©2005 UKVibe

JAZZ; NUJAZZ; BROKEN BEATS; SOUL; HIP HOP; FUNK; BRASILIAN RUNNINGS

 

EVENTS

 

VICTOR WOOTEN + THE ELIZABETH SHEPHERD TRIO
5th July 2008

Jazz Cafe
5 Parkway
Camden Town
London NW1 7PG



Victor Wooten is regarded as one of the most influential bassists since Jaco Pastorius, he is known for his solo recordings and tours, and as a member of the GRAMMY-winning supergroup, Béla Fleck & The Flecktones. He is a brilliant technician and innovator on the bass guitar, as well as a talented composer, arranger, producer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist. But those gifts only begin to tell the tale of this Tennessee titan.

Wooten joins the Heads Up label in the spring of 2008 with the April 1 release of Palmystery, a twelve-track set that embraces a range of styles – jazz, funk, pop, soul, gospel, world music and more – and boasts a diverse guest list that includes Mike Stern, Richard Bona, Keb’ Mo’ and several others. The result is an amalgam of voices, styles and grooves, but one that never fails to hold together at its rock-solid core.

Elizabeth Shepherd pushes the boundaries of what is considered conventional jazz, all the while creating a sound completely her own. From London to Tokyo, Elizabeth has captivated audiences and critics on both sides of the pond. Her Juno nominated debut album, Start To Move continues to receive critical acclaim, and was voted the Top 3 Jazz Albums of the Year by the listeners of the Gilles Peterson show on BBC Radio 1 UK in 2006.The Elizabeth Shepherd Trio became a staple group in Toronto’s soul jazz scene, performing all over town in jazz and other concert venues alike. Upon joining forces with Do Right! label owner John Kong, the Trio was invited into the studio to record a demo. Her follow-up full-length album Parkdale is out now on Do Right Music.

 

 

barbi

 

 

 

 

MARCINA ARNOLD
7th July 2008

606 Club
90 Lots Road
London SW10 0QD

Marcina is a terrific singer with a hugely impressive cv who performs primarily her own music which she describes as “Global music with jazz/folk roots and strong rhythmic influences”. An accomplished percussionist as well as pianist and guitarist Marcina’s influences are unusually eclectic. She has worked with some of the finest Jazz artists in the UK including Steve Williamson, Jason Yarde and Bheki Mseleku as well as International artists Airto Moreira, Manu Ventura, Hugh Masekela, Busi Mhlonga and Eugene Skeef and was a member of Penise Saul’s South African Gospel Singers. She had a principal role in Fay Weldon’s “A Small Green Space” with English National Opera and has written and performed extensively for educational organisations such as London Sinfonietta, Glyndeborne Opera and the LPO. Marcina is a member of the 12 piece djembe (African drum) orchestra “ Moropa” and if all that wasn’t enough she is also an accomplished Dancer, performing in a variety of styles including Classical Indian “Kathak”. Accompanied by her band “The Love Rats” this extremely talented and highly eclectic performer produces a unique sound which is unmissable.

“Marcina Arnold….a secret of talent living in the heart of London” FeelTheSoul

www.myspace.com/marcinaarnold

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Branford Marsalis Quartet + Andrew McCormack Trio
8th July 2008

Barbican Hall
Barbican Centre
Silk Street
London EC2Y 8DS

World-renowned jazz saxophonist Branford Marsalis performs with Joey Calderazzo (piano), Eric Revis (bass) and Jeff 'Tain' Watts (drums).
After years of fascinating projects and detours, the saxophone-laying Marsalis brother has found his platform: ‘I just want to play. I don’t want to be in magazines' he recently told the New York Times.
The quartet, with long-time Marsalis associate, drummer Jeff Watts, joined by Joey Calderazzo on piano and Eric Revis on bass is capable of frightening intensity and also extreme, swooning relaxation; it is certainly one of the most exciting units on the jazz scene today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click for 2008 listings

A unique, historic festival! The first edition of the North Sea Jazz Festival took place in 1976 in the Nederlands Congresgebouw in The Hague. Some numbers in those early days: six venues, three hundred artists and about nine thousand visitors. In this very first festival year internationally renowned jazz legends performed, such as Sarah Vaughan, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Getz, as well as most Dutch avant-garde artists.

In the intervening years, the North Sea Jazz Festival has developed into a major international jazz event. Over the years the numbers have increased to: fifteen venues, approximately thirteen hundred artists and a visitors number that varies between sixty-five thousand and seventy thousand every year. Since 2006 the festival has found a new and more spacious location: Ahoy Rotterdam.

North Sea Jazz is known all over the world because of the many musical genres it has to offer, ranging from traditional New Orleans jazz, swing, bop, free jazz, fusion, avant-garde jazz and electronic jazz; to blues, gospel, funk, soul, R&B, hip hop, world beat and Latin. All of which are presented during a single weekend: 11, 12 and 13 July 2008.

Besides familiar names like Nat Adderley, Erykah Badu, Paul Anka, Steve Coleman, Miles Davis, Candy Dulfer, Ibrahim Ferrer, Ella Fitzgerald, Alicia Keys, Lionel Hampton, Al Jarreau, B.B. King, Wynton Marsalis, Herbie Hancock, Jamiroquai and The Zawinul Syndicate, the North Sea Jazz Festival also gives young talent a chance to make it on a major stage. Some names of artists who were introduced to a European audience: Shirley Horn, Tania Maria, Roy Hargrove and Rachelle Ferrell.

This is what makes North Sea Jazz so unique – a festival where for three days the past, the present and the future of jazz music are presented, all under one roof.

 

 

 

 

LOU DONALDSON & LONNIE SMITH QUARTET
11th July 2008

Jazz Cafe
5 Parkway
Camden Town
London NW1 7PG



A unique sax and organ-led quartet pairing two of jazz’s elder statesmen in a boiling swing quartet reminiscent of the great 60s Blue Note combos

Born in 1926 in Badin, North Carolina, alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson has been a vibrant presence on the jazz scene for over 50 years. First spotted by Blue Note co-owner Alfred Lion while playing at a jam session at the legendary Minton’s in the early fifties, Donaldson went on to record many memorable sessions in the company of Thelonius Monk, Clifford Brown, Horace Silver, and Art Blakey. His own, long-term contract with Blue Note Records spawned several best-selling sets including his classic Alligator Boogaloo with George Benson and Lonnie Smith. Although influenced by Charlie Parker, Lou possesses a distinctive voice on alto, colouring the raw energy of Parker’s approach with his own funky and soulful phrasing.

The quintet he brings to Jazz Cafe features organ master Dr. Lonnie Smith. A true creative force in jazz for over 30 years, Smith earned his moniker 'Dr.' from fellow musicians like George Benson for his ability to 'doctor up' their music when they had problems with arrangements. Donaldson says of Smith’s rich, chordal organ style: ‘It gives you a sound where you can duplicate a big band in spots…people can really feel it.’

 

 

 

 

 

THE SUNBURST BAND
12th July 2008

Jazz Cafe
5 Parkway
Camden Town
London NW1 7PG

Album launch party for Joey Negro & The Sunburst Band third album ‘Moving With The Shakers’.

A ragbag delight of boogie, disco, funk and jazz, collaborators on ‘Moving With The Shakers’ include Harlem soul legend Leroy Burgess, Diane Charlemagne (who sang on Goldie’s ‘Inner City Life’) and Chaka Khan’s sister Taka Boom. Fulltime front man Pete Simpson is also known for lending his vocal talents to the Unabombers’ alias, The Elektrons.

Forming in 1998, The Sunburst Band is a collective born out of passion. The release of debut album ‘Here Comes The Sunburst Band’ won critical acclaim with both old school heads as well as nu breed disco and house fans. Tracks like ‘Garden of Love’ and ‘Delicious’ became scene classics, championed by DJs from Pete Tong to 4 Hero to Dmitri from Paris. The follow-up ‘Until The End of Time’ featured cuts like ‘Far Beyond’ which all the top US hip hop guys still spin, and soul anthem ‘Everyday – a favourite with Annie Mac, Trevor Nelson and even Heston Blumenthal, who included it as one of his ‘Desert Island Discs’ on Radio 4.

Lengthy artist careers in the music business are few and far between, but in the ever-changing world of dance music they are scarcer than a signed Moroder twelve. Joey Negro/Dave Lee’s debut release may have been part of the first wave of UK house back in 1988, but 20 years later he is still on top of his game.

The prolific producer has in fact scored more than ten Top 40 crossovers, from the rowdy 90s dancefloor battle-cry of Hedboys’ ‘Girls & Boys,’ to the chart-smashing cosmic chill of Jakatta’s ‘American Dream,’ and house anthem ‘Make a Move On Me’. The man who glides as effortlessly through his aliases as he does the musical landscape also conceived and produced Take That’s early disco classic ‘Relight My Fire’, and collaborated with Seal on the 2002 Top 10 smash ‘My Vision’.

Joey Negro and the Sunburst Band release ‘Moving With The Shakers’ on Z Records May 12th. Keep your eyes peeled for the rest.

 

 

 

 

SOIL & "PIMP" SESSIONS
14th July 2008

Roundhouse
Chalk Farm Road
London NW1 8EH

SOIL & "PIMP" SESSIONS combine the highest musicianship with the coolest of cool sounds and atmosphere. Their brand of jazz is rough around the edges, unadulterated entertainment and constantly kept at boiling point.

“The trademark Soil & “Pimp” sound exudes, a combination of technical and melodic precision with heart racing vigour.” Fly Global Music

 

 

 

 

 

 



Nneka
14th July 2008

Cargo
83 RIVINGTON ST
KINGSLAND VIADUCT
SHOREDITCH
LONDON EC2A 3AY

Born in Nigeria, Nneka relocated some 10,000 miles to Hamburg, Germany, at the age of nineteen to pursue a career in singing along side a degree in Anthropology. Having landed in the German port, the singer hooked up with DJ and Hip-Hop beatmaker DJ Farhot and ever since, their strong musical relationship has been the backbone of Nneka's success. Her influences reflect her younger days in Nigeria as well as her time in the Western world. The distance she has travels shines through in her voice as does her diverse musical influences. She cites famous compatriot Fela Kuti and legend Bob Marley as well as contemporary rappers Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Mobb Deep and Lauryn Hill as key influences in her pursuit of musical recognition.


After finishing her debut EP "The Uncomfortable Truth" she toured Europe, commencing a long live schedule, performing to up to 6000 people at her later gigs, this young talent supported the likes of Femi Kuti, Seeed, Sean Paul and Gnarls Barkley. Performing all over Europe, from her adopted hometown of Hamburg to Holloway Prison in London.


Nneka's album "Victim Of Truth" was released in September 2006 to rave reviews from the music press. The songs on the album provide a range of sounds from deep soulful ballads like ‘Confession' to funky Hip-Hop tracks like ‘Stand Strong' to ‘Changes', which is a modern reinvention of the 90s UK soul sound.


Despite her Nigerian background, Nneka's sound is strongly connected with her European journey.
"The way they dress, the way they carry themselves, their religion. So many things that are important to me are not important to them. For two years I was overwhelmed."
This difference in ethical outlook comes to the fore in her music, with her social responsibility to her homeland of Nigeria laying heavy on her mind.


"I get inspired when I take a severe look at the things going on in our world today; especially in my country. How people live, suffer and endure pain, politics and religion, when I see all that man has evoked and created out of self-centeredness and devotion to material things".
Nneka's voice strikes an eerie balance between rage and pain which mirror's the abrasion of two continents, Europe and Africa, within Nneka's life so far. Nneka reiterates her humility in the face of her musical talents.


"I do not see myself as a performer but as somebody who shares her heartfelt feelings with others. I have fortunately, by the grace of God, the opportunity to sing my message to you on stage."

 

 

 

 

 


Return to Forever
21st July 2008

Indigo2
Millennium Way
Greenwich
London
SE10 0BB

Growing from the seeds of Miles Davis’ electric bands of the 60s came an explosion of creativity in the
‘70s and the birth of a burgeoning jazz crossover scene that included pioneering jazz fusion bands
such as The Headhunters, The Mahavishnu Orchestra and Weather Report. Alongside these bands
was the seminal band Return to Forever, whose loud and exciting tunes were played on radio
alongside rock acts such as Yes, King Crimson and Genesis, in a heady aural stew of progressive jazz
& rock.

After a touring absence of more than 25 years, Return to Forever return in 2008 to embark on an expansive worldwide tour. This tour reunites the group’s classic quartet line-up, the most popular and successful version of the group - Chick Corea on keyboards, Al Di Meola on guitar, Stanley Clarke on bass and Lenny White on drums - and to coincide, a special Return to Forever anthology is released featuring personally chosen remixed and remastered tracks from the four classic albums from that 1973 – 1976 quartet period.

 

 

 

 

 

Monty Alexander's Concrete Jungle
21st July 2008

Ronnie Scott's
47 Frith Street
Soho
London
W1D 4HT

Monty Alexander pays tribute to fellow Kingston native and undisputed king of reggae, Bob Marley. ‘Concrete Jungle’ is Monty’s second tribute album of Marley originals (following 1999’s ‘Stir It Up) and audiences can expect an authentic and uplifting homage from an experienced and extraordinary player who truly understands the history and ideals behind the music.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE SOULJAZZ ORCHESTRA + COMBINACION CUBANA
+ SOFRITO COMBO
25th July 2008

Cargo
83 RIVINGTON ST
KINGSLAND VIADUCT
SHOREDITCH
LONDON EC2A 3AY

The Souljazz Orchestra

The amazing Ottawa based Souljazz Orchestra nip over from Canada for a rare appearance. Well known as one of the worlds tightest outfits, they bridge the gap between the worlds of funk and afrobeat, all the while staying open to the exploration of related genres, from boogaloo to soul, from highlife to jazz. Not to be missed!

Also playing:

Natural Self

Fresh off the press! Natural Self's new album on Brighton's Tru Thoughts label, has just hit the shops and is melting turntables up and down the country. This man of extreme talent and skill on the decks, is sure to get your body shaking. Kids, watch and learn...

Sofrito Combo

DJs Frankie Francis & Hugo Mendez, originators of Dalston's 'Tropical Warehouse Parties', where hundreds flock to hear them play the newest and oldest in tropical sounds, all cut on the heaviest sounding dubplates. This time playing live with percussion, trumpet and keys! Expect, Cumbia, Plena, Descarga, Highlife and Afrobeat. This is music for dancing people; none of this standing around looking at the floor stuff! Sabroso!

Combinacion Cubana

Made up of four of Cuba's finest session musicians, the Combinacion Cubana make their first appearance at Cargo playing a classic Afro-Cuban Jazz set in the garden whilst you soak up the summer rays and devour a tasty morsel from the BBQ.

Soweto Kinch: A Life in the Day of B19 Part 2
25th July 2008

Town Hall
Victoria Square
Birmingham B3 3DQ

Brilliant saxophonist and MC Soweto Kinch is back with an early chance to hear material from A Life in the Day Of B19: Basement Fables. It’s the highly anticipated follow-up to his acclaimed album B19: Tales of the Towerblock, which earned Kinch a 2007 MOBO award. Basement Fables will shake up audiences and critics on both sides of the Atlantic, weaving an ambitious narrative that fuses jazz, hip-hop and poetry. Alongside Soweto, pioneering young artists from B19 will showcase extracts from their recently premiered Hockley Flyover show. Don’t miss the chance to catch one of the UK’s outstanding musicians, a cutting-edge jazz player but also a leading rap artist and MC.

“Mr Kinch demonstrates what England has to teach [the USA] about narrative hip-hop. Don’t sleep on Mr Kinch” The New York Times

“A rawness and power that mark him out from his peers in British jazz” The Independent

Natalie Williams - Soul Family
27th July 2008

Ronnie Scott's
47 Frith Street
Soho
London
W1D 4HT

Hosted by soul singer Natalie Williams and her band, Soul Family Sunday offers the chance to catch some of the best R&B, soul and jazz musicians in the UK up close and personal. This makes for one of the best musical evenings in London this year. While guests vary from month to month, there is always the opportunity to hear music of the highest quality where the stars of the British scene showcase their material in an exciting ad hoc setting.

This evening in London is brought to you by Natalie Williams herself along with The Family, which is made up of Vula (Basement Jaxx), Sharlene Hector (Basement Jaxx), Tawiah, Oggie, Ladonna Harley-Peters, Brendan Reilly, Andrea Grant, Susan Harriot, Simon King, Robin Mullarkey (Zero 7), Phil Peskett (Moloko), Martyn Kaine (Kyle Eastwood), Ben Jones, Atlantic Horns: Mark Brown, Ben Edwards (Basement Jaxx, Mark Ronson)

 

 

 

Nu Troop - Tribute to Miles Davis
Sunday 3rd August 2008

Hull Truck Theatre
Spring Street
Hull HU2 8RW


Nu Troop is the incredibly talented quintet featuring New Orleans jazz trumpeter Abram Wilson. He takes centre stage with his quintet to pay tribute to Miles Davis in a special performance of the icon's classic album, Kind of Blue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jose James Quartet with support from Eska Mtungwazi
6th AUGUST 2008

Roundhouse
Chalk Farm Road
London NW1 8EH

'I thought singers like this didn’t exist anymore, I was wrong, Jose James is here to remind us why we love music so much.'

 

 


Mark Murphy
8th August 2008

Theatr Brycheiniog
Canal Wharf
Brecon
Powys LD3 7EW

A complete sell out for the week at Ronnie Scott’s last year, the legendary singer Mark Murphy makes a first time appearance at Brecon. He is most noted for his definitive and unique vocalese and vocal improvisations with both melody and lyrics. He is the recipient of the 1996, 1997, 2000, and 2001 Down Beat magazine readers jazz poll for Best Male Vocalist of the Year and is also the recipient of six Grammy award nominations for Best Vocal Jazz Performance. Book early to avoid disappointment. (UK Exclusive)

Lee Konitz Trio
9th August 2008

Theatr Brycheiniog
Canal Wharf
Brecon
Powys LD3 7EW

Now in his early eighties, Lee Konitz has long been regarded as the coolest alto player in the business. With a history including stints with Lennie Tristano and Miles Davis in the ‘50s he went on to become one of the most celebrated jazz leaders in the music’s history. This is a UK exclusive gig featuring Matt Brewer on bass and Matt Wilson on drums. Another legend to help us celebrate our 25th anniversary.

Roy Hargrove Quintet
10th August 2008

Market Hall
Market Street
Brecon
Powys LD3 9AH

Roy Hargrove brings an all star line up from New York. He’s recorded with many of the giants and is now regarded as one of them. Another UK exclusive performance by one of the modern masters with one of the hottest jazz outfits playing today.

 

 

 

 

 

Abram Wilson and The Delta Blues Project
featuring The Kingdom Choir
10th August 2008

Market Hall
Market Street
Brecon
Powys LD3 9AH

 

Trumpeter Abram Wilson has composed and arranged this superb jazz gospel show which features a 10 piece band and 9 piece gospel choir. Roll Jordan Roll premiered at the Big Chill Festival in August 2007 and headlined at last year’s London Jazz Festival with a sell-out show and rave reviews. “Sensational, vibrant, confident and just damn exiting”.The Independent “Wilson knows his jazz tradition but also knows how to make it new”. Jazzwise “The Kingdom Choir….is one of the UK’s top choirs. Vibrant and soulful, with intricate harmonies” The Voice.

THE APPLES
4th September 2008

Cargo
83 RIVINGTON ST
KINGSLAND VIADUCT
SHOREDITCH
LONDON EC2A 3AY

Oddball funksters The Apples are set to bring their explosive live experience to fresh European audiences, after delighting thousands in the U.K., Belgium and their native Israel, celebrating their highly anticipated debut LP for London’s Freestyle Records, out now!!

Thousands more have been experiencing The Apples’ powerful sound on dance floors worldwide, as their relationship with Freestyle has to date yielded three compilation features and two popular 7” singles- 2006’s “Attention!” and 2007’s smash cover version of “Killing in the Name…”. The success of these singles also fuelled their recent sold out visits to Britain, including the London Jazz Festival and the Jazz Café in Camden. Surprised audiences are dancing and laughing from the first adrenalized downbeat. The Apples weave big band jazz into raw grooves and exciting scratch routines and into the mix they might throw anything from Ray Charles samples to traditional Jewish Kleizmer melodies. There’s always a sense of risk and adventure as the roles of solo and backing instruments change at the blink of an eye to any of the nine members. Initially a spontaneous composition ensemble, they’ve created an unusual blend of funk, jazz and electronic music, forgoing the traditional use of guitar, keyboards and vocals. Instead, they center around 4 turntables, flanked by a sharp horn section served up by thick double bass lines and steadfast drum beats, fed through an attentive sound console and organic effects.

Over the last six years they’ve claimed unprecedented feats for an Israeli instrumental live band, have inspired an avalanche of local groove artists, released two full length albums - "MITZ" (2003) and "ATTENTION!" (2005) - and have become the ones to look out for on the international live circuit.

 

 

 

 

 

STEVIE WONDER
8th September 2008

NIA
King Edwards Road
Birmingham
B1 2AA

Ticket Hotline: 0871 954 6000

Phenomenal public demand has secured a second night of music from Stevie Wonder who will now be bringing his A Wonder Summer’s Night concert to The NIA on Saturday 4 October 2008 (new date) as well as sold out date Monday 8 September.

Tickets priced £55.00 and £65.00 plus booking and transaction fee go on general sale at 9am on Friday 4 July 2008. Tickets can be purchased on-line at theticketfactory.com or 0871 945 6000.

The legend that is Mr Stevie Wonder is one of contemporary music’s most iconic stars, and he will be hitting the road for the first time in more than a decade throughout Europe. The tour will feature an evening of music from Stevie, a performing and songwriting tour de force who has received an astounding 25 Grammy Awards as well the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.

The tour kicks off on Monday 8 September at The NIA in Birmingham, and is being produced by Live Nation.

“I am looking forward to performing in these venues in Europe. We are going to have some wonderful nights of intimate excitement,” said Stevie Wonder.

 

 

 

 

 

 


http://www.myspace.com/thesubensemble

The Sub Ensemble
12th September 2008

Town Hall
Victoria Square
Birmingham B3 3DQ

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Platinum Pied Pipers
17th September 2008

Cargo
83 RIVINGTON ST
KINGSLAND VIADUCT
SHOREDITCH
LONDON EC2A 3AY

It's been three years since Questlove (The Roots) famously revealed: "I listened to the album [Triple P] seven times in a row.......I made 23 friends listen to the album 3 days straight....... at gunpoint - I'm on the run. I will go to jail for Platinum Pied Pipers," and the time has been well used by the duo, who have since changed their name to the more simply stated PPP. The group's latest incarnation will be releasing a new EP on Ubiquity Records in the spring of 2008, with the follow-up album, Abundance dropping in the fall. Never ones for staying stagnant, PPP take a new, more progressive direction on this project that manages to stay true to Triple P's soul-based foundation, while broadening its sound and covering plenty of new sonic territory. The result is a fluid mash-up of the group's array of both vintage & modern influences from pop, house, funk, Detroit techno, and of course, hip-hop - all filtered through the group's unique vision for the future.

 

 

 

 

 


http://www.myspace.com/omarlyefook


http://www.myspace.com/donnyone

OMAR + DON-E
26th September 2008

Jazz Cafe
5 Parkway
Camden Town
London NW1 7PG

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STEVIE WONDER
8th September 2008

NIA
King Edwards Road
Birmingham
B1 2AA

Ticket Hotline: 0871 954 6000

Phenomenal public demand has secured a second night of music from Stevie Wonder who will now be bringing his A Wonder Summer’s Night concert to The NIA on Saturday 4 October 2008 (new date) as well as sold out date Monday 8 September.

Tickets priced £55.00 and £65.00 plus booking and transaction fee go on general sale at 9am on Friday 4 July 2008. Tickets can be purchased on-line at theticketfactory.com or 0871 945 6000.

The legend that is Mr Stevie Wonder is one of contemporary music’s most iconic stars, and he will be hitting the road for the first time in more than a decade throughout Europe. The tour will feature an evening of music from Stevie, a performing and songwriting tour de force who has received an astounding 25 Grammy Awards as well the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.

The tour kicks off on Monday 8 September at The NIA in Birmingham, and is being produced by Live Nation.

“I am looking forward to performing in these venues in Europe. We are going to have some wonderful nights of intimate excitement,” said Stevie Wonder.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brad Mehldau Trio
20 October 2008

Barbican Hall
Barbican Centre
Silk Street
London EC2Y 8DS

Virtuosic pianist Brad Mehldau is a major force in contemporary jazz, injecting fresh intensity into the music through a combination of spontaneous improvisation and formal structure. His artistry stands out as a powerful contemporary influence in a line that stretches back through Keith Jarrett, Herbie Hancock and McCoy Tyner. Mehldau's approach embraces a reflective and musically profound command of melodic improvisation with bursts of full-on rhythmic intensity. He returns to the UK with his stellar bass and drums team of Larry Grenadier and Jeff Ballard. The new album Brad Mehldau Trio: Live is out now on Nonesuch Records.

 

 

 

 

 

AZYMUTH
22nd October 2008

Jazz Cafe
5 Parkway
Camden Town
London NW1 7PG

Azymuth – Jose Roberto Bertrami, Ivan Conti, Alex Malheiros & Ariovaldo - formed in the late 60s just as Os Mutantes released their debut record. Whilst Mutantes were honing a psychedelic ‘Amazonian’ version of western pop music Azymuth were creating a futuristic, electric interpretation of US Jazz - also driven by the same rootsy Brazilian ‘swing’ that Mutantes had harnessed.

Bertrami rose to fame as an arranger in the mid 60s and by the late 60s he was arranging for the queen of Brazilian music Elis Regina. This pushed him into the major league and by the early 1970s he was arranging for the burgeoning TV novella scene. When not working Bertrami made trips to New York to buy the latest keyboards and synths, ensuring he had the most up to date range of keyboards in Brazil. His work in TV Novellas meant Bertrami knew most of the A&R people in the Brazilian music industry yet when he shopped the demos that became the core of this album round to them in 1973 they didn’t share his vision - one label even going as far as to say that the music was ‘wrong’.

Released in summer 1975 the album was a minor commercial success selling 200,000 copies. Opening track ‘Linha do Horizonte’ – a sublime piece of melancholic electronic saudade where deep cinematic synths melt into gently strummed acoustic jazz guitar - was chosen for a TV Novella and went on to sell half a million, propelling Azymuth onto both the Brazilian music and international Jazz scenes.

 

 

 


Seu Jorge
30th OCTOBER 2008

Roundhouse
Chalk Farm Road
London NW1 8EH

Urban sambas, Brazilian funk and a bouncing, big band. Seu Jorge, star of The Escapist returns to the Roundhouse after his sold out debut in 2006. He will be playing music from his brand new album America Brasil.

Seu Jorge was the subject of a recent ITV South Bank Show which told his extraordinary story from street kid in Rio to starring role in the film City of God and his magical reinterpretation of David Bowie's repertoire in Wes Anderson's film Steve Zissou and the Life Aquatic.

 

 

 

 

 

FIVE CORNERS QUINTET
15th November 2008

Jazz Cafe
5 Parkway
Camden Town
London NW1 7PG

This is pure unadulterated jazz, not housey nu-jazz, or jazz fused with hip-hop or rock, but jazz in the classic modernist spirit. A jazz that resonates with early sixties straight-ahead and Latin. As one critic claimed of the first single, “‘Trading Eights’ snaps like a classic bit of Blue Note soul jazz… a soaring little groover with great rhythms that hooks the tune up nicely for the dancefloor. Real jazz played by a hip little quintet”.

The two innovators behind Five Corners Quintet are composer, producer and arranger Tuomas Kallio and the band’s benevolent svengali and record label manager Antti Eerikäinen. In musical terms the goal of the FCQ is to set an example of how, with contemporary production, stylish jazz tailored for the dance-floor can fruitfully meet the musical craftsmanship of the past. “I guess most people feel that the lush sound of classic jazz vinyl creates an exceptional mood that records of today fail to reach” says Tuomas, “that is exactly the atmosphere I was after for the project”.

‘Chasin’ The Jazz Gone By’ is the debut album from the Five Corners Quintet, featuring world-class guest vocalist, Mark Murphy. Six time Grammy nominee and 4 time Downbeat readers poll winner, the original jazz hipster is featured on three of the 12 tracks. Also featured is the gorgeous voice of Paris-based Okou who opens the album with a graceful blues.

Much of the FCQ crossover appeal is clearly the healthy mix of talents from different generations of players. Eero Koivistoinen is a tenor sax heavyweight who has been around since the sixties. Similarly, Severi Pyysalo, a jazz heavyweight on vibes is a Blue Note recording artist. Both bring heaps of experience to the group, whereas newer talents such as drummer Teppo Mäkynen , (voted year after year as the number 1 drummer among the Finnish jazz press and internationally known for Nuspirit Helsinki and his solo project Teddy Rok Seven) and the young trumpet phenomenon Jukka Eskola are essential in balancing the traditional with the modern. The orchestration arrangements for a 12-piece string and French horn ensemble complete the lush sound and atmosphere of the record.

In the studio The Five Corners Quintet is a gathering of some of the finest contemporary jazz musicians both from the Finnish and International jazz scene. Brought together by producer and arranger Kallio, musicians are selected, track by track, for the different combinations and instrumentation he visions. Utilizing both the analogue and digital domain, they draw on tools from tape recorders to samplers and sequencers, so, while the sound of the FCQ is similar to the jazz of the mid 20th century, the studio setting is entirely different.

Live, The Five Corners Quintet tell another story. On stage they are a real band featuring real musicians: no machines, no samplers, no DJ’s but instead energy, interaction and world class level of musicianship. Interestingly, Tuomas is not part of the live set-up, instead he passes the responsibility of successfully interpreting the studio sound to drummer Makynen. Technically talented and musically innovative, the live band is a phenomenal jazz quintet/sextet/septet that appeals to the seated jazz audience and a dancing club crowd alike. The live version of the 5CQ is a delicious mix of old and new and their compositions probably manage to lure some stubborn-ish traditional jazz listeners to embrace the dancefloor jazz sounds of the 21st century. The crossover thing works the other way around too, introducing more traditional sounds to those appreciating the new grooves.

As one critic comments “this is heavy, real jazz for the future. Search out’”

Ahead of the album release, Ricky-Tick release the vinyl-only Cornerstones EP featuring three tracks from ‘Chasin’ The Jazz Gone By’.


 

 

 

RUDRESH MAHANTHAPPA QUARTET WITH VIJAY IYER
plus Arun Ghosh
16th November 2008

Southbank Centre
address SE1
0871 663 2505
www.southbankcentre.co.uk

Indian-American saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa is one of the most innovative young musicians and composers in jazz today. Drawing on the culture of his ancestry he melds jazz with the cyclic rhythms of Indian classical music creating an organic hybrid, playing here with a quartet that features the remarkable pianist Vijay Iyer.

 

Herbie Hancock
19th November 2008

Barbican Hall
Barbican Centre
Silk Street
London EC2Y 8DS

 

Herbie Hancock
20th November 2008

Symphony Hall
Broad Street
Birmingham B1 2EA

 

Herbie Hancock, whose music has consistently crossed boundaries and challenged jazz orthodoxy since the heady days of the 1960s. His crucial association with the transition between the acoustic and the electric Miles Davis bands, alongside his own exploration of dance floor grooves marked the trail for decades of ground-breaking music, from headlong post-bop piano improvisation that transcends the jazz mainstream to the electro/techno innovations of Headhunters and Future Shock. Whatever the context, any Hancock concert carries a sense of anticipation and occasion that signals an artist who invariably produces music at the very highest level, as highlighted by his recent Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

 

 

 

 



COURTNEY PINE TRANSITION IN TRADITION
A tribute To Sidney Bechet plus special guests EMPIRIC
20th November 2008

Courtney Pine has been at the forefront of the UK jazz scene for over twenty years continually pushing at boundaries and reinterpreting the tradition. His new project Transition in Tradition brings a very personal insight into the music’s history. Taking inspiration from Sidney Bechet, the legendary New Orleans saxophonist who initially inspired Pine back in the 80s, Pine has written a set of fascinating new music, probing the Bechet legacy in typically original style. The net result is a medley of musical and cultural contrasts that are rooted in Bechet’s Creole heritage, whilst using the language and energy of today’s jazz. A cracking six-piece acoustic band takes a journey from the Caribbean to France and back again, with tango and latin flavours, and the exuberant spirit of New Orleans jazz creating a heady mix.

With Cuban electric violinist Omar Puente, Latin jazz pianist Alex Wilson, Dominican guitarist Cameron Pierre, Ghanaian drummer Robert Fordjour, and bassist Darren Taylor.


Barbican
Barbican Centre
Silk Street
London EC2Y 8DS