Friday, 27 March 2015
Sunday, 19 October 2014
Lost Organ Unit Live at Brighton Oxjam 2014
Recorded at The Verdict Brighton on 18th October. I was playing a 1951 Gibson ES175, P90 PUP and Fender Vibrolux Custom Reverb.
Sunday, 9 February 2014
Organ Madness at The Brunswick, 23rd February
An inspired poster by Andy Pickett. Be afraid, be very afraid . . .
Wednesday, 19 June 2013
Transcription: "Cannonball" Adderley's solo on Never Will I Marry
Name: "Cannonball" Adderley - Never Will I Marry
Spotify Link: Nancy Wilson – Never Will I Marry
YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID4KwH2GK-8
Soloist: "Cannonball" Adderley
Instrument: Alto Sax
Album: Nancy Wilson/"Cannonball" Adderley
Label: Capitol
Release Date: 1962
Transcription: Jackie McLean's solo on Appointment in Ghana
Name: Jackie McLean - Appointment in Ghana
Spotify Link: Jackie McLean – Appointment in Ghana
YouTube Link: http://youtu.be/QLloj1upSSA
Soloist: Jackie McLean
Instrument: Alto Sax
Album: Jackie's Bag
Label: Blue Note
Release Date: 1960
Transcription: Grant Stewart's solo on Cool Struttin'
Name: Grant Stewart - Cool Struttin'
Spotify Link: Grant Stewart – Cool Struttin'
Spotify Link: Grant Stewart – Cool Struttin'
YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9Zil180OZc
Soloist: Grant Stewart
Instrument: Tenor Sax
Album: Estate
Label: Videoarts
Release Date: 2008
Transcription: Joel Frahm's solo on What's Your Beat
Name: Joel Frahm - What's Your Beat
Soloist: Joel Frahm
Instrument: Tenor Sax
Album: Live at Smalls
Label: Smalls Live
Release Date: 2011
Transcription: Kenny Garrett's solo on Solid
Name: Kenny Garrett - Solid
Spotify Link: Woody Shaw – Solid
Spotify Link: Woody Shaw – Solid
YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9Zil180OZc
Soloist: Kenny Garrett
Instrument: Alto Sax
Album: Woody Shaw - Solid
Label: Muse Records
Release Date: 1986
Transcription: Sam Most solo on Plop Plop Boom
Name: Sam Most - Plop Plop Boom
YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wu4YNNphdtM
Soloist: Sam Most
Instrument: Flute
Album: Single 45
Label: Bell Records
Release Date: 1970
Transcription: Steve Wilson's solo on Little B's Poem
Name: Steve Wilson - Little B's Poem Flute
Spotify Link: Jackie McLean – The Blue Note 7 – Little B's Poem
Soloist: Steve Wilson
Instrument: Flute
Album: Blue Note 7 - Mosaic
Label: Blue Note
Release Date: 2009
Transcription: Jackie McLean solo on Cool Struttin'
Name: Jackie McLean - Cool Struttin'
Spotify Link: Jackie McLean – Sonny Clark – Cool Struttin'
YouTube Link : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llPQnwDAIVU
Soloist: Jackie Mclean
Instrument: Alto Sax
Album: Sonny Clark - Cool Struttin’
Label: Blue Note
Release Date: 1958
Transcriptions by Andy Pickett
Friend and Brighton saxophonist Andy Pickett has been busy transcribing solos for a number of years now. Here is a selection of them:
For ease of searching I will publish them individually on subsequent posts.
Feel free to send me any other transcriptions.
- Jackie McLean - Cool Struttin (Alto Sax)
- Steve Wilson - Little B's Poem (Flute)
- Sam Most - Plop Plop Boom (Flute)
- Kenny Garrett - Solid (Alto Sax)
- Joel Frahm - What's Your Beat (Tenor Sax)
- Grant Stewart - Cool Struttin (Tenor Sax)
- Jackie McLean - Appointment in Ghana (Alto)
- Cannonball - Never Will I Marry (Alto Sax)
For ease of searching I will publish them individually on subsequent posts.
Feel free to send me any other transcriptions.
Tuesday, 30 April 2013
Brighton's Studio 9 Orchestra
For the past six months I have been rehearsing and gigging with The Studio 9 Orchestra, a modern jazz big band playing a wind ranging repertoire including arrangements by Kenny Wheeler, Maria Schneider, Mingus and band members. The band has a special sound, due not only to the repertoire but also to the high quality of musicianship, the voice of singer Red Gray and the commitment of the band's leaders, Scott Sheridan and Philippe Guyard.
S9O's diary is filling up and with some high profile gigs looking, I though it would be interesting to interview Scott and Philippe and find out more about this intriguing band. . .
When and why did you start S9O?
S9O was set up in April 2011, 2 years ago now - it has gone very quickly. We were both very keen to play some new, challenging material that we could we get our musical teeth into, and that was different from the repertoire being played by the majority of Big Bands.
Tell us a bit about yourselves
Scott: I studied Music at Sussex where I played trumpet in all the usual groups - Big Band, Orchestra, Musical Theatre etc. In my second year, I found myself leading the University Big Band and the Musicals Pit band, which I did for 4 years. I really enjoyed directing these bands and I decided to take the directing thing a bit more seriously. After graduating, I looked for my next challenge, and this is when I met Philippe.
Philippe: I’m ‘self-taught’ (whatever that means) on the saxophone. I came to the UK in my early 20s, and started playing in blues bands, then moved on to small jazz and funk groups, mostly around Southampton and Portsmouth. Then I moved to Brighton in 2007 and joined the Sussex Jazz Orchestra, and that really opened my ears to what could be done with big band music.
Where did you meet?
We met when both working with the University of Sussex Big Band. I was directing and Philippe was on First Tenor. Truth be told, we didn't chat much outside of rehearsals, then one fateful night, we got chatting in the pub.... it turned out both had a very similar idea of the type of group we wanted to play in, but which didn't exist...so we got scheming. Brighton has a great jazz scene and lots of great musicians around, which made the process of putting a band together relatively easy.
Tell us about the repertoire
We put a lot of thought and care in choosing our repertoire – and it's very varied. At a S9O gig, you can expect to be taken on a roller coaster ride of modern charts - a ballad followed by some hard funk, then a swing tune, then a choro....you get the picture. The main criteria for choosing pieces has to be that we have to enjoy playing them, and we try to avoid cliché. We also like pieces with a more orchestral sound, full of texture and surprises, instead of hitting the audience with a wall of sound, following predictable big band tropes.
A lot of the music is challenging, both for the musicians, but also for the listener; much of our music pushes the harmonic and metric 'norms' of the big band genre. We aim for our audiences to go away having listened to something they may not have encountered before. We often get compliments from ‘non-jazz fans’ who otherwise might feel intimidated by ‘modern’ jazz, or who associate big bands with the music of past generations.
Tell us about some of the players
We are very fortunate to have a phenomenal group of musicians playing in the band. I think that the fact that we are playing charts that don’t get to be played anywhere else attracts some of the best musicians in East Sussex (and Philippe... only joking! - he is alright too). A lot of the players joined out of the musical relationships we had before forming the band, and a key principle for us is to make sure we have a happy band with an atmosphere where we can express ourselves, learn and develop together. It takes a lot of commitment to play this kind of music.
How would you describe the orchestra's sound?
Hmmm...Good question. It is hard to say with such a varied repertoire. But I think the thing that typifies our sound is the energy that we achieve in our performances. Even when we are playing the most delicate, pianissimo section of a ballad, it is exciting, and of course when the main head of a Goodwin piece comes along, we know how to raise the roof.
Also our approach to section playing, and balancing sounds in the more harmonically complex pieces. When we are playing something, for example, by Maria Schneider, so much is about harmony and texture - it is beautiful. What we strive to achieve is a well-blended band sound which really exploits this sophistication.
What do you enjoy about running S90?
Lots...
The challenge of the music keeps us all on our toes which is good; working with such great musicians is also a privilege and makes rehearsals and gigs very enjoyable. Most of all though, everyone is just very nice, rehearsals are fun and we have a laugh while also playing some great tunes.
Any frustrations?
The economics of running a band aren’t ideal at the moment. Most players are professionals, but effectively give their time for free to rehearse. It would be great to be in a position where we could budget that in. It’s also hard to find suitable venues that will fit a 19-piece band and still leave space for an audience!
What do you think the musicians get out of it?
The opportunity to really get stuck in to some tricky stuff. Some of the pieces are a real roast, but that is good and it helps all of us develop. I also think we all love that we are playing work by the composers that we all love, listen to and aspire to play... Dave Holland, Kenny Wheeler, Bob Mintzer....Nowhere else will we get an opportunity to play most of these charts.
What are your plans and ambitions for S9O?
We’ve spent the last year or so developing our repertoire to a point where it is large and varied enough to keep us interested. Our main goal now is to settle down a bit and really get into the subtleties of the different pieces, whilst still adding the odd piece here and there to our pad. We have recently started to play some new work by local composers (including our very own Paul Nieman and David Beebee) and I think we would like to do more of that. Doing new work is particularly exciting for us and we think it is important to provide a platform for local composers to get their work performed.
Moving forward, we are looking to do some festivals and some larger gigs - let us know if you hear of any opportunities.
There has also been some chat of growing the band in terms of our line up...strings...electronics....just ideas at the moment but watch this space!
What are the highlights for the orchestra to date?
Every one of our gigs has been a sell-out to date - and that in itself is a highlight. The atmosphere in the room at performances is electric and probably the reason why these musicians keep coming to rehearsals and playing for free.
What should people do if they'd like to get involved?
If you are interested in playing with us, do get in touch. Email players@studio9orchestra.com.
Does S90 have a web site?
We do indeed - it is www.studio9orchestra.com, where you can see gig info, gig photos and sign up to be on our mailing list!
Upcoming gigs:
26 May 2013 - Brighton Fringe Festival, The Brunswick, 1 Holland Rd Brighton and Hove, Hove BN3 1JF, 01273 733984 TICKETS
21 July 2013 - The Latest Music Bar, 14-17 Manchester St Brighton, East Sussex BN2 1TF
01273 687171
 |
| Studio 9 Orchestra with singer Red Gray |
S9O's diary is filling up and with some high profile gigs looking, I though it would be interesting to interview Scott and Philippe and find out more about this intriguing band. . .
When and why did you start S9O?
S9O was set up in April 2011, 2 years ago now - it has gone very quickly. We were both very keen to play some new, challenging material that we could we get our musical teeth into, and that was different from the repertoire being played by the majority of Big Bands.
Tell us a bit about yourselves
Scott: I studied Music at Sussex where I played trumpet in all the usual groups - Big Band, Orchestra, Musical Theatre etc. In my second year, I found myself leading the University Big Band and the Musicals Pit band, which I did for 4 years. I really enjoyed directing these bands and I decided to take the directing thing a bit more seriously. After graduating, I looked for my next challenge, and this is when I met Philippe.
Philippe: I’m ‘self-taught’ (whatever that means) on the saxophone. I came to the UK in my early 20s, and started playing in blues bands, then moved on to small jazz and funk groups, mostly around Southampton and Portsmouth. Then I moved to Brighton in 2007 and joined the Sussex Jazz Orchestra, and that really opened my ears to what could be done with big band music.
Where did you meet?
We met when both working with the University of Sussex Big Band. I was directing and Philippe was on First Tenor. Truth be told, we didn't chat much outside of rehearsals, then one fateful night, we got chatting in the pub.... it turned out both had a very similar idea of the type of group we wanted to play in, but which didn't exist...so we got scheming. Brighton has a great jazz scene and lots of great musicians around, which made the process of putting a band together relatively easy.
Tell us about the repertoire
We put a lot of thought and care in choosing our repertoire – and it's very varied. At a S9O gig, you can expect to be taken on a roller coaster ride of modern charts - a ballad followed by some hard funk, then a swing tune, then a choro....you get the picture. The main criteria for choosing pieces has to be that we have to enjoy playing them, and we try to avoid cliché. We also like pieces with a more orchestral sound, full of texture and surprises, instead of hitting the audience with a wall of sound, following predictable big band tropes.
A lot of the music is challenging, both for the musicians, but also for the listener; much of our music pushes the harmonic and metric 'norms' of the big band genre. We aim for our audiences to go away having listened to something they may not have encountered before. We often get compliments from ‘non-jazz fans’ who otherwise might feel intimidated by ‘modern’ jazz, or who associate big bands with the music of past generations.
Tell us about some of the players
We are very fortunate to have a phenomenal group of musicians playing in the band. I think that the fact that we are playing charts that don’t get to be played anywhere else attracts some of the best musicians in East Sussex (and Philippe... only joking! - he is alright too). A lot of the players joined out of the musical relationships we had before forming the band, and a key principle for us is to make sure we have a happy band with an atmosphere where we can express ourselves, learn and develop together. It takes a lot of commitment to play this kind of music.
Among the group there are some outstanding soloists; you could put any crazy chord progression in front of them and they would make a delicious meal out of it, improvising on the fly!
How would you describe the orchestra's sound?
Hmmm...Good question. It is hard to say with such a varied repertoire. But I think the thing that typifies our sound is the energy that we achieve in our performances. Even when we are playing the most delicate, pianissimo section of a ballad, it is exciting, and of course when the main head of a Goodwin piece comes along, we know how to raise the roof.
Also our approach to section playing, and balancing sounds in the more harmonically complex pieces. When we are playing something, for example, by Maria Schneider, so much is about harmony and texture - it is beautiful. What we strive to achieve is a well-blended band sound which really exploits this sophistication.
What do you enjoy about running S90?
Lots...
The challenge of the music keeps us all on our toes which is good; working with such great musicians is also a privilege and makes rehearsals and gigs very enjoyable. Most of all though, everyone is just very nice, rehearsals are fun and we have a laugh while also playing some great tunes.
Any frustrations?
The economics of running a band aren’t ideal at the moment. Most players are professionals, but effectively give their time for free to rehearse. It would be great to be in a position where we could budget that in. It’s also hard to find suitable venues that will fit a 19-piece band and still leave space for an audience!
What do you think the musicians get out of it?
The opportunity to really get stuck in to some tricky stuff. Some of the pieces are a real roast, but that is good and it helps all of us develop. I also think we all love that we are playing work by the composers that we all love, listen to and aspire to play... Dave Holland, Kenny Wheeler, Bob Mintzer....Nowhere else will we get an opportunity to play most of these charts.
What are your plans and ambitions for S9O?
We’ve spent the last year or so developing our repertoire to a point where it is large and varied enough to keep us interested. Our main goal now is to settle down a bit and really get into the subtleties of the different pieces, whilst still adding the odd piece here and there to our pad. We have recently started to play some new work by local composers (including our very own Paul Nieman and David Beebee) and I think we would like to do more of that. Doing new work is particularly exciting for us and we think it is important to provide a platform for local composers to get their work performed.
Moving forward, we are looking to do some festivals and some larger gigs - let us know if you hear of any opportunities.
There has also been some chat of growing the band in terms of our line up...strings...electronics....just ideas at the moment but watch this space!
What are the highlights for the orchestra to date?
Every one of our gigs has been a sell-out to date - and that in itself is a highlight. The atmosphere in the room at performances is electric and probably the reason why these musicians keep coming to rehearsals and playing for free.
My personal favourite moment....Pete (Solo Trumpet) doing at 64-bar mouthpiece-only solo in Mingus’s Song With Orange at the Brunswick. Totally unexpected... but in a weird way... kind of worked.
What should people do if they'd like to get involved?
If you are interested in playing with us, do get in touch. Email players@studio9orchestra.com.
Does S90 have a web site?
We do indeed - it is www.studio9orchestra.com, where you can see gig info, gig photos and sign up to be on our mailing list!
Upcoming gigs:
26 May 2013 - Brighton Fringe Festival, The Brunswick, 1 Holland Rd Brighton and Hove, Hove BN3 1JF, 01273 733984 TICKETS
21 July 2013 - The Latest Music Bar, 14-17 Manchester St Brighton, East Sussex BN2 1TF
01273 687171
Monday, 1 April 2013
Thursday, 12 April 2012
Guitarist Ted Dunbar
I first came across the name Ted Dunbar (January 17, 1937 in Port Arthur, Texas – May 29, 1998) as a teacher of Peter Bernstein. There's not many recordings available of the guitarist, but recently a few videos have appeared on Youtube - playing with Tony Williams' Lifetime and a wonderful duo performance from 1972 with Richard Davis (below).
Ted studied as a pharmacist and was a pupil of Wes Montgomery. As well as being an influential teacher, Ted worked with many great modern jazz musician (including McCoy Tyner, Sam Rivers and Gil Evans) and wrote a number of interesting books (here's his Wikipedia entry). I have tracked down one of them "A System of Tonal Convergence for Improvisers Composers and Arrangers". This is a system involving 24 scales that can be used to "converge" on the overall key centre. It's a fascinating book and I like is style. For example:
This diagram illustrates in the approach as the 24 scales "bombard" the F major key centre:
Ted's pupils Rick Stone and Amanda Monaco published versions of the list that Ted gave all his students that they had to practice every day. If you ever nailed all of these tunes you would have developed some serious chops.
Here's a great video of Ted in action with bass player Richard Davis on Gershwin's Summertime.
Here's a profile of Ted Dunbar by his teaching colleague Dr Larry Ridley from All About Jazz.
Ted studied as a pharmacist and was a pupil of Wes Montgomery. As well as being an influential teacher, Ted worked with many great modern jazz musician (including McCoy Tyner, Sam Rivers and Gil Evans) and wrote a number of interesting books (here's his Wikipedia entry). I have tracked down one of them "A System of Tonal Convergence for Improvisers Composers and Arrangers". This is a system involving 24 scales that can be used to "converge" on the overall key centre. It's a fascinating book and I like is style. For example:
A tonal gravity law is created once you start to play music (in a key). The key of the music exerts a gravity pull on all other chords no matter what they be. The energy amassed in a jazz improvisor's solo has to be climatically released by arrival "home" to the overall key centre. The weight of this released energy causes a last moment of furious groping for approachment to finality through various formulas created under pressure.and:
Many airplanes approach New York from many convergent cities in the world. A king walks down the aisle and converges on his throne. Wine is a convergent pre-dinner beverage. Calisthenics are pre-game convergent exercises to football players. Bb7 is a standard V chord to Eb minor & major tonalities as well as many other chords and their parent scales in this convergent system.The book has a home made quality - hand typed and self published, but it is a rich and fascinating resource and one that should be re-published and made widely available.
This diagram illustrates in the approach as the 24 scales "bombard" the F major key centre:
 |
| Ted Dunbar's Circle of Gravities [click to enlarge] |
Ted's pupils Rick Stone and Amanda Monaco published versions of the list that Ted gave all his students that they had to practice every day. If you ever nailed all of these tunes you would have developed some serious chops.
- Confirmation
- Donna Lee
- Four
- Little Willie Leaps
- Freedom Jazz Dance (Evolution Of The Groove)
- Sippin' at Bell's
- Scrapple From The Apple
- Vierd Blues
- Cookin' at the Continental
- Gingerbread Boy
- Jordu
- Airegin
- Yardbird Suite
- Au Privave
- Budo
- Ornithology
- Parisian Thoroughfare
- Groovin' High
- Moment's Notice
- Dat Dere
- Daahoud
- Bebop
- Ceora
- Anthropology
- Tricotism
- Joy Spring
- Half Nelson
- Oleo
- Room 608
- Milestones
- Cheryl
- Opus De Funk
- Dig
- Quicksilver
- Impressions
- Prince Albert
- Giant Steps
- Song for My Father
- The Theme
- Con Alma
Here's a great video of Ted in action with bass player Richard Davis on Gershwin's Summertime.
Here's a profile of Ted Dunbar by his teaching colleague Dr Larry Ridley from All About Jazz.
Wednesday, 11 April 2012
Jonathan Kreisberg Quartet at Pizza Express
What a phenomenal guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg is! At the Pizza Express, Dean St last night the audience were treated to outstanding performance combining improvisational ingenuity and good taste. Taking material from the Shadowless album, some newer compositions and a couple of standards, Jonathan struck a perfect balance of energy and poise. Melodies and soloing were intricate and inventive, Jonathan always in control of his material and searching for new ways though it. Shadowless includes some jazz fusion-based material, using a range of pedals - notably an octave pedal and really ingenious use of the volume pedal to create some synth-like effects. High points included an original arrangement of Stella by Starlight and Horace Silver's Peace.
Brilliant English alto player Will Vinson, who I caught at the Pizza Express a few weeks ago with his own band, doubled on piano. He is a passionate, inventive soloist with a beautiful tone, managing to combing romantic lyricism with modernity. Will is a very funny raconteur on stage so it was strange to see him in the role of sideman, though he did a great job. I really enjoyed Joe Martin's playing - a tasteful bass player at the top of his game. Drummer Colin Stranahan is a real find. He's recently toured by with Kurt Rosenwinkel and you can see what these band leader like about his playing. Consistently inventive and also good humoured - not unlike drummer Eric Harland.
The video below gives a sense of what the performance was like. The tune is called Twenty-One and it is, I'm reliably informed, in the time signature of 21/8.
Brilliant English alto player Will Vinson, who I caught at the Pizza Express a few weeks ago with his own band, doubled on piano. He is a passionate, inventive soloist with a beautiful tone, managing to combing romantic lyricism with modernity. Will is a very funny raconteur on stage so it was strange to see him in the role of sideman, though he did a great job. I really enjoyed Joe Martin's playing - a tasteful bass player at the top of his game. Drummer Colin Stranahan is a real find. He's recently toured by with Kurt Rosenwinkel and you can see what these band leader like about his playing. Consistently inventive and also good humoured - not unlike drummer Eric Harland.
The video below gives a sense of what the performance was like. The tune is called Twenty-One and it is, I'm reliably informed, in the time signature of 21/8.
Monday, 2 April 2012
Brighton Jazz School Podcast
Weighing in at about an hour, it's a hefty chunk of listening but there are always plenty of gems. Features include Album of The Week, Passing Notes (focusing on some aspect of jazz theory) and an interview. I have particularly enjoyed the interviews. Each one has had a memorable nugget - gentleman trumpeter Joe Hunter identifying the romanticism at the heart of his lyrical playing, pianist Frank Harrison on the virtuoso practice routine, drummer Jim Whyte talking about the Ahmed Jamal trio, virtuoso pianist and BJS patron Geoffrey Keezer on how Jim Hall got him to play so sparingly it led him to question his whole musical personality. It makes me wish that I interviewed some of the memorable conversations I had with Joe Lee Wilson - I always intended to at some point.
The one thing that the podcast could do more of is musical extracts. This requires a PRS license and Wayne has put a PayPal link on the site so that you can contribute to the hosting costs and put something towards the license. That said there have recently been some great musical examples from James Williams, Geoffrey Keezer and Tim Garland.
If you're local and love jazz, check it out. If you're, not local it's worth checking out anyway.
You can find out more about the BJS, including links to all the podcasts at the website: http://brightonjazzschool.com/podcast
At last, a Blogger app!
Work overload, jazz projects and an almost daily commute to London have made blogging difficult recently, which has meant that I have not posted reviews of some fine gigs, including the great Will Vinson with Aaron Parks at Pizza Express and Pete Burden at The Verdict. I should be able to remedy that as I am writing my first post on the iPhone using the Blogger app.
Thursday, 2 February 2012
Dave Stryker: God Bless the Child
Some classic organ trio jazz from a great contemporary guitarist (Dave Stryker) and a wonderful solo by B3 organist Bobby Floyd, with Jonathan Higgins on drums.
Sunday, 29 January 2012
Dave Drake, Jazz Jam at the Alibi, prolonged absence
Fresh sounds, new talent!
It's been a busy couple of months with work, then Christmas, so little time for blogging. Dave Drake Quintet at The Brunswick last Sunday was this year's first gig. Dave is a young (17) Brighton-based pianist who has been gaining a reputation around Brighton, playing at venues like The Brunswick, The Bristol and The Bees Mouth. I have been been impressed with what I heard so was keen to hear him playing with his own quintet. The band featured four other excellent young musicians - sax players Lucas Dodd (Alto) and Nadim Teimoori (Tenor), Sandy Suchodolski (Bass) and Billy Stookes (Drums) - all of whom play with Dave in the National Youth Jazz Orchestra.
They kicked off the set with Kurt Rosenwinkel's Chords (featured on Kurt's The Remedy). This is tricky, cutting edge modern jazz and the band delivered with confidence and verve, setting the direction of the repertoire that featured tunes by the Brian Blade Fellowship, originals by Dave that sat very comfortably alongside, and a couple of standards. The rhythm section was exemplary - really tasteful accompaniment. The two horns had distinct personalities though I could hear shades of Chris Potter and Mark Turner in both. Dave's piano playing really stood out for me. He really got inside the music - beautiful voicings (particularly on the bass solo on In a Sentimental Mood), singing along with his solos that sounded very melodic. The feel reminded me of Bud Powell, though I think his conscious influences are probably more modern Brooklyn players like Aaron Parks. I love this type of repertoire and it's great hearing it played by such young UK musicians.
There was exciting interaction between the band. Lucas and Will have a lot of chops, probably the result of a few years of jazz education. Dave sounds like a rawer talent. It will be interesting to see how it matures. I hope he builds on his individuality if he goes on to study jazz full time. Interesting audience and not untypical of audiences I see in London - young jazz musicians on stage and an audience of older listeners. I hope Dave and his fellow musicians succeed in creating a new, younger audience for this music.
Jamming at The Alibi
On Thursday I attended and performed at a new jazz jam at The Alibi in Hove. It was a warm, friendly pub and there was good audience. Plenty of great music including, most intriguingly some poetry by David Thomas of Pere Ubu (70s Beefheart influenced punk band from Cleveland, Ohio). Against improvised background music he intoned paeans to the trashy underside of American culture - penitentiaries, highways and trailer parks, David Lynch, Jim Morrison, Beefheart, the beat poets.
The session aims to be welcoming to players of all abilities and is definitely worth checking out with or without an instrument. The next jam is on 16 February and there is a website here: http://jazzjamsessions.wordpress.com/
It's been a busy couple of months with work, then Christmas, so little time for blogging. Dave Drake Quintet at The Brunswick last Sunday was this year's first gig. Dave is a young (17) Brighton-based pianist who has been gaining a reputation around Brighton, playing at venues like The Brunswick, The Bristol and The Bees Mouth. I have been been impressed with what I heard so was keen to hear him playing with his own quintet. The band featured four other excellent young musicians - sax players Lucas Dodd (Alto) and Nadim Teimoori (Tenor), Sandy Suchodolski (Bass) and Billy Stookes (Drums) - all of whom play with Dave in the National Youth Jazz Orchestra.
They kicked off the set with Kurt Rosenwinkel's Chords (featured on Kurt's The Remedy). This is tricky, cutting edge modern jazz and the band delivered with confidence and verve, setting the direction of the repertoire that featured tunes by the Brian Blade Fellowship, originals by Dave that sat very comfortably alongside, and a couple of standards. The rhythm section was exemplary - really tasteful accompaniment. The two horns had distinct personalities though I could hear shades of Chris Potter and Mark Turner in both. Dave's piano playing really stood out for me. He really got inside the music - beautiful voicings (particularly on the bass solo on In a Sentimental Mood), singing along with his solos that sounded very melodic. The feel reminded me of Bud Powell, though I think his conscious influences are probably more modern Brooklyn players like Aaron Parks. I love this type of repertoire and it's great hearing it played by such young UK musicians.
There was exciting interaction between the band. Lucas and Will have a lot of chops, probably the result of a few years of jazz education. Dave sounds like a rawer talent. It will be interesting to see how it matures. I hope he builds on his individuality if he goes on to study jazz full time. Interesting audience and not untypical of audiences I see in London - young jazz musicians on stage and an audience of older listeners. I hope Dave and his fellow musicians succeed in creating a new, younger audience for this music.
Jamming at The Alibi
On Thursday I attended and performed at a new jazz jam at The Alibi in Hove. It was a warm, friendly pub and there was good audience. Plenty of great music including, most intriguingly some poetry by David Thomas of Pere Ubu (70s Beefheart influenced punk band from Cleveland, Ohio). Against improvised background music he intoned paeans to the trashy underside of American culture - penitentiaries, highways and trailer parks, David Lynch, Jim Morrison, Beefheart, the beat poets.
The session aims to be welcoming to players of all abilities and is definitely worth checking out with or without an instrument. The next jam is on 16 February and there is a website here: http://jazzjamsessions.wordpress.com/
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