UK Jazz News: What first drew you to Shelly Manne? 

Matt Skelton: I discovered jazz through big band music having seen the Glenn Miller Story when I was around 10 or 11.  This experience led me towards Basie, Ellington and so on where I heard the great soloists and rhythm section players who have gone on to be such an inspiration to later generations of jazz instrumentalists and composers.

I first heard Shelly Manne on a Woody Herman compilation LP when I was about 12 or 13. He just completely knocked me out. What I can now describe in detailed terms, beyond my first visceral reaction, are the combination of his cymbal beat, feel, sound, language and creative spirit, always a great ensemble player, whatever the forces or context.

The Herman 2nd Herd band of the late 40s was a powerhouse of great writers, and also soloists and section players (an art in itself): Shorty Rogers, Serge Chaloff, Sonny Bergman, Ernie Royal and Gene Ammons, for example.   These are amazing recordings that have lost nothing with age in terms of music played with daring, fire and passion. Shelly was very much a crucial ingredient of this during his time with the band.

UKJN: And were there decisive Shelly Manne moments in you own professional life?

MS: It was only later when I met Don Rendell during the Guildhall Summer School of 1987 and he recommended the first big band recordings of Dizzy Gillespie’s own big band from ‘46 that I realized where this had come from and that Herman’s band was hugely influenced by these recordings. 

UKJN: For newbies, can you point us in the direction of a couple of tracks and what you admire particularly?  

MS: His range of discography is extraordinary. Hollywood film scores, pop records, orchestral dates and an in-house drummer for Contemporary Records. From the original Pink Panther theme to “Tomorrow is the Question” with Ornette Coleman. Incisive, articulate, perfectly judged interplay and always swinging and supportive. Andre Previn, with whom Shelly collaborated on that classic My Fair Lady record said of him: “He kept time for everyone and never had a bad word to say”. I love that: A genuine polymath whose ways of unselfish collaboration have given a completely unique sound and texture to the world of jazz. Records I’m never far away from include:

• Way Out West with Sonny Rollins with Ray Brown.
• Simple Matter of Conviction with the Bill Evans Trio 
• The 20s Bit with Benny Carter and Earl Hines.
• Lush Life by Nancy Wilson.

And of course, the five volumes of At the Blackhawk records that are the centrepiece of inspiration to my own group. 

UKJN: What stage is the group at, and when do you next appear together? 

MS: This is a newly reformed and revived project. We’ve recently played Dorking Watermill and Market Harborough Jazz. Our next date is the Bear Club in Luton on 26 April. I’m hustling like crazy, currently doing the rounds of emails and calls to see who else might like to have us.

UKJN: And it also sounds like fun… 

MS: We have such a great time playing. It’s a boundless source of joy to share this music with the people in the band and the audiences we meet. 

UKJN: Is there an intention to do an album?  

MS: I’m not intending to record for the time being. The definitive recordings are so great. We’re kinda an ‘in the moment’ band. Come hear us. Perhaps we may record an album if we start playing original arrangements inspired by the transcriptions from the record that frame, with thanks to Tom Smith!

Matt Skelton’s instagram profile has updates, news of appearances and more.

Matt Skelton’s Blackhawk Quintet will be playing at the Bear Club, Luton on Saturday 26 April at 19:00.

The post Matt Skelton presents The Blackhawk Quintet – Celebrating Shelly Manne first appeared on UK Jazz News.

Scott Bradlee still remembers the looks he got when he told his parents about his plan to pay off his $100,000 student debt by being a jazz pianist in New York.

It happened. Today, Scott’s band, Postmodern Jukebox, is one of the most-watched pop-jazz acts of all time, with over 2 billion hits on YouTube and a full decade of touring the world, culminating in a headlining night at London’s Royal Albert Hall on 23 April 2025.

Like most musicians, he had humble beginnings, just a regular guy from New Jersey. His parents had unsuccessfully encouraged him into learning classical piano, but when he heard George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, he set his heart on jazz.

He hung an iconic picture on his bedroom wall: A Great Day in Harlem and took inspiration from all those famous faces staring down at him: Count Basie, Thelonious Monk, Lester Young and many others.

After struggling to pay rent as a NYC jazz pianist, Bradlee contemplated giving up and going back to school for physics, having been inspired by Stephen Hawkins’ A Brief History of Time. Newly freed from the pressures of making music a career, he decided to upload a performance to YouTube, then in its infancy.

His ‘party trick’ as a teenager had been to turn contemporary hits — rap tunes, alternative rock hits and more into 1920s stride piano. He set up a cheap video camera and bashed out some 1980s classics on his red electric piano in a ragtime style. 

The next day he was shocked to find his video had been viewed 25,000 times. Scott felt that he might be onto something: “for the first time in my life, I felt relevant”.

His first Postmodern Jukebox Video to go viral was a 1930s-style small group swing remake of Macklemore’s Thrift Shop, which garnered one million views almost immediately and propelled the act into popular culture.

Since then, Postmodern Jukebox has grown to feature notable singers from all genres, from American Idol stars Haley Reinhart and Casey Abrams to Broadway’s Shoshana Bean and Morgan James, to television star Wayne Brady. There’s even the “Sad Clown With The Golden Voice” Puddles Pity Party, who debuted with PMJ in their October 2013 cover of Lorde’s Royals.

Each video is like opening a miniature time capsule from an alternate universe; here, modern-day artists like Chappell Roan and Dua Lipa are writing 1960s Brill Building hits and making 1920s hot jazz records.

Having cracked the code online, Scott then sat down to the serious business of making a sustainable business from all this attention. His model is the complete opposite of how the music business usually makes money: he does not own the publishing to any of the songs, nor has a deal with a ‘proper’ record company.

Instead, Postmodern Jukebox has built a reputation as an exquisite and engaging live act — one that combines the ‘Old School’ glamour and retro style of mid-century musical variety shows with recognisable hits of today, all brought to life by a phenomenal cast of a dozen performers. At first, Bradlee toured himself but soon realised his time would be much better spent arranging the material and designing the show, rather than performing.

The live shows capture all the fun, wit, humour, spectacle, and stunning musicality of the videos — honouring the musical traditions of the past, while infusing them with a youthful ebullience. Enthusiastic fans of the act even come dressed up in a wide variety of vintage looks, to enhance the time-travelling experience.

Scott is really ‘living the dream’ for his own personal goals and aspirations, but I’m guessing even he himself does not exactly know where this will end up. Like many entrepreneurs, he may one day decide on a complete career change once he’s absolutely satisfied Postmodern Jukebox is in safe hands.

He might even dust off his copy of A Brief History of Time, work out how quantum mechanics actually works and build himself a time machine. Scott could then take us all back to the 1920s. Literally.

On 23 April 2025, Postmodern Jukebox will kick off their UK tour at the Royal Albert Hall.

Mike Southon is Editor in Chief of the World Communications Forum Association Davos (WCFA).

The post Scott Bradlee and Postmodern Jukebox first appeared on UK Jazz News.

UK Jazz News: What is your musical background?

Mauro Sigura : Well, when I was young, I spent time watching and listening to my father, who is still a good rock guitar player. I used to take his guitar and try playing it. When I started playing I was 15 years old and my first instrument was a Fender Stratocaster and I was trying to reproduce solos from rock music by the likes of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton and Guns N’ Roses.

When I was 20 years old, I started playing blues in the clubs in Turin and started taking jazz lessons. In the meantime, I also investigated folk and world music, especially from the south of Italy and from Sardinia, where I live now. I ended up playing for several years with the local traditional folk bands, delving deeper into Arab- Ottoman music, and studying with a good teacher. It became my passion and I am still studying that music now.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         UKJN: The oud is an unusual instrument to see in a jazz setting, especially as part of an electric quartet. What made you gravitate towards it? 

MS: During the 1990s, I used to go to Greece with my parents for holidays, and I heard some notes coming from a nearby taverna.  I ran down to the street looking for the place where the music was coming from and, when I found it, I spent hours listening to that music that was so exotic but had a familiar feel. Then my father bought a bouzouki and I started playing it. From listening to Greek music, I moved gradually to Turkish and Arabic music, where I met the oud and I fell in love immediately with that instrument and that music. 

From the beginning I understood that it was necessary to study the traditional music played on the oud but I had to approach a new way of playing it. So I started mixing my jazz background, the rock music I’d learned on the guitar and my new knowledge coming from Arabic-Ottoman classical music.

I was looking for a modern sound, to blend the traditional voice of that instrument with the sounds of European jazz, classical music and rock. That’s the reason why, for my last album DUNIA, I choose an electric guitar and bass for the lineup. I wanted a traditional story to be told by a modern sound, made by distortions, delay, and other effects.

UKJN:  Which musicians do you most admire?

As my approach is a kind of crossover, I get my influences from many musicians. There are musicians who have influenced my compositions, such as Dhafer Youssef, Pat Metheny, the Esbjörn Svensson Trio, in fact – all of Norwegian Jazz. There are also musicians who have influenced my way of playing like Pat Metheny and Anouar Brahem.

All these musicians and their music can take you in their world, and can resonate deeply with people. Their messages are complex but easy to connect with, both at the same time. That’s what I would like to communicate with my music: a complex message of integration, empathy, dialogue and proximity expressed in a simple way, just by taking people into my musical world.

UKJN:  How did you choose the musicians in your Electric Quartet?

I played for 10 years with my acoustic quartet, all Sardinian musicians, but with the electric quartet I selected a different lineup as I needed a different sound.

First I contacted Marcello Peghin, who is one of the most famous guitar players in Sardinia and well-known in Italy too. He’s mainly known for his classical guitar playing but I saw him in a couple of concerts with the electric guitar and it was amazing. Then I wanted a bass player with a great sound and a great groove. I had heard about Pierpaolo Ranieri, who is one of the most famous Italian bass players. I was so happy that he agreed to be part of the project. Then, for the album recording I chose Evita Polidoro who is already a drummer with DeeDee Bridgewater and Enrico Rava and is superb. For the live concerts, Evita will be replaced by Alessandro Cau, a very good drummer that I know well.

UKJN:  What does 2025 hold for you? 

MS: Well, in 2025, I will be working on my new collaboration with the pianist Andrea Manzoni, with whom I created the project MIGRANTES. Andrea is an amazing pianist and MIGRANTES celebrates cultural diversity and mixes elements from various musical contexts to create a unique sound that transcends georgraphical boundaries.

This year I’m already booked to play in Germany, France, Italy, Croatia, Egypt, Switzerland and Greece with more to come, and I’m very excited to take both of my projects DUNIA and MIGRANTES around the world and see the audiences’ reactions.

(*) Mauro Sigura’s visit to the UK is supported by the Italian Cultural Institute. Kathryn Shackleton does Artist Bookings at Watermill Jazz.

The post Mauro Sigura first appeared on UK Jazz News.

The evening opened with the Gwilym Simcock Trio on stellar form, with Simcock, Conor Chaplin on bass and James Maddren on drums all bringing effortless virtuosity as they wove intricate melodies and rhythms that captivated the audience from the start. Introducing all new material,  there was a fresh energy on stage that still remained rooted in an unwaveringly tight dynamic between the three musicians.

With titles such as Old Husband’s Tale and Mates Rates, each piece was full of character and evocation, giving us a taste of the storytelling masterpieces to come in the second half. A notable piece was co-written by Simcock and Chaplin. Simcock remarked how inspiring it can be to write with someone else, moving you away from default settings to find new, fresh sounds. 

Although the title wasn’t mentioned, or else was missed, the piece left a lasting impression with Chaplin’s sensitive double bass opening the track in a delicate, melodic exploration. As the trio joined in, the sound expanded into a spacious, contemplative atmosphere that drew in the audience and kept them hooked.

After the interval, the programme transitioned into larger orchestral works. During her introduction, Joanna MacGregor, Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Brighton Philharmonic, called out the upcoming thrill of getting to hear Duke Ellington’s Harlem, where “the brass – well, everyone – play out of their skins”. And it really was a standout moment that showcased the brilliance of this timeless piece and the musicians bringing it to life. 

From those distinctive opening trumpet notes, the audience was swept up in the neighbourhood’s rich history and cultural vibrancy. Ellington’s introspective solos – special shout out to Ben Woodgate on clarinet for a truly soulful performance – were given real attention, while the vibrant whirlwind of multi-faceted Harlem was picked up in joyous bursts of energy. In short, it was a celebratory, complex interpretation worthy of the piece.

Conductor Clark Rundell’s love and admiration for Wayne Shorter – whom he’d known well and worked with extensively – came through brightly in both his words and the music. Sensitively and respectfully arranged takes on Shorter’s Causeways and Prometheus Unbound brought the pieces vividly to life, highlighting their blend of virtuosity and spirituality. 

Rundell’s orchestration of Causeways certainly delivered on the condition given in Shorter’s blessing to ‘do it, just make it even more mysterious’. The sensitive arrangement delivered a heightened sense of mystery and depth, beautifully capturing the unison melodies and rhythmic intricacies that define the piece, with new subtle layers to evoke the enigmatic charm at its heart. The Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra’s performance mirrored the piece’s journey from lyrical simplicity to intricate layers across a shifting soundscape, moving from moments of quiet reflection to surging crescendos that hinted at Shorter’s playful yet profound spirit, boldness and innovation. 
Closing with two of Simcock’s own pieces for trio and orchestra, Columns and Industrial (for Alan), brought the concert back round nicely to Simcock’s soundworld, here widened out to find an interplay between trio and orchestra, a balance between notated music and abstract solos.

Elington asked for “sadness, gladness, and dazzling satin dolls”. This exciting and successful concert gave us all of that – plus a remarkable range of talent and creativity.

The post ‘Blue Notes’. Ellington, Wayne Shorter, Gwilym Simcock first appeared on UK Jazz News.

It was also a truly special family affair. It must have been a proud moment for conductor Suzie Collier to share the stage not only with JC, her very own prodigal son, but also Thomas Gould, the Britten Sinfonia’s leader/concertmaster, whom she has known since he was 12. Not to mention “Collier family crush” (as Suzie Collier put it) Chris Thile, who seems to be the very personification of charisma, clearly held in the highest regard by Jacob Collier who dubbed him “Earth’s finest mandolinist”. There were lots of hugs shared on the stage and a clear excitement and mutual respect between everyone who performed.

Suzie Collier’s conducting was hypnotizing to watch. It was like a dance in which she used her whole self to embody the music and communicate it with the orchestra, overseeing the evening’s performance with poise and a tender awareness for all of the musicians on stage.

‘Spring’ from Piazzolla/Desyanikov’s ‘Four Seasons of Buenos Aires’ featured an animated Thomas Gould on violin; the performance came across so authentically that the piece could have been written for him.

A much-awaited moment for many of us came when Chris Thile slid onto the scene in a sleek, blue suit followed by Jacob Collier who launched himself onto stage in a flash of multicoloured crocs. The applause to greet them had hardly settled when the jousting commenced in the form of an ecstatic, zigzagging improvisation between piano and mandolin. They seemed to playfully dodge and hit one another with a musical complexity on the verge of hilarity, evoking colours…as vivid as those on Jacob Collier’s trousers. Their prowess elicited involuntary responses from individuals in the audience, from the audible laughs and astonished whispers to the dropping of jaws and speechless gapes. When these prolific muso-magicians duel at top speed, there’s really only one question to ask: How do they do that?

It is not often that you hear an on-the-fly mashup arrangement of Bob Dylan and Lennon & McCartney in a concert hall, but that was only the beginning. Jacob Collier and Chris Thile brought an excitement, as if playing their favourite pop song, when they introduced JS Bach’s ‘Vivace from Concerto in D minor’, played on mandolin and voice, with Jacob Collier exhibiting a staggering vocal range.

The evening was also one of introductions, featuring two young musicians, Danushka Edirisinghe and Finn Anderson-Hendra who played an impressive rendition of ‘Violoncelles Vibrez’. The world premiere of Jacob Collier’s orchestral piece ‘Hush Scuffle’ encapsulates his childhood enthusiasm for music or, in his words “the part of me that wants to make a big noise and the part of me that’s not allowed to… but does it anyway”.

A musical highlight of the evening was in the tune ‘Lua’, from ‘Djesse Vol.2’ (2019). The orchestra basked in orange light as the distinguished bossa ballad transported the audience to a sunny land of cocktails and contentment. Jacob Collier’s piano solo over the sophisticatedly slow track offered a measured amount of light relief to the intensive evening.

Everyone going to a Jacob Collier concert should by now know that they need to warm up their voices beforehand, and tonight was no exception. He conducted the audience choir singing in harmony for a moving rendition of the traditional folk tune ‘Wild Mountain Thyme’ (arr. Jules Buckley and Jacob Collier) and the last tune, Queen’s ‘Somebody To Love’, with orchestration by Giles Thornton. Collier even invited the audience to collectively sing Freddie Mercury’s iconic final riff to conclude the concert. It was a nice touch to include the enthusiastic audience as well as perhaps a subtle acknowledgement of the fact that this audience has more than its share of music fanatics.

It’s truly special that, although Jacob Collier creates some of the most complex music out there, attending a concert of his is the very opposite of exclusive. It is impossible not to be drawn in by the charming and enthusiastic young man spreading his passionate enthusiasm for music making.

Jacob Collier described his recent draw to orchestral music, accrediting it wholly to his mother. He describes some of his very earliest memories of her conducting, likening it to “casting a spell” which seemed apt, for it was in a slightly dazed state that, having heard all these magicians, the audience left the Barbican.

The post Jacob Collier, Chris Thile, Britten Sinfonia/Suzie Collier first appeared on UK Jazz News.

FULL PROGRAMME – BOTH SHOWS ARE SOLD OUT / RETURNS ONLY

WED 12 FEB, 6PM

Ensembles led by and featuring Lynn Cassiers, Will Vinson, and Sarah Murcia.

THU 13 FEB, 6PM

Ensembles led by and featuring Leon Foster Thomas, Xhosa Cole and Rob Luft.

INTERVIEW WITH LYNN CASSIERS

I spoke to Lynn Cassiers, a Brussels-based musician who will be taking an ensemble this year. Her music explores the liberating and ever evolving possibilities for the voice in contemporary improvisation, often augmented by an array of electronics.

Characterised by a love for the art of improvisation, Cassiers’ musical influences range far and wide. While sometimes underpinned by traditional jazz references, her music is often approached through the lens of free improvisation. She explained to me her concept of a ‘sound design mindset’, which allows her to weave between the musical background and foreground effortlessly. Cassiers explores this concept alongside trumpeter Hilde Marie Holsen, with their 2023 release Walking In Circles, which incorporates many layers of diverse textures in an intimate setting.

Able to assume a supporting role by modifying her voice with electronics, Cassiers accompanies this with fragile fragments of melody and spoken word. Her use of props in crafting a musical soundscape is in equal parts delightfully playful and sonically intriguing, with a live performance at Leuven Jazz 2021 using a megaphone, a plastic bag and even a modified moka coffee pot to generate sound worlds that dart between glistening resonance and jagged, slowly unfolding grooves. 

Cassiers intentionally steps out of the conventions of being the ‘frontman’ in a band, whilst also working with the inherent power of the human voice. She referred to research examining the specific area of the brain dedicated to vocal sound recognition. ‘When we hop in, it draws people’s attention, whether we want it or not. I like to play with this.’ One of the projects she is working on this year as an artist-in-residence involves researching speech patterns, and how we can use rhythmic impulses in music without the need for conventional music notation and fixed metric values. First experimenting with a trio, Cassiers has since expanded the lineup, using spoken language as a paradigm for phrasing. 

Closer to her musical roots in traditional jazz, Cassiers’ 2020 release Yun intertwines melodies from well-known standards, such as Cole Porter’s “Easy To Love”, with experimental harmony and lush soundscapes. She referred to her use of the classic American songbook melodies on this record as a ‘frame’ that she could change the context of, allowing the players on the album to flourish as individual voices. Cassiers’ arrangements are a radical take on the source material that sparked her musical journey, with fleeting glimpses of recognisable melodies appearing out of the blue, before disappearing back into improvisation. As part of the Festival, Lynn will be bringing music from this album to her ensemble, which will be explored with a new lineup of young musicians. 

The post Royal Academy of Music Jazz Festival 2025 (12-13 Feb) first appeared on UK Jazz News.

“A church organist, jazz pianist, composer, record collector & DJ, with a taste in music ranging from Baroque organ music to 20th century jazz, Deep House to Jungle, Breakbeat to Techno.”

The steps along the way in his musical journey truly have been astonishing:

“Starting out as a church organist, I was obsessed with J.S. Bach. I wanted to learn all of his Preludes & Fugues and become an organist. Then when I got to study organ at the Royal Academy of Music, I wanted to become a jazz pianist. While I was at the Academy, back home in West London I would go and play jazz at a Church in Acton with a vicar on Sax, a homeless Brazilian man on drums & and a bass player who lived locally. These guys got me into jazz. It was also during my time at music college that I got into electronic dance music. I would listen to deep house music with some South African friends of mine & I used to buy coffee from a vendor outside Marylebone Parish Church who was a Jungle DJ. He introduced me to Jungle.”

Promoters on the London scene that I have spoken to say that they programme him because the level of musicianship at which he and his band are doing what they do is so high. He has in his band two slightly older musicians with a wide range of activity, bassist Tom Mason whose activity ranges from jazz projects to drum and bass – “ we connected on that,” says Liebeck – and drummer Andrew McLean, best known as drummer for Grace Jones, but again with a great breadth of activity.

But it has been the addition of new people, such as guitarist Owen Snider, and the chance to develop new music with them that has pushed things to a new level. As Liebeck says:

“Where I am now is definitely a very different place from where I was. There always has been a mixture of jazz and groove and fusion. But about a year and a half ago a new guitarist joined the band. We had a run of gigs. We had time to reassess, to work on things. And we have really grown as a band”.

The launch gigs for the new EP will present a new rising star, who gives the group another dimension, young alto saxophonist Donovan Haffner. There has also been a widening in the kinds of venues and contexts in which the band has been appearing, not just in jazz clubs but also as part of varied nights at the CLF Art Lounge in Peckham. This broadening-out is a trend likely to continue as the band becomes better known.

The aesthetic which appears natural to Liebeck, with as a more outward-looking form than is often the case in the UK aligns him more closely to what is going on in other countries than we often find in the UK. For example, there is a strong affinity with the ideas of the head of programming at the Montreal Jazz Festival, Maurin Auxemery, who was raised in France. He talks both of jazz having a “central place at the heart of the history of music. From jazz, disco was created, funk was created, rock was created…” and also notes that he is extremely open to “how all that music is giving back to jazz today…talking to audiences with a jazz language.” The club scenes in Munich and Berlin are also particularly open to this kind of hybrid.

With the unmistakable, palpable sense of momentum and courage about its mission that Jonny Liebeck’s group has one can only be optimistic about the direction this band is heading, and for its capacity to find a new, growing and enthusiastic audience.

LIVE DATES :

JONNY LIEBECK EP LAUNCH @JAZZ CAFE POSK – Friday 24 January 2025 – BUY TICKETS

JONNY LIEBECK @606 CLUB  Tuesday 25th February 2025 – BUY TICKETS

JONNY LIEBECK @PIZZA EXPRESS LIVE (SOHO)  Monday 24 March 2025 – BUY TICKETS

The post Jonny Liebeck first appeared on UK Jazz News.

“I have a relationship with everyone in the band,” Tom says, “As friends from music college, as my mentors, or as someone I got to know because I love their playing. Everyone’s chosen for their unique sound, and what they can bring to the music. The music draws on big band traditions, but I’ve been enjoying experimenting with different influences: Pat Metheny, Carla Bley, Guy Barker, Chris Potter, Ellington, Basie, Thad Jones and Mel Lewis, Maria Schneider.”

“Our sold out launch show at Ronnie Scott’s on 6 January was so much fun, and the room was absolutely buzzing,” he continues. “Because of the tricky logistics of organising shows with 18 musicians, we aren’t touring the album in the normal sense, but we have a number of shows booked in for the rest of the year which I’m treating as album celebration gigs. We are in Letchworth in April (date tbc), Pizza Express Soho on 22 June and 5 October, East Neuk Festival as a septet on 27 June, and the Concorde Club in Eastleigh on 8 October. I’m currently booking some more, so I will update my social media and website with the details when they come out.”

A Year in the Life arose from the band’s first gig, for which Tom produced a concert’s worth of music in just 2 or 3 months (a tough task, as he writes and arranges all of the band’s repertoire). “I had to do a whole lot of writing very quickly,” he explains. “In the following 7 or 8 months I added songs and refined the material. Some of the compositions are quite old, in their original forms. One of them is 8 or 9 years old: I wrote it for a small group, then for a septet, then finally I expanded it for a big band.” Before recording, the band played live on only 2 or 3 occasions and held what Tom calls a “bunch” of rehearsals: “It sounded really good the first time we played. It came together quickly.”

“The tunes sometimes come from stories, sometimes they arrive fully-formed and I have to work out what they remind me of, other times I go in with a plan of action. ‘Saviour Suzanne’ (inspired by saxophonist and bandleader Suzanne Higgins) is a good example. That started out as a small-group song that felt quite Cedar Walton-y, which I liked. Then I met Suzanne and she really helped me out, and I decided to expand it for big band, changing its vibe to something a bit more Thad Jones, Art Blakey. I’ve heard Suzanne do Thad Jones recordings and that definitely influenced the song’s direction. When I’m composing, it generally takes about three weeks just working through ideas at the piano. I’ll think about it when I’m on the tube, record myself playing on piano or sax, trying to create something that will ensure it’s different. Then I’ll start committing it to paper or Sibelius, where it changes a lot. Because each composition takes such a long time, there’s no point writing anything if it doesn’t mean something, if it doesn’t have an arc or story. It’s got to be quite personal, something that makes sense to me. I’m sure ‘We’re Being Watched’ came from spending too much time on social media, getting this awful sense that we’re all just part of The System.”

“I’m writing a song at the moment called ‘Mass Wisteria’,” Tom continues. “It’s a fun shuffle piece that keeps getting interrupted by breakouts, double-time swing or something. It feels settled, then out of nowhere it’ll go somewhere else. I wrote a reasonably standard big band shuffle, which we performed. Now I’ve heard it in its entirety and it works for the audience, I’m going back to mess it up, add in weird stuff. That’s quite a fun process.”

Thankfully, ‘Speedboat in Trouble’ isn’t based on Tom’s personal experience: “That was one of those lovely images in my head. I started writing this bebop head with a driving groove. It put me in mind of being on a speedboat, hurtling through the water, then it turned into a whole story. It’s kind of a word-painting sort of song, a three-act story: starting well, racing forward, and then hitting trouble before reaching calmer waters. But it didn’t actually happen to me!”

Tom writes for specific players: “The trumpets are a good example: Tom Walsh, Freddie Gavita, George Hogg and Alistair Martin all approach the instrument in a unique way, so it’s fun to produce interesting combinations across the section, thinking about how each player sounds, or approaches a solo. I was really pleased by the soloing on the album. I’ve spent a huge amount of time picking who was going to play what. At gigs we open things up a bit, but on A Year in the Life there were definitely specific people put in specific places for their own vibe.”

“I’d say it’s pretty free,” Tom says of his composing style. “If it was a smaller band I’d probably try to keep things a little freer, ‘cos that feels a bit more ‘jazz’, but the nature of the big band beast means there’s a lot more through-arrangement. Maybe as a result of what’s happened at gigs I tell the band more of the story of the songs. So, for example, when we recorded ‘Speedboat in Trouble’ I explained the story to both soloists – on the album it’s Trevor Mires on trombone and Alistair Martin on trumpet – and they approached their solos totally differently from the gigs. It definitely gives the music more of a narrative arc if the musicians know what emotions they’re meant to be conveying, rather than just giving them chord changes and saying, ‘Go for it!’.”

Tom’s now working on the band’s next project, aiming to record towards the end of 2025. “Since recording A Year in the Life I’ve written Trailers, a suite of six pieces inspired by film music, referencing different genres, directors or composers. It’s gone down really well with audiences. For example, ‘Shades of Noir’ references film noir, Hitchcock, Bernard Hermann. I tell the story before we play it and it captures the audience’s attention way more than if I simply said, ‘We’re going to play a jazz ballad’.” However, his focus is on the album’s release: “The whole of 2025 is going to be devoted to this music – a year of A Year in the Life.”

A Year in the Life will be released on Fey Moose Records on 21 February 2025.

The post Tom Smith Big Band first appeared on UK Jazz News.

Duncan Lamont Sr. (1931 –2019) was a musician, a composer, a lyricist and a storyteller, who was still creating two days before his death in July 2019, aged 87. He had written some new lyrics for Tina May to perform that evening at the 606. Tina was for many years the main interpreter of Duncan’s songs, although the list of collaborators includes artists like Natalie Cole, Norma Winstone, Cleo Laine and Blossom Dearie.

For this evening, Duncan Jr had recruited two other long-time interpreters – Esther Bennett and Daniela Clynes – with the rock-solid rhythm section of John Crawford, Richard Sadler and Paul Cavaciuti. Duncan alternated between tenor and flute and told lots of stories about the songs and how, when and for whom they were written. One song, for example – Old Brazil – started life as the theme music for Mister Benn. Duncan was not one to let a good tune go to waste.

Esther and Daniela gave heartfelt and truthful readings of a broad range of material from the self-consciously hip of “Edward E and William B” and “A Great Day in Harlem” (a bit too much bebop namedrop for me), and the closing number, “Scat Singing” to heartache ballads with more than a touch of Sondheim or Legrand. “Manhattan in the Rain” made ingenious use of a through-the-keys vocal exercise to produce a wistful and elegant account of the beginning – and end – of an affair.

Several songs explored themes of relationships gone wrong: no reflection of Duncan’s own story of 50 years with his wife Bridget, but a measure of his ability to think himself into characters very different from his own gentle and witty personality.

The ladies took it all on, the personas, the styles, every rhythm and tempo in the book: 4/4 swingers, waltzes, sambas and rumbas: “The Apartment” started life as a piece written in response to a library request for something with a Herbie Hancock vibe.

As well as providing sensitive and supportive accompaniment, the band had opportunities to step up and stride out. Of particular note were John Crawford’s solo on “It’s Always Autumn”, Paul’s extended drum break on “A Little Samba”, Richard’s sensitive bass solos and the opening number of the evening, an instrumental tribute to Jimmy Giuffre called “More Brothers” which gave Duncan Jr the challenge of taking the place of four tenors. Which of course he met with the style and good humour that characterised his hosting of the evening. This was a worthy showcase for his talents and left me curious to know more.

A final note: one of Duncan’s late-career engagements was with the Ted Heath Orchestra, led by Don Lusher. He left after a few months, complaining that although the guys were great company they spent the whole time talking about the good old days. “I’m not interested in yesterday” he told Duncan Jr, “I’m interested in tomorrow”..

Duncan Lamont Jnr – saxophone and flute
Esther Bennett – vocal
Daniela Clynes – vocal
John Crawford – piano
Richard Sadler – double bass
Paul Cavaciuti – drums

The post The Duncan Lamont Songbook first appeared on UK Jazz News.

Here is the statement from Abigail and Karon: “Our father was a much loved and wonderful person. An inspiration to his family, those he worked with and many who followed his illustrious musical career. He was extremely proud of the charity The Montgomery Holloway Music Trust that he created with his late wife the singer Marion Montgomery supporting young singers, for which he was awarded an MBE by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. He will be deeply missed and remembered with great affection.”

Part of Laurie’s story was his role as Music Director of the Parkinson show on the BBC, and we were honoured when he contributed a tribute and memory of his good friend Sir Michael Parkinson to the UKJN site in 2023 – TRIBUTE.

We will have tributes, but in the meantime, this film biography of Laurie’s wife, the great Marion Montgomery (1934-2002) from 2013 vividly tells another part of the story of an inspirational figure.

Laurence Holloway MBE. Born Oldham, 31 March 1938. Died Berkshire 9 January 2025. In sadness

The post RIP Laurie Holloway (1938-2025) first appeared on UK Jazz News.