Live at the Snowdrop, Lewes, 20th September

It was an enjoyable gig at the Snowdrop on Monday where I was playing in the classic organ trio format with Terry Seabrook (organ) and Dominic O'Meehgan (drums). Terry comp'ed in the classic organ style of the likes of Brother Jack McDuff and Jimmy McGriff with his soloing style being more reminiscent of the modern jazz stylings of Larry Young (as witnessed on the fantastic Unity album). Dominic combined the fire and energy of Art Blakey with the polyrhythmic dexterity of Tony Williams.

I recorded the gig on a little Edirol digital recorder. The tracks below are just a representative selection from the set.

Moanin' - Rhoda Scott 1972

Thinking of tomorrow's organ trio gig with Terry Seabrook reminded me of this great clip of Rhoda Scott. That's a great groove for just two people!

Kit Downes Trio, Brighton Jazz Club, 10th September

Being nominated for the Mercury Music Prize as this year's token jazzers doesn't seem to to have done much to Kit Downes' confidence. The pianist seemed genuinely surprised and humbled by the warm reception he got at the Brighton Jazz Club on Friday. One imagines that in the extremely unlikely event that he had won the top prize, the Trio would have been ill suited to playing the main stage at Glastonbury because the music is intimate and, as such, more suited to the small jazz club.

The band have a classic piano jazz trio set-up, Kit to the left and drummer James Maddren to the the right with bassist Calum Gourley acting as a kind of fulcrum between the sparring partners. Kit is not a flashy player. There's a fragility and thoughtfulness to his playing and, rather than creating strong solo lines, he uses the piano to create textures. Drummer James Maddren, who last impressed me at BJC with alto saxophonist Geoff Simkins, plays with great freedom and a wonderful sense of dynamics. He can go from quiet and controlled to loud and surprising very quickly, but always tastefully. I love the look on his face as he plays - transported to some place inside the music. Interestingly bassist Calum Gourley played strong melodic lines on his solos, by way of contrast to Kit.

The set was made up almost entirely of Kit's compositions. The tunes that stood out were Skip James -  a piece that conjured up an eerie Texan landscape, like Ry Cooder's score to Wim Wenders' Paris Texas - and Jump Mitzy Jump as it reminded me of our kittens when they have that five minute frenetic burst of activity. The compositions are strong enough to make me want to get to know the records. In terms of comparisons, a bit of EST and a bit of Brad Mehldau, though less intense. One thing that intrigued me about the tunes was where the composing ended and the improvising started. I thought the same thing with Phronesis earlier in the year. You can't see the joins but you want to be reassured that the bulk is improvised.

It can be tough presenting entirely original, unfamiliar compositions to an audience. It was therefore something of a relief mid-way through the second set when they went into a beautiful, understated version of the standard Skylark. The melody of that tune is so strong, they didn't have to do much with it. It was like listening to the blooming of a flower, time-lapse style.

It was of no surprise to learn that the three shared a house as students. They played without music, seemed very supportive of each other and the music had the good humour of mates playing together. They didn't seem at all surprised that they weren't the victors last week. I think it would take quite a lot to distract them from their current path.

Here's a video of Kit Downes talking about and playing Jump Minzy Jump.

New Kurt Rosenwinkel record out next week!

I'm very excited by the prospect of a new Kurt Rosenwinkel record which showcases his compositions in an orchestral setting. Kurt is a brilliant guitarist but what I like most of all is the  depth and originality of his tunes. The influences are almost untraceable - european classical and folk, science fiction, hip-hop, pop, world music and jazz. They just seem to be the product of a massive musical imagination, intelligence, intuition and a big heart. Admittedly, his style may not be as easily accessible as, say Brad Mehldau, but I've found it rewards repeated listening.

The album was recorded with the Orquestra Jazz de Matosinhos (OJM), a Portuguese big band, and is released on the independent WOM label. You can catch some pre-release excerpts here. From what I've heard so far, it sounds great and is probably one of Kurt's most accessible recordings.

Brunswick Jazz Jam Session, Hove, Tuesday evenings

Paul Richards has made a real success of The Brunswick Jazz Jam on Tuesday evenings. It was packed this Tuesday with a good mix of musicians and general listeners. Paul is great at encouraging people to take part and he has managed to established a very relaxed atmosphere where people are not scared of joining in. The high level of interest in the session and the high standard of talent on show bodes well for the future of live jazz in Brighton.

Jamming at The Brunswick by Monika Henter

Paul himself is a fine guitarist. He plays a nylon-strung Godin guitar and uses a classical right hand technique which gives him a very pianistic approach - chords, arpeggios and single note lines - and a beautiful tone. He is certainly one of the best jazz players I have heard live in this vein (Pat Metheny does it brilliantly and I saw Charlie Byrd many years ago, but he was past him prime).

I got to play with some great musicians - Paul, Charlotte Glasson (sax and flute), Eddie Myer (bass), Wayne McConnell (piano) and a young drummer called Peter Adam Hill. The photo is from the Brunswick Jazz Jam facebook group (which is worth joining for details) and was taken by Monika Henter.

Herman Leonard: March 6, 1923 – August 14, 2010

Lester Young by Herman Leonard

Herman Leonard died last week. Photographers like Francis Wolff, William Caxton and Hermann Leonard pretty much created the image of jazz in the 'Fifties and 'Sixties on the East and West Coast of the US. These photos took on a new life when jazz was being re-discovered in the 'Eighties when they also became synonymous with a particular type of  advertising (remember "yuppies"?).

The photo above is from a nice little movie short he made that I saw on Channel 4 years ago and have on a fading video somewhere. That's Lester Young beneath the pork pie hat.

Here's an obituary in Slate: http://www.slate.com/id/2264119/.
And a BBC audio slideshow: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-11000692

kineojazz - Autumn/Winter 2010 Programme!

Preston Park velodrome in the snow

The kineojazz team (Ela Southgate, Steve Rayson and I) has just finished putting together a programme for the autumn. Like the Joe Lee Wilson and Claire Martin gigs we will be once again using Brighton's best (IMHO) jazz venue - The Basement.

In choosing artists to put on we have aimed to combine the local angle, those who have a national reputation, strong jazz pedigree and an ability to appeal to a broad audience. Here is the full list of gigs:


Thursday 30th September: Season Kick Off!
LIANE CARROLL TRIO with support from Luke Rattenbury Trio
Pianist/Singer Liane is from Hastings, has won many top awards and is known for her passionate live performances. Guitarist Luke Rattenbury is a regular on the Brighton and promises an exciting jazz/latin set with top class comrades Tristan Banks (drums) and Andre Fry (bass).


Wednesday 17th November: Latin Jazz! 
CUBANA BOP with support from Remember April 
Terry Seabrook has refreshed his Cubana Bop line up but it's good to see tenor saxophonist Ian Price is still in the band. Ela's Remember April will augment their distinctive bossa nova stylings with some three-part harmonisations from Ela, Rachel Dey and Sara Oschlag.


Thursday 9TH December: Christmas Special!
CLAIRE MARTIN with support from Alice Hawkes Quartet
Claire is back with her band featuring fantastic guitarist Jim Mullen. Alice Hawkes plays some tasteful piano with a band that features Py (tenor and soprano sax), Tim Slade (double bass) and Graham Allen (drums). Expect some modern jazz standards and orginal compositions.

If you haven't been before the kineojazz nights are definitely "an event" (rather than just another gig) and makes for a great night out.

You can find full details on the kineojazz website: http://www.kineojazz.com/.