush may not be a name that’s familiar on the wider UK jazz scene but the release of her debut album ‘All My Treasures’ may change that.
Born in Canada and residing in London for the last four years, Lauren is forging her own path towards a career as a jazz vocalist and is driven, ambitious and tireless in her quest for success.
Growing up in a musical household (her father was a jazz trumpet player and her mother taught high school band), Lauren was exposed to the life of a jazz musician from an early age. Allowed by her father to accompany him to gigs in local restaurants and to sing with the band, she developed a love of the stage and began to learn scat solos by heart...continue reading
Lauren Bush may not be a name that’s familiar on the wider UK jazz scene but the release of her debut album ‘All My Treasures’ may change that.
Born in Canada and residing in London for the last four years, Lauren is forging her own path towards a career as a jazz vocalist and is driven, ambitious and tireless in her quest for success.
Growing up in a musical household (her father was a jazz trumpet player and her mother taught high school band), Lauren was exposed to the life of a jazz musician from an early age. Allowed by her father to accompany him to gigs in local restaurants and to sing with the band, she developed a love of the stage and began to learn scat solos by heart...continue reading
JOHN MARTIN - Finding The Hidden Notes
John Martin’s recent CD, The Hidden Notes, was CD of the week on Jazz Views and his combination of straight and multiphonic playing was intriguing enough for me to approach John for an interview to discover more about his detailed investigation into this intriguing sound world. In multiphonic playing, two (or more) distinct notes, which are not part of the same harmonic series, are produced. The effect could be created through unconventional (or ‘false’) fingering but often requires changes to the embouchure to sustain the note(s) or keep the sound from shifting into unattractive squawking. Saxophonists have been using multiphonics for years but mostly as an occasional special effect. This could range from the honking sounds of the Rhythm and Blues players of the 1950s ...continue reading
John Martin’s recent CD, The Hidden Notes, was CD of the week on Jazz Views and his combination of straight and multiphonic playing was intriguing enough for me to approach John for an interview to discover more about his detailed investigation into this intriguing sound world. In multiphonic playing, two (or more) distinct notes, which are not part of the same harmonic series, are produced. The effect could be created through unconventional (or ‘false’) fingering but often requires changes to the embouchure to sustain the note(s) or keep the sound from shifting into unattractive squawking. Saxophonists have been using multiphonics for years but mostly as an occasional special effect. This could range from the honking sounds of the Rhythm and Blues players of the 1950s ...continue reading
NIK BÄRTSCH - Slowly Moving Foward To The Roots
Swiss pianist, keyboardist and composer, Nik Bärtsch has been pursuing his musical ideals and concept that he calls RITUAL GROOVE MUSIC since the original formation of his group MOBILE in 1997, and with his new album Continuum, his fifth for ECM Records, shows just how far his music has progressed and evolved over the last two decades.
Focusing his energies on composing and working with his two contrasting groups, MOBILE and RONIN, Bärtsch has created a fascinating sound world that is full of paradoxes and ultimately far greater than the sum of it's parts. In the process he has produced group music that is free of cliché, full of vitality and that functions as a single organism that moves as the music dictates...continue reading
Swiss pianist, keyboardist and composer, Nik Bärtsch has been pursuing his musical ideals and concept that he calls RITUAL GROOVE MUSIC since the original formation of his group MOBILE in 1997, and with his new album Continuum, his fifth for ECM Records, shows just how far his music has progressed and evolved over the last two decades.
Focusing his energies on composing and working with his two contrasting groups, MOBILE and RONIN, Bärtsch has created a fascinating sound world that is full of paradoxes and ultimately far greater than the sum of it's parts. In the process he has produced group music that is free of cliché, full of vitality and that functions as a single organism that moves as the music dictates...continue reading
DONNA LEWIS - A Brand New Album For A Brand New Day
Donna Lewis may be best known for ‘I Love You Always Forever’ a global hit that exceeded one million ‘spins’ on the radio, but her latest album Brand New Day, a striking departure from anything she has done before, demonstrates that the Welsh native is an artist of many dimensions.
After her debut album Now In a Minute, three further solo albums and numerous collaborations including with The Art Of Noise on The Seduction of Claude Debussy and with Richard Marx for the 1997 film Anastasia, led the way to Brand New Day. ..continue reading
Donna Lewis may be best known for ‘I Love You Always Forever’ a global hit that exceeded one million ‘spins’ on the radio, but her latest album Brand New Day, a striking departure from anything she has done before, demonstrates that the Welsh native is an artist of many dimensions.
After her debut album Now In a Minute, three further solo albums and numerous collaborations including with The Art Of Noise on The Seduction of Claude Debussy and with Richard Marx for the 1997 film Anastasia, led the way to Brand New Day. ..continue reading
RICHIE COLE - Pittsburgh, all that jazz... and a touch of Alto Madness
Like all seasoned musicians, alto saxophonist Richie Cole has done his fair share of travelling. He has toured the world with some of the jazz greats, and also under his own name. In the last three years he has lived in Los Angeles, San Antonio, Las Vegas, Chicago, and Trenton, and has now settled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. If he has travelled great distance geographically, musically and stylistically he has remained true to his bebop heritage and yet has forged an identifiable sound and concept that is uniquely his own. Refusing to stand still and continuing to move his musical concept forward he has a new album just released on his newly formed label, Richie Cole Presents, and has a number of exciting new releases planned for the label in the near future...continue reading
Like all seasoned musicians, alto saxophonist Richie Cole has done his fair share of travelling. He has toured the world with some of the jazz greats, and also under his own name. In the last three years he has lived in Los Angeles, San Antonio, Las Vegas, Chicago, and Trenton, and has now settled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. If he has travelled great distance geographically, musically and stylistically he has remained true to his bebop heritage and yet has forged an identifiable sound and concept that is uniquely his own. Refusing to stand still and continuing to move his musical concept forward he has a new album just released on his newly formed label, Richie Cole Presents, and has a number of exciting new releases planned for the label in the near future...continue reading
JOHN POTTER - The Art Of The Tenor
Jazz and classical music have rubbed shoulders in one guise or another for many years. The purists will steadfastly stick to their respective genres, often shunning other forms of music as beneath them, but the musicians and composers have a far more open mind and ears to what they can borrow from other idioms; and more importantly what they can bring to the collective table.
One such musician is John Potter who is perhaps best known to readers of the site for his work with the Hilliard Ensemble, and in particular the recordings made with saxophonist, Jan Garbarek. In a long and well established career, Potter has performed in a variety of contexts that have seen him work with improvising musicians, pop and rock artists along with musicians/composers specialising in live and studio electronics...continue reading
Jazz and classical music have rubbed shoulders in one guise or another for many years. The purists will steadfastly stick to their respective genres, often shunning other forms of music as beneath them, but the musicians and composers have a far more open mind and ears to what they can borrow from other idioms; and more importantly what they can bring to the collective table.
One such musician is John Potter who is perhaps best known to readers of the site for his work with the Hilliard Ensemble, and in particular the recordings made with saxophonist, Jan Garbarek. In a long and well established career, Potter has performed in a variety of contexts that have seen him work with improvising musicians, pop and rock artists along with musicians/composers specialising in live and studio electronics...continue reading
Photograph vy Kate Eastman
CLAIRE MARTIN - The South Coast & All That Jazz
Following on from the sell–out success of last year’s inaugural event, the second South Coast Jazz Festival opens with a launch party on Thursday 21st January 2016 with local trumpet player Jack Kendon and his quintet (featuring vocalist Imogen Ryall) sharing the bill with Alex Garnett and his ‘Bunch of Five’.
As preparation and anticipation hots up, Co-Curator Claire Martin OBE talks about the festival, her forthcoming projects and how she balances it all with her family life on the south coast.
Following on from the sell–out success of last year’s inaugural event, the second South Coast Jazz Festival opens with a launch party on Thursday 21st January 2016 with local trumpet player Jack Kendon and his quintet (featuring vocalist Imogen Ryall) sharing the bill with Alex Garnett and his ‘Bunch of Five’.
As preparation and anticipation hots up, Co-Curator Claire Martin OBE talks about the festival, her forthcoming projects and how she balances it all with her family life on the south coast.
2015 & Prior
ELINA DUNI - The Swallow & The Storyteller
With the release earlier this year of Dallëndyshe the second album on ECM Records for the Elina Duni Quartet along with their appearance at this year's London Jazz Festival, the Albanian born singer is currently receiving some much deserved exposure in the UK.
With a fresh approach to vocalist's role in jazz, and a quartet that functions as a tightly knit unit with a distinctive group sound and concept that is definitely greater than the sum of its parts, this is music that transcends genres, geographical boundaries and language in a truly original and captivating manner. One of the must enduring and appealing aspect of the quartets work is the manner in which the music unfold, with the singer taking on the roll of a storyteller of traditional songs of love and exile. Of Dallëndyshe which translates as 'The Swallow' ...continue reading
With the release earlier this year of Dallëndyshe the second album on ECM Records for the Elina Duni Quartet along with their appearance at this year's London Jazz Festival, the Albanian born singer is currently receiving some much deserved exposure in the UK.
With a fresh approach to vocalist's role in jazz, and a quartet that functions as a tightly knit unit with a distinctive group sound and concept that is definitely greater than the sum of its parts, this is music that transcends genres, geographical boundaries and language in a truly original and captivating manner. One of the must enduring and appealing aspect of the quartets work is the manner in which the music unfold, with the singer taking on the roll of a storyteller of traditional songs of love and exile. Of Dallëndyshe which translates as 'The Swallow' ...continue reading
NIKKI ILES - Approaching From A Westerly Direction
Pianist, composer and educator, Nikki Iles, has been one the leading lights on the UK jazz scene since the early nineties with an impressive discography that includes recordings with Anthony Braxton & The Creative Jazz Orchestra, Mike Gibbs and Kenny Wheeler; and has had productive associations with saxophonists Martin Speake, Julian Argüelles, and Stan Sulzmann.
Despite the varied settings that she can be heard in, one of the constants is her work with vocalist Tina May with whom she has recorded six albums, and Norma Winstone... continue reading
Pianist, composer and educator, Nikki Iles, has been one the leading lights on the UK jazz scene since the early nineties with an impressive discography that includes recordings with Anthony Braxton & The Creative Jazz Orchestra, Mike Gibbs and Kenny Wheeler; and has had productive associations with saxophonists Martin Speake, Julian Argüelles, and Stan Sulzmann.
Despite the varied settings that she can be heard in, one of the constants is her work with vocalist Tina May with whom she has recorded six albums, and Norma Winstone... continue reading
ROBERTO OTTAVIANO - The Different Worlds Of Two Sopranos
If the soprano has historically less exponents than the other members of the saxophone family, the problems inherent are in playing the instrument well and finding one’s own voice are made all the more difficult by the very fact of this shortage of practitioners of the instrument. Whilst many dabble (or double, I think is the politically correct term) few find an unmistakeable and identifiable voice, with Sidney Bechet, John Coltrane and of course Steve Lacy being the names that immediately spring to mind. To this list we can now add modern masters of the straight horn Sam Newsome, and Roberto Ottaviano...continue reading
If the soprano has historically less exponents than the other members of the saxophone family, the problems inherent are in playing the instrument well and finding one’s own voice are made all the more difficult by the very fact of this shortage of practitioners of the instrument. Whilst many dabble (or double, I think is the politically correct term) few find an unmistakeable and identifiable voice, with Sidney Bechet, John Coltrane and of course Steve Lacy being the names that immediately spring to mind. To this list we can now add modern masters of the straight horn Sam Newsome, and Roberto Ottaviano...continue reading
ANT LAW - Playing In Perfect Fourths
One of the most interesting guitarists I have heard of late, Ant Law, opened my ears with his recent release Zero Sum World on the Whirlwind Recording imprint.
Recorded with his regular band, the five musicians hit the studio immediately after an extensive tour playing the music, and this tight knit empathy with the material and each evident is clearly heard on the resulting album...continue reading
One of the most interesting guitarists I have heard of late, Ant Law, opened my ears with his recent release Zero Sum World on the Whirlwind Recording imprint.
Recorded with his regular band, the five musicians hit the studio immediately after an extensive tour playing the music, and this tight knit empathy with the material and each evident is clearly heard on the resulting album...continue reading
ANDY SHEPPARD - Sound Colourist Extraordinaire
Saxophonist Andy Sheppard has been a major figure on the International scene for more than thirty years, with an impressive CV that boasts stints with such luminaries as George Russell, Gil Evans and an association with pianist Carla Bley that goes back more than two decades.
Since emerging in the early eighties as part of the British ‘jazz resurgence’, Sheppard has encountered all the highs, lows and pitfalls of trying to make a living as a jazz musician. In an impressive discography he has recorded as leader for Island/Antilles, Blue Note, Verve and Provocateur Records, but with the release of his third ECM album, Surrounded by Sea, it now seems that Andy Sheppard has found the ideal permanent new home for his music...continue reading
Saxophonist Andy Sheppard has been a major figure on the International scene for more than thirty years, with an impressive CV that boasts stints with such luminaries as George Russell, Gil Evans and an association with pianist Carla Bley that goes back more than two decades.
Since emerging in the early eighties as part of the British ‘jazz resurgence’, Sheppard has encountered all the highs, lows and pitfalls of trying to make a living as a jazz musician. In an impressive discography he has recorded as leader for Island/Antilles, Blue Note, Verve and Provocateur Records, but with the release of his third ECM album, Surrounded by Sea, it now seems that Andy Sheppard has found the ideal permanent new home for his music...continue reading
TOM GREEN - With A Clear View Of The Skyline
In recent times it seems there is no shortage of young and gifted musicians pouring out of the music education system, and with many courses now available specialising in jazz, that most intuitive of idioms it must seem daunting for the listener and well as the recently graduated ‘musician’ on how a viable living can be made whilst nurturing your art and creativity...continue reading
In recent times it seems there is no shortage of young and gifted musicians pouring out of the music education system, and with many courses now available specialising in jazz, that most intuitive of idioms it must seem daunting for the listener and well as the recently graduated ‘musician’ on how a viable living can be made whilst nurturing your art and creativity...continue reading
ALEX GARNETT’S ‘Bunch of 5’ Deliver KO Punch
Alex Garnett has been a mainstay on the UK scene for the last two decades, but only chose to release his debut album, the excellent Serpent (also released on Whirlwind Recordings) in 2012. Thankfully, we have not had to wait quite so long for the follow up, and in this interview I take the opportunity to talk to the saxophonist about his new ‘Bunch of 5’ group and their album Andromeda, and also find out why the debut album took so long coming...continue reading
Alex Garnett has been a mainstay on the UK scene for the last two decades, but only chose to release his debut album, the excellent Serpent (also released on Whirlwind Recordings) in 2012. Thankfully, we have not had to wait quite so long for the follow up, and in this interview I take the opportunity to talk to the saxophonist about his new ‘Bunch of 5’ group and their album Andromeda, and also find out why the debut album took so long coming...continue reading
TRISH CLOWES - Navigating Her Own Course
One of the great joys for me in the last twelve months is discovering the work of saxophonist and composer, Trish Clowes. With the release of her third album, Pocket Compass, on the jazz indie label Basho Records, Clowes continues to show that she is fast developing a highly individual approach in both her playing and writing and establishing herself as one of the most important musicians of her generation...continue reading
One of the great joys for me in the last twelve months is discovering the work of saxophonist and composer, Trish Clowes. With the release of her third album, Pocket Compass, on the jazz indie label Basho Records, Clowes continues to show that she is fast developing a highly individual approach in both her playing and writing and establishing herself as one of the most important musicians of her generation...continue reading
LAURA MACDONALD - Two's Company...The Art of the Duet
This is the first interview in what has turned out to be our very own saxophone trio, a series of three interviews with some of the UKs finest exponents of their respective instruments. With chivalry dictating that it should be ladies first, we kick things off with altoist, Laura Macdonald...continue reading
This is the first interview in what has turned out to be our very own saxophone trio, a series of three interviews with some of the UKs finest exponents of their respective instruments. With chivalry dictating that it should be ladies first, we kick things off with altoist, Laura Macdonald...continue reading
TINA MAY - My Kinda Diva
With the release of her debut album Never Let Me Go on 33 Records back in 1991, it was immediately apparent that Tina had that special something that makes her standout from the crowd. The intervening years have seen her continue to develop and refine her craft, and now boasts a substantial discography along with an international reputation having worked with American piano giant, Ray Bryant...continue reading
With the release of her debut album Never Let Me Go on 33 Records back in 1991, it was immediately apparent that Tina had that special something that makes her standout from the crowd. The intervening years have seen her continue to develop and refine her craft, and now boasts a substantial discography along with an international reputation having worked with American piano giant, Ray Bryant...continue reading
GEOFF EALES – Invoking The Muse
Since leaving the studio session treadmill fifteen years ago, pianist Geoff Eales has pursued his love of jazz with vigour, notching up an impressive discography along the way. With an inquisitive musical mind, and an avid interest in jazz history Eales manages to balance that fine line between retro and the present and continuously produces music that is steeped in the history of jazz yet unmistakably a product of the time in which we live...continue reading
Since leaving the studio session treadmill fifteen years ago, pianist Geoff Eales has pursued his love of jazz with vigour, notching up an impressive discography along the way. With an inquisitive musical mind, and an avid interest in jazz history Eales manages to balance that fine line between retro and the present and continuously produces music that is steeped in the history of jazz yet unmistakably a product of the time in which we live...continue reading
CARLA
BLEY – Bley In London
I met Carla Bley backstage at Ronnie Scott’s after she had the played the set with the Steve Swallow Quintet. Half expecting that Bley would be distant and may be difficult, I was completely wrong, she was charming and keen to ensure that we had a quiet place to talk. The music had gone well and the audience had appreciated the set…continue reading
I met Carla Bley backstage at Ronnie Scott’s after she had the played the set with the Steve Swallow Quintet. Half expecting that Bley would be distant and may be difficult, I was completely wrong, she was charming and keen to ensure that we had a quiet place to talk. The music had gone well and the audience had appreciated the set…continue reading
SAMUEL EAGLES –
Pursuing His Next Beginning
Every now and again a CD arrives for review from a new name that just screams out to be played. Often why it catches the attention is not always immediately apparent, but you just know that you have to listen to it, and such was the case with Next Beginning by the Samuel Eagles Quartet....continue reading
Every now and again a CD arrives for review from a new name that just screams out to be played. Often why it catches the attention is not always immediately apparent, but you just know that you have to listen to it, and such was the case with Next Beginning by the Samuel Eagles Quartet....continue reading
For more interviews click on the image below
Or scroll down to read previous Interviews with:
Steve Swallow
Craig Taborn
Jo Gelbard
Sam Crowe
Sam Newsome
The Discordian Trio
STEVE SWALLOW - Into The Woodwork & The Quintet
Interview by Bradley Bambarger
Published courtesy of XtraWatt and ECM Records
Steve Swallow has played with many of the major figures of contemporary jazz and post-bebop music, beginning in 1960 when he first met Paul and Carla Bley. Soon thereafter, he was playing in the Paul Bley Trio, Jimmy Giuffre Trio and George Russell Sextet with Eric Dolphy. After playing with Gary Burton in Stan Getz’s group, he joined the vibraphonist’s band, playing in most of Burton’s ensembles over a 20-year period. Swallow has also played on Carla Bley’s recordings since 1978.
With the release of his quintet album Into The Woodwork, Bradley Bambarger talks to the bassist about the new album.
What makes “Into the Woodwork” distinct in your discography as a
leader?
Steve Swallow: Well, this album is very much about what this cast of characters provoked in me as I was writing the music. First, there was Carla on the organ. I’ve always thought of her as such a distinctive organ player, but she hadn’t played the instrument much lately, having concentrated on the piano. I really wanted hear her sound on the organ. Chris Cheek and Steve Cardenas have shared histories with me in Paul Motian’s bands and with Carla in Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra. I heard their voices as I composed. For the first few gigs, the band was a drum-less quartet. But Jorge Rossy was a friend of Chris and Cardenas, and he got wind of the group and wrote asking me to consider adding him to the mix. Everyone was enthusiastic about that, and it immediately made
sense to me, so I started adding Jorge’s sound and style to the music I was developing.
I had in mind a small band but one with interesting textural possibilities, a diversity and variety of sound. The knee-jerk reaction to a band with electric bass, electric guitar and organ is that it’s going to have a jazz-rock fusion kind of sound. But I wanted to show that you can go beyond those sonic models, that electric instruments can yield a more varied textural palette. All of the musicians in this quintet are lyrical players, even Jorge has this sweet lyricism to his drumming. I consider myself a lyrical musician primarily – the breath in music is always paramount for me. Frank Sinatra and Marvin Gaye are two of my great influences. I think lyricism in music comes from emulating breath in a melodic line, like that of a singer. Musicians who play their instruments with fingers and limbs have to take care not to play too many notes – to respect the breath in a beautiful line of music, to phrase with a certain
simplicity and economy.
Published courtesy of XtraWatt and ECM Records
Steve Swallow has played with many of the major figures of contemporary jazz and post-bebop music, beginning in 1960 when he first met Paul and Carla Bley. Soon thereafter, he was playing in the Paul Bley Trio, Jimmy Giuffre Trio and George Russell Sextet with Eric Dolphy. After playing with Gary Burton in Stan Getz’s group, he joined the vibraphonist’s band, playing in most of Burton’s ensembles over a 20-year period. Swallow has also played on Carla Bley’s recordings since 1978.
With the release of his quintet album Into The Woodwork, Bradley Bambarger talks to the bassist about the new album.
What makes “Into the Woodwork” distinct in your discography as a
leader?
Steve Swallow: Well, this album is very much about what this cast of characters provoked in me as I was writing the music. First, there was Carla on the organ. I’ve always thought of her as such a distinctive organ player, but she hadn’t played the instrument much lately, having concentrated on the piano. I really wanted hear her sound on the organ. Chris Cheek and Steve Cardenas have shared histories with me in Paul Motian’s bands and with Carla in Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra. I heard their voices as I composed. For the first few gigs, the band was a drum-less quartet. But Jorge Rossy was a friend of Chris and Cardenas, and he got wind of the group and wrote asking me to consider adding him to the mix. Everyone was enthusiastic about that, and it immediately made
sense to me, so I started adding Jorge’s sound and style to the music I was developing.
I had in mind a small band but one with interesting textural possibilities, a diversity and variety of sound. The knee-jerk reaction to a band with electric bass, electric guitar and organ is that it’s going to have a jazz-rock fusion kind of sound. But I wanted to show that you can go beyond those sonic models, that electric instruments can yield a more varied textural palette. All of the musicians in this quintet are lyrical players, even Jorge has this sweet lyricism to his drumming. I consider myself a lyrical musician primarily – the breath in music is always paramount for me. Frank Sinatra and Marvin Gaye are two of my great influences. I think lyricism in music comes from emulating breath in a melodic line, like that of a singer. Musicians who play their instruments with fingers and limbs have to take care not to play too many notes – to respect the breath in a beautiful line of music, to phrase with a certain
simplicity and economy.
Tell
us more about Carla’s contribution.
SS: Carla and I spent a long time playing this music with just the two of us. She brings a composer-arranger’s sensibility to things – she painstakingly revised her organ parts during this initial process. It thrilled me how intently she took to the music. But there’s a paradoxical element to her playing. She takes her preparation so seriously, yet when it comes to performance, she improvises wild and woolly, fully in the moment. In that, she has a partner in crime with Jorge.He’s another wild card on the bandstand. You never know what those two are going
to do. Chris and Cardenas and I are spontaneous, but we operate within parameters that we like to leave more or less in place. I think these two different musical sensibilities give the band a balance.
There’s another way Carla contributed. I think of myself as essentially a miniaturist, a songwriter. But I enjoy the virtues of long-form writing by others, and Carla’s flair for that was an influence on the ebb and flow of the music. The album is made up of 12 discrete songs, but many of them are linked so that they flow together and cross-reference each other, almost as medleys. That sort of thing
keeps you into a record more, where you can just put your head down and not raise it for 15 minutes at a stretch – I like that as a listener and wanted to imbue the album with an element of that.
Where does the album title come from?
SS: Well, the phrase `coming out of the woodwork’ is used to mean things coming out of nowhere. It’s a play on that: I wanted to evoke a sense of going into somewhere, somewhere slightly unusual.
And what about the dedication of “From Whom It May Concern (for Paul Haines)”?
SS: Paul Haines was a poet who wrote the libretto for Carla’s Escalator Over The Hill. We spent a lot of time together in the Sixties in New York City. He was a witty, smart man and a close friend to me and Carla. He was part of a loose
confederation of non-musicians on the scene who placed a great value on music and who were greatly valued by musicians in turn. He was especially close with Roswell Rudd and Evan Parker. And Paul figures into a real piece of jazz lore: He had this rare and excellent reel-to-reel tape recorder that he used to record the soundtrack to Mike Snow’s film New York Ear and Eye Control – which is one of the great albums of free improvisation from that time, 1964, with Albert Ayler, Don Cherry, John Tchicai, Roswell Rudd, Gary Peacock, Sunny Murray. Paul died in 2003, but he lived a diverse, far-flung life. Paul was an avid writer of wonderful letters – a lot of art came in the mailbox from him. He signed one of his letters “From whom it may concern,” and that always stuck with me and came to mind when I finished that piece of music.
What was the atmosphere like in the studio with the Quintet?
SS: We recorded the album at the end of a three-week tour of Europe, and because we enjoyed each other’s company so much and were glad for it not to be coming to an end, we hit the studio in a kind of party mood – which really helped the record, lending it a certain lightness of spirit. That’s important, because the isolation and pressure of the studio can become claustrophobic very quickly. We recorded at Studios La Buissonne in Pernes-les-Fontaines, near Avignon in southeastern France. The guy who runs the studio is a bright-eyed, buoyant, music-loving eccentric, and the studio atmosphere reflects that – it has a post-hippie vibe, but with state-of-the-art technology. It’s a remarkable-sounding room, and I’ve worked there a lot over the years. The town is a classic Provençal village, and
we would have lunch brought into the studio along with the local wine, which helped bring good humour to the music. That helped defuse the tension inherent in any recording project, where you know the results will inevitably be held
against you for centuries to come. Good humour before and after the red light goes on is very important. Music-making should be fun, after all. The memory of the pleasant circumstances of touring last time and then making the record is what makes us really look forward to going back on the road again together and playing this music for people.
us more about Carla’s contribution.
SS: Carla and I spent a long time playing this music with just the two of us. She brings a composer-arranger’s sensibility to things – she painstakingly revised her organ parts during this initial process. It thrilled me how intently she took to the music. But there’s a paradoxical element to her playing. She takes her preparation so seriously, yet when it comes to performance, she improvises wild and woolly, fully in the moment. In that, she has a partner in crime with Jorge.He’s another wild card on the bandstand. You never know what those two are going
to do. Chris and Cardenas and I are spontaneous, but we operate within parameters that we like to leave more or less in place. I think these two different musical sensibilities give the band a balance.
There’s another way Carla contributed. I think of myself as essentially a miniaturist, a songwriter. But I enjoy the virtues of long-form writing by others, and Carla’s flair for that was an influence on the ebb and flow of the music. The album is made up of 12 discrete songs, but many of them are linked so that they flow together and cross-reference each other, almost as medleys. That sort of thing
keeps you into a record more, where you can just put your head down and not raise it for 15 minutes at a stretch – I like that as a listener and wanted to imbue the album with an element of that.
Where does the album title come from?
SS: Well, the phrase `coming out of the woodwork’ is used to mean things coming out of nowhere. It’s a play on that: I wanted to evoke a sense of going into somewhere, somewhere slightly unusual.
And what about the dedication of “From Whom It May Concern (for Paul Haines)”?
SS: Paul Haines was a poet who wrote the libretto for Carla’s Escalator Over The Hill. We spent a lot of time together in the Sixties in New York City. He was a witty, smart man and a close friend to me and Carla. He was part of a loose
confederation of non-musicians on the scene who placed a great value on music and who were greatly valued by musicians in turn. He was especially close with Roswell Rudd and Evan Parker. And Paul figures into a real piece of jazz lore: He had this rare and excellent reel-to-reel tape recorder that he used to record the soundtrack to Mike Snow’s film New York Ear and Eye Control – which is one of the great albums of free improvisation from that time, 1964, with Albert Ayler, Don Cherry, John Tchicai, Roswell Rudd, Gary Peacock, Sunny Murray. Paul died in 2003, but he lived a diverse, far-flung life. Paul was an avid writer of wonderful letters – a lot of art came in the mailbox from him. He signed one of his letters “From whom it may concern,” and that always stuck with me and came to mind when I finished that piece of music.
What was the atmosphere like in the studio with the Quintet?
SS: We recorded the album at the end of a three-week tour of Europe, and because we enjoyed each other’s company so much and were glad for it not to be coming to an end, we hit the studio in a kind of party mood – which really helped the record, lending it a certain lightness of spirit. That’s important, because the isolation and pressure of the studio can become claustrophobic very quickly. We recorded at Studios La Buissonne in Pernes-les-Fontaines, near Avignon in southeastern France. The guy who runs the studio is a bright-eyed, buoyant, music-loving eccentric, and the studio atmosphere reflects that – it has a post-hippie vibe, but with state-of-the-art technology. It’s a remarkable-sounding room, and I’ve worked there a lot over the years. The town is a classic Provençal village, and
we would have lunch brought into the studio along with the local wine, which helped bring good humour to the music. That helped defuse the tension inherent in any recording project, where you know the results will inevitably be held
against you for centuries to come. Good humour before and after the red light goes on is very important. Music-making should be fun, after all. The memory of the pleasant circumstances of touring last time and then making the record is what makes us really look forward to going back on the road again together and playing this music for people.
Into The Woodwork by the Steve Swallow Quintet is released on XtraWatt.
Find a full review of the album in our July CD Reviews.
For more information visit ECM Records.
Top of Page
CRAIG TABORN WITH THE TRIO & CHANTS
Since his emergence on the New York scene in the mid-nineties, pianist Craig Taborn has garnered a wealth of playing experience in a wide variety of musical settings with both his contemporaries and veterans alike.
With his second release for ECM Records, Chants, Taborn has fed his considerable talents into what is rapidly becoming one of the most important jazz trios of current times.
Not one to sit back and rest on his laurels, Taborn’s musical
explorations have seen him perform with saxophonist Tim Berne’s Science Fiction, the Susie Ibarra Trio, David Binney, Wayne Krantz, and he has also been heard working in the world of ambient and techno. Of this catholic approach to music, Craig admits that “I am definitely a broad listener and can safely say that there is not any music that is not of interest to me.”
If his solo outing and debut album for ECM, Avenging Angel, confounded expectations then the improvisations contained within show the work of a curious and probing musical mind that is not set on following established conventions. Taking the source material and examining its rhythmic and textural possibilities, as well as the more established and recognised exploration of harmony, Taborn’s music is never predictable but looks for fresh avenues of expression, eschewing the clichés that have found their way into much modern jazz. And perhaps there is no better way for him to do this than with his longstanding trio with bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Gerald Cleaver, as is
so evident on the recently released Chants.
“This group first performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 2007” explains Craig. “I was asked to present a trio and had been intending to use Thomas and Gerald together to work toward what, at the time, was a vague sense of a certain group aesthetic that could engage in a kind of patient, intentional and more minimal improvisational approach to the piano trio idea.”
With a stable line-up for the trio, and having worked together for a number of years, I ask Craig how the music has changed over this period. “The compositional approach for this particular unit has been tempered over time to better engage with some of the more unique creative areas within which this group works.” Continuing Taborn elaborates, “For the most part that meant a different focus on the information given in some of the compositions. There was a lot less emphasis on developmental compositional ideas that focused on what to do when. More of the composing was put into presenting more information in a Layered way that could be addressed by the players at different times. It was through engaging with and internalizing these different compositional layers that allowed for a lot more
to happen both improvisationally and in terms of the development of the compositions as well.”
With his second release for ECM Records, Chants, Taborn has fed his considerable talents into what is rapidly becoming one of the most important jazz trios of current times.
Not one to sit back and rest on his laurels, Taborn’s musical
explorations have seen him perform with saxophonist Tim Berne’s Science Fiction, the Susie Ibarra Trio, David Binney, Wayne Krantz, and he has also been heard working in the world of ambient and techno. Of this catholic approach to music, Craig admits that “I am definitely a broad listener and can safely say that there is not any music that is not of interest to me.”
If his solo outing and debut album for ECM, Avenging Angel, confounded expectations then the improvisations contained within show the work of a curious and probing musical mind that is not set on following established conventions. Taking the source material and examining its rhythmic and textural possibilities, as well as the more established and recognised exploration of harmony, Taborn’s music is never predictable but looks for fresh avenues of expression, eschewing the clichés that have found their way into much modern jazz. And perhaps there is no better way for him to do this than with his longstanding trio with bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Gerald Cleaver, as is
so evident on the recently released Chants.
“This group first performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 2007” explains Craig. “I was asked to present a trio and had been intending to use Thomas and Gerald together to work toward what, at the time, was a vague sense of a certain group aesthetic that could engage in a kind of patient, intentional and more minimal improvisational approach to the piano trio idea.”
With a stable line-up for the trio, and having worked together for a number of years, I ask Craig how the music has changed over this period. “The compositional approach for this particular unit has been tempered over time to better engage with some of the more unique creative areas within which this group works.” Continuing Taborn elaborates, “For the most part that meant a different focus on the information given in some of the compositions. There was a lot less emphasis on developmental compositional ideas that focused on what to do when. More of the composing was put into presenting more information in a Layered way that could be addressed by the players at different times. It was through engaging with and internalizing these different compositional layers that allowed for a lot more
to happen both improvisationally and in terms of the development of the compositions as well.”
When embarking on the new ECM album, Taborn had specific ideas on how he wished to develop the trio and
the music that they were playing. Of Chants Craig
says, “ The concept for the music grew out of playing with both Thomas and Gerald individually and hearing that we shared an aesthetic preference for a certain sound-influenced and patient improvisational approach. Less over-determined and goal driven than the contexts in which I was able to work with them up to that point. So I thought that given a situation where a patient approach was welcomed and understood as positive we could create an interesting grammar for how we made music. The compositions grew
once I learned more what things would enhance this aesthetic and what kinds of things hindered or disrupted that endeavour. Over the period of five different tours
in Europe in a few years we were able to grow, and are continuing to grow, into deeper engagement with this approach and also have seen it have several distinct phases. I think Chants is a good example of this process in early maturity encountering a studio context (as opposed to the live format).
It can be readily assumed from Taborn’s comments that the work with Morgan and Cleaver is something that he wishes to pursue further and that is close to his heart, so does he feel that the trio format the most conducive for his group performance and improvisations? “Well given the nature of improvisation as engaging in the moment with a given situation I cannot say that there is any format that is more conducive to this than any other. What can be said
is that the aesthetics and quality of the improvisers involved have the most impact on what is ultimately possible.
So any context with the right combination of musicians will be potentially great, and by the same principle a trio can be less than ideal given the 'wrong' combination. The trio on Chants works because Thomas and Gerald and I have a special rapport that marries well with the compositions.”
In view of Taborn’s wide musical tastes, and vision, I ask the pianist where he draws his ideas and influences not just fr his current trio, but also some of his other projects. After some consideration, Craig replies, “Influences are far too varied and changeable to be listed or considered in any manageable terms for interview purposes. It is a constantly
shifting and broad base of influence and potentially includes any music any of us have ever heard. So much depends on the context and performance space and generally just the mood. That being said as far as composing I
have certainly been influenced by certain electronic music composers (Carl Craig, Drexciya) as well as Morton Feldman and Thelonious Monk. The influence in all of those examples is best explained by considering how all of those composers work from the prevailing sound atmosphere to arrive at how a piece will develop. Sound is the primary compositional material that is then moulded and developed. Sound as opposed to abstractions or abstract concepts. So one starts with what is present in the potential sound and then brings in other elements and applies it to that awareness as opposed to plugging sounds into an abstract construct. As well as the trio with Thomas and Gerald, I am currently working on some new music that will return to an incorporation of some electronic or electric elements. And also some more chamber like compositions.”
the music that they were playing. Of Chants Craig
says, “ The concept for the music grew out of playing with both Thomas and Gerald individually and hearing that we shared an aesthetic preference for a certain sound-influenced and patient improvisational approach. Less over-determined and goal driven than the contexts in which I was able to work with them up to that point. So I thought that given a situation where a patient approach was welcomed and understood as positive we could create an interesting grammar for how we made music. The compositions grew
once I learned more what things would enhance this aesthetic and what kinds of things hindered or disrupted that endeavour. Over the period of five different tours
in Europe in a few years we were able to grow, and are continuing to grow, into deeper engagement with this approach and also have seen it have several distinct phases. I think Chants is a good example of this process in early maturity encountering a studio context (as opposed to the live format).
It can be readily assumed from Taborn’s comments that the work with Morgan and Cleaver is something that he wishes to pursue further and that is close to his heart, so does he feel that the trio format the most conducive for his group performance and improvisations? “Well given the nature of improvisation as engaging in the moment with a given situation I cannot say that there is any format that is more conducive to this than any other. What can be said
is that the aesthetics and quality of the improvisers involved have the most impact on what is ultimately possible.
So any context with the right combination of musicians will be potentially great, and by the same principle a trio can be less than ideal given the 'wrong' combination. The trio on Chants works because Thomas and Gerald and I have a special rapport that marries well with the compositions.”
In view of Taborn’s wide musical tastes, and vision, I ask the pianist where he draws his ideas and influences not just fr his current trio, but also some of his other projects. After some consideration, Craig replies, “Influences are far too varied and changeable to be listed or considered in any manageable terms for interview purposes. It is a constantly
shifting and broad base of influence and potentially includes any music any of us have ever heard. So much depends on the context and performance space and generally just the mood. That being said as far as composing I
have certainly been influenced by certain electronic music composers (Carl Craig, Drexciya) as well as Morton Feldman and Thelonious Monk. The influence in all of those examples is best explained by considering how all of those composers work from the prevailing sound atmosphere to arrive at how a piece will develop. Sound is the primary compositional material that is then moulded and developed. Sound as opposed to abstractions or abstract concepts. So one starts with what is present in the potential sound and then brings in other elements and applies it to that awareness as opposed to plugging sounds into an abstract construct. As well as the trio with Thomas and Gerald, I am currently working on some new music that will return to an incorporation of some electronic or electric elements. And also some more chamber like compositions.”
Chants is released on ECM Records.
Read a full review of the album in our May CD Reviews.
Top of Page
SAM CROWE & THE CENTRE OF EVERYTHING
In looking to follow up on the success of his debut album, Synaesthesia from 2010, pianist and composer Sam Crowe has turned to a musical odyssey that defies musical genres. Describing his compositions “as micro-universes with their own parameters, such as the chords and the tempo, but within them there is the opportunity for other perspectives and expression of the individual, which is only made possible by the constant awareness of each individual’s intrinsic relationship to the whole.”
Heady stuff indeed, but with Crowe’s musical background embracing hip-hop and drum & bass before leaving his native Bristol, and embarking on a jazz course at Trinity College an eclectic mixture of musical genres is naturally to be expected, and exactly what is delivered on the pianist’s second album, Towards The Centre of Everything and released on Whirlwind Recordings. So where has the inspiration for the new material come from? “The concept of the album is a tribute to a spiritual journey in which our awareness shifts as a species, to a focus on what connects us rather than what sets us apart,” explains Sam. “Music is a gateway to this understanding or rather knowing, since on a purely physical level, vibrations are what influence our perception of the world. Physical matter takes the form it does by virtue of a vibration and when you are engaged with music, whether performing or listening, you are connected to something much more fundamental to the universe than merely witnessing a show as a consumer. Towards the Centre of Everything is our journey to rediscover the thing we have in common with all things. An evolution in consciousness that I think is vital for our survival.”
Such a broad concept is ambitious indeed, and the success of the finished product will depend not just on the strength of the compositions, but also the musicians chosen to perform them, so I ask the pianist how he went about choosing this particular line up. “Adam Waldmann and Will Davies were obvious choices since they’ve in part defined the sound of my band since its inception and always bring there own very unique and special sound to my music. They get my writing and understand what I’m trying to do”, enthuses Crowe. “Mark Guiliana and I have been friends for many years and I’ve always been a fan of what he does because what he plays reflects his massively varied musical influences. When we’ve hung together, we’ve listened to everything from the craziest punk metal to hip-hop to reggae and beyond. What he does is not jazz in the stylistic sense but jazz as a process. You take the things you like and you throw it all in there and create something new. He’s the most exciting drummer in the world I think.” Crowe has obviously thought long and hard about the exactly the right musicians for his project, and turning to friends who he has the utmost respect for musically he feels is a sound recipe for success, “Oh definitely, Will Vinson has also been a friend for years and we’ve played some gigs together in London. He’s my favourite alto player in the world and I’ve known for ages that I wanted to hear him and Mark on a record together so I thought I’d make that record! Someone had to do it; might as well be me! There are some pretty epic sounding tunes on the album and I knew that Will would bring the amount of intensity and virtuosity I heard when I wrote those pieces. Mark and I talked about bass players and it was really important to me that Mark was comfortable and there was a hook up with someone he had worked with a lot before. I’d just started becoming friends with Alan Hampton over the last few years and hung a few times in New York and when he was in London with Gretchen Parlato. I’m a big fan of his playing and writing and his singer-songwriter stuff and he brings such a beautiful vibe to this record. He really helped to shape everything very beautifully. It also brought helped to bring out the best in Mark for this material I think. Emilia Martensson also features on one track, ‘Back Into The Earth’ which we recorded here in London. Her voice is perfect for the background vocals we added and I hadn’t written anything, we just experimented with different lines and harmonies until we got what we wanted. It really makes the track feel much more lush and wholesome, somehow!”
Heady stuff indeed, but with Crowe’s musical background embracing hip-hop and drum & bass before leaving his native Bristol, and embarking on a jazz course at Trinity College an eclectic mixture of musical genres is naturally to be expected, and exactly what is delivered on the pianist’s second album, Towards The Centre of Everything and released on Whirlwind Recordings. So where has the inspiration for the new material come from? “The concept of the album is a tribute to a spiritual journey in which our awareness shifts as a species, to a focus on what connects us rather than what sets us apart,” explains Sam. “Music is a gateway to this understanding or rather knowing, since on a purely physical level, vibrations are what influence our perception of the world. Physical matter takes the form it does by virtue of a vibration and when you are engaged with music, whether performing or listening, you are connected to something much more fundamental to the universe than merely witnessing a show as a consumer. Towards the Centre of Everything is our journey to rediscover the thing we have in common with all things. An evolution in consciousness that I think is vital for our survival.”
Such a broad concept is ambitious indeed, and the success of the finished product will depend not just on the strength of the compositions, but also the musicians chosen to perform them, so I ask the pianist how he went about choosing this particular line up. “Adam Waldmann and Will Davies were obvious choices since they’ve in part defined the sound of my band since its inception and always bring there own very unique and special sound to my music. They get my writing and understand what I’m trying to do”, enthuses Crowe. “Mark Guiliana and I have been friends for many years and I’ve always been a fan of what he does because what he plays reflects his massively varied musical influences. When we’ve hung together, we’ve listened to everything from the craziest punk metal to hip-hop to reggae and beyond. What he does is not jazz in the stylistic sense but jazz as a process. You take the things you like and you throw it all in there and create something new. He’s the most exciting drummer in the world I think.” Crowe has obviously thought long and hard about the exactly the right musicians for his project, and turning to friends who he has the utmost respect for musically he feels is a sound recipe for success, “Oh definitely, Will Vinson has also been a friend for years and we’ve played some gigs together in London. He’s my favourite alto player in the world and I’ve known for ages that I wanted to hear him and Mark on a record together so I thought I’d make that record! Someone had to do it; might as well be me! There are some pretty epic sounding tunes on the album and I knew that Will would bring the amount of intensity and virtuosity I heard when I wrote those pieces. Mark and I talked about bass players and it was really important to me that Mark was comfortable and there was a hook up with someone he had worked with a lot before. I’d just started becoming friends with Alan Hampton over the last few years and hung a few times in New York and when he was in London with Gretchen Parlato. I’m a big fan of his playing and writing and his singer-songwriter stuff and he brings such a beautiful vibe to this record. He really helped to shape everything very beautifully. It also brought helped to bring out the best in Mark for this material I think. Emilia Martensson also features on one track, ‘Back Into The Earth’ which we recorded here in London. Her voice is perfect for the background vocals we added and I hadn’t written anything, we just experimented with different lines and harmonies until we got what we wanted. It really makes the track feel much more lush and wholesome, somehow!”
So with half of the musicians UK based, and the other half living in New York was recording in the Big Apple the obvious choice? “Well, I’ve been going to New York at least once a year for more than 10 years” says Sam, “and the music that has come out of New York has had a huge influence on my genetic make up as a musician. I have many close friends there and family and I have an on going relationship with the city that has inspired me for a long time. I wanted to make a record with Mark and Will first and foremost, but I also wanted to capture the energy I’ve felt there and the inspiration I’ve got from the city on the new record, but also keep some continuity with what I’ve been doing in London. It heightened the excitement and experience of making the recording too and that also comes across in the music I think. It’s a magical process making an album. You’re documenting the vibe on the day. Almost every tune on the album is the first of about three or four takes so you’re really hearing this group of people, at this particular point in time, in this particular place with all the stuff that comes with it, including the vibe New York City throws in there as well.”
As is evident from Crowe’s comments, the creative process of making the album in a city that has inspired him so much over the years has added an extra dimension to the recording, so has the material been performed live prior to recording or was it all conceived and performed in the two days spent in the studio? “I’d been developing the compositions for about a year beforehand with my London based band with Dave Hamblett (and Dave Smith before he got the Robert Plant gig) and Jasper Holby and most of it had been performed on at least one gig. I had a pretty strong idea of how I wanted most of it to sound but there were a couple of things that were a bit more open.
I’d sent charts and live recordings and demos I’d made on Logic to the guys and everyone came with there own ideas to the rehearsal in New York. The track ‘64’ which features twice on the album was an interesting one as I didn’t have any set ideas about solos, I just knew I wanted to record the theme as it’s so epic and we just did about four takes of it with this openness of allowing absolutely anything to happen. I love what happened at the end of ‘64 Part II’; that was completely unplanned.
I had actually written a song for Gretchen to sing which she came in and recorded last minute and late on the second day. We didn’t quite get what we wanted from it so both she and I decided not to use it and to develop the song for a later project. I hope to feature that (and her) on another record at some point as she’s amazing.”
As is evident from Crowe’s comments, the creative process of making the album in a city that has inspired him so much over the years has added an extra dimension to the recording, so has the material been performed live prior to recording or was it all conceived and performed in the two days spent in the studio? “I’d been developing the compositions for about a year beforehand with my London based band with Dave Hamblett (and Dave Smith before he got the Robert Plant gig) and Jasper Holby and most of it had been performed on at least one gig. I had a pretty strong idea of how I wanted most of it to sound but there were a couple of things that were a bit more open.
I’d sent charts and live recordings and demos I’d made on Logic to the guys and everyone came with there own ideas to the rehearsal in New York. The track ‘64’ which features twice on the album was an interesting one as I didn’t have any set ideas about solos, I just knew I wanted to record the theme as it’s so epic and we just did about four takes of it with this openness of allowing absolutely anything to happen. I love what happened at the end of ‘64 Part II’; that was completely unplanned.
I had actually written a song for Gretchen to sing which she came in and recorded last minute and late on the second day. We didn’t quite get what we wanted from it so both she and I decided not to use it and to develop the song for a later project. I hope to feature that (and her) on another record at some point as she’s amazing.”
As well as the new compositions you have also revisited a previous piece, ‘The Global Brain from your debut album, Synaesthesia. “ It’s one of my favourite tunes that I’ve written and I love the way it sounds on Synaesthesia but I wanted to try it out with a different instrumentation to try and get a much more gritty and hard hitting sound on it this time – I play Rhodes instead of piano and it’s electric bass instead of acoustic. Also, as a fan, wanted to hear what Mark would play on it since we’ve talked about drum ‘n bass for such a long time and both love that music.”
How do you feel your music has developed from Synaesthesia, both compositionally and from your perspective as a pianist? “I think this is the next chapter for me in this sound world that I’m creating with this instrumentation. I feel like it’s a circle that has just expanded. The compositions are more crafted on this record and the arrangements of parts are more considered. I also feel there are a wider variation of influences featured and I’m excited about it because the more of other peoples music I check out and am privileged to play and the more I open my heart to different perspectives and ways of doing things, the more free my music feels. I have no desire whatsoever to conform to stylistic boundaries. I couldn’t care less if people call my music jazz or not. I just hope it touches people.”
With the new album just being released and numerous projects both current and planned for the near future it appears to be a busy time for you? “Definitely, I’m working with various other people at the moment as a side man including a lot of work with singers, which I love. Heidi Vogel and her Brazilian tinged project, a blues band with Emine Pirhasan and a great American singer from the deep south called Valerie June and really enjoying those. I’m also arranging a bit for Emilia Martensson’s upcoming album, which I think is going to be really special.
How do you feel your music has developed from Synaesthesia, both compositionally and from your perspective as a pianist? “I think this is the next chapter for me in this sound world that I’m creating with this instrumentation. I feel like it’s a circle that has just expanded. The compositions are more crafted on this record and the arrangements of parts are more considered. I also feel there are a wider variation of influences featured and I’m excited about it because the more of other peoples music I check out and am privileged to play and the more I open my heart to different perspectives and ways of doing things, the more free my music feels. I have no desire whatsoever to conform to stylistic boundaries. I couldn’t care less if people call my music jazz or not. I just hope it touches people.”
With the new album just being released and numerous projects both current and planned for the near future it appears to be a busy time for you? “Definitely, I’m working with various other people at the moment as a side man including a lot of work with singers, which I love. Heidi Vogel and her Brazilian tinged project, a blues band with Emine Pirhasan and a great American singer from the deep south called Valerie June and really enjoying those. I’m also arranging a bit for Emilia Martensson’s upcoming album, which I think is going to be really special.
“I also have a couple of other projects in development including an electro, beatsy, synth based trio called Native Dancer with bass player Jon Harvey and drummer Alexis Nunez which I’m very excited about. Those guys are amazing. We hope to record at the end of this year.
I’ve also been producing some songs with Tenor saxman Josh Arcoleo featuring a wonderful young singer who’s relatively unknown at the moment but who I think is going to do great things, called Frida Mariama Touray. The music is coming more out of a kind of electro, R&B kind of sound. That sounds naff when you put it like that but the music is great I promise! I think those things will be the next things that I want to put together in a live format. For now though, I’m really looking forward to getting Towards The Centre Of Everything out and playing the music for people.”
Towards The Centre of Everything by the Sam Crowe Group is released on Whirlwind Recordings.
Top of Page
I’ve also been producing some songs with Tenor saxman Josh Arcoleo featuring a wonderful young singer who’s relatively unknown at the moment but who I think is going to do great things, called Frida Mariama Touray. The music is coming more out of a kind of electro, R&B kind of sound. That sounds naff when you put it like that but the music is great I promise! I think those things will be the next things that I want to put together in a live format. For now though, I’m really looking forward to getting Towards The Centre Of Everything out and playing the music for people.”
Towards The Centre of Everything by the Sam Crowe Group is released on Whirlwind Recordings.
Top of Page
JO GELBARD - Love Story In Blue (And Green And Orange...)
1984 Jo Gelbard’s life was to take a dramatic turn and things would never be the same again. A chance meeting in an elevator with Miles Davis, arguably one of the greatest ever jazz musicians, who lived in the same building, would lead her on a turbulent journey of self discovery. Although never having met each other previously, this one brief encounter propelled them into a relationship that was all consuming for both, and would last for seven years until the trumpeter’s death in 1991.
MILES AND JO: Love Story in Blue by Jo Gelbard was finally published in 2012, (see Book Review for full review) and tells of her relationship in detail and with great insight into Miles’ persona, and it was after reading her compelling work that this interview with Gelbard took place.
I begin by asking Jo why she had wanted to write the book, and why she had waited some twenty years after Miles’ passing before publishing her work. “For the first ten years after his death I was involved in litigation with his estate over the artwork that we painted together, and as a result, needed time to recover from the anger I felt over being subjected to that process” she explains. “After winning the case I began exhibiting the work in Europe and realized that the public wanted more information about our collaboration and relationship. As a result of interviews and publicity surrounding the art shows, various individuals expressed interest in buying the rights to our story, for a movie, book, and or play. During negotiations, I realized that I would have no control over how Miles and I would be portrayed if I sold the rights. I then decided that only I could tell the story truthfully. And because I didn’t want any pressure from outside influences, I elected to self publish. My intention is for the public to see him as a person not just an icon or celebrity. I wanted to humanize him and dispel all of the negative ideas surrounding him and unveil the soul that gave us all of that miraculous music.”
So having decided that there was considerable interest in this period of Miles life and art, was the book difficult to write, or had it been conceived and written over a long period of time? “The book was very difficult to write on an emotional level, but very easy on an intellectual level. The memories flooded into my consciousness like a broken levee. Over the span of two years, my only difficulty, aside from terrible spelling and computer illiteracy, was in deciphering which anecdotes were the most relevant. My editor and cover photographer, Lisa Sklar, was essential in helping me with that.”
MILES AND JO: Love Story in Blue by Jo Gelbard was finally published in 2012, (see Book Review for full review) and tells of her relationship in detail and with great insight into Miles’ persona, and it was after reading her compelling work that this interview with Gelbard took place.
I begin by asking Jo why she had wanted to write the book, and why she had waited some twenty years after Miles’ passing before publishing her work. “For the first ten years after his death I was involved in litigation with his estate over the artwork that we painted together, and as a result, needed time to recover from the anger I felt over being subjected to that process” she explains. “After winning the case I began exhibiting the work in Europe and realized that the public wanted more information about our collaboration and relationship. As a result of interviews and publicity surrounding the art shows, various individuals expressed interest in buying the rights to our story, for a movie, book, and or play. During negotiations, I realized that I would have no control over how Miles and I would be portrayed if I sold the rights. I then decided that only I could tell the story truthfully. And because I didn’t want any pressure from outside influences, I elected to self publish. My intention is for the public to see him as a person not just an icon or celebrity. I wanted to humanize him and dispel all of the negative ideas surrounding him and unveil the soul that gave us all of that miraculous music.”
So having decided that there was considerable interest in this period of Miles life and art, was the book difficult to write, or had it been conceived and written over a long period of time? “The book was very difficult to write on an emotional level, but very easy on an intellectual level. The memories flooded into my consciousness like a broken levee. Over the span of two years, my only difficulty, aside from terrible spelling and computer illiteracy, was in deciphering which anecdotes were the most relevant. My editor and cover photographer, Lisa Sklar, was essential in helping me with that.”
The time Gelbard spent writing the book would have been a period that would, as she has recounted, have brought many memories both good and bad, so I ask Jo how in looking back she would describe her relationship with Miles, and how it changed over the time they were together. “Our relationship had a life and death intensity. He led me to me and the rest of my life, and I gave him the most loving compassionate finale to the end of his life. It never changed during the entire time. Although I grew as a person and became more independent and self assured, he was never exposed to that side of me. My thoughts remained hidden. My understanding of the cause of his volatility helped me manage difficult situations.”
Some of these difficult situations would arise out of the couples need for privacy. Miles was fiercely protective of Jo and their relationship and did everything he could to keep their deepening involvement with each other out of the media. As Jo explains, “Miles and I met while we were both married to other people. He obtained divorce years before I did so he respected my need for anonymity. My identity was only uncovered as we began exhibiting and selling our artwork. Of course he resented my absence from public celebrations and events that he needed to attend, but I tried to attend all concerts in New York City which were generally around his birthday. I also made an effort to be with him at birthday parties, but generally our relationship was behind closed doors. The biggest issue for him was that I couldn’t accompany him on his tours and as his health deteriorated his fear of being alone on the road left him feeling increasingly vulnerable. But there was very little I could do to help the situation before I made the final decision to get divorced. I had no need to be public with our relationship because my responsibility to my son and respect for my husband took precedence at all times. We were and are very private people and until I decided to write the book, I felt that what went on between us was no one’s business. Things change…that’s life.”
Some of these difficult situations would arise out of the couples need for privacy. Miles was fiercely protective of Jo and their relationship and did everything he could to keep their deepening involvement with each other out of the media. As Jo explains, “Miles and I met while we were both married to other people. He obtained divorce years before I did so he respected my need for anonymity. My identity was only uncovered as we began exhibiting and selling our artwork. Of course he resented my absence from public celebrations and events that he needed to attend, but I tried to attend all concerts in New York City which were generally around his birthday. I also made an effort to be with him at birthday parties, but generally our relationship was behind closed doors. The biggest issue for him was that I couldn’t accompany him on his tours and as his health deteriorated his fear of being alone on the road left him feeling increasingly vulnerable. But there was very little I could do to help the situation before I made the final decision to get divorced. I had no need to be public with our relationship because my responsibility to my son and respect for my husband took precedence at all times. We were and are very private people and until I decided to write the book, I felt that what went on between us was no one’s business. Things change…that’s life.”
Your initial interest was your mutual love of art and painting. How would you say that Miles’ influenced or changed your painting style? I ask Jo. Did you influence and direct him when working together or did he take the lead? “We were both addicted to creative change, so our style was constantly evolving”. Jo continues “Initially I took the lead, but we quickly became partners. Miles changed my entire perspective to life, so of course those changes were reflected on canvas. His mind had no boundaries nor did his creativity. He also was unafraid to risk failure in the quest for ultimate beauty. His style was more delicate, minimal and sweet ... like his sound. I have a hard strong hand with bolder strokes. Direction entered the picture when one of us couldn’t get started, so either he or I would begin painting until we were both involved.”
As Gelbard has always had her own artistic vision and ambition, it has been taken as fact that she would continue her own work after Davis’ death. As a musician Miles has left a unique musical legacy that has influenced several generations of instrumentalists, as well as a host of imitators, so I was interested in finding out if their collaborative style of painting has influenced her current work, or does she feel as an artist that she has been able to move on and let grow with own sense of self discovery? “ My solo work is nature based so it is quite different from our collaborative work. There is an underlying cubist structure that I maintain in both periods. Initially after he died, I deliberately painted in his part as if he was there with me. It was pathetic”. Warming to the subject Jo elaborates further. “I felt incomplete as a solo artist. And then I realized that he was always with me and he would appear in the paintings through my conscious anyway. I often finish a piece and discover faces that he would draw, hiding in my design. It’s weird. My choice of nature as subject matter stems from the purest emotional high that I find in a perfect moment in nature, like a sunset. I believe we can all find serenity from such moments, and I try to capture the essence of that on canvas.”
Inevitably, any interview that has associations with Miles will turn to his music. Although a music lover, Jo was not over familiar with Davis’ vast body of work, and perhaps only made a casual acquaintance with some of his recordings. As a gift, however, Miles gave her a copy of Sketches Of Spain, his 1960 masterpiece with arranger and friend, Gil Evans. It was with this in mind, and references to Gelbard recollecting tours and concerts with Miles’ bands of the eighties and nineties that I ask if she has a particular era of his long career that she prefers. “I didn’t focus on Miles’ music before I met him and I couldn’t listen to any of his music after he died for over seven years without crying but now he’s on all the time. Asking me what I prefer is like choosing air over water...I need both to survive.”
As Gelbard has always had her own artistic vision and ambition, it has been taken as fact that she would continue her own work after Davis’ death. As a musician Miles has left a unique musical legacy that has influenced several generations of instrumentalists, as well as a host of imitators, so I was interested in finding out if their collaborative style of painting has influenced her current work, or does she feel as an artist that she has been able to move on and let grow with own sense of self discovery? “ My solo work is nature based so it is quite different from our collaborative work. There is an underlying cubist structure that I maintain in both periods. Initially after he died, I deliberately painted in his part as if he was there with me. It was pathetic”. Warming to the subject Jo elaborates further. “I felt incomplete as a solo artist. And then I realized that he was always with me and he would appear in the paintings through my conscious anyway. I often finish a piece and discover faces that he would draw, hiding in my design. It’s weird. My choice of nature as subject matter stems from the purest emotional high that I find in a perfect moment in nature, like a sunset. I believe we can all find serenity from such moments, and I try to capture the essence of that on canvas.”
Inevitably, any interview that has associations with Miles will turn to his music. Although a music lover, Jo was not over familiar with Davis’ vast body of work, and perhaps only made a casual acquaintance with some of his recordings. As a gift, however, Miles gave her a copy of Sketches Of Spain, his 1960 masterpiece with arranger and friend, Gil Evans. It was with this in mind, and references to Gelbard recollecting tours and concerts with Miles’ bands of the eighties and nineties that I ask if she has a particular era of his long career that she prefers. “I didn’t focus on Miles’ music before I met him and I couldn’t listen to any of his music after he died for over seven years without crying but now he’s on all the time. Asking me what I prefer is like choosing air over water...I need both to survive.”
Describing her time with Miles as ‘a journey of self discovery’, I wonder if it is a journey that has reached its final destination with Davis’ death or is it an ongoing journey that she is still travelling? “It was a journey of passion as well as self discovery. I think that life is about self awareness. We are all searching for the unique truth that defines our own reason for living. He just accelerated the process for me. His solitary road, ours together, and the one I travel now is defined by passion, freedom, creativity and love.”
Finally, I ask Jo about her plans for the future, her own painting and exhibitions, or indeed plans for another book. To this Jo says simply “My hope is that everyone can view our collaborative work in one form or another. I’ll keep painting and figure out the rest as it comes... ‘follow it and see what it eats’.”
To view the collaborative artwork of Miles & Jo visit our gallery, Miles Davis & Jo Gelbard: The Artwork.
Read a review of Miles and Jo: Love Story in Blue by Jo Gelbard in our Book Review.
For more information and artwork, visit www.jogelbard.com.
Top of Page
Finally, I ask Jo about her plans for the future, her own painting and exhibitions, or indeed plans for another book. To this Jo says simply “My hope is that everyone can view our collaborative work in one form or another. I’ll keep painting and figure out the rest as it comes... ‘follow it and see what it eats’.”
To view the collaborative artwork of Miles & Jo visit our gallery, Miles Davis & Jo Gelbard: The Artwork.
Read a review of Miles and Jo: Love Story in Blue by Jo Gelbard in our Book Review.
For more information and artwork, visit www.jogelbard.com.
Top of Page
THE DISCORDIAN TRIO - Presenting Themselves
It was after receiving a copy of their latest album, Hazlos Manzanos, which arrived for review (see CD Reviews) that I became aware of The Discordian Trio’s music, and realised that there was yet another powerfully creative band coming out of the Scottish scene.
In my efforts to find out more about the Trio, I approached guitarist, Jack Weir, with the idea of interviewing him for JAZZ VIEWS, which Jack immediately agreed to...as did the other two members of the band.
So, in your own words guys, how did The Discordian Trio get together? “Jack and I knew each other's faces from Uni” explains drummer Richard Kass, “but that was about it, until one day we met in a second hand record store and I was about to buy one of Jack's favourite albums, The Inner Mounting Flame by Mahavishnu Orchestra . We got chatting and started jamming; I then got Craig involved who I knew was into similar music”. Jack adds to the story, “All three of us studied music on the same course but we were in different years, so it wasn’t until meeting Rich that we talked about putting a band together. After having a few exploratory jams, Rich suggested bringing in Craig to play bass”.
So I ask, do you all share similar tastes in music, or do you try to bring a mix to your group playing? After some consideration, “It is a bit of both I think. We all have very varied tastes, and we aren't afraid to take elements that we like from disparate sources and try to integrate them into our music here and there”, says bassist Craig Macfadyean. “ I am into a lot of film music, modern jazz, early 20th century classical music, and I am getting more into Afro-Cuban music through Rich. As long as the music is genuine and has an element of adventure to it, chances are that I will like it”.
“We definitely share a love for a lot of music and artists” agrees Rich, "but we all have slightly different backgrounds and tastes. I play a lot of electronic music, Afro-Cuban and Brazillian stuff, and listen to a lot of stuff of that ilk. Currently I'm really enjoying listening to Venetian Snares, Nosso Trio, Michael Camilo, Nerve, Basquiet Strings and dillenger escape plan, but I like so much music, and certainly Jack and Craig have introduced me to so much new music I'd never heard before and I'm now as into it as they are!” So it would be fair to say that musically you all have open ears for what you bring to the collective table? “Oh definitely”, affirms Jack. “I listen to a lot of music so my influences and tastes change all of the time. At the moment I’m listening to a lot of Henry Threadgill, Jim Hall, Mary Halvorson, Marc Ducret, Nels Cline, Trio VD, Joe Henderson, the list goes on, but every few days that changes slightly. I like music of any genre as long as it sounds good to my ears, and as a band we certainly don’t restrict ourselves completely to influences from the jazz idiom. One of the most exciting and liberating things about playing with and writing for the trio is the fact that we’re all happy to try out any idea; we don’t really have any kind of self-imposed limits with what we do”.
In my efforts to find out more about the Trio, I approached guitarist, Jack Weir, with the idea of interviewing him for JAZZ VIEWS, which Jack immediately agreed to...as did the other two members of the band.
So, in your own words guys, how did The Discordian Trio get together? “Jack and I knew each other's faces from Uni” explains drummer Richard Kass, “but that was about it, until one day we met in a second hand record store and I was about to buy one of Jack's favourite albums, The Inner Mounting Flame by Mahavishnu Orchestra . We got chatting and started jamming; I then got Craig involved who I knew was into similar music”. Jack adds to the story, “All three of us studied music on the same course but we were in different years, so it wasn’t until meeting Rich that we talked about putting a band together. After having a few exploratory jams, Rich suggested bringing in Craig to play bass”.
So I ask, do you all share similar tastes in music, or do you try to bring a mix to your group playing? After some consideration, “It is a bit of both I think. We all have very varied tastes, and we aren't afraid to take elements that we like from disparate sources and try to integrate them into our music here and there”, says bassist Craig Macfadyean. “ I am into a lot of film music, modern jazz, early 20th century classical music, and I am getting more into Afro-Cuban music through Rich. As long as the music is genuine and has an element of adventure to it, chances are that I will like it”.
“We definitely share a love for a lot of music and artists” agrees Rich, "but we all have slightly different backgrounds and tastes. I play a lot of electronic music, Afro-Cuban and Brazillian stuff, and listen to a lot of stuff of that ilk. Currently I'm really enjoying listening to Venetian Snares, Nosso Trio, Michael Camilo, Nerve, Basquiet Strings and dillenger escape plan, but I like so much music, and certainly Jack and Craig have introduced me to so much new music I'd never heard before and I'm now as into it as they are!” So it would be fair to say that musically you all have open ears for what you bring to the collective table? “Oh definitely”, affirms Jack. “I listen to a lot of music so my influences and tastes change all of the time. At the moment I’m listening to a lot of Henry Threadgill, Jim Hall, Mary Halvorson, Marc Ducret, Nels Cline, Trio VD, Joe Henderson, the list goes on, but every few days that changes slightly. I like music of any genre as long as it sounds good to my ears, and as a band we certainly don’t restrict ourselves completely to influences from the jazz idiom. One of the most exciting and liberating things about playing with and writing for the trio is the fact that we’re all happy to try out any idea; we don’t really have any kind of self-imposed limits with what we do”.
It is obvious from the comments of all three members that the guys listen to a lot of different music and do their homework in trying to find material that works for the collective good of the Trio and each other. Since their formation in 2008, the band have released three albums, The Discordian Trio (2008); The Discordian Trio Presents The Discordian Trio(2009) and their latest 2012 offering Hazlos Mazanos. So how do they feel that their music has developed in the time between recordings?
“The first album pops up on my itunes occasionally,” confesses Craig “and it has a great energy that I think we have had right from the start. It comes across as a bit naive though, and I like to think that we have collectively improved a great deal, and as individual voices. But the energy is there which is very important, and it's not unlistenable as far as I'm concerned!”
“We've all become better players for sure,” Rich chips in, “that's easy to hear on the records I think. There's much more dynamic, texture and interplay that before. Also I think the compositions are a bit stronger. We are experimenting more with polyrhythm, and now a little bit of metric modulation, but I guess in my opinion the main thing that I can hear is a bit more texture in the playing, better tones. One of the best things about being is this band is I'm always learning and can hear my progress on the records.”
“I think that our music has been steadily developing between all of our recordings, but especially so between The Discordian Trio Presents The Discordian Trio and the new album, Hazlos Manzanos” suggests Jack, and warming to his theme he elaborates, “and this is probably mainly due to the three year gap between those recordings. The Trio wasn’t really a functioning band for most of 2010 as Craig was living and studying in New York. On his return to Scotland we began rehearsing again and the music seemed to excite us more than ever. Aside from that, I think we have all progressed a great deal in terms of our musical knowledge and abilities since we began. I for one feel like I’ve made more breakthroughs in the last couple of years than I have in any period beforehand, and long may the learning process continue!”
“The first album pops up on my itunes occasionally,” confesses Craig “and it has a great energy that I think we have had right from the start. It comes across as a bit naive though, and I like to think that we have collectively improved a great deal, and as individual voices. But the energy is there which is very important, and it's not unlistenable as far as I'm concerned!”
“We've all become better players for sure,” Rich chips in, “that's easy to hear on the records I think. There's much more dynamic, texture and interplay that before. Also I think the compositions are a bit stronger. We are experimenting more with polyrhythm, and now a little bit of metric modulation, but I guess in my opinion the main thing that I can hear is a bit more texture in the playing, better tones. One of the best things about being is this band is I'm always learning and can hear my progress on the records.”
“I think that our music has been steadily developing between all of our recordings, but especially so between The Discordian Trio Presents The Discordian Trio and the new album, Hazlos Manzanos” suggests Jack, and warming to his theme he elaborates, “and this is probably mainly due to the three year gap between those recordings. The Trio wasn’t really a functioning band for most of 2010 as Craig was living and studying in New York. On his return to Scotland we began rehearsing again and the music seemed to excite us more than ever. Aside from that, I think we have all progressed a great deal in terms of our musical knowledge and abilities since we began. I for one feel like I’ve made more breakthroughs in the last couple of years than I have in any period beforehand, and long may the learning process continue!”
There is much to be said about the benefits of playing in a band with a stable line up, and regular gigs so I ask about the opportunities to work regularly as a unit. “We don't play live very often which is a shame and something that we are trying to change” says Macfadyen, adding wryly “This year we have a realistic goal of a UK tour, a more un-realistic goal of a European tour, a fantastical goal of a US tour and a ludicrous goal of being the first experimental jazz trio to perform on the International Space Station.” But it does appear that his two colleagues are maybe a bit more optimistic (even if they do have to put the Space Station gig on a hold for a while), as Rich explains, “We are currently trying to put a UK tour together so hopefully make it back across the border soon. I think there is more of a scene there than here in Scotland. Scotland has some awesome venues and musicians, but I do feel there is a better scene down south. I don't want to do Scotland's musicians, venues and promoters a disservice here as there is lots of great stuff going on, but I'm quite keen for us to get into England and Wales this year and play a few more venues. We've ventured down to play in Manchester (Matt and Phreds) and the BBC Introducing stage at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival, I really enjoyed both those gigs. In saying that, I also have really enjoyed our gigs at The Jazz Bar in Edinburgh, lovely crowds and a great venue.”
“Luckily we have opportunities to play and there are many musicians and artists doing great things in Edinburgh and the central belt of Scotland in general” agrees Jack. “However, jazz and improvisation based music, especially if it doesn’t have a traditional sound, has a small audience at the best of times. For that reason we are keen to take our music much further afield, and are in the stages of planning a tour for later in the year so if you’re interested in hearing us live there should be an opportunity to do so soon!”
It is obvious from the comments from the Trio that this a serious and long term musical project for all concerned, but the reality of life as a musician is never far away, and as Macfadyen observes “All three of us are professional musicians, and if we were solely in the Discordian Trio we would probably be dead by now. So we all have more financially rewarding projects going on. I play in a folk group with Jack, a wedding band, a French-pop outfit called Jackandthe', and I also do a bit of teaching”.
Guitarist, Jack Weir is also similarly involved in other projects, “I play in a free improvisation collective called Edimpro which is based at Edinburgh University and I perform with/compose for Secta Rouge, an experimental metal (of sorts) band based in Edinburgh, and Gastric Band, an instrumental rock band with ‘world music’ and electronic elements which is based in Glasgow. I also have a completely electronic project called Nol. As well as that, I do musical odd jobs for money” he laughs.
“As a session drummer I've played for pop acts including the Sugababes and The Wanted, I've worked with Grammy Nominated artist 'Muhsinah’ and do quite a lot of sessions for producer Jud Mahoney (Michael Jackson, Tyrese, Robin Gibb) says Rich. “I also play in an electronica group named Homework and a Latin Quintet with a couple of SNJO players, on top of that I do quite a lot of Scottish Folk Music, corporate gigs and loads of other bits and pieces including a Bluegrass band that covers Indian pop songs.” Almost as if pondering the myriad of playing styles he and his fellow band mates find themselves in, he adds “It is very varied which I think helps with trio actually although given how busy we all are it does sometimes get in the way of us working on stuff”.
And future plans for the development of the Trio? “I am excited for our next album which we hope to record this year. The compositions we have so far are sounding pretty good, and as a group we are tighter than ever” says Craig. “Definitely” agrees Rich, “I'm currently trying to write some material to send to the other lads to have a look at - the stuff I'm working on contains quite a lot of things related to metric modulation, and hopefully we might use some of that in the new pieces. I'm a huge Ari Hoenig fan so would love to try some of the concepts I've heard him use in some of our compositions. “Also”, he enthuses, “Craig and Jack have written what I feel are some of their best compositions yet, so really looking forward to recording them later this year. We are talking about going back into the studio in March, so that combined with the tour should keep us busy.”
And with the last word from Jack, “It wouldn’t be quite as enjoyable if I knew exactly how we are going to develop; as long as we keep moving forward it’ll be interesting to see what comes out of it”.
“Luckily we have opportunities to play and there are many musicians and artists doing great things in Edinburgh and the central belt of Scotland in general” agrees Jack. “However, jazz and improvisation based music, especially if it doesn’t have a traditional sound, has a small audience at the best of times. For that reason we are keen to take our music much further afield, and are in the stages of planning a tour for later in the year so if you’re interested in hearing us live there should be an opportunity to do so soon!”
It is obvious from the comments from the Trio that this a serious and long term musical project for all concerned, but the reality of life as a musician is never far away, and as Macfadyen observes “All three of us are professional musicians, and if we were solely in the Discordian Trio we would probably be dead by now. So we all have more financially rewarding projects going on. I play in a folk group with Jack, a wedding band, a French-pop outfit called Jackandthe', and I also do a bit of teaching”.
Guitarist, Jack Weir is also similarly involved in other projects, “I play in a free improvisation collective called Edimpro which is based at Edinburgh University and I perform with/compose for Secta Rouge, an experimental metal (of sorts) band based in Edinburgh, and Gastric Band, an instrumental rock band with ‘world music’ and electronic elements which is based in Glasgow. I also have a completely electronic project called Nol. As well as that, I do musical odd jobs for money” he laughs.
“As a session drummer I've played for pop acts including the Sugababes and The Wanted, I've worked with Grammy Nominated artist 'Muhsinah’ and do quite a lot of sessions for producer Jud Mahoney (Michael Jackson, Tyrese, Robin Gibb) says Rich. “I also play in an electronica group named Homework and a Latin Quintet with a couple of SNJO players, on top of that I do quite a lot of Scottish Folk Music, corporate gigs and loads of other bits and pieces including a Bluegrass band that covers Indian pop songs.” Almost as if pondering the myriad of playing styles he and his fellow band mates find themselves in, he adds “It is very varied which I think helps with trio actually although given how busy we all are it does sometimes get in the way of us working on stuff”.
And future plans for the development of the Trio? “I am excited for our next album which we hope to record this year. The compositions we have so far are sounding pretty good, and as a group we are tighter than ever” says Craig. “Definitely” agrees Rich, “I'm currently trying to write some material to send to the other lads to have a look at - the stuff I'm working on contains quite a lot of things related to metric modulation, and hopefully we might use some of that in the new pieces. I'm a huge Ari Hoenig fan so would love to try some of the concepts I've heard him use in some of our compositions. “Also”, he enthuses, “Craig and Jack have written what I feel are some of their best compositions yet, so really looking forward to recording them later this year. We are talking about going back into the studio in March, so that combined with the tour should keep us busy.”
And with the last word from Jack, “It wouldn’t be quite as enjoyable if I knew exactly how we are going to develop; as long as we keep moving forward it’ll be interesting to see what comes out of it”.
Photographs by Edi Pyczek
For more information check out the band’s website at www.thediscordiantrio.com
Interview January 2013
Top of Page
SAM NEWSOME - The Art of the Soprano Saxophonist
“The potential for the saxophone is unlimited.”
The above quote from saxophonist Steve Lacy has proven itself time and time again throughout the history of jazz, with its practitioners constantly pushing themselves and their instruments. From Lester Young ‘s use of alternate fingerings to subtly vary the pitch of a note, to circular breathing, multiphonics and complex cross fingering techniques employed by many of today’s contemporary players. And perhaps this dictum plays an even larger part in the development of the soprano saxophone.
The soprano saxophone has held a peculiar fascination for many, but few have chosen to focus their energies primarily through the straight horn. A quick head count of those that have will start with Sidney Bechet and then jumping ahead a few decades to Steve Lacy, with other significant voices including Wayne Shorter, Jane Ira Bloom, Jane Bunnett, Dave Liebman and Brits Lol Coxhill and Evan Parker. And added to this list, with a major new statement under his belt, is Sam Newsome.
After garnering a formidable reputation in the early nineties as a tenor saxophonist, Newsome became dissatisfied with his playing. Finding it increasingly difficult to find his own place in the music, and searching for his own concept and that ever illusive personal sound on the instrument, he eschewed the tenor and instead took the decision to make the soprano not just his principle instrument, but his only instrument.
With the release of his new solo soprano album, The Art of the Soprano, Vol.1, his third such project, not only has he shown himself to have a highly developed personal vision, but has also pushed the envelope with respect to utilizing extended techniques to such completely satisfying musical ends.
Interviewing Sam Newsome shortly after the release of The Art of the Soprano, Vol.1, I began by asking if after deciding to switch to soprano was there any change in how he approached his music, or if the stylistic nature of his playing was affected? “It was the way that I was able to approach the music that led me to become exclusively a soprano player. When I played the soprano I felt like I was able to tell a story with only my sound. So my playing, as a result, became more lyrical, organic, and more emotional. It was less about licks, and more about making music in the purest sense” explained Sam. “Also, as a soprano specialist, and putting the whole intonation thing aside for a moment, the biggest challenge I had was learning how to play the instrument at different dynamic levels and levels of intensity. When Coltrane came along, he popularized the soprano as the energy saxophone - which was good in that he inspired more saxophonists to want to play it. However, it hurt the instrument in that people didn’t always associate it with warmth and beauty, only something that was played loudly and intensely. When Wayne Shorter came along, he was instrumental in showing the instrument’s more subtle and vulnerable side.”
As far as direct influences on his playing are concerned, Newsome acknowledges a debt to players such as Sonny Rollins, Anthony Braxton and Evan Parker, and inevitably Steve Lacy. “Yes, Lacy was a big influence. But not in the conventional way of having been influential on my sound and musical vocabulary, but influential in teaching me that as a soprano player you have to create your own world. It’s not a follow the pack kind of instrument. The soprano is an ugly duckling belonging to a very small family of beautiful swans.”
The above quote from saxophonist Steve Lacy has proven itself time and time again throughout the history of jazz, with its practitioners constantly pushing themselves and their instruments. From Lester Young ‘s use of alternate fingerings to subtly vary the pitch of a note, to circular breathing, multiphonics and complex cross fingering techniques employed by many of today’s contemporary players. And perhaps this dictum plays an even larger part in the development of the soprano saxophone.
The soprano saxophone has held a peculiar fascination for many, but few have chosen to focus their energies primarily through the straight horn. A quick head count of those that have will start with Sidney Bechet and then jumping ahead a few decades to Steve Lacy, with other significant voices including Wayne Shorter, Jane Ira Bloom, Jane Bunnett, Dave Liebman and Brits Lol Coxhill and Evan Parker. And added to this list, with a major new statement under his belt, is Sam Newsome.
After garnering a formidable reputation in the early nineties as a tenor saxophonist, Newsome became dissatisfied with his playing. Finding it increasingly difficult to find his own place in the music, and searching for his own concept and that ever illusive personal sound on the instrument, he eschewed the tenor and instead took the decision to make the soprano not just his principle instrument, but his only instrument.
With the release of his new solo soprano album, The Art of the Soprano, Vol.1, his third such project, not only has he shown himself to have a highly developed personal vision, but has also pushed the envelope with respect to utilizing extended techniques to such completely satisfying musical ends.
Interviewing Sam Newsome shortly after the release of The Art of the Soprano, Vol.1, I began by asking if after deciding to switch to soprano was there any change in how he approached his music, or if the stylistic nature of his playing was affected? “It was the way that I was able to approach the music that led me to become exclusively a soprano player. When I played the soprano I felt like I was able to tell a story with only my sound. So my playing, as a result, became more lyrical, organic, and more emotional. It was less about licks, and more about making music in the purest sense” explained Sam. “Also, as a soprano specialist, and putting the whole intonation thing aside for a moment, the biggest challenge I had was learning how to play the instrument at different dynamic levels and levels of intensity. When Coltrane came along, he popularized the soprano as the energy saxophone - which was good in that he inspired more saxophonists to want to play it. However, it hurt the instrument in that people didn’t always associate it with warmth and beauty, only something that was played loudly and intensely. When Wayne Shorter came along, he was instrumental in showing the instrument’s more subtle and vulnerable side.”
As far as direct influences on his playing are concerned, Newsome acknowledges a debt to players such as Sonny Rollins, Anthony Braxton and Evan Parker, and inevitably Steve Lacy. “Yes, Lacy was a big influence. But not in the conventional way of having been influential on my sound and musical vocabulary, but influential in teaching me that as a soprano player you have to create your own world. It’s not a follow the pack kind of instrument. The soprano is an ugly duckling belonging to a very small family of beautiful swans.”
As with each of his solo albums, Newsome has thought long and hard about the concept of his music and the preparation of the chosen material. So I asked how he went about deciding upon the overall theme of the album and choosing the individual pieces. “The concept of the CD was to feature three suites” said Sam,” which is usually how I play my live solo shows. Focusing on the work of a specific composer inspires ideas that are specific to his or her style of writing. An Ellington piece is going to inspire you to hear things that you wouldn’t on a Coltrane piece, or at least the Coltrane pieces I recorded. However, after I recorded the three suites, I decided to shuffle the pieces around instead of playing the movements of the suites in succession, in this way the uniqueness of each suite is heard throughout the entire CD, instead of only appearing in one small section of the recording.”
It is a huge undertaking to tackle any of Coltrane’s compositions, especially from A Love Supreme. Why did you decide to play these particular pieces, and how did you arrive at the finished versions presented on The Art of the Soprano? “ I first heard soprano saxophonist Joe Giardullo play it on his CD, Weather. He played ‘Acknowledgement’, the first movement of the suite” replied Newsome. “Hearing how he played it slow and reflective, gave me many ideas on how the entire suite could be adapted to the solo saxophone format. I basically tackled each piece one by one, trying to find something new and interesting I could bring to each movement. I didn’t want it to sound like the original without a rhythm section. If that were the goal, why bother.”
With this in mind, and conscious of the fact that the standard repertoire has been represented in many different formats, I asked how he would ‘shape a composition for a performance or recording? “When creating pieces to be performed solo, I tend to think more like a visual artist than a composer”, he replied. “Instead of using brushes and paint I use sound and texture. So when working on a new solo piece, whether it’s a solo saxophone arrangement of a standard or an original composition, I tend to think of the melody as a canvas and I use various sounds and extended techniques I’ve developed to paint a sonic picture. And I’m finding that the more developed my concept becomes, the more I’m able to apply my ideas to almost any tune, whether it’s as harmonically sparse as Ornette Coleman’s ‘Lonely Woman’ or as harmonically dense as John Coltrane’s ‘Giant Steps’.
The Art of the Soprano is your third solo soprano saxophone recording, having previously presented a programme of music by Thelonious Monk on the 2007 album Monk Abstractions and the more recent Blue Soliloquy. How would you say the three solo discs differ? “I feel that my three CDs differ from the simple fact that I increasingly become more comfortable playing in the solo saxophone format with each one. Whether or not the listener hears it that way, I’m not sure. For example when I recorded Monk Abstractions, there were probably two songs that were usable from the first day of recording. When I first heard the tracks played back in the studio, it became pretty obvious whether or not what I just recorded could withstand the test of repeated listening. And I actually canned a lot of those takes. When I recorded Blue Soliloquy, however, there were more usable things from the first day. Subsequently by the time I got to The Art of the Soprano, Vol.1, it was less of a guessing game. I felt like I knew what I was doing. If something didn’t work, it was because I didn’t play it very well, not that the concept didn’t work. So I would like to think that the main way in which my solo CDs differ is that my concept becomes clearer and more defined with each one.”
It is a huge undertaking to tackle any of Coltrane’s compositions, especially from A Love Supreme. Why did you decide to play these particular pieces, and how did you arrive at the finished versions presented on The Art of the Soprano? “ I first heard soprano saxophonist Joe Giardullo play it on his CD, Weather. He played ‘Acknowledgement’, the first movement of the suite” replied Newsome. “Hearing how he played it slow and reflective, gave me many ideas on how the entire suite could be adapted to the solo saxophone format. I basically tackled each piece one by one, trying to find something new and interesting I could bring to each movement. I didn’t want it to sound like the original without a rhythm section. If that were the goal, why bother.”
With this in mind, and conscious of the fact that the standard repertoire has been represented in many different formats, I asked how he would ‘shape a composition for a performance or recording? “When creating pieces to be performed solo, I tend to think more like a visual artist than a composer”, he replied. “Instead of using brushes and paint I use sound and texture. So when working on a new solo piece, whether it’s a solo saxophone arrangement of a standard or an original composition, I tend to think of the melody as a canvas and I use various sounds and extended techniques I’ve developed to paint a sonic picture. And I’m finding that the more developed my concept becomes, the more I’m able to apply my ideas to almost any tune, whether it’s as harmonically sparse as Ornette Coleman’s ‘Lonely Woman’ or as harmonically dense as John Coltrane’s ‘Giant Steps’.
The Art of the Soprano is your third solo soprano saxophone recording, having previously presented a programme of music by Thelonious Monk on the 2007 album Monk Abstractions and the more recent Blue Soliloquy. How would you say the three solo discs differ? “I feel that my three CDs differ from the simple fact that I increasingly become more comfortable playing in the solo saxophone format with each one. Whether or not the listener hears it that way, I’m not sure. For example when I recorded Monk Abstractions, there were probably two songs that were usable from the first day of recording. When I first heard the tracks played back in the studio, it became pretty obvious whether or not what I just recorded could withstand the test of repeated listening. And I actually canned a lot of those takes. When I recorded Blue Soliloquy, however, there were more usable things from the first day. Subsequently by the time I got to The Art of the Soprano, Vol.1, it was less of a guessing game. I felt like I knew what I was doing. If something didn’t work, it was because I didn’t play it very well, not that the concept didn’t work. So I would like to think that the main way in which my solo CDs differ is that my concept becomes clearer and more defined with each one.”
Apart from your solo performances, what other contexts do you find yourself playing in? I know you co-lead a two soprano frontline quartet with Dave Liebman, how did this particular partnership come about? “Yes, I do play in contexts other than solo saxophone. To me, the solo format is where I refuel, where I go deeper in search of my own unique artistic voice. And after honing the things that I discover in that deep and sometimes lonely place, I’m able to apply them in almost any context, whether it’s solo, duo, trio, or quartet. The solo format happens to be the place where I feel I’m able to make the biggest impact, musically. Not to mention it’s the least historically codified of the aforementioned, so I feel freer to push the envelope.”
Continuing, Newsome said “My relationship with Dave Liebman began almost 5 years ago after I had contacted him about doing a double-bill solo-saxophone concert, which I ended up cancelling because I felt I wasn’t ready. I had just started my full-time teaching position at Long Island University, and I didn't have much time to practice nor think about my own music. So I was feeling very insecure during that period.
“However, a couple years later, we ended up sharing the bill for a concert at the music series curated by Roberto Romeo in the restaurant downstairs from his shop on W. 46th Street in Manhattan. I was playing with my trio and Dave was there with his quartet. After I finished my set, Liebman stood up and applauded, which was a great surprise. At best, I had hoped that he didn’t hate it. Then he came up to me and said that Steve Lacy was probably looking down on me right at that moment, smiling. Which meant the world coming from Dave Liebman. I knew of his reputation of breaking musicians down, letting them know what they needed to work on. So as you can imagine, I was happy he didn’t ream into me after my set. After that night, we decided to seriously think about trying to do something together; whether it was just two sopranos, or with an entire band. And after several months or so of tossing around ideas, he decided to book a gig at Cornelia Street Café just to get the ball rolling. It was a quartet with two sopranos, bass and drums. And we’ve been playing together ever since.”
A mouth watering prospect indeed, and for those of us not fortunate to be in New York, is there plans to record the quartet I enquired? “I’m not sure if the quartet is something that will get recorded. Dave and I are both taking it one gig at a time. Right now, it’s just something that’s fun to do.”
Looking at another context, you also have a duo with pianist, Ethan Iverson, how did that come about? Was it just a one of a gig or is it going to be a long term partnership? “Ethan and I first started hanging out in 2010. He contacted me after he heard my CD, Blue Soliloquy. I was very happy that someone of his stature had even known about it, never mind actually digging it enough to tell other people. So I was very grateful for that. So we got together to play soon after, and we’ve been playing or at least talking about playing ever since. And our duo is a little different from the quartet I have with Liebman. We’re definitely thinking long term, which is rare. People don’t usually say, ‘Let’s form a duo.’ It’s usually something along the lines of, ‘Would you like to play a duo gig?’ We’re actually looking to record in early February or March. So you’ll hear more about our project sooner rather than later.”
And finally Sam, what long-term goals do you have for the future? “My goal will be just as it has always been. I’ll continue my ongoing research of exploring both the under explored and unexplored sonic terrains of the soprano. And this will be done, not only through solo playing, but various collaborations - duos, trios, all soprano groups, you name it. My solo CDs are merely the seeds I’m using to grow what I hope will prosper into a field of soprano saxophone-centered music. I have always said that my mission is that the soprano will someday be on top, not just in terms of range, but reverence. I named my latest CD The Art of the Soprano, Vol. 1 just to send the message that I’m just starting to hit my stride.”
You can buy The Art of the Soprano: Vol. 1 by Sam Newsome from www.cdbaby.com
For more information visit www.samnewsome.com or read Sam’s blog at www.sopranosaxtalk.blogspot.com
Interview October 2012
Continuing, Newsome said “My relationship with Dave Liebman began almost 5 years ago after I had contacted him about doing a double-bill solo-saxophone concert, which I ended up cancelling because I felt I wasn’t ready. I had just started my full-time teaching position at Long Island University, and I didn't have much time to practice nor think about my own music. So I was feeling very insecure during that period.
“However, a couple years later, we ended up sharing the bill for a concert at the music series curated by Roberto Romeo in the restaurant downstairs from his shop on W. 46th Street in Manhattan. I was playing with my trio and Dave was there with his quartet. After I finished my set, Liebman stood up and applauded, which was a great surprise. At best, I had hoped that he didn’t hate it. Then he came up to me and said that Steve Lacy was probably looking down on me right at that moment, smiling. Which meant the world coming from Dave Liebman. I knew of his reputation of breaking musicians down, letting them know what they needed to work on. So as you can imagine, I was happy he didn’t ream into me after my set. After that night, we decided to seriously think about trying to do something together; whether it was just two sopranos, or with an entire band. And after several months or so of tossing around ideas, he decided to book a gig at Cornelia Street Café just to get the ball rolling. It was a quartet with two sopranos, bass and drums. And we’ve been playing together ever since.”
A mouth watering prospect indeed, and for those of us not fortunate to be in New York, is there plans to record the quartet I enquired? “I’m not sure if the quartet is something that will get recorded. Dave and I are both taking it one gig at a time. Right now, it’s just something that’s fun to do.”
Looking at another context, you also have a duo with pianist, Ethan Iverson, how did that come about? Was it just a one of a gig or is it going to be a long term partnership? “Ethan and I first started hanging out in 2010. He contacted me after he heard my CD, Blue Soliloquy. I was very happy that someone of his stature had even known about it, never mind actually digging it enough to tell other people. So I was very grateful for that. So we got together to play soon after, and we’ve been playing or at least talking about playing ever since. And our duo is a little different from the quartet I have with Liebman. We’re definitely thinking long term, which is rare. People don’t usually say, ‘Let’s form a duo.’ It’s usually something along the lines of, ‘Would you like to play a duo gig?’ We’re actually looking to record in early February or March. So you’ll hear more about our project sooner rather than later.”
And finally Sam, what long-term goals do you have for the future? “My goal will be just as it has always been. I’ll continue my ongoing research of exploring both the under explored and unexplored sonic terrains of the soprano. And this will be done, not only through solo playing, but various collaborations - duos, trios, all soprano groups, you name it. My solo CDs are merely the seeds I’m using to grow what I hope will prosper into a field of soprano saxophone-centered music. I have always said that my mission is that the soprano will someday be on top, not just in terms of range, but reverence. I named my latest CD The Art of the Soprano, Vol. 1 just to send the message that I’m just starting to hit my stride.”
You can buy The Art of the Soprano: Vol. 1 by Sam Newsome from www.cdbaby.com
For more information visit www.samnewsome.com or read Sam’s blog at www.sopranosaxtalk.blogspot.com
Interview October 2012
