New British Jazz

[A Lark Ascending]

Tomorrow night's 'Jazz on 3' looks interesting:

Jez Nelson presents a gallery of portraits in jazz, including a discussion with Alex Hawkins around the origins of jazz portraits, starting with Duke Ellington. There are two new musical portraits by British reeds players, written and recorded especially for Jazz on 3. Tom Challenger's subject is the pioneering American saxophonist Ornette Coleman, a key innovator in the free jazz movement of the 1960s. He appears with his new group Brass Mask, which takes inspiration from New Orleans marching bands, contemporary jazz and improvisation, and hip hop. BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist Shabaka Hutchings performs with a group put together for the occasion, including veteran avant-garde double bassist John Edwards and soulful vocalist Eska Mtungwazi, to portray Jean-Michel Basquiat. Beginning as a graffiti artist in New York in the late 1970s, Basquiat achieved worldwide renown over the course of his short career.

I'm forever missing Jazz on 3 because of the daft time. Must discipline myself to use the replayer.

Edited May 6, 2012 by A Lark Ascending

[RayB]

Some of the British jazz albums I've been enjoying very recently include the issues on young trumpeter Matthew Halsall's own label the Manchester based Gondwana Records. Three albums by Halsall 'On the go', 'Colour yes' & 'Sending my love' are excellent. The same 'repertory' of musicians on those also appear on three albums by Nat Birchall 'Akhenaten', 'Guiding Spirit' & 'Sacred Dimension', these too get a lot of play in my house.

Also more than worthy of a listen is the first album by 22 year old saxophonist Andrew Linham 'Abandoned Silence'.

[king ubu]

Discovered Bobby Wellins big time lately (also wrote an article about him for the next number of get happy!? - which alas is in German) - love his Lady Day homage on "The Satin Album" and "Don't Worry 'Bout a Thing"... the above-mentioned "Snapshot" is also very good, but "When the Sun Comes Out" (also recorded live) is even better!

The most recent one I got so far is "Time Gentlemen, Please", which is a bit more restrained (recorded studio) and features a new band (save for Andy Cleyndert on bass) with John Critchinson on piano and Mark Taylor on drums. It's very good as well though, even if it's a little less lively. Seems Wellins does benefit quite some from the live situation.

[sgcim]

[A Lark Ascending]

I do remember IF - I have there first two records. Nice guitar.

This is a well recommended recent disc from another 70s guitar chap:

Really lovely and a long way from jazz-rock.

[A Lark Ascending]

Some nice new stuff appearing or on the horizon:

Edited September 22, 2012 by A Lark Ascending

[sidewinder]

Some of you may remember TS and Dick Morrissey playing beer-soaked concerts with the IF band, back in the good old days.

This is the Terry Smith album to get

[A Lark Ascending]

Highly recommended - the great Stan Sulzmann from the school of the 60s meets the young turks of the noughties. Great playing, intriguing compositions. Definitely jazz - but with a touch of prog from the keyboards in places.

If you liked the ECM records Gary Burton was doing in the early 70s...

Good interview with Stan in the new Jazzwise; and another good one with Evan Parker.

Edited November 24, 2012 by A Lark Ascending

[A Lark Ascending]

I like the look of this coming in Feb:

Strong line-up that promises to do more than just play through some favourite tunes. If it comes close to Noble's reworking of Dave Brubeck it will be a winner.

[John Tapscott]

Excellent new release on Woodville.

[A Lark Ascending]

Excellent new release on Woodville.

Never noticed that one slip out - a great line-up.

[John Tapscott]

Excellent new release on Woodville.

Never noticed that one slip out - a great line-up.

I not only like the playing on this CD, but also the recording quality which is superb. Music as complex as Mingus' really benefits from excellent recording quality.

[A Lark Ascending]

Mingus seems very popular with British musicians:

[Clunky]

http://otoroku.limitedrun.com/news

Ok this might interesting to certain parties. I thought I'd read that this coming out on NoBusiness.. or maybe that's something else. Looking forward to hearing more from Red.

[mjazzg]

http://otoroku.limitedrun.com/news

Ok this might interesting to certain parties. I thought I'd read that this coming out on NoBusiness.. or maybe that's something else. Looking forward to hearing more from Red.

MIne's pre-ordered. I think the new Convergence Quartet's due on No Business - maybe that's what you were thinking of? Both feature AH after all and I think he may have posted the info somewhere - or my imagination's playing fast and wild again.....

[A Lark Ascending]

Good to see my favourite jazz record of last year getting some recognition in an unexpected place:

British Composers Awards 2012: winner in the Contemporary Jazz category.

Up there alongside Harrison Birtwistle, Thomas Ades et al.

http://www.britishco...dn=770&p=2#i770

Edited January 19, 2013 by A Lark Ascending

[Alexander Hawkins]

http://otoroku.limitedrun.com/news

Ok this might interesting to certain parties. I thought I'd read that this coming out on NoBusiness.. or maybe that's something else. Looking forward to hearing more from Red.

MIne's pre-ordered. I think the new Convergence Quartet's due on No Business - maybe that's what you were thinking of? Both feature AH after all and I think he may have posted the info somewhere - or my imagination's playing fast and wild again.....

Yes, it's that way around! The record with Joe is on OTOroku - should be out very very soon indeed (I believe the sleeves have just been held up at the printers, but the records themselves are pressed). The new Convergence Quartet record should be out in March, and that's on NoBusiness

[Clunky]

http://otoroku.limitedrun.com/news

Ok this might interesting to certain parties. I thought I'd read that this coming out on NoBusiness.. or maybe that's something else. Looking forward to hearing more from Red.

MIne's pre-ordered. I think the new Convergence Quartet's due on No Business - maybe that's what you were thinking of? Both feature AH after all and I think he may have posted the info somewhere - or my imagination's playing fast and wild again.....

Yes, it's that way around! The record with Joe is on OTOroku - should be out very very soon indeed (I believe the sleeves have just been held up at the printers, but the records themselves are pressed). The new Convergence Quartet record should be out in March, and that's on NoBusiness

Got the download "Go codes" the other day . Think I'll wait just a little longer for the real thing

[A Lark Ascending]

Coming in a couple of weeks:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mirrors-Kenny-Wheeler-Norma-Winstone/dp/B00B00MV74

[A Lark Ascending]

And another...

[xybert]

And another...

Thanks for posting this. I really enjoyed The Long Waiting, it will be interesting to hear a few of those tracks being performed by a smaller group.

[Head Man]

Coming in a couple of weeks:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mirrors-Kenny-Wheeler-Norma-Winstone/dp/B00B00MV74

I've been playing this for a while now and I'm afraid I find it rather dissappointing. Although it has it's moments, particularly when Kenny and Mark Lockhart are playing, overall I find the vocals of the London Vocal Project far too overpowering and, dare I say it, not very interesting.

Looking forward to "Six for Six" though.

[A Lark Ascending]

Coming in a couple of weeks:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mirrors-Kenny-Wheeler-Norma-Winstone/dp/B00B00MV74

I've been playing this for a while now and I'm afraid I find it rather dissappointing. Although it has it's moments, particularly when Kenny and Mark Lockhart are playing, overall I find the vocals of the London Vocal Project far too overpowering and, dare I say it, not very interesting.

Looking forward to "Six for Six" though.

The vocals are a bit twee. But after a few listens I found myself enjoying it. Not a Wheeler classic, though.

[sidewinder]

Not got it yet - won't rush to pick it up (I found the clips I heard a bit on the twee side too).

[A Lark Ascending]

Another interesting one:

From Amazon:

The inspiration for compositions on this studio recording came after a visit he made with his son Clark and grandson Ben to the WW1 battlefields of Loos in northern France, where his father was wounded and captured in 1915 aged 18.

Stan says in the liner notes: "When writing these pieces, while wanting to keep a WW1 theme and not wishing to be too sombre about it, I decided to consult a book I have called "Wipers Times", which contains a compilation of the magazines printed and distributed in the trenches, from which I gleaned the titles for five of these pieces. The pages are full of the British Tommy humour about such as the discomfort of the trenches, the bombardment of the German artillery, the British and German military equipment and much more. To find humour in the midst of a terrifying war speaks volumes about the spirit of the WW1 British Tommy."

By chance there was a drama about 'The Ypres Times' on the TV last week - the start of the deluge of WWI programmes we can expect over the next few years.

I've also picked these up off my ridiculously cheap e-music account from this month's allocation:

(OK, the last one is Anglo-American).

Edited September 15, 2013 by A Lark Ascending