Column

The Snowboy Column (February)

Sorry there was no column January. Frankly, I had nothing to write about – unlike this one!

Firstly, I heard some great news from the owners of this magazine. They told me that my page gets an average of 25,000 readers a month. I’m very excited about that, so thank you all for your interest.

The year has started off right with an amazing gig with my Funk band The Perceptions at The Band On The Wall in Manchester and a great trip to Bulgaria. February holds my Jazz Dance Weekender and a lovely trip to Italy plus my weekly Friday residency……….

‘THE GOOD FOOT’ STILL PACKED

I was fully prepared for a quiet January at my Friday night DJ residency The Good Foot at the world-famous Madame Jo Jo’s. But for some reason it’s been packed every week bucking the quiet-January trend. Hopefully we’re doing something right! The DJ’s are myself and Healer Selecta and we play a music policy of floor-shaking 60's and 70’s R&B, Funk, Soul, Mambo, Boogaloo and Rare Groove. If that sounds your thing we’d love to see you. It’s every Friday from 10 till 3am and admission is £8.
Madame Jo Jo’s, 8 – 10, Brewer Street, London W1F 0SE
Madame JoJo's Information

JAZZ DANCE NEWS

I’m going to dedicate some of this months column to the very under-exposed British Jazz Dance world. As you know, I wrote a book on the scene’s history - From Jazz Funk And Fusion To Acid Jazz. There’s a lot of important stuff going on at the moment and I intend to highlight it.

THE 1st TORQUAY JAZZ DANCE WEEKEND
FEBRUARY 25-28th

This very exciting weekender takes place over the weekend of Friday the 25th of February to Monday the 28th and features the most barrier-breaking and most historically-important DJ line-up ever seen. Firstly, two of the originators of the scene – COLIN CURTIS and BOB JONES, one of Scotland's originators – BOB JEFFRIES, myself, the South West Godfather – CHRIS DINNIS and legendary ‘Jazzcotech’ dance group leader and DJ PERRY LOUIS. That’s already very exciting isn’t it? The entertainment will include three Jazz Dance sessions, a special Sunday night Jazz Funk revival slamming finish and a very special Saturday afternoon Soul afternoon with Colin Curtis, Bob Jones and VERY special guest – ANDY DAVIES – one of the UK’s top Soul DJ’s.

The Jazz Dance Weekender is actually part of the famous UK LATIN FEST Salsa weekender at the same hotel complex, and the Salsa side is already sold-out. The Jazz Dance weekender costs £90 and does not include accommodation but INCLUDES access to all the Salsa rooms and dance classes.

THERE’S ONLY SIX WEEKS TO GO, SO BOOK NOW!!!!!

For tickets and info phone TONY MORRISON on 07966 390 802 or e-mail info@latinfest.co.uk and use the reference JAZZ

The Victoria Hotel, TLH Holiday Resort, Belgrave Rd, Torquay, United Kingdom The Torquay Jazz Dance Weekender Facebook

JAZZ DANCE AROUND THE UK

There are some great things happening around the country worth checking out. What Jazz fan wouldn’t want to see the very greatest freestyle dancers dancing to break-neck speed Fusion, Be Bop and Afro Latin music by artists such as Art Blakey, John Coltrane and Chick Corea?

SHIFTLESS SHUFFLE

This is run by dance troupe Jazzcotech leader and DJ, PERRY LOUIS. This monthly session features a Jazz Dance workshop by Perry and a full-on DJ session by the big DJ’s on the scene. The next session is Sunday February the 20th from 5 til 10pm and features DJ’s Nick Hosier, Chewbacca and Ra
The O Bar, Wardour Street, London shiftlessshuffle details

OUT TO LUNCH

This is a session for Nottingham’s finest, run by DJ KILLER JIM. Again, monthly and on a Sunday. It gets pretty packed in there too I may add!

The next session is Sunday February the 13th from 5 til 9pm. And the guest DJ is Nottinghams own Red Rack’em’ The address is – Pandoras Box, Houndsgate, Nottingham NG1. Facebook/Out To Lunch

HARD JAZZ AND GROOVE SESSION

Just missed the latest session but it was meant to have been a killer. The DJ’s for this very heavy session in Leeds are JIMMY BLUENOTE, LUBI and GIP DAMONNE. The venue is Upstairs at Milo, 10-12 Call Lane, Leeds LS1 6DN, so stay in contact with the venue or watch this space for the next one.

One of the legendary Jazz Dance DJ’s from the scene is Londons NICK HOSIER. He does an incredible Jazz Dance radio show every Wednesday 10 till 1am on stompradio.com You can also see him guesting at Shiftless Shuffle this month on the 20th, as I mentioned earlier.

IT’S COMING……………VINTAGE 2011

Well, as you’ve probably seen in the press, the news has finally been released of the barrier breaking VINTAGE 2011. Last year the setting was glorious Goodwood and this year it will be The South Bank in London. The festival will incorporate The Royal Festival Hall, The Queen Elizabeth Hall, The British Film Institute, the South Bank itself and much more. The Black music presence will be very high (as last year) and I, once again, will be running the 40’s area, presenting the greatest Swing Orchestras and Big Bands known to man in a 2,000 capacity ballroom. There’ll be more information in March but don’t forget, last year we were expecting 28,000 people and 51,000 attended in the end and was voted ‘Best New Festival’! So watch out! vintagebyhemingway.co.uk

CTI RECORDS 40th ANNIVERSARY
CELEBRATION CONTINUES!

Masterworks Jazz continues the celebration of the 40th anniversary of CTI Records, the beloved jazz label founded in 1970 by producer Creed Taylor with the release of 6 more classic reissues available on January 25th, 2011. They include: White Rabbit by George Benson, All Blues by Ron Carter (first time on CD in the U.S.), Prelude by Deodato, Pure Desmond by Paul Desmond, Concierto by Jim Hall, and Milt Jackson’s Sunflower. T he reissues are packaged in eco-friendly softpack sleeves that replicate the original gatefold LP design and their iconic covers most with photos by Pete Turner.

White Rabbit is perhaps George Benson’s finest album forCTI, featuring the signature title track arrangement of the Jefferson Airplane classic – a 1972 Grammy® nominee for Best Jazz Performance by a Group.

All Blues by Ron Carter makes its debut on CD in the U.S. (it was previously only released in Japan). Carter was voted Bassist of the Year in DOWNBEAT’s Readers’ Poll in 1973, 1974 and 1975, highlighting his work with CTI.

Deodato’s Prelude includes his Grammy®-winning hit title track, an arrangement of Richard Strauss’s fanfare from Also Sprach Zarathustra, used as the main theme in 2001: A Space Odyssey. This song is the biggest hit the CTI label would ever have. The album’s title track won 1974 Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance, and rose to No. 2 on the U.S. pop charts.

Pure Desmond by Paul Desmond was not only highly praised but it also brought to the spotlight the considerable talents of Canadian guitarist Ed Bickert. It also features Ron Carter on bass and Connie Kay on drums. Paul Desmond was voted by DOWNBEAT’s readers into its Jazz Hall of Fame in 1977.

For his work on Concierto, Jim Hall received a Grammy® nomination in 1975 for Best Jazz Performance by a Soloist. He was also named Guitarist of the Year in DOWNBEAT’s Jazz Poll in 1974, the year before he recorded Concierto.

Sunflower is the most revered album by Milt Jackson, one of the greatest of jazz vibraphone players, and most acclaimed improvisational blues instrumentalists of all time. He was a founding member of the legendary Modern Jazz Quartet, voted by DOWNBEAT’s readers into its Jazz Hall of Fame in 1999.

Sony MASTERWORKS Jazz kicked off the 40th anniversary celebration with the release of CTI Records: The Cool Revolution, a deluxe 4-CD multi-artist box set retrospective in the Fall. Receiving rave reviews The Associated Press dubbed it “…the most comprehensive anthology to date” and NPR said it was “… as striking a portrait of the Jazz World in the ‘70s as you’ll find anywhere.”

In the 1970s, CTI, its music, its style and its discriminating quality transformed contemporary jazz. The roster worked almost like a repertory company, in which great musicians took turns in the spotlight and accompanying each other. The albums they and their colleagues created set new standards in their look as well as their sound. “[Creed Taylor’s] plan was ingeniously simple, yet famously maverick: record top-tier musicians, keeping their artistic integrity intact while also making their art palatable to the people. CTI thus achieved that rare balance of jazz and commercialism,” writes Dan Ouellette in the liner notes. CTI surpassed the majors and fellow indies to be named the #1 Jazz Label of 1974 by Billboard. The immediate success of CTI’s recordings has echoed across the decades in a profound influence on jazz, pop, R&B and hip-hop.
facebook.com/CTI-RECORDS

THE RENOWNED ‘CLUB 43’
ANNOUNCES ITS NEW JAZZ LINE UP

The Radisson Edwardian Manchester hotel’s monthly jazz supper club, Club 43 is in the hotel’s Alto Restaurant and Bar. The new 2011 jazz line-up will showcase some of the North West’s finest jazz bands.

Kicking off the new jazz season in style is one of the country’s finest jazz bands, made up of members from the MPR Jazz Ensemble, fresh from appearances on This Morning and The X Factor- The VIP Jazz Quartet will play on January 27. Other class acts that are scheduled to perform, at Club 43 in 2011, include the Sarah Ellen Hughes Quartet (February 24) a band that is big on the London jazz scene at the moment; Dr Sassoon’s Jazz Prescription (March 31) starring one of the North West’s most in-demand solo singer-pianists, Jeremy Sassoon; The Nottingham Swingtet (April 28) who play everything from mainstream jazz to swing; The Dave Newton Trio (May 26), Dave Newton has been voted best jazz pianist for nine years running and is said to be one of the most gifted musicians on the current jazz scene, Dave Newton leads this award winning trio. Finally, the Vernon Fuller Quartet (June 30) will play.

Doors open at 7pm on the night. Tickets for Club 43, including supper, are just £19.95. To book a table, call 0161 835 8904 radissonedwardian.com/manchester
Follow on Twitter at twitter.com/Rad_Ed_Hotels

PORTICO QUARTET RELEASE ‘KNEE DEEP IN THE NORTH SEA’ AND TOUR THE UK

After finishing two intimate dates at the ICA in London, Portico Quartet announce the release of their Deluxe version of Knee Deep In The North Sea on January 24th 2011.

Recorded in 2007, Knee-Deep In The North Sea was the band’s debut album and brought the already cult band to a wider audience when it was nominated for 2008’s Mercury Music Prize alongside the likes of Robert Plant, Laura Marling, Radiohead, Burial and eventual winners Elbow. Recorded while the band were still students and inspired by their experiences busking around Europe and at London’s South Bank, the album is a charming, joyous snapshot of a band finding their own unique voice. Recorded by Sonny at Livingstone Studios (where many of World Circuit’s greatest albums have been recorded) and produced by Portico Quartet, the band was seeking a naturalistic interpretation of their live sound: an organic palette of ethereal saxophone, clattery drums, otherworldly Hang and earthy double bass.

Inspired after recording their second album, Isla, with legendary producer John Leckie at Abbey Road, the band decided that while they still loved Knee-Deep they would welcome the opportunity to revisit the albums mixes again. The album was duly withdrawn from circulation earlier this year and the band invited John Leckie to remix it for a re-issue on the Real World label, also home to Isla. For this deluxe edition the band have also added three live tracks. The live versions of Knee Deep in the North Sea and Steps in the Wrong Direction, both from the original album, were recorded in July this year at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival and demonstrate just how much the band have evolved in the past few years. The third bonus track is the previously unreleased All The Pieces Matter. Originally intended for inclusion on Isla, the band was unhappy with the studio recording and so it didn’t made the final cut. However, the live version recorded for Gilles Peterson’s Radio One Show at the BBC Maida Vale studios is the band’s favourite ever take of this enigmatic track and they are delighted to include it here for the first time.

In February 2011 Portico Quartet will tour with Penguin Café for MBM.
penguincafe.com

LIVE DATES WITH PENGUIN CAFÉ

6th Feb - Theatre Royal, Nottingham
7th Feb - Bridgewater Hall, Manchester
9th Feb - Barbican, London
10th Feb - The Anvil, Basingstoke
11th Feb - Arts Centre, Warwick
13th Feb - Dome, Brighton
15th Feb - Colston Hall, Bristol
17th Feb - Royal & Derngate, Northampton
20th Feb - The Sage, Gateshead
21st Feb – Usher Hall, Edinburgh

REVIEWS

Frootful – Colours (Freestyle)

I’m not sure if this is actually a band or the name of a project, but it’s produced by Lack Of Afro and features a varied display of styles from early-60’s R&B Soul to Be Bop to Funk to 60’s Soul Jazz and even a bit of Skinhead Reggae. The overall sound is very jazzy and sounds both authentic AND contemporary at the same time. Lack Of Afro has pulled off a fantastic project that in most other producers hands may not have worked due to the vast amount of styles covered here.

Raf Vilar – Studies In Bossa Nova (Far Out)

This new young singer/writer is from Rio and resides in London. His uncle is Ivan Conti from Brasilian super-group ‘Azymuth’, so he has all the right credentials! It’s a glorious album and very laid-back and classy. A lot of thought has gone in to the production and the overall sound in song, singing and production is absolutely timeless. Beautiful.

The Liberators – The Liberators (Record Kicks)

Afrobeat from Australia. I have to say that this is one killer of an album. I don’t know if there’s any relationship between theses and fellow Oz Afrobeat artists ‘The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra’ but in that country they do it RIGHT. This is soulful, tough, Funky, authentic and a CD that I’m looking forward to really getting to know. I can’t recommend this highly enough.

Various Artists – Contemporary Afro Beat (Tramp)

More authentic Afrobeat this time, and from all over the world. There is so much of this music being made now, more than ever, and is such an incredible tribute to Fela Kuti. Politics aside, the sound and style he developed alone has become as definitive and instantly recognisable as a music style as Funk, Soul, Reggae et al. Here is a case in point. There is just so much great sincere music here by the 13 bands it’s hard to choose a favourite. Perhaps The Boogoos and Albino just edge ahead with their mid-tempo rough-house winners, but it’s all just so good.

Nostalgia 77 - Simmer Down/Skin And Bones (Tru Thoughts)

Ah, the long-awaiting new release from Ben Lamdin’s Nostalgia 77, and what a thing of beauty it is too! Both sides are just below mid-tempo and have the Lamdin trademark cavernous 3D sound that we come to expect. This time both sides feature the wonderfully jazzy vocals of German-born Josa Pelt. And she can’t get a better calling card than this single. A name to watch out for.

Miles Davis – Bitches Brew Live (Columbia)

I have a big collection of Miles Davis but have often wondered if I’m missing something with ‘Bitches Brew’ or whether it’s the emperor’s new clothes. It seems like one glorious jam session with no head to improvise over, just a groove and a chord sequence. Very free indeed. Still, they are playing like driven men-possessed and it’s quite wild. It must have been exciting to have watched. It was recorded 6 months before the studio version and on the first three unreleased tracks live at Newport Wayne Shorter never made the concert as he was caught in traffic. Just because it’s not my taste, the CD is a very important document and it features very in-depth sleeve notes warts-and-all. If ‘Bitches Brew’ is your thing you can’t do without this.

Portico Quartet - Knee Deep In The North Sea (Real World)

Originally this was their debut album on 2007. Inspired after recording their second album, Isla, with legendary producer John Leckie at Abbey Road, the band decided that while they still loved Knee-Deep they would welcome the opportunity to revisit the albums mixes again. The album was duly withdrawn from circulation earlier this year and the band invited John Leckie to remix it for a re-issue on the Real World label, also home to Isla. For this deluxe edition the band have also added three live tracks. The live versions of ‘Knee Deep in the North Sea’ and ‘Steps in the Wrong Direction’, both from the original album, were recorded in July this year at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival and demonstrate just how much the band have evolved in the past few years. The third bonus track is the previously unreleased ‘All The Pieces Matter’. Originally intended for inclusion on Isla, the band was unhappy with the studio recording and so it didn’t made the final cut. However, the live version recorded for Gilles Peterson’s Radio One Show at the BBC Maida Vale studios is the band’s favourite ever take of this track and they include it here for the first time.

Trichotomy - The Gentle War (Naim Jazz)

These are an Australian piano-led trio and quite remarkable. A trio playing as one, shifting through various time signatures and textures. This album was recorded shortly after the band’s UK tour early last year and it finds the trio in especially dynamic form. Well, with great melodies and outrageous dexterous playing it’s, ultimately, a very fulfilling listen.

FEBRUARY LISTINGS

RONNIE SCOTTS

Tue 1st - TRIO LIBERO: Andy Sheppard, Michel Benita, Sebastian Rochford
Wed 2nd- TRIO LIBERO: Andy Sheppard, Michel Benita, Sebastian Rochford
Thu 3rd - Ruby Turner (SOLD OUT)
Fri 4th - Ruby Turner (SOLD OUT)
Sat 5th - King Salsa
Sun 6th - SUNDAY JAZZ LUNCH - The Ronnie Scotts Jazz Orchestra presents "The Story so Far"
Sun 6th EVENING - Jivin Miss Daisy Feat. Anjali Perin
Mon 7th - Cyrus Chestnut Trio: Everybody Digs Piano Trios Week
Tue 8th - The Pianothon feat. Dorian Ford, John Turville, Janette Mason, Dave Newton
Wed 9th: Julian Joseph Trio: Everybody Digs Piano Trios Week
Thu 10th - Kenny Barron Trio: Everybody Digs Piano Trios Week
Fri 11th - Kenny Barron Trio: Everybody Digs Piano Trios Week
Sat 12th - Kenny Barron Trio: Everybody Digs Piano Trios Week
Sun 13th - SUNDAY JAZZ LUNCH - Celebrating Sinatra – Iain Mackenzie & Swing City (SOLD OUT)
SUN 13th EVENING: Natalie Williams
Mon 14th - Valentines day special with Tina May
Tue 15th - Trinty College of music big band presentation of the Dankworth award for jazz composition 2011
Wed 16th - The Billy Cobham Band
Thu 17th - The Billy Cobham Band
Fri 18th - The Billy Cobham Band
Sat 19th - The Billy Cobham Band
Sun 20th - SUNDAY JAZZ LUNCH - The Sounds of New Orleans with TJ Johnson & his band.
Sun: EVENING - Ronnie Scotts Blues Experience
Mon 21st - Eliane Elias
Tue 22nd - Eliane Elias
Wed 23rd - Eliane Elias
Thu 24th - James Taylor Quartet (+Nick Smart's Horns &Feat. Yvonne Yanney)
Fri 25th - James Taylor Quartet (+Nick Smart's Horns & Feat. Yvonne Yanney)
Sat 26th - James Taylor Quartet (+Nick Smart's Horns & Feat. Yvonne Yanney)
Sun 27th - SUNDAY JAZZ LUNCH - 100 Years of Jazz
Sun 27th EVENING - The James Taylor Quartet plus The Royal Academy Big Band tribute to Jimmy Smith Verve era
Mon 28th - Cleveland Watkiss Quartet

Ronnie Scotts, 47 Frith Street, Soho, London, W1D 4HT
T: +44 (0)20 7439 0747
ronniescotts.co.uk

606 CLUB

Tue 1st - Caroline Loftus  and Barry Green.
Wed 2nd - Patrick Wood’s “The Works” and Alex Hutton
Thur 3rd - Simon Woolf Sextet
Fri 4th Vanessa Haynes
Sat 5th Julian Marc Stringle Band feat. Jacqui Hicks - vocals
Sun 6th - Carol Grimes
Mon 7th - “John Dankworth” Memorial Concert in aid of the Wavendon Foundation
Feat. Alec Dankworth-bass; John Horler-piano; Mark Nightingale-trombone; Jim Hart-drums; Andy Panayii-sax/flute and special guests
Tue 8th - Trio Manouche with Special Guest Quentin Collins and Ugo Delmirami
Wed 9th - Jon Gee/Chris Batchelor Quartet and Liam Noble
Thurs 10th - Benet McLean Band.
Fri 11th - Stefan Redtenbachers’s “Rb Funkestra”
Sat 12th - Don Weller
Sun 13th SUNDAY LUNCHTIME SPECIAL (1:00pm-4:00pm). Sunday Afternoon Gospel Brunch with the 606 Gospel Group
Sun 13th EVENING - Georgia Mancio
Mon 14th ***VALENTINE NIGHT SPECIAL*** feat. Tammy Weis with Tom Cawley-piano; Al Cherry-guitar.
Tues 15th - Dan Reinstein
Wed 16th - Gareth Williams & “Jazz From The Academy” feat. Tom Walsh-trumpet.
Thur 17th - Tim Whitehead Quartet
Fri 18th - Manteca feat. Martha Acosta
Sat 19th - Bobby Wellins
Sun 20th SUNDAY LUNCHTIME (1:00pm-4:00pm) Benefit gig in memory of Paul Gamblin
Sun 20th EVENING - Barb Jungr feat. Simon Wallace–piano.
Mon 21st - Tony O'Malley
Tue 22nd - Phil Robson “2009 Parliamentary Jazz Award" “Musician Of The Year” and Laurence Cottle/Mornington Lockett Trio.
Wed 23rd - Kit Downes sextet **Winner BBC Jazz Awards 2008/9** “Mercury Nominee 2010” and Steve Fischwick Quintet feat. Osian Roberts-sax
Thur 24th - Neil Angilley
Fri 25th - Samara
Sat 26th - Derek Nash’s “Sax Appeal” Quartet.
Sun 27th ***Lunchtime Special*** 1:30pm - 3:30pm The London Vocal Project directed by Pete Churchill
Sun 27th - Wayne Hernandez
Mon 28th - Sarah Gillespie with special guest Gilad Atzmon

606 Club, 90 Lots Road London, SW10 0QD
020 7352 5953
jazz@606club.co.uk

THE HIDEAWAY, STREATHAM

Wednesday 2nd February - Rhythmica
Thursday 3rd February - Live Salsa band - Cuban Hideaway feat. Orquesta Estelar
Friday 4th February – Joy Rose
Saturday 5th February – London Horns
Sunday 6th February – Vince Dunn Quintet
Monday 7th February – Jam Session and Jazz Workshop
Wednesday 9th February – British Standard Time
Thursday 10th February – Cuban Salsa class and club night
Friday 11th February – Soul Purpose
Saturday 12th February – Manteca feat. Martha Acosta
Sunday 13th February – Kai’s Cats
Monday 14th February – VALENTINES DAY – Alexander Stewart Quintet feat. Nathaniel Facey
Wednesday 16th February – PRIVATE EVENT
Thursday 17th February – Cuban Salsa class and club night
Friday 18th February – Live Jazz – Tommy Blaize
Saturday 19th February – Killer Shrimp feat. Damon Brown and Ed Jones
Sunday 20th February – TALENT COMPETITION FINALS Monday 21st February – Jam Session and Jazz Workshop –Wednesday 23rd February – The Three Tenors – A reference, of course, to saxophonists Mornington Lockett, Art Themen and Don Weller
Thursday 24th February – Cuban Salsa class and club
Friday 25th February – Cleveland Watkiss “CWQ” Quartet
Saturday 26th February – Femi Temowo
Sunday 27th February – The hKippers
Monday 28th February – Jam Session and Jazz Workshop

Hideaway, 2 Empire Mews, Streatham, London SW16 2ED
Tel: 020 8835 7070
hideawaylive.co.uk

Til next time,
Snowboy

Please feel free to contact Snowboy with any Jazz news/event news that you feel would benefit others at snowboy@bluesandsoul.com Thank you.