And there were more miracles too, as in ‘pinch yourself, can this really be happening?’ What are the chances of getting both bassist Conor Chaplin and drummer James Maddren together these days in a tiny venue in London. European bandleaders know how just good these two are, so both are in constant demand, normally to be found criss-crossing the continent, playing with all sorts of bands at the highest level. But they’re both here. Tonight. In this small room in SW11.

To this fine rhythm pairing, add the jaw-droppingly magisterial saxophonist Julian Siegel, who has the consummate craft and gutsy presence of sound of a Chris Potter, but also the will’o’the’wisp elusiveness of a Tony Coe or a Stan Sulzmann. And they are all here for a good purpose: to bring the guitarist’s compositions to life, to be tested by his writing, to spark each other off. Maybe that’s the story. All freelance musicians face competing demands, but there are some events which go firmly into diaries because they are artistically and creatively worthwhile, the whole thing is happening at such a high level, these top musicians want to commit and put themselves to the test. It definitely felt like one of those evenings.

A highlight from the concert which definitely stays in the mind was the penultimate number “Noites no porao” (nights in the basement, probably best not to ask…) Hermeto-ish. Joyous. Smiles all round, right through the number. There’s a happy connection to the past which Nick Costley White mentions: it reminds him of Saturday lessons as a teenager with an inspiring teacher at the Centre for Young Musicians, just a mile or so away at Morley College.

And other, stronger impressions too: in particular how varied and interesting Nick Costley-White’s craft as a composer is. He gives harmonic interest and colour to everything he has written. Julian Siegel gives us the melody with persuasive shape and flow – and ridiculously clean tuning, and Nick Costley-White has instantly framed it, jewel-cased it with descriptive and unexpected harmony. That happened particularly in a new tune called ‘Material’.

One final thought : when music is so near, and is being invented, created, crafted, confected live in front of us….when we can witness quite how responsive, alive and in-the-moment musicians working at this level are….I start to ask a question: why would you want to be anywhere else? Viagogo, just take a hike. No I’m not paying £180 for a standing place in a vast stadium to hear Ed Sheeran. For a music-loving, listening audience, these are surely the ideal circumstances, and this might be the ideal place go out and listen to music.

(*) I tried to convey this when I reviewed one of the very first concerts at the venue in early 2023.

The post Nick Costley-White Quartet – Poncha’ album launch first appeared on UK Jazz News.

(Links to website and re-named instagram below.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Peter Freeman, one of London’s most loyal and consistent attenders of jazz gigs, is reporting sad news. There has been a musician-led gig at the Oxford, re-named the Parakeet, ever since Loop Collective members started it in 2004.

Peter Freeman writes on Facebook: “Mr Dave O’Higgins playing at the Parakeet (The Oxford) tonight in part of Monkin’ Around with Mr Luke Fowler, Mr Billy Pod and Mr Sean Fyfe, all Monk’s music with some really good lesser known tunes. Wonderful night, the bad news is next week is the last gig at this venue – turning the upstairs into a restaurant, so James Allsopp will bring the curtain down on this brilliant space for the music , a new local venue is being sought, sad day. 17/2 25.”

The Bull&Gate is at 389 Kentish Town Road NW5, a few doors from the O2 Forum

The post Parakeet Update… Good News first appeared on UK Jazz News.

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.

David has written an update to explain:

“I contacted Westminster City Council to let them know about the support for the club and was told that the license application had been granted, so I closed the petition.

This was not quite accurate. The application granted by Westminster City Council is not what the club needs to be viable. 

The council granted opening until 11.30PM from Monday to Thursday;  until 12 on Friday and Saturday; and until 10.30PM on Sundays.

By comparison, Ronnie Scott’s has a license until 3AM. 

Thanks to Seb at UK Jazz News and Nick at Change, the petition has been reactivated! Please keep signing and sharing. Thank you!” (end of quote)

The post Blue Note London – petition re-opened first appeared on UK Jazz News.

The members of her quartet last night were very well matched. When I see guitarist Artie Zaitz play, unflappable, standing incredibly still, I note how always has so much time and space… I want to paraphrase the very great West Indies cricketer Brian Lara: for Artie Zaitz the battlefield of the bandstand, it seems, “is not a place where you want to lose your composure.” It’s probably an entry for Pseud’s Corner, but the truth is: he’s so good.

I hugely enjoyed Mirko Scarcia’s really positive, pro-active, highly melodic bass playing. Drummer Kai Macrae is remarkable too. He picks up and responds to everything going on around him with Maddren-ish levels of empathy, speed of reaction and responsiveness.

The quartet were joined by Ladbroke Hall jazz host Zhenya Strigalev on tenor sax for the final number. He has done a remarkable job building this venue – it was sold out/full last night. And some of the names he has coming to this former car showroom in Barlby Road are very special. Next Friday there is a group led by French-Guadeloupean drum hero Arnaud Dolmen, who has won every prize going in France, and had a substantial role in the Netflix series The Eddy. Definitely worth hearing…

Set 1
Punjab (Joe Henderson)
My old flame (Arthur Johnston)
Tea for two (Youmans)
A Small Hotel (Rodgers/Hart)

Set 2
End of a love affair (Edward C Redding)
Señor Blues (Horace Silver)
Days of Wine and Roses
Swingin at the Haven (Ellis Marsalis)
I love you (Cole Porter)

The post Rachael Cohen Quartet first appeared on UK Jazz News.

A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said:

“Grassroots venues are the lifeblood of London’s music scene, providing a platform for up-and-coming artists and giving audiences an opportunity to enjoy music in intimate spaces. The world-renowned Blue Note Jazz club will be a fantastic addition to the West End’s nightlife and cultural scene, and City Hall is in touch with the operators to offer any support we can.”

I asked the Mayor of London’s office to give a statement in response to the recent press stories about the problems being faced by Blue Note Entertainment with their application to start up a club in St Martin’s Lane.

They gave us the quote above.

UPDATE 17 Feb: “Jazz clubs do not cause crime.” There is now a PETITION to get Westminster to change its decision

UPDATE 18 Feb. The Petition has closed stating: “Victory! This petition made change with 1,565 supporters!“
It may not be that simple. The facts are that Westminster has “approved” a license, but has taken on board the police and residents’ objections, and NOT agreed the hours till 1am that were being requested.

UPDATE 19 Feb. We helped David West to get the petition re-opened. IT’S BACK

The press stories are based on the report from City of Westminster’s Licensing Sub-Committee, dated 6 February – there is a link to the full document, a 106-page report below.

Whereas the stories which have appeared in the past week are new, it is clear from the application that Blue Note has been looking at the idea of setting up in London for quite some time and been taking the whole process of identifying a site and looking to invest in it very seriously and professionally indeed. In addition to its base in NYC, the company has a significant international presence. It operates clubs in Hawaii, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Milan, Beijing and Shanghai.. and most recently Napa Valley…

FIVE PERSONAL REFLECTIONS:

1. There is a one-sidedness and imbalance of the remit of Westminster’s Licensing Sub-Committee, which does not extend to issues of cultural value. It is solely focused on its four “licensing objectives”: Prevention of crime and disorder, Public Safety, Prevention of Public Nuisance and Protection of Children from Harm. So I am pleased that the statement from City Hall counterbalances that.
   
2. The narrow remit has allowed open season for residents (whose names are redacted in the report) to repeatedly make baseless claims such as alleging that the club will be a “drink-led establishment”. Here is an important international operator looking to invest and show belief in our jazz scene and in London.. and to take risks. They deserve more encouragement.
   
3. The unsubstantiated claims in the report from Westminster’s Environmental Health Department bring back personal memories of the saving of the Bull’s Head, in which I was active when I was running the Jazz Development Trust in 2004/5. Two decades ago, the convenient little lies of a Richmond Council officer were exposed, live, on the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme, an event which was to prove decisive in saving the club.
   
4. I am surprised that the police’s evidence is so broad-brush and doesn’t look at specific comparable establishments as benchmarks.
   
5. The fact that casinos (can someone point to ANY cultural value in casinos??!) are exempt from Licensing Act Legislation but only to the Gambling Act 2005 which gladly allows them 24/7 opening is a risible anomaly.

The post Mayor of London shows support for Blue Note London club proposal first appeared on UK Jazz News.

The artists, announced today, are:

*Amy Thatcher & Francesca Knowles – “Envelope-pushing accordion and percussion duo from Newcastle”

*Ferg’s Imaginary Big Band – “An organic and fluid ensemble of young jazz musicians drawn from across the Leeds and wider UK jazz scene.

*Ex-Easter Island Head – Benjamin D. Duvall, Benjamin Fair, Jonathan Hering, Andrew PM Hunt: “Quartet from Liverpool composing and performing music for Prepared Electric Guitar, Percussion + other instruments.”

*Ellen Beth Abdi – producer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter from Manchester

*The Exu – James Mainwairing, Emil Karlsen, Dave Kane: “Powerful Leeds-based Anglo, Celtic, Scandi trio that redefines contemporary jazz with raw improvisation and deep, grungy, rocky attitudes.”

Jazz North and Manchester Jazz Festival work in partnership, and the full Northern Line roster will perform live at the Northern Line showcase as part of the festival on 17 & 18 May. The selection panel consisted of Rivca Burns, Rob Farhat, Jez Matthews, Hannabiell Sanders, Thomas Rees and Josh Aitman.

The post Artists Announced for Northern Line 2025/26 first appeared on UK Jazz News.

John Bungey wrote a preview for UKJN of the celebratory evening which Way Out West organized for him in January 2024. The opening of the piece describes what a significant figure Tony Kinsey has been, why his “exceptional jazz longevity and compositional prowess” (Peter Vacher) were so worth celebrating last year, and why his passing this week feels like the end of an era.

“He is, surely, the last man standing from the London club scene of the 1950s, a pioneering era of modern jazz now fading into legend. It was a time when sharply suited adventurers brought the new sound of New York bebop to the smoke-wreathed basements of Soho. Post-war, pre-Beatles, a time remembered in black and white but pulsing with musical colour for the inner-city in-crowd.

Drummer Tony Kinsey led poll-topping small groups as well as sharing stages with such visiting luminaries as Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan and Oscar Peterson. He was resident bandleader at the fabled Flamingo Club for eight years, and with Tubby Hayes, Joe Harriott, Johnny Dankworth, he was among that elite group who could hold their own with visiting American stars. In the Sixties Kinsey branched out to write and arrange for big band and for strings, with his music appearing in film and TV.” (John Bungey)

We will have tributes, we hope there will be obituaries elsewhere which will do him justice. In Sadness.

Cyril Anthony (Tony) Kinsey. Born Sutton Coldfield, 11 October 1927. Died Sunbury-on-Thames, February 2025.

The post RIP Tony Kinsey (1927-2025) first appeared on UK Jazz News.

“Everyone is dancing: Young and old, big and small, snappily dressed and psychedelically shirted, high-heeled and bare foot. Everyone.”

Last night – a full house at Pizza Express Dean Street – really didn’t have that vibe at all. It did get there…slowly, eventually, briefly… but that was only because, as singer/percussionist Javier Camilo never tired of reminding us that we really shouldn’t be wasting this opportunity…. “The dancing is free!” He was even helpfully suggesting that our inhibitions might be dealt with physiologically: mojitos, he explained, were his implements of choice to help us, poor Brits, to conquer our pitiable, atavistic Home Counties shyness.

In truth, it was only, finally, once Sambroso himself and bongo phenomenon Oscar Martinez got the irresistible ‘son clave’ rhythms of “El Cuarto de Tula” going, just after the opening of the second set, that the invitation to get up off our feet briefly received a positive response… and then… oh dear… they all promptly sat down again.

It must be very strange indeed for Cubans – or for people who know the culture from deep like my companion yesterday evening – to witness this very British reticence. The band just seemed used to us. Business as usual for a Tuesday night in Soho. And my friend was just observing it. Taking it in. Chuckling to himself…

Thinking about it, there is certainly more than one reason why the dancing doesn’t happen. Maybe it’s because Dean Street is geared towards proximity, intimacy and the sale of pizzas – in other words the tables are mostly quite tightly packed. But I also feel that it takes a special kind of performer to locate the “extreme defrost setting” for UK audiences. The last time I used that phrase was as a compliment to Jamie Cullum, who needed all his considerable supplies of it to warm up an audience at Cheltenham Town Hall some years ago. Maybe Javier Camilo needs to learn some of his tricks.

Sambroso is a major force in keeping Cuban culture alive in London, and has a number of projects on the go, and this Buena Vista ‘hits medley’ programme, expertly, authentically, energetically played, is clearly popular. It also brought to mind what Gary Burton once wrote, as he remembered the lesson he learned from being on the road with George Shearing:

“It taught me that no matter what the artist thinks, most people just want to hear what they already know.”

There are those whoused to argue in books and scholarly articles in the 1990s that the success of Buena Vista had held back the development of Cuban ‘timba’ and also the ‘Latin jazz’ movement. I think we’ve moved on. My hope would be that Buena Vista now, still, can help to provide a gateway into the breadth of Cuban culture. And we Brits are lucky to have Sambroso – and others, like Eliane Correa – living among us here to show us the way.

SET LIST

FIRST SET

1. Pueblo Nuevo – Ruben Gonzalez 
2. El carretero
3. Idilio
4. Dos gardienas
5. Lagrimas Negras
6. Habanera – arranged Jimmy Martinez 

SECOND SET

1. Chan Chan
2. El Cuarto de Tula
3. Candela
4. 20 anos
5. Redención Cachao
6. Pintate los labios

ENCORE
Gandinga Mondongo y Sandunga  – Frank Emilio Flynn

BAND

Oreste (Sambroso) Noda – Congas / Leader
Javier Camilo (Singer/Percussion)
Rolando  Domingo (Trumpet/vocals)
Ruben (El Chivo) Orue – tres guitar
Kishon Khan – Piano 
Denny (Jimmy) Martinez  (Bass/Vocals)
Oscar Martinez – (bongos/vocals)

‘Sambroso All Stars present the Buena Vista’ will be back in Dean Street in May

The post ‘Sambroso All Stars present the Buena Vista’ first appeared on UK Jazz News.

Howard composed many pieces for our trio and over time generated a language and philosophy that became more open and adventurous whilst always retaining his roots in the classical jazz methodology. My lifelong love of playing bass in a piano trio was definitely fostered by Howard. Our first recording, with Jon Hiseman on percussion, in an edition of 99 (!) LPs entitled “Discussions”, already proposed an interesting mix of tight compositional procedures and open playing. Later Alan Jackson occupied the percussion chair with the music consolidating further this approach. The big change came when Tony Oxley took over percussion duties, with the compositional / structural side of the music becoming increasingly lean, and free improvisational settings being the norm.

Further to this, Howard gradually progressed to solo playing, establishing his keyboard art as something very individual and becoming a major voice in improvised music without totally relinquishing his roots.

His writing also extended to pieces for the London Jazz Composers Orchestra and offered colourful, thoughtful scores contrasting my own , sometimes complex compositions. Howard understood the idea of musical architecture that promoted disciplined realisations along with creating a platform for spontaneous improvisation.

Howard was always an astute observer of the musical personalities he worked with, and even as his Parkinson’s disease slowly curtailed his playing, he possessed the spirit of generosity for his fellow colleagues and created exciting musical scenarios even under the most trying circumstances.

We shall miss him very much.

=======================================

Larry Stabbins: I first met Howard playing  on  a Company-style week long festival in Berlin and after  doing lots of playing together, Howard recommended me to Tony Oxley (it’s a mark of Tony’s respect for him that Tony booked me for the Camden Jazz Festival without hearing me play). 

That really changed things for me and I played with him for many  years with Oxley’s bands, in the LJCO, and later as a quartet with Tony Wren and Mark Sanders.. We taught together at Barry Summer School and on occasion shared rooms on tour. 

He was hugely interested in and encouraging to all the younger ” up and coming” players and seemed to really enjoy his teaching and the contact that gave him with the younger musicians.

He was very  generous with his praise, rarely had a bad word to say about anyone, had a lovely dry sense  of humour and an unflappably cheerful, optimistic outlook on life right to the end

When I picture him it’s always with that wonderfully warm, cheerful smile of his.

I spoke to him just before he moved into the care home and when I said how pleased I was to hear that he was still practising every day (probably most of the day as he always did )  he said “Well that’s what I’ve always done. All I do.  All I’ve ever done is make music.”

=======================================

Iain Ballamy: Howard Riley – Eat, sleep, Monk, repeat….

In 2002 I received a message quite out of the blue from a man I had never met and knew very little about – Howard Riley!

He’d read a jazz magazine interview where I’d been ruminating on various aspects of the jazz “spectrum”. I reflected on the divisions in jazz at the time between “free” improvisers and “so called” mainstream players who think they are from different planets!

I tried to communicate a wider aspiration that I still have – to be able to play a wide spectrum of improvised music and resist being put into boxes and categorised. Critics and fellow musicians alike often know one facet of a players work and presume that’s their whole story.

I’ve never seen why more formal skills (such as reading and navigating harmony) detract from a players ability to truly freely improvise, it’s only fear and a certain mindset that inhibits a wider outlook and approach.

Enter Howard Riley in the red corner where he threw down the gauntlet! :- “I think you might be implying that free players cant play tunes or changes but you’re suggesting that changes players can play free improv? Therefore I challenge you to meet and play! Our chosen battle ground shall be the music of Thelonious Monk”.

The venue for the big stand-off was BBC Maida Vale studios. The referee was Robert Abel from ‘Jazz on 3’ the amazing long running and sadly missed cutting edge radio production by Jez Nelson at ’Somethin’ Else.
We with little or no discussion we met and played 5 Monk tunes, 2 takes of each as follows:-

Round Midnight
Well you Needn’t
Misterioso
Ruby My Dear
Blue Monk

The session was sparky, rhythmic and full of surprises, a real meeting of musical intuitions, tastes and styles emerged exploring this musical common ground.

What surprised me most was how compatible we were and how our musical Venn diagram seemed to have such a huge common area. Howard was a formidable force on the piano, strong in rhythm harmony and filled with creativity using very strong and clear ideas which carried through. His playing suggested so much to interact with providing an endless source of musical flow and inspiration as we bounced off each other!
The result was a unanimous draw!

I soon forgot all about this extraordinary meeting as the years went by until once again out of the blue Howard called me. I thought it was a prank call at first. He insisted he should send me a copy of our long lost duel and when the CD arrived I was stunned by the result. I hope a record label will consider releasing it, to share his unique playing with all.

I was lucky to meet and play with Howard and so glad to have this memory of our meeting.

============================

With sincere thanks to Dr Duncan Heining, who will be including a substantial chapter on Howard Riley in his next book.

The post Howard Riley (1943-2025) first appeared on UK Jazz News.