Babel Babble playlist, 26 June 2012

Glockenspiel - And So It Goes (Babel)
Hermetologists from Live at Groningen recording 2002. For more information about going to the festival in Groningen http://towerofjazz.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/organising-trips-from-vortex-to.html
Huw Warren, Where The Debris.... (from 100s of things a Boy Can Make, Babel)
NDR Big Band featuring Heinz Sauer, Tomasz Stanko, It Don't Mean A Thing (from Ellingtonia)
Aisha Orazbayeva, Peter Zinovieff, 33 movements from OUR (from Outside)
Abram Wilson, Africa (from Jazz Warrior)
Kasambwe Brothers, Kasambwe Brothers (from Air Mail Music)
Mike Garrick Orchestra, Tempo (from Big Band Harriott)
Bhamra, Shave, Parricelli. Summer in Le Marais (from Postcards from Home)
Penny Rimbaud, Falling (from The Death of Imagination)

More lost venues

While I am constantly adding older venues to my Lost London Jazz Venues map (see it here), it is sad that I have, in the last month, included three recent ones: North London Tavern (photo above), which was the work of Jack Davies and friends, Old Red Cow (courtesy of Barry Green on Sunday nights) and Regent's Hall (run by Maggie Black).
It shows the struggle that takes place to keep the jazz going on a day-to-day basis. As I've pointed out before, virtually none of the regular venues in London receive much funding, certainly on a regular basis. Begging, borrowing and stealing are the order of the day. Lots of goodwill from other musicians who are willing to play for little money but great atmosphere and similar. (The big amounts of ACE money for jazz in London in effect go to the London Jazz Festival and the large venues such as the South Bank or Barbican.)
So, however much we are in a thriving scene, that's not the case with the venues.
In the mean time, I have also added Sid Phillips' club in Ham Yard Soho, courtesy of Ian Tugwell. Jazz thrived there in the late 50s/early Sixties. Opposite the Windmill Theatre. While Tugs told me he went to the Sid Phillips club, as he was apprentice in Ham Yard, he didn't tell me if he went to the Windmill!

Shabaka interviews Alexander Hawkins

A fascinating strand developing on the Jazz Line-Up pages as Shabaka Hutchings interviews Alex. I hope that there are more to come.

Listen out for some great gigs next week at the Vortex.

Aisha Orazbayeva does a live version of her album "Outside" with music by Sciarrino and others on Tuesday 26 June.

Penny Rimbaud is back! With Last Amendment on Wednesday 27

Glockenspiel is playing on a double bill with World Sanguine Report on Thursday 29th. The album Dupleix is officially in the shops from 1 September. But you can buy the gatefold LP and CD at the gig.

Go and get the full information here.

Babel Babble on NTS playlist, 5 June

This is Kris's playlist

1. Krzysztof Komeda Cul-de-Sac

   Album: Cul-de-Sac: Original Soundtrack, Knife In The Water: Original Soundtrack
   Recorded: 1966

2. Tomasz Stanko  Forlorn Walk

    Album Leosia   (Jormin, Oxley, Stańko) 1996

3.  Tomasz Stanko  Night-Time, Daytime Requiem 1997

    Litania: The Music of Krzysztof Komeda

4. Tomasz Stańko Freelectronic - Switzerland  Ha ha HA 

      [Live At Montreaux Jazz Festival 1987].

5. Wojciech Karolak  EAsy

    Album Easy 1975

6. Wojciech Karolak Discopus nr 1

    Ep Disocpus 197?

7. Zbigniew Namysłowski Quartet- Szafa - 

    

    Polish Jazz vol. 6 (Polskie Nagrania XL 0305) 1966

8. Michal Urbaniak   Bahamian Harvest 1974

     Album  Fusion 1998

9  .Kazik, Mazzoll & Arythmic Perfection - Ropa Świętej Anny 

      (Single 3, 1998)

10. Loskot   Born to Noise

NTS Babel Babble, 19 June 2012

Playlist, after having been away for a couple of weeks

Lothar Ohlmeier/Tom Arthurs, from "In The Dark" Moers
Miles Davis. Springsville from Miles Ahead
Mike Westbrook. Original Peter from "Love Songs"
Bhamra, Shave, Parricelli. Dervish Dancer from "Postcards from Home"
The Skylarks. Ndixolele from "Drum - South African Jazz"
Daniel Humair. From Time To Time Free from "9.11 pm Town Hall"
Bill Frisell 858 Quartet. Sixty Four from "Sign of Life"
Billy Jenkins ft. Christine Tobin. How Deep Is Your Love from "True Love Collection"
Bob Dylan. Rainy Day Women from "Blonde on Blonde"
Woody Guthrie. 1913 Massacre from "The Musical Grandfather and Father of Bob Dylan"
John McLaughlin. Pete the Poet from "Extrapolation"

Bhamra, Shave, Parricelli play the Vortex on Friday 22 June. http://www.vortexjazz.co.uk

Love Songs covers are part of the Roger Wodiwiss exhibition at the Vortex Downstairs.
The Skylarks was a vocal group set up by Miriam Makeba
More on the 1913 Massacre here
Pete The Poet is Pete Brown, who was also a member of Battered Ornaments.

Check out Kris's show on Polish jazz a couple of weeks ago http://www.mixcloud.com/KozbeR/nts-radio-show-polish-jazz-vol1/. 

Thanks also to Alev for covering for me.

Cover Versions

An Exhibition at the Vortex Jazz Club Downstairs 

15 June - 2 September 2012

There is an interchange between art objects and the spaces in which they are situated. The traditional white cube spaces of galleries and museums wear a mantle of neutrality, disguising the fact that such sites are riddled through with ideological associations and value laden assumptions; auras that confer authority on the work itself. The presence of art objects outside of the white cube reminds us that art exists in a variety of social contexts where it takes on different meanings. I have chosen this setting because of its obvious connection to the jazz world and its music. As a music art form that existed outside of official culture and its sacred spaces: clubs; bars and pubs were natural settings and these were not places imbued with cultural authority, but they were often transgressive spaces. While the paintings evoke nostalgia they are not simply a celebration of the past but inextricably bound to narratives about popular culture and the social values of the time, production and consumption. In the same way the album covers once brought artist, musician and music together, my aim is to bring together the art, the space and the emotion of seeing them now. 


Cover Versions opens Friday 15th June at The Vortex Downstairs, 11 Gillett Square, N16 8AZ (Free)

The blogs - first with the reviews

Sitting at the Jazzdor Berlin festival over the past few days, something really occurred to me about why the internet is winning out against printed newspapers and magazines more and more. It comes from being struck by Sebastian Scotney of Londonjazz rushing out of the gigs, just before they finished, so that he could post his review by 1 a.m. on the same night. Similar actions came from Philippe Méziat of Jazz Magazine and Lothar Jänichen of Deutschland Radio.
And it suddenly dawned on me that one of the reasons why the internet is winning out more and more is that they are doing things that we trusted the press to do many years ago. Lots of prompt reviews by knowledgeable writers.
It's often the case in old Hollywood movies where they get the next day's papers to read the reviews. We know that some of them were able to close shows by the second night.
Less and less was it the case over recent years. Reviews have become more sparse in the press and magazines, shorter and less timely. Now, editors will probably argue that it's due to lower sales and higher costs. But could it be that it was an arrogance on their part, in dumbing down and being less timely, that in part has led to their demise?
Actually, the blogs and internet guys are taking their business because they are doing what the journalists and newspapers ought to have been doing for the past few years. 


I saw similarly a complaint from Martin Laurentius of Jazzthing about the poor quality of some reviews of the Jazz Echo awards in Germany last week. I was reminded of the comment from Wittgenstein - one of the only ones that I can remember from the enigmatic philosopher: "Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent."


Perhaps it's too late for the newspapers and main magazines to recover the ground? Actually, they probably don't even want to. And they set up their models of the press and complain incessantly about the internet. Which is, for me, a great shame. I love physical books and newspapers and would dearly love them all to survive. And to go out and buy them again. I have fallen out of love with the newspapers as they are at present.

Coming Soon.....

Match and Fuse Festival
15th & 16th June
http://soundcloud.com/match-2/ sets/match-fuse-festival-2012- 1


Next Friday marks the first Match & Fuse Festival, a weekend of live music performed by bands from eight European countries. World Service Project has been at front of planning the extravaganza which promises to be a feast of musical styles encompassing jazz, electronica, punk and progressive music. Performing will be some of the best of young European and Scandinavian bands. The title Match & Fuse evokes the spirit of the best of them coming together to create this collaborative musical adventure. The Festival director Dave Morecroft (and musician with World Service Project) said, 'I think people respond well to it... we have thirteen band playing at a free festival. I personally cannot wait to hear all of the varied musical offerings that lie in store for us'. Morecroft also indicated that the festival will rotate so that next year's 2013 will be held in Oslo, and 2014's  in Rome. Big ups to World Service Project for taking the initiative. 

Match & Fuse Festival London 15th & 16th June @vortexjazz Gillett Square, Dalston 

http://www.vortexjazz.co.uk/this-months-programme.html

Babel Babble on NTS, 29 May 2012

Brigitte Bardot/Serge Gainsbourg - Comic Strip
Sam Crockatt - Sun and Moon (from Flood Tide)
Simon and Garfunkel - Homeward Bound (from Old Friends)
Billy Jenkins - Feelin' Groovy (from True Love Collection)
Jimmy Giuffre 3 - Carla (from 1961)
Paul Hillier - Lawes: The Rose
Chris McGregor - Nick Tete
Elina Duni - La Javanaise (from Baresha)
Paula Rae Gibson - Boy In A Cage (from You Gather My Darkness)
Rufus Thomas - Bear Cat (from The sound of Sun)
Bob Dylan - Just Like A Woman (from Blonde on Blonde)

Babel Babble playlist - 8 May 2012

On this show, I interviewed Marcus Harrison, photographer at the legendary Stork Room in Soho in the 1950s. More information on him here
Louis Armstrong-Danny Kaye. When The Saints
Teddy Wilson Trio. Round Midnight
Thelonious Monk - Pannonica (from School Days, Emanem)
Sarah Vaughan - Lullaby of Birdland
Stubby Kaye - Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat
Leslie Hutchinson - Let's Do It
Frank Sinatra - Makin' Whoopee
Johnny Dankworth - The Artful Dodger (from What The Dickens)
Billie Holiday - God Bless The Child

Billy Daniels with Marlene Dietrich

Maharajah being "ensnared" by hula hoop

Alexander Hawkins review from Bird is the Worm

Alexander Hawkins Ensemble – All There, Ever Out
Pianist Alexander Hawkins is emerging as a strong voice in the jazz avant-garde world. Most intriguingly, as Hawkins’ sound has developed, it has become more accessible as it also grows more confident.  A lovely example of this is third track “Owl (Friendly),” a melodic piece of dissonance that follows two freer pieces, and which seems perfectly in place in the flow of the album.  Another great example is “Ahab,” which begins as a simmering buzz but explodes into a rollicking tavern song able to match the customers drink for drink.  Challenging, yes, but an album that seems willing and content to meet the listener halfway.

Your album personnel:  Alexander Hawkins (piano), Otto Fischer (electric guitar), Hannah Marshall (cello), Dominic Lash (double bass), Javier Carmona (drums, percussion) and Orphy Robinson (marimba).
Released on the Babel Label.  Jazz from the UK.