For three decades, Babel Label has been at the forefront of the avant-garde jazz scene in the UK, championing unconventional sounds and genre-blending innovations. Launched in 1994, Babel has become a key presence in British jazz, documenting an era of musical exploration that its founder, Oliver Weindling, describes as “organic and evolutionary.” The label has not only served as a platform for celebrated releases but also captured the evolution of the scene itself, introducing audiences to artists like Christine Tobin, Polar Bear, and Portico Quartet.

Reflecting on the inspiration for launching the business, Weindling recalls the early nineties, a time when the British jazz scene was flourishing but lacked platforms for wider recognition. “There was a lot of great music around that needed to be heard more widely and documented,” he explains. With a background in finance, he was already deeply involved in jazz, booking unusual gigs for forward-thinking musicians. “I had left full-time work in banking… and was booking musicians into strange function gigs, like having Billy Jenkins play at a flower show at Hampton Court Palace,” he recounts.

The label’s first releases were a natural progression, driven by encouragement from artists who saw the need for an outlet dedicated to avant-garde British jazz. Loose Tubes, the distinguished 1980s big band, also inspired the label’s direction, sparking Weindling’s interest in supporting experimental talent. His initial catalogue included work by musicians like Iain Ballamy and Julian Argüelles, whom he describes as “almost dropping into my lap.” Since then, Babel Label has become an enduring platform for artists pushing the boundaries of jazz and beyond.

Babel Label’s support of groups like Polar Bear and Portico Quartet led to several noteworthy achievements, marking a turning point for both the label and the wider musical landscape as a whole. Both acts earned Mercury Prize nominations for their albums Held On The Tips Of Fingers (2005) and Knee-Deep In The North Sea (2007), respectively — a rare feat in a genre that often struggles to capture mainstream attention. “Every ten years or so, there seems to be a new interest in the jazz scene,” Weindling observes, noting how both bands’ unique backgrounds and sounds continue to resonate strongly with audiences and critics.

Polar Bear emerged from the F-IRE Collective, an influential jazz ensemble closely tied to the label: “Members of the Collective recorded on Babel include Pete Wareham, Seb Rochford, Tom Arthurs and Ingrid Laubrock,” Weindling explains, adding that the collective spirit around Acoustic Ladyland’s Last Chance Disco (2005) also helped establish a new wave of British jazz. In contrast, Portico Quartet gained popularity through busking outside London’s National Theatre, building an audience for their unique hang drum sound. This diversity, he notes, reflected Babel’s ethos of supporting artists who bring fresh perspectives to jazz, creating music that challenges and engages listeners.

While Babel Label has always prioritised artistic experimentation, balancing this with commercial appeal in today’s digital age remains challenging. Reflecting on the evolving music landscape, Weindling notes, “I have always perceived the music to be released as something that could be quite a ‘slow burn’.” Emphasising a long-term perspective, he believes great music has enduring value beyond immediate returns. However, the label faces challenges from streaming platforms, which offer minimal financial revenues to artists and labels. “Spotify is just another version of the illegal streaming services which were around a decade or so ago,” he laments, noting the diminishing support for independent music from traditional media and retail outlets.

In response to these shifts, Babel has cultivated a community-driven approach, emphasising close relationships with its musicians. “Releases should be able to carve out a space in a scene that has launched so many albums over the past 100 years,” he says, describing his process as a collaborative partnership rather than a transactional arrangement. He also works with the Vortex Jazz Club, connecting with emerging talent through initiatives like the ‘Whirlpool’ series, a platform for recent graduates from leading music schools to create new music and form professional bonds.

At its core, Babel Label’s mission is to support music that fuses genres, a concept Weindling considers central to jazz’s dynamism. “Jazz is at its most exciting when it ‘blends’,” he believes, and Babel’s catalogue reflects this by embracing cross-genre projects. This philosophy prioritises artist-driven work that adds to the larger narrative of British jazz. “I feel that any release is a sort of partnership,” he notes, describing how he collaborates closely with musicians through the recording process, guiding each project to fit within Babel’s experimental ethos while respecting each artist’s vision.

As Babel Label celebrates 30 years, its founder reflects with pride on a journey defined by artistic integrity and community. From its roots in the post-Loose Tubes era to collaborations with figures like anarcho-punk spoken word artist Penny Rimbaud, Babel’s legacy reflects a commitment to progression that has shaped the experimental jazz scene and inspired countless creative minds.

With some exciting new recordings on the horizon, Babel Label is steadily forging its unique path. Above Your House, its latest release — the first in four years — brings together Danish bassist Henrik Jensen with longtime label-associates, pianist Esben Tjalve and drummer Dave Smith, fittingly coinciding with the label’s milestone anniversary. Looking forward, Weindling believes his role will remain pivotal in helping artists find a platform for their voices. As he says, “I love music by musicians who innovate or seek out new ways of getting it together.” For Babel Label and its founder, that mission is as essential now as it was at its inception three decades ago.

Two more releases are in the pipeline, both involving IAIN BALLAMY. One is from the saxophonist’s trio with guitarist ROB LUFT and bassist CONOR CHAPLIN, the other a duo with pianist GARETH WILLIAMS.

The post Henrik Jensen – ‘Above Your House’ first appeared on UK Jazz News.

Reaching Saalfelden from Salzburg is no hard task, it’s an hour by coach from directly outside the airport, or there are regular trains which take a bit longer. My concerns of the British summer I had left behind catching up with me soon faded as the grey, homely skies gave way to luscious green plains and mist covered peaks.

Upon arriving in Saalfelden, I made my way to the Kunsthaus Nexus, the spiritual home of the festival, and location of Lukas Kranzelbinder’s legendary late-night ‘Spiritual Unity’ hangs. Overseen by compere Götz Bühler, whose infectious enthusiasm never once dipped throughout the whole festival, we were introduced to the likes of enigmatic techno-jazzers other:M:other, Valentin Ceccaldi’s raucously volatile ‘Bonbon Flamme’ and, over in the industrial Otto-Gruberhalle, a powder-keg of opening night fireworks from Franz Hautzinger’s Regenorchester XVII. Back at Nexus, Artist-in-Residence Chris Janka’s Totally Mechanized MIDI Orchestra held the fort, with several guests dropping in to compete with the generative robo-troupe in their own unique way over the days to follow. It was clear that we were in for a weekend of challenging but rewarding creativity and inventiveness, with the best still yet to come.

The next morning began with a distinctly Austrian flavour. The resonant tones of an Alphorn reverberated across the hills (yes, alive with music and all that…) from somewhere above my lodging, announcing the day’s activities. Captivated by the sound that had awoken me, I leapt into action, determined to locate its source. My pursuit led me on an upward trek, ascending over a kilometre in altitude as I passed the town’s historic hilltop castle. Exhausted, I finally reached my goal: the Einsiedelei, a secluded hermitage hewn into the mountainside, serving as a refuge for weary wanderers and pilgrims. However, the congregation of experienced hikers already gathered there appeared far from tired. Instead, they were absorbed in the atmospheric dialogue between trumpeter Martin Eberle & trombonist Alois Eberl. Upon noticing me, they all turned with inquisitive expressions mixing amusement and mild disdain, their faces seemingly asking, “First time, is it?”…

For me, Saalfelden’s allure extended beyond the mere assemblage of world-class performers; its true enchantment lay in the numerous opportunities for these artists to engage with one another in interesting and diverse ways. A prime example of this was its ‘Invites’ series, which orchestrated intriguing paradigm shifts between such unorthodox talents as cellist Tomeka Reid and Swedish-Ethiopian vocalist Sofia Jernberg (who later appeared with visceral prophets of doom The End as well as bassist Petter Eldh’s tunefully oblique Post Koma), not to mention the appearance of Brooklyn-based guitarist Mary Halvorson and her regular companion, drummer Tomas Fujiwara,in the local Buchbinderei Fuchs – another thought-provoking juxtaposition between the region’s wholesome craftwork traditions and groundbreaking musical creativity that was taking place. Plenty of recent heavy hitters were met with a hero’s welcome by the packed crowds at the town’s central Congress, including James Brandon Lewis & The Messthetics, Sylvie Courvoisier’s ‘Chimaera’ and the Kris Davis Trio’ upcoming ‘Run The Gauntlet’ – each of which stood boldly at the precipice of modernity, and all talking points of the weekend.

With over 60 concerts – over half of which were free – taking place in 13 different venues, pacing was crucial if I was to get through the weekend in one piece! For that reason, I made sure to take regular outdoor breaks, swimming in the Ritzensee lake or whizzing into nearby Leogang on my rental bike. Unsurprisingly, the musicians were always one step ahead. As if to bid us farewell, flautist/baritone saxophonist Mats Gustafsson (who surely holds the record with 5 different performances at this year’s festival) and trumpeter Nate Wooley serenaded the happy campers with their skronking dawn chorus on Sunday morning – a stark contrast for the senses, as they appeared to glide peacefully across the calm waters in a small, wooden dinghy.

Further along the woodland trail and into the depths of the Kollingwald, Daniel Erdmann and Vincent Courtois invited us to imagine their respective saxophone and cello as natural components of our open-air surroundings. As their performance softened in volume but grew in intensity, our awareness became heightened as we sank into the soft forest floor, mindfully tuned into the awesome canopy around us.

I couldn’t pick just one highlight from my time in Saalfelden – where, incidentally, I was the only UK journalist, but what really stood out was the curious sense of adventure that brought the festival’s attendees – 28,000 visits in total – together. With many artists meeting for the first time, Mario Steidl’s and Daniela Neumayer‘s artful curation and superb, thoughtful organisation helped create a special energy that bridged the gap between the musicians, the festivalgoers and the various backgrounds of each group. By adding an extra layer of excitement and unpredictability to the proceedings, the whole event made for a truly immersive and memorable experience.

The post Jazzfestival Saalfelden 2024, Austria first appeared on UK Jazz News.

Nicole McCabe is an extremely versatile musician, with each new release in her growing discography revealing different facets of her creativity. Having moved to Los Angeles in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s safe to say (thanks to her instrumental chops and savvy social media navigation) that she has truly made her mark on the West Coast scene as part of a busy community of adventurous and highly individual musicians.

Dolphin Hyperspace, the post-internet electro-jazz duo which she formed with bassist and partner Logan Kane released What Is My Porpoise? on Dox Records earlier this year. It draws on McCabe’s childhood dream of becoming a marine biologist, and the duo’s playful and unpretentious brand of fusion places them firmly amongst the current wave of artists including KNOWER, Sam Gendel and Jacob Mann.

Orbit (2022), the self-released EP she wrote in collaboration with Angeleno beatmakers Vooo and 10.4 Rog is a thoroughly convincing take on progressive hip hop.

And then there’s Nicole’s work under her own name, recorded with a variety of ensemble members but with each release possessing a quintessentially modernistic post-bop edge. Mosaic, her latest album which we’ve arranged to discuss here, represents the strongest and most persuasive attempt to pull together different colours of her personality and combine them in her work.

This aspect of bringing together disparate strands was where our conversation started. “Something I’m working a lot on in my music is just being more honest with myself,” she tells me. “[Finding] different concepts for the album… putting them all together on the record reminded me of a mosaic, how it’s made of all these different pieces.”

McCabe’s intrepid musical journey, which has seen her flourish out of Portland State University and USC Thornton School of Music into one of the West Coast’s most in-demand players, offers a contemporary take on a long school of bebop tradition. “My foundation is Charlie Parker and Cannonball Adderley, and then later came Lee Konitz, Gary Bartz and Kenny Garrett… That’s at the core of what I’m doing.” She plans to continue exploring more personal themes and experiences in her future albums, following the vulnerable approach displayed in her recent LP.

Social media has played a small but significant role in the musician’s life since moving to LA in 2020, as she highlights the importance of digital networking: “I couldn’t really be a part of the community [then], but I’ve made so many friends just from posting videos… Once it was time to go out and play, a lot of people already knew who I was.” Despite that, she’s still surprised at the extent to which strangers approach her with compliments and job offers – “I connected with a pianist from Hungary, like two days ago…” – largely agreeing that it’s important to strike a balance between creating content online and making music in person.

Reflecting on her discography so far, Mosaic came about from Nicole wanting to create a more cohesive sound across her projects, incorporating more improvisation and post-production elements into her work. Not only that, the record displays a clear-cut sensitivity in handling personal topics, such as her uncle’s death from an overdose (‘Tight Grip’), discovering more about her grandmother’s life in central Europe (‘Derecske’) as well as dedicating a two-part suite to the women who’ve shaped her (‘Force of Good/Architect’). “It feels very vulnerable to put work out that’s so close to me… Things I wouldn’t have known unless I’d asked. That made me feel like I should be more aware of asking questions to my family, not fully realising what’s going on in everyone else’s lives.”

These intimate themes are a far cry from the inflatable sea creatures and stylised stage entrances she’s developed with Dolphin Hyperspace. “It’s nice to have a body of work that feels personal to me out in the world for people to connect with. I’m looking forward to continuing to search.” Is there room for these contrastingly weighty and wackier sides to co-exist, I ask her? “I’d like to find ways to incorporate that into all my work, because I do write serious music… I do give myself the freedom to be silly, and I’m a very funny person – I think my friends would describe me that way!”

In all, it’s her charismatic and well-rounded personality that also makes the saxophonist stand out as a bandleader. In order to achieve their unscripted moments of striking improvisation, Nicole often tells her bandmates to ignore the chart in front of them in favour of their own feelings and intuition. There’s a point during Mosaic (at the end of ‘Tight Grip, to be precise) where the music combusts in a fiery ball of unbridled energy: “That’s one of my favourite parts on the record; everyone just went right there with me – talk about being supported! I told them I wanted to go to a different place, but I didn’t tell them exactly what was going to happen.” And yet, through their whole-hearted commitment to these spontaneous interactions and even without a map, her group reaches its final destination all the same.

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Mosaic features McCabe with her trio of Logan Kane on bass, Tim Angulo on drums and Julius Rodriguez on piano and Rhodes. Guests on individual tracks are Jon Hatamiya (trombone), Aaron Janik (trumpet) and AACM legend Jeff Parker (guitar) who also produced the album.

LINKS: Nicole McCabe’s website
(*)Nicole McCabe Next Jazz Legacy artist page at New Music USA
Mosaic (Ghost Note Records) on Bandcamp

The post Nicole McCabe: ‘Mosaic’ first appeared on UK Jazz News.