(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.

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.

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.

Among the acts announced are:

Andy Sheppard
Elaine Delmar
Hejira – celebrating Joni Mitchell
Soothsayers
Sultan Stevenson Trio
Adrian Cox
Pete Long’s Jazz At The Mowlemonic
Ian Bateman’s Tribute To Louis Armstrong
Liane Carroll – “Mr & Mrs” Quartet with Georgia Mancio, Roger Carey, Dave Ohm

Tickets : “Advance Tickets for this jam-packed weekend of quality Jazz are £145 for a weekend stroller, £45 for a Friday-only stroller and £85 for a Saturday or Sunday Stroller. Stroller tickets give purchasers access to all ticketed venues, subject to capacity. Advance tickets are on sale until 30 June and prices will rise from 1 July.”

Some further acts are yet to be booked and programme updates will be made in due course. The programme schedule will be released by the end of April.

Paul Kelly, Chair of Swanage Jazz Festival said, “We are incredibly pleased to bring another top quality Jazz programme to Swanage. We have over 300 Jazz groups wanting to play the Festival and have thus been able to resist the temptation to book soul, rock or pop acts. So audiences will get nothing but Jazz for their money. That said it’s always a difficult balancing act to both celebrate the best of the past and the best of now and what is to come. I think once again we have another good balance of talents and musical styles and hope our audiences will agree.”

Programme as at 8 February:

Friday 11 July

Soothsayers
The Elaine Delmar Quartet
The Adrian Cox Trio
BD Lenz Trio
Andy Panyi and Chris Coull’s Blues and The Abstract Truth
Hexagonal
The Jazz Defenders
The Tara Minton Trio – in association with Swanage Jazz Club

Saturday 12 July

Andy Sheppard Quartets
Hejira
Ian Bateman’s Tribute to Louis Armstrong and his Allstars
Threeway with special guest John Etheridge
Atlanticus
Ribbons with Sara Coleman and Rebecca Nash
The Kevin Figes Sextet – You Are Here
Craig Milverton’s Tribute to Oscar Peterson
Terry Quinney’s Tribute to Benny Golson with Mark Nightingale
The Josh Thorn Quartet
The Dart Valley Stomper’s Legacy Band – Tribute to Jeremy Huggett

Sunday 13 July

The Sultan Stevenson Trio
Pete Long’s Jazz at The Mowlemonic
10 piece band with Simon Spillett and Alex Clark
Rainey’s Revue
Mr and Mrs with Georgia Mancio and Liane Carroll
The Jazz Couriers Revisited – with Pete Long and Simon Spillett
The Emily Masser/Alex Clarke Quintet
The Jon Lloyd Quartet
The Martin Dale Quartet
The Neil Burns Trio – with Roger Beaujolais and Alec Dankworth
Chris Walker’s Pedigree Chums
Moscow Drug Club
Tony Waller’s Prohibition Jazz

Plus free Festival Fringe in Swanage Hotels and Pubs – details to be announced

The post Swanage Jazz Festival 2025 first appeared on UK Jazz News.

Nick Pitts, Content Director, Jazz FM and Magic Classical, says: “Since launching in 2013, the Jazz FM Awards have been a benchmark of excellence in the jazz community, honouring outstanding achievements in performance, innovation, and creativity. With its return to a new, iconic venue and a fresh roster of nominees, the 2025 ceremony will once again mark the genre’s enduring legacy and future.

It’s also great to be back with our friends at PPL and PRS for Music, who not only have been involved in the Jazz FM Awards since the first year but return as our headline partner for a third time, alongside our returning and new commercial partners. As always, we thank them for their support in allowing us to celebrate what is a golden age of jazz, soul and blues.” (quote ends)

2025 Sponsors include PPL, PRS for Music, Mishcon de Reya, Oanda, and Rathbones. The full text of today’s press release is at the Jazz FM Awards website.

The post Jazz FM 2025 Awards announced first appeared on UK Jazz News.

She says – “I feel privileged to have known him and I will always value the opportunity he gave me to tell his story on film. I’m really thankful that we were able to work on this together to document these precious moments towards the end of his career as a performing musician.”


His partner Annie has said  – “His legacy and dedication as a musician will live on.”

We will have tributes later. In sadness.

(*) Cath Longbottom is the maker of the film “Howard Riley – Cheerfully Beyond Category”

John Howard Riley. Born Huddersfield 16 February 1943. Died Beckenham, Kent 8 February 2025.

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

A. The Jazz Categories

Category 30: Best Jazz Performance

Walk With Me, Lord (SOUND | SPIRIT) – The Baylor Project
Phoenix Reimagined (Live) – Lakecia Benjamin Featuring Randy Brecker, Jeff “Tain” Watts & John Scofield
Juno – Chick Corea & Béla Fleck
WINNER: Twinkle Twinkle Little Me – Samara Joy Featuring Sullivan Fortner
Little Fears – Dan Pugach Big Band Featuring Nicole Zuraitis & Troy Roberts

Category 31: Best Jazz Vocal Album

Journey In Black – Christie Dashiell
Wildflowers Vol. 1 – Kurt Elling & Sullivan Fortner
WINNER: A Joyful Holiday – Samara Joy
Milton + esperanza – Milton Nascimento & esperanza spalding
My Ideal – Catherine Russell & Sean Mason

Category 32: Best Jazz Instrumental Album

Owl Song – Ambrose Akinmusire Featuring Bill Frisell & Herlin Riley
Beyond This Place – Kenny Barron Featuring Kiyoshi Kitagawa, Johnathan Blake, Immanuel Wilkins & Steve Nelson – Album feature from Mondays with Morgan
Phoenix Reimagined (Live) – Lakecia Benjamin – Album feature from Mondays with Morgan
WINNER: Remembrance – Chick Corea & Béla Fleck
Solo Game – Sullivan Fortner

Category 33: Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

Returning To Forever – John Beasley & Frankfurt Radio Big Band
And So It Goes – The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra
Walk A Mile In My Shoe – Orrin Evans & The Captain Black Big Band
WINNER: Bianca Reimagined: Music For Paws And Persistence – Dan Pugach Big Band
Golden City – Miguel Zenón – album review (*) by Sebastian Scotney

Category 34: Best Latin Jazz Album

Spain Forever Again – Michel Camilo & Tomatito
WINNER: Cubop Lives! – Zaccai Curtis
COLLAB – Hamilton de Holanda & Gonzalo Rubalcaba
Time And Again – Eliane Elias
El Trio: Live in Italy – Horacio ‘El Negro’ Hernández, John Beasley & José Gola
Cuba And Beyond – Chucho Valdés & Royal Quartet
As I Travel – Donald Vega Featuring Lewis Nash, John Patitucci & Luisito Quintero

Category 35: Best Alternative Jazz Album

Night Reign – Arooj Aftab
New Blue Sun – André 3000
Code Derivation – Robert Glasper
Foreverland – Keyon Harrold
WINNER No More Water: The Gospel Of James Baldwin – Meshell Ndegeocello

B. Other Categories

Category 73 – Best Song Written For Visual Media
WINNER – It Never Went Away [From “American Symphony”] — Jon Batiste & Dan Wilson, songwriters (Jon Batiste)

Category 75 Best Music Film
WINNER: “American Symphony” — Jon Batiste

Category 78 Best Album Notes
WINNER: Centennial — Ricky Riccardi, album notes writer (King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band & Various Artists)

Category 79 Best Historical Album
WINNER: Centennial — Meagan Hennessey & Richard Martin, compilation producers; Richard Martin, mastering engineer (King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band And Various Artists)

Category 84 – Best Instrumental Composition
WINNER: “Strands” — Pascal Le Boeuf, composer (Akropolis Reed Quintet, Pascal Le Boeuf & Christian Euman) 

Category 85 – Best Arrangement
WINNER: Bridge Over Troubled Water – Jacob Collier, Tori Kelly & John Legend, arrangers – (Jacob Collier Featuring John Legend & Tori Kelly)

Category 86 – Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals
WINNER: “Alma” — Erin Bentlage, Sara Gazarek, Johnaye Kendrick & Amanda Taylor, arrangers (säje Featuring Regina Carter) – WINNER

The 2025 GRAMMYs raised funds for MusiCares Fire Relief, a dedicated campaign to support the people affected by the recent wildfires in the Greater Los Angeles Area. Donate now.

The post Jazz Winners at the 2025 Grammys first appeared on UK Jazz News.

Kay chose the duo after hearing Shetland-born saxophonist Norman Willmore’s debut album, Alive and Well at the Muckle Roe Hall.

“I loved Norman’s approach to improvising and the way his group worked with the Shetland tradition and other folk influences on that album,” says Kay.

Willmore, a graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama’s jazz course, has since joined forces with drummer-percussionist Corrie Dick, who, like Kay, is a former Young Scottish Jazz Musician of the Year and a former member of the Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra.

Norman&Corrie launched their debut album, Twa Double Doubles, to an enthusiastic reception at EFG London Jazz Festival in November and have since won more admirers at Celtic Connections in Glasgow.

“I’ve been listening to their album a lot,” says Kay. “I love the way they interact spontaneously and create music that’s daring but also very melodic, again with that Shetland influence. I’m looking forward so much to hearing them live.”

Kay’s own group features an especially familiar rhythm section as pianist Peter Johnstone, bassist Calum Gourlay and drummer Alyn Cosker all play with the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, as does Kay. They arrive at the Queen’s Hall fresh from the SNJO’s latest project, “Nu-Age Sounds: Planet World”, a suite for which Kay composed one of the movements.

“We’ve played in the Queen’s Hall often with the SNJO and it’s a fantastic venue but this is the first time we’ll have played there as a quartet,” says Kay. “It’ll feel quite different having just the four of us onstage instead of being part of a sixteen-piece ensemble. We’ll have so much room to work in!”

The post Helena Kay Quartet – ‘Golden Sands Revisited’ + Norman&Corrie first appeared on UK Jazz News.