• Big Jim Sullivan’s Peerless ‘Monarch’ guitar
• Ronnie Scott’s memberships and tickets. 
  

The raffle will close on Monday, 13 January 2025 at 19:27 – or when the last ticket is sold (whichever is sooner)

100% of proceeds go to the Grassroots Jazz Charity (number 1197449).

About the charity:

The UK’s jazz industry brings in almost £100million of revenue each year,

Yet we only have around a dozen dedicated venues.

All of the other clubs (around 400) are run by volunteers in pubs, social clubs, churches, golf clubs and wherever they can find a suitable space.

Without these places there would be no industry at all. They are the lifeblood of the entire infrastructure, yet there is zero funding for them. There is a slim chance of getting an Arts Council grant but the process is fiendishly difficult and highly competitive.

Grassroots Jazz is a charity set up to help these clubs continue to exist.

We can only continue this support if we have the funds, so all donations are most gratefully received.

LIST OF CLUBS ALREADY HELPED BY GRASSROOTS JAZZ

Swansea Jazz Club 
SoundCellar, Poole 
Jazz at Merchants Hall, Glasgow  
St Ives Jazz Club  
Bennigan’s Bar, Derry 
Scarborough Jazz Club  
Spike’s Place, Brentwood 
Chesterfield Jazz 
Bebop Club 
Norwich Jazz Club 
Milestones Jazz Club , Lowestoft 
Parr Jazz, Liverpool 
Highams Park Jazz Club

The post Raffle/ fundraiser for Grassroots Jazz first appeared on UK Jazz News.

I’m there. 

There was a palpable feeling of excitement from the crowd at LSO St Luke‘s. And why not? Two of the World’s Greatest Guitarists were in the building.

In support was accordionist Karen Street’s L’Espirit Du Jazz, featuring Sam Dunn on guitar, Charlie Pyne on double bass and Katie Patterson on drums. I didn’t envy Sam one bit. That’s a tough gig – being scrutinised by a room full of guitar nuts! But he was unfazed and delivered tasteful, melodic and acrobatic solos over some really challenging forms, that well and truly impressed the jury! Karen was in great form too, as were Katie and Charlie, the latter whose unique unison bass and vocal lines seemed to spiral right up to the rafters.  They played over their allotted 25-minute set time (naughty, naughty) but the audience didn’t mind one bit, vigorously applauding everything they played.

After a very short break, Stochelo and Paulus strolled up nonchalantly to the stage accompanied by (to my absolute surprise and delight) two of our very own – Simon Read on double bass and Tobie Medland on violin. Perhaps it should be mentioned that witnessing mere mortals playing in a professional capacity with the gypsy players is (I hear) a very rare thing indeed.

This was a special night.

They fired up with a stalwart tune from the repertoire ‘Coquette’. 

The younger Schafer was bristling with fire and impossibly fast runs. Stochelo was every bit as deft, maybe even more so but somehow more relaxed with it. Man, these guys make it look so easy! The sheer facility they have is just so impressive.

A breezy and lyrical ‘If I Had You’ was up next which had Stochelo beaming at the younger Paulus as he made the most out of this lovely little tune, which you could easily believe had been written specifically for the genre.

Now fully warmed up, they tore into Django’s ‘Blues en mineur’ (interestingly announced as ‘Minor Blues’ by Stochelo) and the audience watched, mouths agape as they played Reinhardt’s original solo, note-for-note in unison. Unbelievable.
Stochelo was so welcoming on the microphone and made everyone feel at ease. At one point, Paulus asked for the mic and declared how honoured he was to share the stage with “The Mount EVEREST of gypsy jazz guitar”. The crowd’s roar of approval filled the air.

They finished off a strangely short first set with what was introduced as ‘How high the moon’…. but they launched full throttle into “Ornithology’…which is…sort of…the same thing… I guess…!

The second (longer) set explored a more melancholic side. That’s not to say it still wasn’t absolutely burning! After playing an achingly beautiful ‘In a Sentimental Mood’, Stochelo called two pretty originals, separated by a rousing ‘I’ve found a new baby’.

It was really heart warming to see the genuine respect and admiration these legends had for Tobie and Simon, and they were more than happy to give the English musicians as much space as they needed. Simon was totally swinging and the feel was great throughout. He’s “one to watch”, eh?

Of course, special mention must be made of Tobie Medland, who not only dazzled us with his virtuosity but also arranged the entire festival! He truly is an inspiration. Without brilliant people making brilliant things like this happen, they just…….wouldn’t happen.

Before we knew it we were on the home straight which featured (unsurprisingly perhaps) Django’s ‘Seul Ce Soir’ and then (totally surprisingly!) the theme from ‘The Godfather’ which left everyone in the whole place with smiles on their faces.

There was an encore of course, and they knew exactly what the crowd wanted. In fact, a cheer went up in the packed hall as they began to play the intro to ‘Minor Swing’. They must have played it a million times, but it sounded every bit as fresh as it had around the campfires between the caravans back in Holland, all those years ago.

BAND LISTS

Stochelo Rosenberg – Guitar
Paulus Schafer – Guitar 
Tobie Medland – Violin
Simon Read – Double Bass

Karen Street’s L’Espirit Du Jazz
Karen Street – accordion
Sam Dunn – guitar,
Charlie Pyne – double bass, vocals
Katie Patterson – drums.

The post Stochelo Rosenberg/Paulus Schafer Quartet plus Karen Street’s L’Espirit Du Jazz at LSO St Luke’s first appeared on UK Jazz News.

Today he announces a 42-date (*) tour of England, Scotland and Wales. There are nine dates involving guitarists Lorne Lofsky from Canada, and he has also invited Libor Smoldas from the Czech Republic. Nigel Price previews the tour – and also comments on the state of touring circuits:

(*) UPDATE: Within two hours of publishing, 42 actually became 43! There is another concert on 18 Nov in Rochester

Nigel Price writes: It’s always been nigh on impossible to tour without some kind of financial assistance, and that’s more true than ever what with the spiralling cost of, well, pretty much everything these days!

So I’m incredibly grateful to Arts Council England for their support for this latest 42 date tour that will see us get as far north as Edinburgh and as far south as St Ives.

It’s an international affair this time.

The first leg sees Czech guitarist Libor Smoldas making a visit to the UK, tacked on to a tour of Ireland with the great Australian multi instrumentalist James Morrison. We’ve got Geoff Gascoyne and Sebastiaan De Krom for two dates, and Tristan Banks will be in the drum chair for the Brighton gig.

Next, I’m absolutely thrilled to be bringing over the great guitarist (and personal hero) Lorne Lofsky from Toronto. Winston Clifford introduced me to Lorne’s music and I quickly became smitten with the two albums he made with the legendary Ed Bickert. Lorne went on to play with Oscar Peterson’s quartet, Joey DeFrancesco and, wait for it…. Chet Baker! He’s a true master of the instrument and this is a ‘must see’ band.

I booked Lorne and then took great pleasure in asking Winston to join us on drums. His reply was “Aha. Excellent!”.

I’ve long admired the great Canadian virtuoso double bass player Don Thompson, a long term associate of Ed Bickert’s. I wanted to bring that kind of ‘wow factor’ to this band and I immediately thought of Ashley John Long from Cardiff. He’s booked. This is a true mega band…

The rest of the tour is my regular group – Nigel Price Organ Trio, featuring the genius Ross Stanley on B3 Hammond Organ and the awesome Joel Barford on drums.

We’ve just recorded a new album called That’s it. Right there. and that should (fingers crossed) be ready for this section of the tour, although it won’t be officially released until next year.

There are guest appearances throughout, including Liam Dunachie on organ, Laura Klain (from Naples) on drums, Darren Beckett on drums, the Tom Ball Trio down in South Devon and one appearance with my old mate Vasilis Xenopoulous on tenor saxophone.

We also have 6 local young support bands.

It’s a big one!

COMPLETE TOUR DATES (status 30 Aug)

SEPTEMBER

Organ Trio W/Ross Stanley & Joel Barford

9 – St Mary’s Sessions, Dorking

W/ Libor Smoldas

14 – Ronnie Scott’s ‘Two for the Road’ 

15 – Hampstead Jazz Club

16 – The Verdict, Brighton

17 – City Wall, Rochester

28 – Teignmouth Jazz Club W/Liam Dunachie & Darren Beckett

29 – Liquid Spirit, Torquay W/Tom Ball Trio

30 – Ashburton Arts W/Tom Ball pm

OCTOBER

W/Lorne Lofsky, Winston Clifford and Ashley John Long

13 – The Crypt, Camberwell

14 – Ashburton Arts 

15 – CICC Taunton

16 – North Devon Jazz Club, Appledore

17 – St Ives Jazz Club

18 – Bristol Music Club

19 – Cubanas, Barry, S. Wales

20 – 1000 Trades Birmingham

21 – The Hive, Shrewsbury

Organ Trio W/Ross Stanley & Joel Barford

24 – Hull Jazz

25 – Scarborough Jazz Club

26 – Seven Arts, Leeds

27 – Sheffield Jazz

28 – Peggy’s Skylight, Nottingham

29 – Docks Academy, Grimsby. Workshop & concert

31 – Annie’s, Southend

NOVEMBER

4 – The Verdict, Brighton 

10 – The Jazz Sanctuary, St Margaret’s 

11 – Garibaldi Hotel, Northampton

12 – Queen’s Hall Hexham

13 – Jedburgh Rugby Club

14 –  Glad Cafe, Glasgow

15 – The Jazz Bar, Edinburgh 

16 – The Globe, Newcastle 

17 – Lit and Phil, Newcastle, afternoon

17 – The Blue Room, Lincoln, evening

18 – Rochester Jazz & Blues Festival

21 – Marlow Jazz Club + Vasilis Xenopoulous 

22 – Pizza Express, Dean St. London

Organ Trio W/Ross Stanley & Laura Klain

24 – Sandbach Town Hall

25 – Zeffirellis, Cumbria

26 – Parr Jazz, Liverpool

Organ Trio W/Ross Stanley & Joel Barford

30 – The Lighthouse, Deal

DECEMBER

3 – Milestones, Lowestoft

8 – The Lighthouse, Poole

COMMENT: Negotiating the ACE forms is not an easy process and as such can lead many to become frustrated, despondent and even angry. Which is a shame because they really want to help. You just have to pick yourself up every time you fail and go for it again.

In recent years I’ve taken steps to help others achieve success with the process through online advice sessions, workshops (most recently for Birmingham Jazz) and in person. So, it was doubly important to me that I got a result this time. I’d have hated to appear to be someone who just ‘talked a good game’! I really threw myself into this bid, and spent a lot of time detailing the ‘partners’ on the tour. I listed all the venues as partners and in doing realised that I had over the years built up relationships with all of them to some degree. Some of them really quite close. I’ve also helped some of them with my ‘Grassroots Jazz’ charity

This actually had quite a profound effect on me. Not just because it made me feel old (!) but because it somehow made me feel like I had stopped halfway up a mountain and was surveying the almost impossibly long journey I’ve made.

This will be the 14th time I have toured the UK with my own band. (Where has all the time gone??). I think it’s great to give younger musicians something to aspire to, and show the way. I hope that doesn’t sound patronising.

It’s extremely important for jazz musicians to keep touring. It’s often tougher than you might think, but without it we’d all just be staying and playing in our local areas, moving in small circles. That’s no way to progress. This way, there is cross pollination, increased visibility of venues (through ACE funded advertising) and, dare I say, real hard evidence that if you strive hard enough then it is possible to get a working band out on the road. The upshot of this is the creation of a tight knit unit that becomes better and better with each performance, achieving a level of excellence that’s impossible to create in any other way.

Listen, I don’t travel particularly well. I don’t really like being away from home and I sometimes get quite anxious about the whole spectacle of it, but once you’ve experienced touring and have hit this kind of level it’s impossible to forget what it’s like to be an environment when we can be collectively all we can be.

That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?

The post Nigel Price Announces 42-Date Tour first appeared on UK Jazz News.

He also somehow finds the time to be one of the greatest jazz guitar educators we’ve ever had here, with regular contributions to Guitarist magazine and other international publications, as well as being Head of Guitar at BIMM, London. I reckon there has to be more than one John Wheatcroft…
I had the pleasure of meeting him and he comes across as one of the most driven and passionate musicians I’ve ever met, as well as a super nice guy.

Given his dazzling CV and achievements I was totally intrigued to hear what his new record ‘First Light’ would sound like. Whilst I was waiting for Royal Mail to get their act together I imagined all sorts of weird and wonderful, possibly even raucous things. Nothing could have prepared me for this though.

This is a beautiful, often quiet and considered collection of John’s own fabulous compositions, played with a cool head and faultless, breathtaking technique. There’s nothing gratuitous in the improvisations though, and there’s always complete focus on the music as a whole. Don’t get me wrong, he ain’t being no slouch! John’s relaxed approach belies the sheer difficulty of some of the playing. There’s some really fantastic guitar work going on here.

There’s a clear leaning toward the Django-esque side of him but you couldn’t say that this is a gypsy jazz album. Sure, tracks like ‘Full Swing’ and ‘One Over The Eight’ totally go there, but even then there’s still something else, a fresh angle brought in from this fine guitarist’s huge range of experience and tastes.

He’s not afraid to take all the time he wants to over things and that only adds to the relaxed feeling that runs through this whole delightful record, especially on the aching, insistent gypsy bossa title track ‘First Light’ and the ethereal ‘End Of Every Road’.

Mark Rose is laying down that big, beautiful, chunky double bass and he’s given a couple of opportunities to shine, showing us why he’s such a busy boy! I see some of the record was recorded in Mark’s very own ‘Rokit Studios’ in London too.

I like the mix. It would have been too easy to soak this recording in really expensive reverb. It’s always a temptation with drumless music that few seem to be able to resist but I think would have detracted from the music and taken away the feeling of intimacy.

John’s playing his Benedetto Bravo through the pick up for most of the album but for two of the tracks he’s playing solo, using his Aylward guitars. These tracks, ‘Unclaimed Treasure’ and ‘Already In The Past’ are just so strong and so well played that I can’t help wishing there was just a little more of it. I hope John won’t mind me saying that…

TRACK LISTING

• Full Swing 2:40
• Everything On 4:55
• Unclaimed Treasure 2:17
• First Light 6:16
• End Of Every Road 5:38
• King & Queen 4:39
• One Over The Eight 4:52
• Butterfly 4:51
• Tin Roof Soul 4:28
• Already In The Past 2.02

The post John Wheatcroft – ‘First Light’ first appeared on UK Jazz News.

However, this little piece of art ‘20/21’ by Svarc, Hanley and Longhawn is most definitely not a frantic bid for stardom but is instead a glimpse of the intriguing and musically rich planet that’s inhabited by Leeds based guitarslinger Nik Svarc,  funky as hell drummer Steve Hanley and organ/keyboard groovemeister extraordinaire Martin Longhawn. This cool yet exciting trio opt to embrace and experiment with a plethora of sounds, textures and grooves in a tough yet pleasingly unhurried way. 

Svarc himself is a self confessed ‘gear nut’. He knows exactly which vintage classic guitar, amp or sought after effects unit will be perfect for each job. As such, he’s a very rare bird indeed. Ask yourself honestly who else there is in the UK with this dedication to art of sound? This valuable knowledge is deployed to maximum effect on this exceptional release.

Musically it would be impossible to ignore the influence of Scofield but that would be too easy. I could also say it’s impossible to ignore the influence of Medeski, Martin and Wood, Jeff Beck, The Headhunters, Jimi Hendrix, Scott Henderson, Allan Holdsworth, Wayne Krantz, possibly Pink Floyd and maybe even Freddie King. Countless others too. That’s a whole lot of listening!

This album simply couldn’t have been made by a trio that hadn’t put the hours in, done the hard yards and dedicated themselves collectively to their cause. Listening to the utter conviction on this record you get the distinct feeling that these guys would be making this amazing music even if nobody was listening.

I guess we, as musicians, are partly formed by what we hear and partly by what we’re taught, but with some people there’s an enormous slice of individuality that seems to come from out of the blue, producing the glue that binds all this stuff together to form a new, unique voice. Nik Svarc is one of those special people and shines bright  in this environment.

Each piece segues into the next which further enhances the swirling, dreamy, often slightly disconcerting soundscapes from which burst forth sections of deep funk, wailing blues and Meters-esque grooves, all delivered with unquestionable brilliance and musicality. 

The tracks are long, which gives you the time to get fully immersed in each, from the slow atmospheric groove of the opener ‘The Ask’, the punchy yet relaxed ‘Hidden’, the unbridled funk of ‘Little Brother’ (check out that drum sound…is that Harvey Mason I can hear??), and the euphoric journey into Zappa-like ‘Earth Abides’. Perhaps the track that stands out amongst this backdrop of gnarly blues and deep funk is the title track ‘20/21’, which with it’s soaring, climactic feel could easily become a soundtrack for NASA rocket launches! Nik lets LOOSE on this one, reaching stratospheric heights of dazzling improvisation, sealing his reputation as one of the finest guitarists we have in this little part of the galaxy. 

As if unhappy to conclude with this level of joy, the band washes it’s hands by exiting with the slightly perturbing ‘We Elastic’, and before you know it, they’re gone, back into the darkness from whence they came…

It’s a little piece of stardust that you’d do well to pick up and you can do so on Bandcamp – link below . (Sod Spotify…BUY it!)

BAND: Nik Svarc – Electric and Acoustic Guitars / Steve Hanley – Drums, Percussion / Martin Longhawn – Organ, Wurlitizer, Piano

The post Svarc/Hanley/Longhawn – ‘20/21’ first appeared on UK Jazz News.

The above is an extract from a letter which guitarist Nigel Price wrote on behalf of nearly 80 signatories and sent to Nadine Dorries MP in February. The full text of the letter, to which UKJN’s editor Sebastian Scotney was a co-signatory, has just been released and is reproduced here.

On 17th February 2022 I sent a letter, endorsed by 68 other previous Parliamentary Jazz Award recipients, including Dame Cleo Laine DBE, to Nadine Dorries – the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport. 
The letter clearly details the present alarming situation that has caused a serious lack of funding of the UK’s grassroots jazz infrastructure and is an appeal for intervention to ensure that financial support for this vital part of our heritage is not overlooked in the Government’s well documented push to kick start the Arts following the pandemic. 

The letter addresses these key points:
1. Lack of accessibility to funding to those without dedicated premises and/or company status.
2. Disparity in funding between large and small venues.
3. The fiercely competitive nature of the Arts Council bidding process leading to a higher incidence failure amongst grassroots promoters.
4. The urgent need for a simpler process in order to get help to these smaller venues.

LETTER BEGINS

“Rt Hon Nadine Dorries MP

Secretary of State

Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport
100 Parliament Street
London
SW1A 2BQ

17^th February 2022

Dear Secretary of State

My name is Nigel Price. I am a prominent UK jazz guitarist and previous APPJAG award recipient. 

I write to you to today, with the support of another 68 Parliamentary Jazz Award recipients, led by Dame Cleo Laine, to inform you of the alarming financial state of many of the UK’s grass roots jazz venues as we move into 2022.

The funds recently allocated via the ‘Cultural Recovery Fund’ and the ‘Emergency Grassroots Venues Fund’ has simply NOT REACHED grassroots venues. We have already seen several clubs close their doors permanently and the future of dozens of others is now hanging by a thread.

We cannot allow this vital part of our heritage to be eroded.

The issue is very specific. Without permanent premises or company status, any application to Arts Council England’s current Cultural Recovery Fund or the Emergency Grass Roots Venues Fund is prohibited. Around 90% of UK jazz venues therefore do not qualify for any financial assistance. It should be noted that this includes many actual Parliamentary Jazz Award winners. This is surely not a workable scenario and needs to be addressed. 

Project grants are permitted for these promoters but there is a further problem. The brave souls who run these provincial jazz clubs have absolutely zero experience in the world of funding and Arts Council England (ACE) applications. I myself know how tough these applications are; having toured the UK with ACE support nine times. I have failed more times than I have succeeded. Whilst ‘on the road’ I have had many conversations with these amazing people, and those who have previously attempted ACE applications all say roughly the same thing – “It was horrendously difficult, took forever to complete and we didn’t get the money anyway.”

Even if promoters manage to get a bid of their own submitted, they are extremely unlikely to succeed because they are then in direct and fierce competition with professional bid writers, who are often employed by larger establishments to ensure a successful outcome.

Paul Kelly, Director of Swanage Jazz Festival and an experienced bid writer illustrates this in detail:

“Let’s Create, Arts Council England’s ambitious 10 Year strategy published in 2021, has a bold vision. ‘By 2030, we want creative nation in which every one of us can play a part. England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish and where every one of us has access to a remarkable range of high-quality cultural experiences.’

 Let’s Create is built around three outcomes – Creative People, Cultural Communities and A Creative and Cultural Country.  A key means of delivering this outcome lies in Arts Council England’s (ACE) grant funding, access too much of which is via Grantium, its online grants application system. Grantium has long been disliked by applicants for its complexity and even some Arts Council Officers have expressed reservations.  When ACE released its Let’s Create Delivery Plan late in 2021 and revised its funding criteria, some of us hoped it might also reform Grantium and make it more user friendly. 

Not so;  Grantium has become even more complex, even to the experienced fundraiser, and very little of it directly refers to the creative idea that is being bid for.  This sits at odds with ACE’s strategic objective of creating a nation “in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish”.  Rather than encourage diversity, access and creative development, Grantium is highly likely to deter potential applicants, especially at the grassroots, especially where relatively small amounts of funding can make a huge difference to both non-profit voluntary organisation and the often many professional artists they employ or who wish to bid for funds themselves. The sheer complexity of the 45 page, 24 section Grantium form deters those who want to deliver creative projects and employ professional artists, with need of only modest amounts of funding. It is these people, many of whom willingly give their time for free, on which the bedrock of creative activity in England is built. If this country’s arts and culture are to thrive, Grantium needs urgent reform.”

A scan down the list of past recipients of the Cultural Recovery Fund tells you that those successful applicants now have a very secure future. That’s brilliant. In stark contrast, those who were unsuccessful or indeed unable to ask for help have been left with absolutely nothing and face a bleak and rocky road ahead of them. Can you imagine the state of morale amongst these people? Typically a club will be run by an individual or small committee who, driven by their passion for the music, often soak up financial shortfalls with their own money.  

This from Simon Brown, Director of Norwich Jazz Club:

“I continue to run Norwich Jazz Club out of a desire to perform and to advocate the music I love – but which I’ve come to feel is a faintly naïve qualification when in order to succeed (at least in the current climate) your best qualification is as a professional funding applicant. Each gig I stage now generally falls slightly short of washing its face and I underwrite the losses out of my own pocket. With the background cost of living on the rise it’s probably not a position I’ll be able to maintain for much longer.”

This next illustration is from Julie Sheppard, Director of ‘Jazz Jurassica’ Lyme Regis.

“The regional jazz circuit relies on a band of volunteer promoters operating out of a variety of local venues. They have little support for the vital work they do – and many will soon “retire” with little sign of who will replace them. If jazz is to thrive outside the big metropolitan centres then this fragile part of the ecosystem needs bolstering. Where will that support come from?  Arts Council? Jazz Promotion Network?  Local councils? And who is giving voice to their challenges and needs?”

Promoters all over the country are echoing these sentiments. Make no mistake. We are in very real danger of losing a valuable part of our heritage.

Throughout the pandemic, limits on audience capacity and fear of infection have battered an already struggling industry. Without some assistance we are going to see more casualties very soon. Just in the last few weeks we have seen clubs throw in the towel: Peterborough Jazz, Herts jazz, Folkestone Jazz Club, Shepperton Jazz Club. Who’s next? The regional UK jazz clubs are the very arteries that supply the veins of larger clubs. Legendary venues like Ronnie Scott’s wouldn’t even exist without this utterly essential infrastructure. Young up and coming musicians gain the invaluable experience they need by playing at these clubs and we risk losing them at our peril. In very real terms this means that the future of UK jazz is under threat. If we don’t act now then we will have a very stark future.

Putting art and culture aside for a second, it’s also worth recognising that the revenue from UK jazz is without doubt of significant value to the UK economy. 

My view is that this situation could actually be rectified quite simply. One solution is to create a ‘proper’ grassroots fund that will go further than the recent ACE fund by specifically supporting clubs that hold events in non-dedicated premises, and hold no company status. If such a fund were to be created it is an absolute requirement that the form will have to be simpler. The applications would be made by regular, ordinary people. Not professional bid writers. Without these kinds of concessions their applications will fail.

I hope I have put across the message clearly and that this letter will encourage a meaningful response. I have copied this letter to Darren Henley, CEO Arts Council England and the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group for discussion amongst APPJAG members and their colleagues in both Houses of Parliament.

Without immediate action the face of the UK jazz scene will irrevocably change for the worse.

I have personally invited other past recipients of the Parliamentary Jazz Awards to add their signatures to this letter and the response has been nothing short of overwhelming, with other respected figures within the UK Jazz scene also volunteering their support below.

 We implore you to help us keep the music we all love alive here on these islands by making funding more available and attainable for grassroots venues.

Yours sincerely 

Nigel Price – 2010 APPJAG Ensemble of the year  (Nigel Price Organ Trio)

With the support of Parliamentary Jazz Award recipients:

Dame Cleo Laine DBE – Services to Jazz Award (2009)

Claire Martin OBE – Jazz Album of the Year (2021)

Guy Barker MBE – Jazz Musician of the Year (2013)

Dr Tommy Smith OBE – Jazz Education of the Year (2016)

Cleveland Watkiss MBE – Jazz Vocalist of the Year (2017)

Julian Joseph OBE – Jazz Broadcaster of the year (2006)

Dennis Rollins MBE – Jazz Educator of the Year (2008)

Elaine Delmar – Parliamentary Special Jazz Award (2013)

Alyn Shipton – Jazz Broadcaster of the Year (2010)

Dr Ian Darrington MBE – Jazz Educator of the Year (2011)

John Eno BEM – Jazz Education of the Year (2020)

Chris Hodgkins – Services to Jazz Award (2015)

Ian Shaw – Jazz Vocalist of the Year (2018)

Liane Carroll – Jazz Album of the Year (2018)

Xhosa Cole – Jazz Newcomer of the Year (2019)

Mike Flynn, Jazzwise – Jazz Publication of the Year (2010)

Jean Toussaint – Jazz Education of the Year Award (2018)

Callum Au – Jazz Album of the Year (2021)

Empirical – Jazz Ensemble of the year (2008)

Tony Kofi – Jazz Ensemble of the Year (2005)

Georgia Mancio – Jazz Vocalist of the Year (2021)

Paul Pace –   Services to Jazz Award (2008)

Phil Robson – Jazz Musician of the Year (2009)

Mark Lockheart – Jazz Musician of the Year (2010)

Gareth Lockrane – Jazz Album of the Year (2010)

Kathy Dyson – Jazz Educator of the Year Award (2010)

Zoe Champion – Jazz Vocalist of the Year (2019

Kate Williams (& Georgia Mancio) – Jazz Album of the Year (2020)

Pete Oxley, the Spin, Oxford – APPJAG Live Jazz Award of the Year (2012)

John Turville – Jazz Album of the Year (2011)

Alison Rayner – Jazz Ensemble of the Year (2018)

Emilia Martensson – Jazz Vocalist of the Year (2016)

Jasper Hoiby – Jazz Ensemble of the Year (2017)

Professor Catherine Tackley – Jazz Publication of the Year (2013)

Luca Manning – 2020 Jazz Newcomer of the Year (2020)

Christine Tobin – Jazz Vocalist of the Year (2014)

Henry Lowther – 2019 Parliamentary Special Jazz Award (2019)

Nick Smart – Jazz Education of the Year Award (2013)

Tim Garland – 2006 Jazz Musician of the Year (2006)

Jim Mullen – 2017 Parliamentary Special Award (2017)

Mike Walker, Impossible Gentlemen – Jazz Ensemble of the Year (2013)

Phil Meadows – Jazz Newcomer of the Year (2015)

Nikki Iles – Jazz Album of the Year (2019)

Paul Hobbs/Kathryn Shackleton, Watermill Jazz, Dorking  – Jazz Venue of the Year (2019)

Paul Deats, Peggy’s Skylight, Nottingham  –  Jazz Venue of the Year (2021)

Brian Kellock – Jazz Ensemble of the Year (2011)

Joanna Mayes, St Ives  – Jazz Venue of the year (2015)

Dr Corey Mwamba –  Jazz Media Award (2020)

Fergus McCreadie – Jazz Album of the Year (2019)

Ryan Quigley – Jazz Ensemble of the Year (2009)

Sam Crockatt –  Jazz Album of the Year (2009)

Ross Dines, Pizza Express, London  –  Jazz Venue of the Year (2007)

Ian Mann –   Jazz Media Award (2019)

Pete Rosser and Judith Waterhouse, Wakefield Jazz Club – Jazz Venue of the Year (2005)

Fiona Ross, Women In Jazz Media –  Jazz Media Award (2021)

Lance Liddle, Bebop Spoken Here –  Jazz Media Award (2018)

Jill Rodger – Services to Jazz Award (2018)

Jon Newey,/Jazzwise – Jazz Journalist of the year (2012)

Peter Fairman, Fleece Jazz – Jazz Venue of the Year (2009)

Gill Alexander – Jazz Venue of the Year (2008)

Simon Purcell – Jazz Educator of the Year (2006)

Sebastian Scotney, Jazz London News – Jazz Publication of the Year (2015)

Kevin Le Gendre – Jazz Journalist of the Year (2009)

Josephine Davies – Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year (2009)

Digby Fairweather – Special Award (2021)

Stuart Nicholson – Jazz Journalist of the year (2007)

Debra Milne – Lockdown Innovation Award, The Globe, Newcastle (2021)

Buster Birch – Jazz Education award, Original Jazz Summer School (2021)

Other signatories:

Clark Tracey BEM (for music promotion) – for Herts Jazz (recently closed)

Jacqui Dankworth

Alec Dankworth

Laurie Jacobs – Peterborough Jazz Club (recently closed)

Simon Brown – Norwich Jazz Club

Julie Sheppard – Jazz Jurassica

Paul Kelly – Swanage Jazz Festival

Trefor Owen – North Wales Jazz (recently closed)

Ashley Slater – for ‘Loose Tubes’

Clive Davies – Times Journalist

CC  Executive Committee of the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group: John Spellar MP, Lord Mann, Lord Colwyn, Lord Alton, Greg Knight MP, Alison Thewliss MP, Chi Onwurah MP, Ian Paisley MP, Sarah Champion MP, Chris Hodgkins (Secretary).

Darren Henley, CEO. Arts Council England”

LETTER / RELEASE ENDS

The post “We have already seen several clubs close their doors permanently.” (1) first appeared on UK Jazz News.

Enter …Peter Bernstein. Perhaps the most tasteful, melodic and sought after jazz guitarist of his generation, Peter has travelled a long road that has seen him become an integral part of jazz history, perhaps most notably (for guitarists at any rate) having for many years been the full time guitarist for Melvin Rhyne, Wes Montgomery’s original organist. They were big shoes to fill but fill them he did. That alone would have been enough for Peter to enter the jazz ‘hall of fame’ but it was only the beginning. The list of accolades and achievements is actually way too large for a small article like this but I’ll pick a few highlights: Having studied with Kenny Barron and Jim Hall he went on to be a third of one of the most important jazz trios of the modern world along with Larry Goldings and Bill Stewart, was a full time sideman for the legendary Dr Lonnie Smith (Benson’s organist), has been a member of Mike LeDonne’s ‘Groover Quartet’ for 20 years and has recorded with Lou Donaldson, Joshua Redman, Diana Krall and dozens of other greats.  There’s so much more….

Peter was touring in Europe in November and made the fabulous decision to stop in London for one night only. He travels the world, seeking out like minds – musicians who play with guts, soul, and have that wondrous ability to make a profound connection with the audience….

Enter – Jim Mullen. If you’re going to pick just one guitarist in the UK who ticks all these boxes, then Jim is that musician. He is a national treasure and the undisputed heavyweight champion of jazz guitar on these islands. With a totally unique sound, a totally unique technique and an unrivalled, seemingly bottomless knowledge of repertoire, he’s been absolutely tearing it up here for decades. Anybody who has spent any time exploring jazz here in the UK will know exactly who Jim Mullen is and will have marvelled at his his incredible musicality, not to mention his massive contribution to the music. He’s showing no signs of slowing down and is playing as well as ever. How utterly brilliant is it that Peter sought out Jim, and that the 606 Club could make this one-of-a-kind, very special night happen?

So, the scene is nearly set. Rhythm section? Of course it’s Steve Brown on drums. Of course. The most positive, supportive and swinging drummer on the scene with an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of the jazz legacy. He’s the don and everybody knows it, despite his life being devoid of all social media! Likewise, bass giant Jeremy Brown was the absolute right choice for the gig, a huge sound, a bluesy, breezy melodic elegance and a cool head under pressure.

So. To the gig! There was a buzz in Chelsea that night. There was definitely something in the chilly air. Even on the way in, the tube was absolutely packed full of excitable football fans on their way to Stamford Bridge on match day, just around the corner from the 606 club which subtly added to the sense of occasion. The ‘6’ was the perfect venue for this gig. A good ‘ol gloomy underground jazz club! Push the buzzer, wait for the quizzical look from the door below, go through the metal gate, down the stairs and you’re in. The place is well worn and you’re immediately aware that thousands and thousands of great nights have been had here. It’s become a vital piece of London history. I tell you what, I’ve never seen the place so packed. Many had travelled a long way to be there. With little advertising, no ‘sponsored Facebook posts’ and no hype, this gig had sold out days before and I reckon it could have sold out for a second night too, maybe even a third. It was definitely this year’s hot ticket and the audience was a veritable ‘who’s who’ of the UK jazz guitar scene. I feel sorry for anyone who was trying to book a guitarist in London on Tuesday night! 

The atmosphere in the room was electric and when Steve Rubie introduced the gladiators the place erupted with the kind of applause you’d usually hear at the very end of a great gig. As we sat there before it started, there had been some chuckles about Peter’s whomping great Fender Twin versus Jim’s tiny AER but when the band came bowling in with ‘Lyresto’ (originally from ‘Kenny Burrell and John Coltrane’) it was clear that it’s ‘all in the fingers’ and Jim was towering, in stature too, looming large over the enthralled and hungry crowd, spinning out beautiful melody and gutsy, bluesy lines. Now I think about it, Peter couldn’t have chosen a much taller band! They’re all six footers. Peter’s presence, although a good foot shorter than anyone else on the stage, was just as imposing. Heads craned around other heads, all trying to get a clear view of the way he delivers those magical ‘time fluid’ lines.

‘Time’ is Peter’s thing. He’s so hip to nestling his notes in that ’sweet spot’, quite late on the beat, and it was just fantastic to see and hear it actually happen right there in front of us. There were beaming smiles all round. We were aware too that the first set was being live streamed and you could almost feel the presence of the ‘virtual’ audience around the World as well as those unlucky enough to have missed out on the tickets. The two giants clearly relished each other’s playing. It was just such a great pairing and it sounded like they’d been playing together for ever although a brief chat with Peter in the break revealed that they’d had just 35 minutes to get together and figure out a set before the gig!

There followed an hour of outrageously good jazz. A grooving ‘Monk’s Dream’, a thunderous Wes Montgomery’s ‘Full House’ (appropriately!), a moment of real tenderness (as well as a jaw dropping Bernstein guitar intro) with ‘Stairway to the stars’, a rousing ‘Fungii Mama’ (Blue Mitchell), finishing up with Clifford Brown’s ‘Sandu’ which saw Peter and Jim climbing up each other on the trades, whipping up the room to a roaring and whistling frenzy. We all went in there knowing that we were about to see something special and we came away with even our high expectations exceeded.

That was certainly the gig of the year for me, and a totally unforgettable experience.

The post Peter Bernstein and Jim Mullen at the 606 Club first appeared on UK Jazz News.