A Lark Ascending

Utterly depressing.

Well, I only just passed my Fench 'O' Level. I once ordered a rabbit of coffee in the East Berlin radio tower - kaninchen rather than kanchen (guessed those spellings too).

As far as I know there have only been two Line of Duty series. Though 2 more have been commissioned. If you want a really great French police thriller seek out 'Spiral' (Enrages), It's not done 5 superb series, each one multi-layered, gripping and filled with unusual and attractive characters. You also get to visit the parts of Paris that you'd never dream of visiting on your own.

Just listened to the new disc. Immediately engaging. I'm sure musicians hate having their music compared with others but if you want a reference point for general sound, think the Paul Bley trio records of the 60s/early 70s. If you love those you're likely to warm to this. Can a give a special mention for the three (I think) discs with slightly larger forces. I find these especially engaging (just because they fit with my own interest in jazz with a stronger composed element). They really do sound like nothing else I've heard - a wonderfully lobsided approach to melody, that feeling that you are always losing your footing yet you just right yourself before the next swerve. And you don't hear the joins between the composition and the improvisation. Alex always comes across as a very humble person and will probably be embarrassed by such praise; but to me he seems like one of the most original of current UK 'jazz' musicians and perfect proof that the music is in hands that won't just rest on the laurels of the past. Apologies for sounding a bit fanboy!

I don't - will have to look that one up. Thanks for the rec.

Just dl that. Looking forward to it. You need to make a fuss of this too: Had a very nice Sunday afternoon listening to the album. Enjoyed both discs thoroughly. Will be following up Roberto Ottaviano (who pops up already in various nooks and crannies).

I imagine most of us on this site went through a pretty similar experience back in the days of our youth (whenever that youth was) . Developing an interest in music, realising that there were even greater riches to be found beyond what was easy to hear and then finding a completely involving hobby in satisfying that curiosity. It's a bit patronising to believe that much the same sort of experience is not happening to lots of young people today. It's just that music is less compartmentalised today (despite the best efforts of 'the industry'). Maybe once you've got beyond the naturally tribal years of your teens if you've got that itch for music you are less likely to think in terms of being a jazz or classical or whatever fan. The 'tradition' and 'history' that mean so much to older listeners (and the boundary drawing that accompanies it) is possibly of limited interest. Very interesting article in April's issue of Froots exploring 'whatever happened to World Music?'. It charts a steep decline in interest around 2008 which it puts down to the recession, difficulties of bands from outside Europe/USA in getting into Britain given the anti-terror restrictions and a growing disinterest in the media (it itemises the programmes lost on the BBC). As the article says, the music is still there. It's just harder to hear here (yes, it's out there on the web...once you know it's there).

I don't think Acoustic Ladyland exist any more. But they were at the forefront of a whole group of bands who were heavily linked into Indie-rock (probably a wrong term on my part). Seb Rochford, a great jazz drummer, makes a big thing about his links there. Get the Blessing also lean that way - I think they have a connection with the rock band Portishead. I lost touch with much of that - a few too many thrash-metal jazz bands for me! But all part of the varied web. But there really are scores of practising younger musicians who often play music we'd all recognise as primarily jazz that is neither comfortably within a past style (not that there's anything wrong with that) or right out on the edge.

I'm not claiming that this is on a scale with 52nd Street. Just that their is a sustainable circuit at work for a niche music. I noticed recently that several who play in Sheffield are just up the road in Wakefield a night before or after. I'm sure the finances are all on a knife edge. But there are a lot of people still passionate enough to do it, despite that. Most of the bands there are neither avant nor neo-bop. We get our fair share of 'Tribute to ....' type bands through but most of the ones I go to see are playing original music. It might not be reinventing-the-genre-different (though some of the punkier bands' publicists would like us to think they are) but its distinctive stuff that captures my interest.

(re: Bill Fs last post) I said there are a lot of young players there - 20s/30s - merely to illustrate how there are still plenty of young people getting excited enough about jazz to play it as a profession (probably alongside other things). Agree on the audience age difference. Reflects something I said a few days back about the financially/career insecure young making a living serving the entertainment needs of the more affluent older generations. Interesting that a couple of more recent gigs - Troyka and Polar Bear - have not been held in the usual venue but in Sheffield University students' union (apart from work commitments I found the idea of going to a students' union a bit worrying; maybe students feel the same way about going to a jazz club). Didn't get to either but would be interesting to have seen if there was an age difference.

These are the gigs put on by my closest regular jazz club in Sheffield in the last few years. Nottingham has a similar history (I've been going there on and off since 1980. It might not indicate a genre that is central to current music. But it shows that there is a thoroughly healthy circuit. Most of those names won't mean much beyond Britain and Europe. But a lot of them are young players who have somehow stumbled into the music. Friday 3 October Millennium Hall Gilad Atzmon’s Orient House Ensemble Gilad Atzmon: saxophones Frank Harrison: piano Yaron Stavi: bass Chris Higginbottom: drums Friday 10 October Millennium Hall Zhenya Strigalev’s Smiling Organizm Trio Zhenya Strigalev: alto sax Michael Janisch; bass James Maddren: drums Friday 17 October at 19.15 Crucible Studio Enrico Pieranunzi Trio Enrico Pieranunzi: piano Pete Turner: bass Dave Walsh: drums Friday 24 October Millennium Hall Ollie Howell Quintet Ollie Howell: drums Max Luthert: bass Matt Robinson: piano Duncan Eagles: tenor sax Mark Perry: trumpet Friday 31 October Millennium Hall Sheffield University Big Band Friday 7 November Millennium Hall Beats & Pieces Big Band Ben Cottrell: director Anthony Brown, Sam Healey, Ben Watte: saxophones Ed Horsey, Simon Lodge, Rich McVeigh: trombones Owen Bryce, Graham South, Nick Walters: trumpets Anton Hunter: guitar Patrick Hurley: piano Harrison Wood: bass Alex Tod: drums Thursday 13 November at 20.00 Auditorium, Sheffield University Students Union Polar Bear Mark Lockheart: tenor sax Pete Wareham: tenor sax Tom Herbert: double bass Leafcutter John: electronics, guitar etc. Seb Rochford: drums Friday 21 November Millennium Hall Benn Clatworthy Quartet Benn Clatworthy: saxophones Cecilia Coleman: piano Simon Thorpe: bass Matt Home: drums Friday 28 November at 19.30 Crucible Studio Gwilym Simcock/Yuri Goloubev Duo Gwilym Simcock: piano Yuri Goloubev: bass Friday 5 December Millennium Hall Neon Quartet Stan Sulzmann: tenor sax Kit Downes: piano Jim Hart: vibes Tim Giles: drums SPRING 2014 Friday 24 January 2014 Millennium Hall Ian Shaw Ian Shaw: vocals Barry Green: piano Friday 31 January Millennium Hall Gary Crosby’s Groundation Gary Crosby: bass Nathaniel Facey: alto sax Moses Boyd: drums Shirley Tetteh: guitar Friday 7 February Millennium Hall Kit Downes Quintet Kit Downes: piano Calum Gourlay: bass James Maddren: drums James Allsopp: bass clarinet Lucy Railton: cello Friday 14 February Millennium Hall Dennis Rollins’ Velocity Trio Dennis Rollins: trombone & electronics Ross Stanley: Hammond organ Pedro Segundo: drums & percussion Friday 7 March Millennium Hall MJQ Celebration Jim Hart: vibraphone Barry Green: piano Steve Brown: drums Matt Ridley: bass Friday 14 March at 19.30 Crucible Studio Jay Phelps Sextet: Projections of Miles Jay Phelps: trumpet Denys Baptiste: tenor saxophone Logan Richardson: alto saxophone Jonathan Gee: piano Tim Thornton: bass Shane Forbes: drums Friday 21 March Millennium Hall Jean Toussaint Quartet Jean Toussaint: tenor sax Andrew McCormack: piano Larry Bartley: bass Troy Miller: drums Thursday 27 March at 20.00 Auditorium, Sheffield University Students Union Get The Blessing Jim Barr: bass Clive Deamer: drums Jake McMurchie: saxophone Pete Judge: trumpet Friday 4 April Millennium Hall Brandon Allen Quartet Brandon Allen: saxes Ross Stanley: piano Mick Hutton: bass Chris Higginbottom: drums Friday 11 April Millennium Hall John Turville Trio John Turville: piano Calum Gourlay: bass Ben Reynolds: drums Friday 25 April Millennium Hall Led Bib Mark Holub: drums Pete Grogan: alto saxophone Chris Williams: alto saxophone Liran Donin: double bass Toby McLaren: keyboards Friday 2 May Millennium Hall Michael Wollny’s [em] Michael Wollny: piano Tim Lefebvre: bass Eric Schaefer: drums Friday 9 May Millennium Hall Julian Siegel Quartet Julian Siegel: saxophones & clarinet Liam Noble: piano & synthesisers Oli Hayhurst: bass Gene Calderazzo: drums Friday 16 May Millennium Hall Anita Wardell/ Dave O’Higgins Quintet Anita Wardell: vocals Dave O’Higgins: saxophones Mike Gorman: piano Oli Hayhurst: bass Tristan Mailliot: drums AUTUMN 2013 Friday 4/10 2013 Millennium Hall Tina May 4 Tina May – vocals Nikki Iles – piano Mark Hodgson – bass Stephen Keogh - drums Friday 11/10 Millennium Hall Alan Barnes/ Bruce Adams 5 Alan Barnes - saxes/ clarinet Bruce Adams – trumpet Robin Aspland – piano Simon Thorpe – bass Matt Home - drums Friday 18/10 Millennium Hall Liam Noble 5 Liam Noble – piano Shabaka Hutchings – tenor saxophone and clarinet Chris Batchelor – trumpet Dave Whitford – bass Dave Wickins – drums Friday 25/10 Millennium Hall Louis Moholo-Moholo 4 Louis Moholo-Moholo – drums Alex Hawkins – piano Jason Yarde – saxophones John Edwards – bass Friday 1/11 Millennium Hall Sheffield University Big Band Friday 8/11 Millennium Hall Scenes in The City - The Music of Charles Mingus Tony Kofi – saxophones Karen Sharp – saxophones Jeremy Price – trombone Mark Edwards – piano Arnie Somogyi – bass Clark Tracey – drums Friday 15/11 Millennium Hall Stuart McCallum Trio with Reel Strings Stuart McCallum - guitars/laptop Pete Turner – bass Dave Walsh – drums Thol Mason, Steve Cordiner – violins Tanah Stevens – viola Ben Cashell - 'cello Friday 22/11 Millennium Hall Pinski Zoo Jan Kopinski – saxes Steve Iliffe – keys Karl Bingham – bass Stefan Kopinski – bass Patrick Illingworth - drums Friday 29/11 at 19.30 Crucible Studio Zoe Rahman Trio Zoe Rahman – piano Alec Dankworth – bass Gene Calderazzo - drums Friday 6/12 Millennium Hall Apitos Dave Hassell – timbales Steve Gilbert – drums Chris Manus – conga Steve Williams – bass Paul Kilvington – piano Glen Cartledge – guitar Nick Smart – trumpet John Hinch - 2nd trumpet Andy Scott – saxophones John Barber – trombone Orli Nyles - vocal SPRING 2013 Friday 18 January 2013 Millennium Hall Gilad Atzmon Orient House Ensemble Gilad Atzmon: sax Frank Harrison: piano Yaron Stavi: bass Eddie Hick: drums Friday 25 January Crucible Studio Stan Tracey Octet Stan Tracey: piano Mark Armstrong: trumpet Mark Nightingale: trombone Sam Mayne: sax Simon Allen: sax Mornington Lockett: sax Andy Cleyndert: bass Clark Tracey: drums Friday 1 February Millennium Hall Karen Sharp Quartet Karen Sharp; sax Nikki Iles; piano Dave Green; bass Steve Brown; drums Friday 8 February Millennium Hall Empirical Nathaniel Facey; alto sax Tom Farmer; double bass Shaney Forbes; drums Lewis Wright; vibraphone Friday 1 March Millennium Hall Liane Carroll Trio Liane Carroll; vocals & piano Roger Carey; bass Mark Fletcher; drums Friday 8 March Crucible Studio Mark Lockheart’s Ellington in Anticipation Mark Lockheart: tenor sax Emma Smith: violin Finn Peters: alto sax James Allsop: clarinets Liam Noble: piano Tom Herbert: bass Seb Rochford: drums Friday 15 March Millennium Hall Paul Booth Quintet Paul Booth; saxes Phil Robson; guitar Mike Janisch; bass Ross Stanley; piano James Maddren; drums Friday 22 March Millennium Hall Get The Blessing Jim Barr; bass Clive Deamer; drums Jake McMurchie; sax Pete Judge; trumpet Friday 12 April Millennium Hall Troyka Kit Downes: organ Chris Montague: guitars, loops Joshua Blackmore: drums Friday 19 April Millennium Hall Soweto Kinch Trio Soweto Kinch; sax etc Karl Rasheed-Abel; bass Shaney Forbes; drums Friday 26 April Millennium Hall Peter King Quartet Peter King; alto sax Steve Melling; piano Geoff Gascoyne; bass Mark Fletcher; drums Friday 10 May Millennium Hall Alex Hutton Trio Alex Hutton; piano Yuri Goloubev; bass Asaf Sirkis; drums Friday 17 May Millennium Hall Printmakers Norma Winstone; voice Nikki Iles; piano, accordion Mark Lockheart; tenor & soprano sax & bass clarinet Mike Walker; guitar Steve Watts; double bass James Maddren; drums AUTUMN 2012 Friday 28 September 2012 Millennium Hall Iain Dixon/Mike Walker Quintet Mike Walker: guitar Iain Dixon: saxophones Les Chisnall: piano Gary Culshaw: bass Caroline Boaden: drums http://www.mike-walker.co.uk/ Friday 5 October Millennium Hall Disassembler Trevor Warren: guitar Pete Wareham: sax Annie Whitehead: trombone Dudley Philips: bass Winston Clifford: drums www.myspace.com/disassembler Friday 12 October Millennium Hall Kate Williams Septet Kate Williams: piano Gareth Lockrane: flute, alto and bass flutes Steve Fishwick: trumpet/ flugelhorn Ben Somers: tenor saxophone Julian Siegel: tenor and soprano saxophones/bass clarinet Oli Hayhurst: bass Tristan Maillot: drums www.kate-williams-quartet.com Friday 19 October Millennium Hall Christine Tobin: Sailing to Byzantium Christine Tobin: vocals Liam Noble: piano Phil Robson: guitar Kate Short: cello Dave Whitford: bass http://www.christine-tobin.com/index.html www.myspace.com/ctobes Friday 9 November Millennium Hall Benn Clatworthy Quartet Benn Clatworthy: saxes John Donaldson: piano Simon Thorpe: bass Josh Morrison: drums http://www.bennclatworthy.com/ Friday 16 November Millennium Hall Tim Lapthorn Trio with Bobby Wellins Tim Lapthorn: piano Bobby Wellins: saxes Arnie Somogyi: bass Stephen Keogh: drums http://www.myspace.com/timlapthorntrio http://bobbywellins.co.uk/ Friday 23 November Millennium Hall Neon Stan Sulzmann: tenor sax Kit Downes: piano Jim Hart: vibes Tim Giles: drums http://stansulzmann.co.uk/neon/ Thursday 29 November Crucible Studio Django Bates’ Beloved Django Bates: piano Petter Eldh: bass Peter Bruun: drums www.myspace.com/djangobates Friday 7 December Millennium Hall Heads South John Harriman: keyboards Steve Waterman: trumpet Buster Birch: drums Chino Martell Morgan: percussion Adolfredo Pulido: bass http://www.headssouth.com/ SPRING 2012 Fri Jan 20 2012 Millennium Hall Alan Barnes Quintet featuring Scott Hamilton Alan Barnes – alto, baritone sax Scott Hamilton – tenor sax Dave Newton – piano Chris Hill - bass Sebastiaan de Krom - drums Fri Jan 27 Millennium Hall Chris Biscoe Quartet Chris Biscoe - saxes, clarinet, flute Tony Kofi - alto sax Larry Bartley - bass Stu Butterfield - drums Fri Feb 3 Millennium Hall Zoe Rahman Quartet Zoe Rahman – piano Idris Rahman - clarinet Davide Mantovani – bass Gene Calderazzo - drums Fri Feb 10 Millennium Hall Ambulance Arnie Somogyi – bass Paul Booth – sax Tim Lapthorn – piano Dave Smith - drums Fri Feb 17 Millennium Hall Jim Mullen’s Reunion Quartet Jim Mullen - guitar Gareth Williams – piano Gary Husband - drums Mick Hutton - bass Fri Mar 2 Millennium Hall Damon Brown’s International Quintet Damon Brown – trumpet Christian Brewer – alto sax Yutaka Shinna – piano Martin Zenker – bass Matt Skelton - drums Fri Mar 9 Millennium Hall Dave O’Higgins Quartet with Eric Alexander Dave O’Higgins – tenor sax Eric Alexander – tenor sax Andrew McCormack – piano Arnie Somogyi- bass Kristian Leth - drums Fri Mar 23 Millennium Hall Kit Downes Quintet Kit Downes – piano Calum Gourlay – bass James Maddren – drums James Allsopp – bass clarinet Lucy Railton - cello Fri Mar 30 Millennium Hall Ivo Neame Quintet Ivo Neame – piano Tori Freestone – sax Jim Hart – vibes Jasper Hoiby – bass James Maddren – drums Fri Apr 13 Crucible Studio Gwilym Simcock / Klaus Gesing Gwilym Simcock – piano Klaus Gesing – saxophones and bass clarinet Fri Apr 20 Millennium Hall Michael Janisch New York Standards Quartet Michael Janisch – bass David Berkman - piano Tim Armacost – sax Gene Jackson - drums Fri Apr 27 Greystones Dagda Quartet featuring Jean Toussaint Jean Toussaint – tenor sax Tom Harrison – alto sax Billy Adamson - guitar Tom West – bass Mike Clowes - drums Fri May 11 Greystones Chris Allard Band Brandon Allen – sax Chris Allard – guitar Ross Stanley – piano Oli Hayhurst – bass Nick Smalley – drums Fri May 18 Crucible Studio . Tina May Quartet Tina May – voice Nikki Iles – piano Julie Walkington –bass Karen Street – accordion Fri June 8 Greystones Martin Speake Trio Martin Speake – alto sax Mike Outram – guitar Jeff Williams - drums AUTUMN 2011 September 23 2011 Millennium Hall Mark McKnight Trio with Seamus Blake Mark McKnight – guitar Seamus Blake – saxophone Ross Stanley – organ James Maddren – drums September 30 Millennium Hall Denys Baptiste Quartet Denys Baptiste – saxophone Andrew McCormack – piano Gary Crosby – bass Rod Youngs - drums October 7 Millennium Hall Jay Phelps Quartet Jay Phelps – trumpet Jonathan Gee – piano Tim Thornton – bass Matt Home – drums October 14 Millennium Hall Gilad Atzmon Quartet Gilad Atzmon –saxophone, clarinet, electronics, Frank Harrison –piano Yaron Stavi -bass Eddie Hick –drums Oct 21 Millennium Hall Will Vinson / Tom Cawley Quartet Will Vinson -saxophone Tom Cawley –piano Calum Gourlay –bass James Maddren –drums November 4 Millennium Hall Liane Carroll Trio Liane Carroll - voice & piano Roger Carey - bass Mark Fletcher – drums November 11 Millennium Hall Dennis Rollins Velocity Trio Dennis Rollins –trombone Ross Stanley –Hammond organ Pedro Segundo –drums November 18 Millennium Hall Geoff Simkins Quartet Geoff Simkins –alto sax Nikki Iles – piano Martin France – drums Simon Woolf – bass November 25 Millennium Hall Neon Stan Sulzmann – tenor sax Kit Downes - piano Jim Hart - vibes Tim Giles - drums Wednesday November 30 Crucible Studio John Taylor Trio John Taylor – piano Palle Daniellson – bass Martin France – drums December 9 Millennium Hall Jamil Sheriff big band Saxophones/Flutes - Russell Henderson, Simon Kaylor, Tori Freestone, Joel Purnell. Trumpets - Simon Bedows, Sean Hollis, Mark Chandler, Simon Nixon. Trombones - Kevin Holborough, Stuart Garside, Chris Hibbard, Rosie Nicholl. Drums - Eryl Roberts Guitar - Jamie Taylor Bass - Garry Jackson Piano - Jamil Sheriff December 16 Millennium Hall Julian Siegel Quartet Julian Siegel – tenor sax Liam Noble – piano Gene Calderazzo – drums Oli Hayhurst – bass SPRING 2011 Saturday January 22nd 2011 Millennium Hall Phil Robson & the Instant Message Quintet featuring Mark Turner Phil Robson - guitar Mark Turner - sax Michael Janisch – bass Gareth Lockrane - flute Ernesto Simpson – drums Friday January 28th Millennium Hall The Mick Hutton Group Mick Hutton – double bass Andy Panayi – saxes, flute Mark Edwards – piano Paul Robinson - drums Friday February 11th Millennium Hall Jay Phelps Quintet Jay Phelps – trumpet Shabaka Hutchings – saxes/clarinet Gene Calderazzo – drums Karl Rasheed-Abel – bass Jonathan Gee - piano Dylan Howe Quartet Brandon Allen – tenor sax Ross Stanley – piano Chris Hill – bass Dylan Howe - drums Friday March 4th Millennium Hall Steve Waterman Quintet ‘Buddy Bolden Blew it’ Steve Waterman - trumpet Chris Allard - guitar Anthony Kerr - vibes Alec Dankworth – bass Dave Barry – drums Friday March 11th Millennium Hall Sam Crockatt Quartet Sam Crockatt – tenor sax Kit Downes – piano Oli Hayhurst – bass Ben Reynolds – drums Friday March 25th 2011 Millennium Hall John Donaldson Sextet plays the music of Bheki Mseleku John Donaldson – piano Peter King – alto sax Ian Price – tenor sax Simon Thorpe – bass Tristan Banks - drums Quentin Collins - trumpet Saturday April 2nd Crucible Studio Storms / Nocturnes Tim Garland – saxes Joe Locke – vibes Geoffrey Keezer - piano Friday April 15th Millennium Hall Kairos Quartet Adam Waldmann – sax Jasper Hoiby – bass Rob Barron – piano Jon Scott - drums Friday May 6th Millennium Hall Trio Wah! Jason Yarde – saxes Larry Bartley – bass Mike Pickering – drums Friday May 13th Millennium Hall Mike Walker Sextet Mike Walker – guitar Iain Dixon – saxes James Maddren – drums Les Chisnall – piano Malcolm Edmonstone – keys Friday May 20th Millennium Hall Arnie Somogyi’s Scenes in the City Alan Barnes – sax Tony Kofi – sax Alistair White – trombone Mark Edwards – piano Arnie Somogyi – bass Clark Tracey - drums AUTUMN 2010 Friday 17th September 2010 Millennium Hall Gilad Atzmon ‘Orient House Ensemble’ Gilad Atzmon – tenor sax Frank Harrison – piano Yaron Stavi - bass Eddie Hick – drums www.gilad.co.uk Friday 24th September Millennium Hall Karen Sharp Quartet Karen Sharp– tenor & baritone sax Nikki Iles – piano Dave Green – bass Steve Brown – drums www.karensharp.net www.myspace.com/karensharpsax Friday 1st October Millennium Hall Tony Kofi ‘Standard Time’ Tony Kofi – alto sax David Chamberlain – bass Rod Youngs – drums www.myspace.com/tonykofi www.tonykofimusic.com Friday 8th October Millennium Hall IDST Tommy Evans - drums Johnny Tomlinson –piano Nick Tyson - guitar Seth Bennet - bass Simon Beddoe -trumpet Simon Kaylor - tenor sax www.myspace.com/idstmusic Friday 15th October Millennium Hall Simon Purcell Quintet Simon Purcell – piano Julian Siegel – tenor sax Chris Batchelor – trumpet Gene Calderazzo – drums Steve Watts – bass www.simonpurcell.com www.simonpurcell.wordpress.com www.juliansiegel.com www.genecalderazzo.com Friday 22nd October Millennium Hall £5 / 3 Sheffield University Jazz Orchestra Friday 29th October Millennium Hall Benn Clatworthy Quartet Benn Clatworthy – tenor sax Cecilia Coleman – piano Simon Thorpe - bass Gene Calderazzo – drums www.bennclatworthy.com www.ceciliacoleman.com Friday 5th November Millennium Hall Kit Downes Trio Kit Downes – piano Calum Gourlay – bass James Maddren drums www.kitdownes.com www.myspace.com/kitsmusic Saturday 20th November at Crucible Studio Stan Tracey Octet Stan Tracey – piano Andy Cleyndert – bass Clark Tracey – drums Guy Barker -trumpet Mornington Lockett – tenor & soprano sax Sammy Mayne – alto sax Simon Allen – tenor sax Mark Nightingale – trombone www.stantracey.com Friday 26th November Millennium Hall Sweet Chorus John Etheridge - guitar Christian Garrick – violin Dave Kelbie – rhythm guitar Pete Kubryk-Townsend – bass www.johnetheridge.com Friday 3rd December Millennium Hall Mike Walker Sextet Mike Walker – guitar Iain Dixon – saxes James Maddren – drums Les Chisnall – piano Malcolm Edmonstone – keys Steve Watts - bass www.mike-walker.co.uk Friday 10th December Millennium Hall Michael Janisch Quintet Michael Janisch – bass Paul Booth - tenor sax Jay Phelps - trumpet Jim Hart - vibes Andrew Bain - drums www.michaeljanisch.com www.myspace.com/michaeljanisch

With me jazz as genre was already passing in the early 70s. There was no jazz at home though a fair bit of Crosby/Sinatra type MOR with a distinct jazz feel. What you got on the TV was programmes by living legends like Oscar P or Ella; or rather lumpen big bands behind variety programmes. That did not appeal at the time. But what caught me was jazz rock (especially the British variant - Soft Machine, Henry Cow etc); the name-dropping by rock musicians at the time especially McLaughlin and Santana (I first heard Coltrane tunes there); and the fact that the NME/Melody Maker still had a jazz page. I got curious but had to seek the music out because it was not easy to locate. I suspect that plenty of young people today with a thing for music but who get a bit tired of what is easily available might find their way towards a music like jazz (more likely via the younger bands who at least look like them and might also know who significant rock players of their time are). Not to make it a substantial part of the music industry, but enough to keep it ticking along. Those of us inside just need to make sure it is not seen as a world where you need to know the secret handshakes. [i do recall sometime around '73 listening to a Buffalo Springfield compilation and taking to the cocktail jazz ending of 'Broken Arrow' - decided I'd like to hear more of that but hadn't a clue where to start]

I don't get poetry. I'm bored by 18thC French vases. My taste buds don't have the sort of memory to allow me to 'appreciate' wine. Somewhere over on Poetryissimo or French Porcelainissimo or Viticulturissimo someone will be moaning about my lack of interest and claiming that it's because I'm an air head or have had my taste devalued by Bob Dylan, Pound Shop crockery or Sainsbury's plonk.

Much as I dislike the word 'art' (I instantly get visions of: ...), I can understand its use as a way of distinguishing between music made purely for commercial ends and music made for its own sake. The trouble is, they run into one another - you have to get right out on the edge to find music made purely for commercial ends or music made without any compromise for what people want. The trouble with so much 'art' debate is that it revolves around shoving things the art-lover doesn't like in the not-art box whilst gathering what he/she does like in the is-art box. Except at those extremes, most music will be responding to both the internal creativity of the musicians and the desire to please the public (Ellington, to name but one, was a master of doing both). In that world, entertainment is not a dirty word. What is entertaining (as has already been said) will vary according to the listener and some entertainment (as has already been said) does not reveal its pleasure without a bit of effort and patience (sometimes a lot of effort and patience). By and large, the general public expect the performer to come a fair way towards them to provide the pleasure; at some point between the 40s and 60s a lot of jazz became increasingly reluctant to make that journey. Which is fine...I'm sure most musicians who choose to follow a path that prioritises their creativity over connecting with an audience accept that they are always going to struggle to make a living. But it does explain why jazz (and other genres) are not as popular as the were at a time when musicians regularly set out to win over a wide body of listeners. It's got nothing to do with narrowing attention spans or lowering cultural or intellectual standards. Wringing our hands over the fact that people prefer Madonna over Anthony Braxton is pointless - Braxton knew exactly what he was doing when he chose to make music that would not compromise (and he must have known the consequence in terms of wider popularity).

Whether music is declining in interest to younger people is very hard to gauge. I suspect a lot of us who are in the 50+ age range might think it thus. When we were young there wasn't a great deal to rival music in our affections; the computer revolutions has changed all this. And yet...I see kids plugged into ear phones everywhere. Much the same interest in taking up guitars and the like. Very few interested in learning an instrument in the conventional way (that's probably different in more affluent areas). We can put our 'Old Fart' hats on and grumble that they're airheads and not really listening - but my experience is that they are genuinely excited by the music that relates to them. I work mainly with colleagues in their 20s and 30s and those who don't have families love to go to 'gigs' and festivals. Can't quantify it but at a guess I'd say that music does not overwhelm as many younger people today as it did some of us in our youth. But it's still a vital part of their entertainment and sense of identity. Oddly, many of them have quite a soft spot for 60s/70s/80s era rock music. But jazz, folk, classical rarely registers unless something has popped over the parapet in a film or TV commercial. The young jazz/folk/classical music players I'm relying on to play the music I enjoy are, I suspect, largely appearing from the more affluent end of society (often privately educated). The irony of that hits me every time I go to a concert.

Most things by The Blue Notes and The Brotherhood of Breath.

No, it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. I don't see many people doing the cakewalk but once upon a time it was all the rage. Except...that some people use the word 'art' when talking about jazz (and folk and classical), and the term 'timeless' tends to follow not far behind (along with 'sublime' etc etc). So if it doesn't matter that it dies out after the currently initiated listeners, what about that 'timelessness'? The idea that Coltrane, like late-Beethoven string quartets will still be absorbing people 300 years from now? Doesn't matter to me at all. I don't need the things I enjoy to be 'art' or 'timeless'. But for some people that is a vital part of their enjoyment, the belief that they appreciate something of superior worth whose value lies beyond the ephemeral.

I have a similar story My Dad fought in the Malayan Emergency - he was an RAF dog handler attached to the army, working in jungles tracking insurgents (politically loaded term, I know!). On one occasion they were approaching a stream. I think I'm right in remembering my Dad saying that one or two dogs entered the stream and were immediately electrocuted by a device left by the insurgents. If they hadn't.... Strangely, in 2007 one of his dogs, Lucky, was posthumously awarded the Dickin Medal (Animal VC) for work in the general campaign, alongside another dog that had performed similar work more recently in Afghanistan: Hero dogs Sadie and Lucky honoured for wartime heroism My Dad is the one in the picture who looks like Van Morrison! I think my interest in military history comes from growing up on RAF camps. ************** Hastings' analysis of the origins of the war is pretty conventional, from what I can remember (not a criticism; and I think he's superb in in outlining the conflict itself). For a much more intricate and challenging interpretation read this: Long and very detailed but utterly compelling. He challenges the way the war is often explained as a result of broad long term factors - German expansionism, colonial rivalry etc - and tries to trace how the interaction of a multitude of smaller events, misunderstandings, perceptions and misconceptions collided to lead to the war. In his view there was nothing inevitable about World War I and its outbreak came as quite a surprise to those involved. (I also enjoyed that Emmerson book you mentioned earlier)

Quite. But that could be because 'very few younger listeners listen to jazz' also gets extended to 'jazz is dead'. Which then leads to 'no it's not'..... The odd thing is that in jazz, folk and classical music I experience the sea of grey-hairs situation constantly. Yet in every one of those genres the stage generally contains a more than generous number of young players. Maybe it's an inevitable shift in the population dynamic. We (in the West) now have an increasingly large, retired, wealthy (in some social classes), elderly population with time on their hands. And a younger generation for whom employment, housing etc is a real struggle. So the market has led to the latter servicing the entertainment needs of the former. Can't see any other reason why young people would want to spend their lives playing to a completely different generation. It's not so in pop/rock.

I've had this happen many times with LPs I've CD-rd on a stand alone machine. When I transfer to the PC the record is often identified. I think the programme that tries to identify tracks can work things out by the number of tracks and the track length. Very few records can be exactly the same.

Read that last summer. Excellent account. I was completely unaware of the magnitude of the fighting on the Franco-German border. Most British accounts focus on the Marne and then the race to the sea and first Ypres. The descriptions of the Austro-Serbian conflict and Austro-Russian clashes were also new ground. I'm a bit disappointed that there hasn't yet been a volume by someone devoted to 1915, given how many 1914 books came out last year.

We have to make sure we don't confuse two different things. a) What we like. There's no imperative to like anything. We all choose a route through the music, mainly guided by our own personal hinterland that determines whether something new connects or doesn't (and yes, some listeners deliberately challenge their own hinterland). If you've been listening awhile there is going to be a fair bit of old music - there's more of it and the music you acquired when it was new is now old. Whether you choose to address newer music is a personal choice - I listen to loads of old stuff but I'm still trying to recapture that wonderful time in my late teens when everything was new (some hope!), so need to try the unfamiliar quite regularly. b) Why jazz attracts less attention than it once did. A different thing altogether - I'd argue that the 'museum' aspect has prevailed over the 'new music' aspect. Fine for listeners already deeply involved but a turn-off, I suspect, to the uninitiated. ******************* I find it hard to believe improvised music will not constantly be of interest in one form or another. The sheer excitement of a great player (or group of players) altering, even constructing music in the moment. But does it need to sound like what we think of as jazz? David refers to the improvised music that does not come from a jazz background. Maybe part of the limited appeal of jazz (by contrast with the past) is that it often does sound to the outsider like the same blues sequences, standards or swingin' rhythms (and yes, we know that there is a lot more out there in 'jazz' than that but it's often how it gets presented beyond the hardcore listeners). I know I found that old-fashioned and alienating in the mid-70s and made my connection from other routes, gradually coming round to the core approach (though never buying into it exclusively).

I wouldn't write it off yet. So, it's no longer a 'popular' music. But even out in the sticks where I live I could, if I wanted, travel 15-30 miles and hear a jazz concert of some sort at least once a week. I don't know about anywhere else but there seems to be a never-ending stream of young, vibrant jazz players playing live and releasing records (or CDs...or downloads...) in the UK. Are they as good as the ever-worshipped 'Masters'? No idea. I can see why people who grew up in the age(s) when jazz was more dominant in the musical culture might want to stick with their memories there (as I'm content to stick with my rock memories of the 70s). But in general I'm happy to take newly played/released etc music on its own merits rather than endlessly compare it to the past in order to find it wanting. It's never going to be what it once was - the pioneering days are over, Lewis and Clark have passed on; but I hear plenty to keep me interested. I think there is scope for interest to grow. But as long as the dominant jazz narrative fixates solely on its glorious past (and that past is glorious) it isn't going to interest most people. Most younger to early middle-aged people (with the exception of a few 'young fogies' who adopt the prejudices of older people and confuse it with wisdom) are interested in today and tomorrow. I'd say that is far more natural than lamenting over lost bygone ages. The past is a place to learn from; its not a place to live in.

Jazz and classical. Two musics whose primary narrative is how great things used to be. Really surprising interest is limited.

I get excited when I find a download of a record I've been looking for.