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I’ve just got back from a three week Japanese tour promoting my new book ‘From Jazz Funk And Fusion To Acid Jazz’ and my bands latest CD ‘Communication’. I must say that the sheer amount of Jazz Dancers over there was mind boggling. There are so many incredible individuals (and probably as many as we had back in the height of the early-80’s. They have organised themselves into crews or troupes and do many performances, and there are many of them. Here are just some that I heard about:

Megatone from Nagoya/Osaka
Session Groove Orchestra from Ishikawa
Soulcamp Crew from Okinawa
Sound Cream steppers
Stax Groove
Bop Five
Broken Sport
ADSL
Re: Poll FX
La La La all from Tokyo

And now there is even Bopster Scat from South Korea! It’s quite amazing seeing all these dancers doing steps and routines that I’m more familiar with from the classic UK troupes of the 80’s, such as IDJ, Brothers In Jazz, the Jazz Defektors and the Floor Technicians.

Of course there are so many incredible Japanese acts there too and I was very honoured to have met Jazztronik, Hajime Yoshizawa, Raphael and Toshio of UFO, Shuya Okino, Shouhei of M-Swift and 24 Carat, Ryo Harada of Osaka Monaurail, Routine Jazz Quintet, Kei Kobashi and DJ Jin (who is Japans equivalent of DJ Shadow). On tour with my band was the UK’s original DJ superstar Chris Hill. He was treated like a God and his Jazz sets went down incredibly well. I must say that I was quite envious of the scene there. My book is actually published there in Japanese - such is the interest in the scene. I was only home for 4 days and then I was off to play Glastonbury with my Funk Jazz band ‘The Perceptions’ and was blown away by the reaction from the 3,000 strong crowd. I’ve been walking around dream-like since, as you can imagine!

Anyway, enough about me………………………………………

The Wigan Jazz Festival – Big Bands Are Back
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Saturday 11th July
Pete Long’s All Star Goodmen Orchestra featuring US Singer Joan Viskant. Sensational recreation of the1938 Benny Goodman Carnegie Hall Concert.

Sunday 12th July
Al Wood Big Band – The North’s Most Popular Big Band

Sunday 12th July
Kings Of Swing - Gene Krupa - A Centenary Celebration 16 Piece Big Band

Monday 13th July
A Woman’s touch - BROAD BAND! (see below)

Tuesday 14th July
Wigan’s Jazz Showcase…featuring four emerging bands

Wed 15th July
Mark Nightingale Big Band

Friday 17th July
Ray Gelato & the Giants

Saturday 18th July
‘Double Header’ with Carol Kidd in Concert with guitarist Nigel Clark plus Wigan Jazz Club Big Band plays the music of Stan Kenton directed by Ian Darrington MBE

Broad Band: All Girls Together At Jazz Festival:
All girl swing orchestra Broad Bandare promising to be easy on the ears as well as the eyes when they play in July! They are headed up by Eleanor Keenan - one of Britain’s most respected big band female vocalists – who has sung with an array of stars including Tom Jones and Matt Monro.

The group were set up three years ago and admit they set out to bring a bit of “glamour and excitement” to jazz. Eleanor said: “Having worked for many years with all male orchestras and with more and more young talented female musicians coming into the profession, I felt the time was ready for an all female swing orchestra. “Also, I thought it would be nice for an audience to look at the attractive members especially when they can play!” She added: “This is first time The Broad Band and I have played at the Wigan Jazz Festival and we look forward to doing it.”
Appealing to all age groups, Broad Band shows include a mixture of swing music, dance and jazz and celebrating the music of the Big Bands such as Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Quincy Jones, Artie Shaw and many more.
Wigan Jazz Festival

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Some Cool Jazz Gigs In Leeds This Month
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@The HiFi Club

JD73 - The Sunday Joint 19th July - 9pm to 3am FREE admission - onstage 11pm, DJs to 3am

JD73 is Dan Goldman, ace keyboard wizard/bass player, remixer, session musician, producer and solo artist under the JD73 name (JazzDoctor73). Dan has played keyboards (live/session/tv/radio) with Morcheeba, Nightmares On Wax, TY, the Bugalu Foundation and is currently travelling around the festival circuit with his awesome JD73 Electrofunk Quartet - the spirit of Herbie Hancock flows through this super-talented musician!

The Hi-Fi Club, 2 Central Road, Leeds LS1 6DE
www.thehificlub.co.uk
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@Sela Bar

Dr Lonnie Smith Trio:Sun July 26th/Mon July 27th - 7pm start
One of the greatest jazz Hammond organists ever, Dr Lonnie Smith flies into Leeds from a European continental tour for 2 exclusive gigs. In a 100 capacity basement club, this is the perfect setting to hear this living legend's hammond jazz trio! Only 100 tickets per night and there are no other UK gigs. If you love real jazz and Blue Note Records, jump on it now. Tickets are £15 only from Sela.

Sela Bar, 20 New Briggate, Leeds LS1 6NU
Tickets £15 from Sela - 0113 242 9442
Email: info@selabar.co.uk

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REVIEWS
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Derek Nash – Snapshot (Jazzizit)

Here’s a great new CD by one of the UK’s leading lights of the Jazz world and ‘the hardest working man in show business’ (UK branch) – Saxophonist Derek Nash. As always, it’s a solid consistent CD with class musicianship and this time the material is all standards. Well they say it’s all standards but I wouldn’t call Grover Washington Jr’s song ‘Winelight’ a standard, and that makes it all the more interesting. All styles and tempos are covered here – Latin, Funk, ballads etc. This albums not intended to change the world, but it’s a bloody good listen and should be in your collection.

Stonephace – Stonephace (Tru Thoughts)

This is the way Jazz and Hip Hop should always have been done but there’s never been anything like this recorded before. Larry Stabbins is a name you will recognize as co-leader and saxophonist from ‘Working Week’ and equally famous as a free-jazz performer all over Europe. Here he teams up with, among others, Guitarist and ‘Portishead’ main man Adrian Utley and the results are dynamite. Because of my Japan trip this review is late but I can now tell you that the CD is already a big, big seller. I say Jazz Hip Hop, but it’s so much more than that. Certainly breaks are used but I can also hear Afro Beat, Samba, Afro and so much more – alongside the fantastic playing. The production is edgy and quite unique and, well, it’s all just so very fulfilling with it’s big, grandiose soundscapes.

Kaleta & Akoya Afrobeat – The Spirit Of Fela Is Alive And Well (Mukatsuku)

Essential Afro Beat alert! This really is something special. Completely authentic and just stands head and shoulders among all the poor current Fela Kuti copyists. This is a monster and 100% authentic, so don’t miss it. As a bonus, the b-side of this single is an 80’s Boogie-type remix (anyone remember ‘Kabbala’?) and totally works.

Japanese Jazz With Attitude EP (Mukatsuku)

A scorching, fast Fusion Samba version of Roy Haynes Jazz Dance classic ‘Quiet Fire’ guarantees this a place in the DJ boxes of the right people for a good time to come. It really is that amazing. The b-side is ‘Heat’ by Jazztronik and, again, gives you one more reason (as if you needed it) to buy the 12”. It’s just got that classic sound and is an instant dancefloor burner. Both sides feature members of ‘Soil And Pimp’ too. What are you waiting for?
Soul

Halo – A Reflection Of Light In Music (Kes)

As you know, here at ‘Blues And Soul’ we exclusively interviewed Halo a few issues back. ‘Let Me Do It’ had been one of the rarest and most sought-after 45’s in the past 10 years so it was amazing to catch up with them. We were tipped off that they still had some other unissued tracks that were originally intended for an album in the early 80’s and the band were going to issue them as a mini-album, and here it is. Of course, nothing was ever going to top ‘Let Me Do It’ but we are absolutely treated to so many quality tracks here. My favourite is the pounding Funker ‘Change’ (complete with an amazing Sax solo), but it’s all quality stuff. If you have trouble tracking it down then just go to www.halotheband.net and treat yourself.

Carl ‘Maxx’ Kidd – Washington Lost Soul (97-01/Stride)

THIS is a budget CD at Tescos and yet contains some of the most sought after recordings and productions by Washington DC’s legendary Carl ‘Maxx’ Kidd. I was tipped off by compiler and label owner Iley Brown and he told me that, amongst all the rare rec ordings by The Acoustics, the Stridells, Young senators etc there are some unissued sides on here too. I must point out the unreleased Disco Soul winner ‘Bounce And Freak With Me’ by Light Years. If Joey Negro got hold of this and did a re-edit, we’ve have a club hit on our hands. GET STRAIGHT DOWN TO TESCOS NOW!

Please feel free to contact SNOWBOY at B&S with any Jazz news that you feel would benefit others - Thank you.

To order your copy of From Jazz Funk and Fusion to Acid Jazz CLICK HERE