Terry Seabrook Trio, St Peter's Church, Brighton

St Peter's is a 12th Century chapel near Preston Park. Now disused, it's kept open by The Churches Conservation Trust and, on Saturday. played host to the Terry Seabrook Trio. It was a treat to hear Terry, perhaps best know for his Cubana Bop band, play such intimate music in such a sympathetic setting.

The band was in the classic piano-trio style of pianists such as Ahmad Jamal, Bill Evans and Chick Corea and the choice of repertoire was drawn straight from that tradition. Bill Evans' Waltz for Debbie, his version of I Should Care and tunes by Ray Bryant and Cedar Walton. The second set was particularly strong with notable highlights being Terry's unaccompanied version of Chick Corea's Armando's Rhumba and Nardis, which featured unaccompanied solo sections from each member of the band.

Terry got better as the evening progressed, the and warmed up (it was quite cold in the church) and the interplay increased. Spike Wells played beautifully throughout. It's difficult playing drums in a church - it can sound as though the kit is being thrown down the stairs. Spike had muted the kit and cymbals with tape, and they sounded great. He did an outstanding free form solo on Nardis which, to my ears, sounded straight from the brink of a revolutionary 1968. Paul Whitten's bass playing was understated and very tasteful, often starting his solos by playing the melody.

There are certainly pros and cons to playing in churches. I once saw Jim Hall playing in a church in Islington. He was supported by Martin Drew's hard bop band, which sounded dreadful - cymbals exploding, the snare drum ricocheting off the walls. Jim came on, the audience went silent and he just started playing with the guitar turned down. You could hear a pin drop. I sometimes feel that jazz audiences have become too reverential in clubs - so many great recordings of people like Bill Evans (at the Village Vanguard) and Duke Ellington (at the Blue Note, Chicago) have audience noise without spoiling the music. If you're going to have intimate, reflective music and a quiet, listening audience, a church is the obvious place for it.

Aaron Goldberg Trio, All of Me (changes), Live in Italy, 2008

I love Aaron's solo on this, particularly the first few choruses and then the way it builds from there. It's very "cool" in that there is a logical connection from one idea to the next from beginning to end. Eric Harland is one of my favourite drummers - lots of colour and dynamics. The tune sounds like something Tristano or Konitz would have written on a standard set of changes.

UPDATE! Link to transcription of Background Music by Warne Marsh

Joe Lee Wilson - Home In The Country

Joe Lee Wilson is a very gracious man. A brilliant singer with an amazing jazz pedigree. Based in Paris and Brighton, he definitely deserves wider recognition. He comes to our gigs at the Round Georges in Kemptown (he lives around the corner) - listens attentively and is appreciative. It's an honour to play for him.

I love this song. It's so full of yearning and, for me, packs a real emotional punch. I hope I get to hear him live very soon.

Joshua Breakstone - "Overdone" Live

Earl Sauls and Joshua Breakstone

Masterful solo - beautiful, sustained, tasteful improvisation by Joshua Breakstone with Earl Sauls on bass.

Baptiste Trotignon Quintet featuring Mark Turner

Another great night at Charlie Wright's International Bar in Hoxton saw French pianist Baptiste Trotignon with all-star support direct from NYC - Mark Turner (tenor), Jeremy Pelt (trumpet), Eric Harland (drums) and Matt Penman (bass). I had never heard of Baptiste before, so was surprised that he was playing with such big names.

The band played original compositions but the focus was on the star improvisers. Matt Penman's solo on the initial number was muscular and intense. He's a very physical player and seems to play with heavy strings, giving a sense that he is really digging in.

Mark Turner came on for the second number, starting it solo. He has a very clear, woody tone and there is a vertical/arpeggio-based approach to his soloing, often moving into the upper register. He literally bobs up and down with the notes. There is a "pure" or cool/meditative quality to his playing. There are no obvious blues inflexions and he doesn't excite the rhythm section. That said, it is very musical and satisfying.

Jeremy Pelt is a fiery trumpeter with a beautiful tone on flugelhorn. Dressed in suit, tie and shades he would have been perfectly at home on an Art Blakey date in the late Fifties. A marked contrast to Mark Turner, his exciting solos touch the rhythm section up a notch in terms of energy. Eric Harland on drums was outstanding, his style restless, thoughtful and tasteful.

I'd like to here Baptiste on CD. There was plenty to listen to but his sound was compromised by a poor PA. Talking to him afterwards he admitted that it was "a really cool band" and he clearly enjoyed just being in such brilliant musical company.

There were various partners involved in putting on the gig, including the u-turn project that supports women who have suffered cruelty and abuse and encourages them to make sustainable changes in their lives.

Other reviews:

FT

Daily Telegraph

YouTube clip

René Thomas: Theme For Manuel

This is the first footage I have ever seen of René - in a very groovy film studio. Fantastic tone to the guitar and real intensity to his playing. His glasses look an inch thick and his eyes are just a few inches from his fingers - rather mole like.

This is a great find. I hope there is more out there.

Pete Randall Band featuring Geoff Simkins, Brighton Jazz Club, 17 April 2009

Geoff Simkins from jazzreview.com

Walking into the Komedia Studio Bar last night was like walking into The Haig Club in Los Angeles somewhere around 1952: four fresh-faced young men on the bandstand playing cool jazz. Then it would have been the likes of Chet Baker and Gerry Mulligan; this band consisted of leader Peter Randall (bass), James Maddren (drums), Freddie Gavita (trumpet and flugelhorn) Lewis Wright (vibes) and a rather less fresh-faced Geoff Simpkins, the Brighton-based alto saxophonist (pictured). They were assembled to play a set inspired by the music of Lee Konitz and Warne Marsh.

The band played Lennie Tristano & Lee Lonitz tunes tunes such as 317 East 32nd Street, Subconscious-Lee, Lennie's Pennies. Generally built on recognisable changes (Out of Nowhere, What is This Thing Called Love, Pennies from Heaven) but long, complex, linear-sounding heads.

Geoff is perfect for this line-up as he has made developing the Konitz/Marsh approach his life's work. He focuses on the development of melodic ideas, getting inside the chords and and bringing out the really interesting notes. The lines are often quite long, teasing out small melodic ideas, and then off in a different, often unexpected, direction. I take a workshop with Geoff every other Saturday, when he focuses on getting the most out of the students, minimising the amount he plays himself. Geoff's philosophy on soloing has a clear lineage back to the teaching of Lennie Tristano, so it was great to hear this approach in action. The number that stood our for me was his expressive take on the ballad Detour Ahead.

The rhythm section really stood out. There was plenty of rhythmic interest in James Maddren's playing but never lost it's sense of swing. Peter Randall reminded me of Larry Grenadier and Charlie Haden, focusing on the lower end of the bass. Trumpeter Freddie Gravita sounded most at home on his feature spot on Autumn Leaves, which started very freely and went into a strong swing feel. The sound of Lewis Wright on vibes complemented the band sound well - occupying it's own space in terms of the tonal colour and never getting in the way. At the climax of some of his solos his playing was virtuosic - fast, rhythmic and very physical, particularly on John Lewis' Django.

Talking with Pete afterwards, we agreed that a lot of the current interest in Konitz and his ilk is due, at least in part, to Mark Turner, the US tenor player. Mark is clearly a very serious musician (leaving aside legends like Sonny Rollins, he's probably the best tenor play I have ever seen live) and it was interesting hearing the much better known Joshua Redman on Radio 3 last week saying what a big influence he was. It's great hearing this music reinvigorated by young musicians who value the experience and approach brought by master practitioner Geoff Simkins.