Babel blog

The superficial and the real

2012-01-29T18:04:00.002Z

I'm bringing together a few disparate thoughts and hope that it gets to coherence. The argument is certainly not new, but has to be kept being reminded of.

It's always been a big debate about how to value true long-term quality and its commercial impact. Van Gogh never sold a painting in his lifetime, while there are many painters who made a short-term fortune during their lifetimes but we have forgotten them all today. I come back to this frequently.

It continues further. However, I always have had the feeling that there is enough in the system to take the occasional "risk" and think longer term. For example, my brother Paul found out that the organisation which helps refugee academics interviewed someone in 1935. Despite a comment "3rd rate mind, 1st rate violinist", they gave him support. And it was rewarded,. as the man in question was Ernst Chain who won the Nobel Prize for his work on penicillin.

For many years, I had hoped that things over here had got a bit better. Perhaps because we are a relatively wealthy society, we can "invest" in those areas which make it - and therefore us - relatively healthy in spirit.

Nowadays, however, I am increasingly worried that the system in which we live is becoming SO risk averse that people are less willing than ever to do things. Insecurity of job, or an excessive rule based world? Who knows which reason?

Examples are in the academic world, where I hear of geneticists losing their funding and wanting to leave UK. And in the world of the Vortex, where HSBC to our irritation has asked for our overdraft to be gradually reduced, the difficulties to get grants. I haven't seen an Arts Council staff member here for at least a year - and then not in a formal role to check out whether what we do is any good. By contrast, for our present festival curated by Evan, the Goethe Institut people, who helped support it, turned out in force yesterday (and of course were spoilt by us because of their generosity).

Oh and one more example. While this lovely festival was going ahead and quiet polite Mr Parker was keeping things going, King Midas Sound threw a wobbly and refused to play at Bishopsgate Institute because they weren't able to play at 160 decibels. (In my view this is like sadistically damaging their audiences' ears. A sort of GBH. I'm glad they weren't pandered to.)

On Thursday, Evan, on the other hand, had to cope in the middle of his set with a broken saxophone. He managed to repair it using some candle wax and solved his problems in 10 minutes.

I ultimately have faith in the system - Evan at least is at the level that he is at, and King Midas Sound will be forgotten about in a few years. Good quality comes to the surface. In the end. The difficulty is the need for support, moral & financial, to make it through until recognition comes. And then even that the recognition is adequate.

However, what about the chances for the new guys? Musicians who can hardly find grants. They are as patient as any. For now. And people like some of my friends who work as therapists and counsellors and now being squeezed by the system in the way it is being restructured.

Let's not throw the baby out with the bath water. Or else the fabric of our society will be lost for good.

What makes this country more worrying than, say USA, we have a culture where the government has taken responsibility to redistribute money to keep us healthy of body and spirit. Arts Council, NHS, universities etc. Now that these are cut back, they are not being replaced easily by private support - people contributing out of their own pockets to help themselves or others (such as universities, arts and so on). Perhaps we have indeed followed on from Thatcher's dictum of no more society, i.e. everyone for themselves. In the USA where everything is private, there is nevertheless a strong culture of donation to orchestras, galleries and universities. I find it mind-blowing that we have been able to get the quite radical music of the likes of Cage and Zorn, the art of Rothko and Warhol, from a country where the Arts Council is tiny and the egos of the private donors are huge!

GaNNets debut album on Babellabel

2012-01-27T12:43:00.002Z

Gannet’s Band members include FyfeDangerfield (keyboards, electronics, voice and tings), Chris Cundy (bass andcontrabass), Alex Ward (clarinet), Dominic Lash (double bass) and Steve Noble(tubthumping and drums). Rooted in the free improvisation traditionthe band evokes elements from different music genres. Their debut album ‘Transmissionsof Not’ will be available for £15 in a deluxe heavy vinyl packaging withgatefold sleeve featuring original artwork by the band itself. Each copy alsocomes with a CD with extra tracks. The official date of release is April 2012,however you can check it out on bandcamp

http://babel-label.bandcamp.com/album/transmissions-of-not

The ensemble is performing at TheVortex Jazz Club http://www.vortexjazz.co.uk/ 1^st February 2012.

Babel upcoming at the Vortex up to 1 February

2012-01-23T10:31:00.000Z

A few gigs at the Vortex over the next 10 days:

Paul Clarvis/Alcyona Mick duo downstairs on Wednesday early evening. FREE!!

Hans Koller with Sandra Hampel and 10 piece band, as part of Evan Parker's Might I Suggest festival

(Friday)

Hans Koller with Gerd Dudek (Sunday)

The Gannets (1 February) with Fyfe Dangerfield, Chris Cundy, Steve Noble, Alex Ward, Dom Lash

Bruno Heinen album launch

2012-01-09T12:03:00.003Z

Album Launch - Dialogues Trio with Julian Siegel. We celebrated the arrival of the CD at a packed Vortex in September (as shown in the above image). It would be great if you can now come and join us for our album launch on 19th January at the Vortex Jazz Club.

"Twinkle Twinkle is an absorbing set of variations and improvisations.

Bruno's trio explore the music with skill and invention and Julian Siegel's ingenious performance is superb.

An excellent achievement." (John Taylor)

Hope to see you there...

Bruno Heinen - Piano, Andrea Di Biase - Bass, Jon Scott - Drums, Julian Siegel - Reeds
The Vortex Jazz Club
11 Gillett Square
London N16 8AZ
8.30 pm

Book here

Quasimodo Quartet feat. Andrea Di Biase

2012-01-09T11:56:00.001Z

Quasimodo Quartet plays at the Vortex on 17 January.
Stan Sulzmann, Liam Noble, Andrea di Biase, James Maddren playing music of Kenny Wheeler (who was originally slated to do this gig.) and Andrea di Biase.

If he's feeling up for it, then Kenny has promised to turn up. A nice bonus.

We'll have copies of Andrea's new Oltremare Quartet CD featuring iconic Italian pianist Antonio Zambrini.

http://www.wegottickets.com/event/146717

John Donne

2011-12-22T12:03:00.002Z

I'm reminded of this John Donne poem for the Winter Solstice. By chance, I read it to a friend of mine yesterday, in giving her a book of Metaphysical Poets.

A Nocturnal upon St. Lucy's Day

BY JOHN DONNE

'Tis the year's midnight, and it is the day's,

Lucy's, who scarce seven hours herself unmasks;

The sun is spent, and now his flasks

Send forth light squibs, no constant rays;

The world's whole sap is sunk;

The general balm th' hydroptic earth hath drunk,

Whither, as to the bed's feet, life is shrunk,

Dead and interr'd; yet all these seem to laugh,

Compar'd with me, who am their epitaph.

Study me then, you who shall lovers be

At the next world, that is, at the next spring;

For I am every dead thing,

In whom Love wrought new alchemy.

For his art did express

A quintessence even from nothingness,

From dull privations, and lean emptiness;

He ruin'd me, and I am re-begot

Of absence, darkness, death: things which are not.

All others, from all things, draw all that's good,

Life, soul, form, spirit, whence they being have;

I, by Love's limbec, am the grave

Of all that's nothing. Oft a flood

Have we two wept, and so

Drown'd the whole world, us two; oft did we grow

To be two chaoses, when we did show

Care to aught else; and often absences

Withdrew our souls, and made us carcasses.

But I am by her death (which word wrongs her)

Of the first nothing the elixir grown;

Were I a man, that I were one

I needs must know; I should prefer,

If I were any beast,

Some ends, some means; yea plants, yea stones detest,

And love; all, all some properties invest;

If I an ordinary nothing were,

As shadow, a light and body must be here.

But I am none; nor will my sun renew.

You lovers, for whose sake the lesser sun

At this time to the Goat is run

To fetch new lust, and give it you,

Enjoy your summer all;

Since she enjoys her long night's festival,

Let me prepare towards her, and let me call

This hour her vigil, and her eve, since this

Both the year's, and the day's deep midnight is.

Online presence

2011-12-21T19:03:00.000Z

You can now download Babel CDs on Bandcamp, via the Babel site. Ah, the wonders of the new technology!

Also, with the help of Kathianne, you can pick up our tweets @babellabel. Actually, not always me, but they could be!

So you can get hold of many of our releases. Also, watch for many that are on the way early in the New Year, into the shops. And the list is growing - Hans Koller with Francois Theberge, Vole and Gannets among others.

Hope that this gives a bit of a feel as to what is going on.

Duplicating service launched

2011-11-18T14:18:00.000Z

Babel now has a CD duplicating machine, doing high quality CD-Rs for limited runs, along with great on body printing.

In particular, it's proving a hit for small runs (up to 100), such as for press demos, pre-album launch events where manufactured CDs haven't arrived or because CDs are not the main focus.

We also have some nice CD wallets which can be used - recycled cardboard 'gatefold' with window for sliding in a booklet.

More and more satisfied customers.
Contact me on oliver@babellabel.co.uk

Alexander Hawkins - some videos

2011-11-04T10:28:00.000Z

And buy the album here

Emilia Martensson - Some videos

2011-11-04T09:45:00.001Z

Ahead of the release of And So It Goes, here are some videos from Emilia's gig at the Vortex in October, as well as a link to her interview in the Observer.

Observer article - THE PHOTO SHOOT

EMILIA MARTENSSON

The singer who melds Swedish folk, jazz standards and classic pop.

"I don't like to say I'm a jazz singer," says Emilia Martensson. "People think of Broadway," she says, miming jazz hands, "but jazz can mean a lot of things."

For Martensson, 29, the genre encompasses Swedish folk songs and pop as well as jazz standards. Her lush, beguiling interpretations of all three can be found on her debut album, And So it Goes, made with the pianist Barry Green.

"I approach songs from a jazz musician's point of view when it comes to phrasing and improvising," she says. "I think the art is in finding songs that you really connect with."

Growing up in a village just outside Malmö in Sweden, Martensson discovered jazz at school. Hooked, she established a jazz night at her parents' restaurant. Two years later, she moved to England to study music at Trinity College of Music in London. She's lived here ever since and is now based in east London. "I like the London jazz scene a lot. It is a great community. Everybody is really supportive. And everyone knows each other," she adds with a mock-weary look.

So what sets her generation of musicians apart? "Quite a lot of us are going away from the jazz standards. People are writing their own music, using the harmony and the language of jazz in a new context."

Though she loves what she does, Though she loves her life, Martensson admits it's not easy. "We aren't in this for the money. If we were, we'd do pop."

The best gigs, where she can do her own thing, tend to be ones she does for free. She works as a singing teacher and takes paid gigs at weddings. But being on stage is where she feels most comfortable. "I especially love the smaller venues. That's another reason I do jazz, because the venues are often more intimate. Normally, you're playing with a good group of friends, and because of the way that jazz music works, it is very much about communicating and listening to each other; having a nice time and trying to get that across to the audience."Gemma Kappala-Ramsamy

BUY THE ALBUM HERE

Concerts at the London Jazz Festival relevant to Babel

2011-09-20T10:20:00.001+01:00

I don't like saying "Babel artists", as there is no actual contractual roster. But many of the gigs at the London Jazz Festival relate to Babel albums. Here are many of them. I'll add as time goes on. That's 20 so far

11 November:
Emilia Mårtensson - Ray's Jazz @ Foyles, 6 p.m.
Shabaka Hutchings & Kit Downes - The Forge 2 p.m.

12 NOVEMBER:
Leafcutter Jhn + Dave Morecroft + Gina Southgate - Vortex 2.30 p.m.
Splice + Dice Factory + Mirror: The Loop Collective - The Vortex 8.30 p.m.

13 NOVEMBER:
Township Comets - Vortex 4 p.m.
Convergence Quartet - Vortex 8.30 p.m.
Moss Project + Emilia Martensson - Green Note 8 p.m.
Sam Leak's Aquarium - Charlie Wright's 8.30 p.m.

14 NOVEMBER:
Golden Age of Steam - St James's Piccadilly 1 p.m.
Mark Hanslip + Dave Mannington - Olivers 8 p.m.
Alexander Hawkins - Cafe Oto 8 p.m.

15 NOVEMBER
Phil Robson + Christine Tobin - Purcell Room 7.45 p.m.
Twelves - Green Note 8 p.m.

16 NOVEMBER
Emilia Mårtensson - Olivers 8 p.m.
Mustard Pie + Crump - Vortex 8.30 p.m.
Trio VD - C.A.M.P. 9 p.m.

17 NNOVEMBER
Emilia Mårtensson - Royal Albert Hall 12 p.m.

18 NOVEMBER
Julian Siegel/Liam Noble - St James's Piccadilly 1 p.m.
Loop Collective Club Night - Blackheath Halls 8 p.m.

19 NOVEMBER
Portico Quartet - Purcell Room 3p.m. 7.45 p.m.
Ivo Neame + Alcyona Mick + Sam Crockatt - The Forge 8 p.m.
IRèNe + Metal-O-Phone + Pipeline - Vortex 8.30 p.m.

20 NOVEMBER
F-IRE Collective - South Bank Ballroom 3 p.m.
London Jazz Orchestra - Vortex 4 p.m.
Mopomoso - Vortex 7 p.m.
Hans Koller - North London Tavern 8 p.m.
Outhouse Ruhabi - Open The Gate 9 p.m.

Mark Hanslip extracts on Youtube

2011-09-20T09:18:00.000+01:00

Alexander Hawkins on Youtube

2011-09-20T09:08:00.000+01:00

Lost London Jazz Venues - music

2011-09-09T10:02:00.002+01:00

Karyobin

Billy Jenkins talks about Wood Wharf

Brotherhood of Breath 100 Club

Lost London Jazz Venues

2011-09-07T11:17:00.000+01:00

Here are the slides from my presentation to Radio Jazz Research in Remagen. I'll add a few links for some of the relevant music. Please let me have details of any other venues that you know of, or any stories about the existing ones.

The map can be found here

The riots and the Vortex

2011-08-10T10:15:00.000+01:00

Just to say that the Vortex is fine, though the impact of the current disturbances are economic and uncertain. First, that it's cost the club and the musicians money to be closed for the past 2 days - probably up to £1000 so far. Small compared to those shops who have been looted, but still important to us.
Second, there is the insecurity after the things have all calmed down. Already some people have cancelled tickets for future dates as they don't want to risk Dalston.
So the past days undo some of the successes of the club over the past 6 years. Hopefully temporarily though.

Vortex at London Jazz Festival

2011-08-05T10:59:00.003+01:00

We've just put some more of our gigs on sale for the London Jazz Festival on wegottickets.com Just search for Vortex. Also - and which have been up for a while - the Necks at the Bishopsgate Institute.

Babel Babble playlist on NTS, 19 April

2011-07-13T16:48:00.000+01:00

Deller Consort, Gloria Laus (from Chant Gregorien, Harmonia Mundi)
Bobby McFerrin, He Ran All The Way (from Medicine Man, EMI)
Youssou N'Dour, Allah (from Egypt, Nonesuch)
Frifot, Flican och Pastorn (from Sluring, Amigo)
Leonard Cohen, Story Of Isaac (from Songs From A Room, CBS)
Kairos Quartet, Enough Is Enough(from Kairos Moment)
Emilia Martensson/Barry Green, Waltz for the Lonely Ones
Julian Arguelles, Sintra (from Home Truths, Babel)
Lothar Ohlmeier/Tom Arthurs/Roland Fidezius/Achim Kraemer, Track 1 of In The Dark (Babel, forthcoming)

Mostly Other People Do The Killing is at the Vortex on Wednesday and Thursday

Dan Messore's album has now arrived on Babel-Vortex

Babel Babble playlist, 28 June

2011-07-10T13:05:00.000+01:00

Sorry, a bit the wrong in the wrong order!

Bullfinch (from Bird Mimicry, British Library)
Benjamin Moussay, On Air (from On Air, Laborie)
Greg Lamy, Dance for Victor (fromJazz Guitar Duo, LG036)
Trio Grande and Matthew Bourne, L'Acrobate (from Un matin plein de promesses, W.E.R.F.)
Electric Barbarian, Shuffle, So Five (from Minirock from the Sun, EB0406)
Youn Sun Nah, Jockey Full Of Bourbon (from Voyage, ACT)
Huw Warren/Peter Herbert, Interlude/Whistling Rufus (from Everything We Love and More, Babel)

Babel Babble playlist, 5 July 2011

2011-07-06T09:31:00.000+01:00

Anouar Brahem, Pique-Nique à Nagpur (from Le Pas du Chat Noir, ECM)
Michel Reis, Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll (from Fairytale, WPR)
Bob Dylan, I Want You (from Blonde on Blonde, CBS)
Billy Jenkins, Invocation III and Everybody's Talking (from True Love Collection, Babel)
Henry Lowther's Still Waters, I'll Be Glad (from I.D., Village Life)
Steve Argüelles, The Peacocks (from Circuit, Babel)
Steve Lacy, The Rent (from Anthem, RCA Novus)
Outhouse, Foreign Meat (from Outhouse, Babel)
Oum Kalthoum, Gadet Hobat Leih (from Oum Kalthoum, Dejavu Retro)

Save Dutch Music Centre. Sign the petition. http://www.muziekcentrumnederland.nl/en/

Corner of an Eye by Christine Tobin. Nice video made in Margate showing the day to day life there.

And a bit of Oum Kalthoum with orchestra.

Babel Babble, 21 June 2011

2011-06-23T11:26:00.000+01:00

A double length show focussing mainly on Poland, with Stephen Graham of Jazzwise.

Aga Zaryan, Like a He-Bear and a She-Bear/Falling Asleep/Sleepy Eyelashes (Blue Note, 2011)

Komeda Trio, Moja Ballada (Polskie Nagrania 1961)

Atom String Quartet live at Katowice

Zbigniew Namyslowski, Kujaviak Goes Funky from Polskie Radio 1975

New Trio, India Groove from Simultaneous Abstractions (Tokarnia 2010)

Tomasz Stanko, Sleep Safe and Warm (Litania, ECM, 1997)

Marcin Wasilewski Trio, Woke Up in the Desert from Faithful (ECM 2011)

Michal Urbaniak Group, Nanava, (Motown, 1980)

Milosc, Panska Brodka Mnie Dnerwuje (Gowi 1994)

MItch and Mitch, A Little Scratch from XX11 Century Sound Pioneers (Lado ABC 2010)

Tomasz Stanko, A Farewell To Maria from Leosia (ECM, 1997)

Pink Freud, Polanski from Monster of Jazz (Universal 2010)

Urszula Dudziak and Bobby McFerrin, Tico Tico (Polskie Radio, 1985)

Sing Sing Penelope + DJ Strangefruit, Electrogride Part 5 (extract) (Stow Art 2010)

Adam Makowicz Trio, Naughty Baby, (RCA, 1987)

Leszek Mozdzer, Ballad For Bernt (ACT, 2011)

Sam Leak, Strangers from Aquarium (Babel, 2011)

Bechet-Spanier Big Four, Squeeze Me from Sidney Bechet The Essential Collection (Avid)

The shows that I attended were at the Warsaw Uprising Museum http://www.1944.pl/en/

More about Polish Jazz on http://www.polishjazz.com/servlet/StoreFront

Playlist for Babel Babble, 15 June 2011

2011-06-17T12:51:00.000+01:00

Marc Ducret, Interlude (Extract) from TowerVol.1 (Ayler)
Fanfare Ciocarlia, Mariana from Baro Biao (Piranha)
Bach, Sarabande from Cello Suite No. 5 (Andre Navarra)
Sam Crockatt, The Prophet from Flood Tide (Babel)
Christine Tobin, Stone Cold from You Draw The Line (Babel)
Julian Arguelles, Third Escapade from Home Truths (Babel)
Sam Leak, Shy from Aquarium (Babel)
Randy Newman, Louisiana 1927 from Songbook
Jason Yarde, Where Will It Take You from Now's The Time Vol. 2 (Babel-Vortex)
Hermetologists, Xibaba (Live recording 2003 from Vortex)
John Zorn, Battle Of Algiers from The Big Gundown
Bill Frisell, from The Intercontinentals

John Zorn is playing at Jazz Middelheim with his Book of Angels http://www.jazzmiddelheim.be 13 August

For me the highlights at Moers were Chris Dave

and Stian Westerhus playing with Nils Petter Molvaer

Playlist for Babel Babble, 8 June 2011

2011-06-08T09:46:00.001+01:00

ONJ, Racing Heart, Heart Racing (from Shut Up and Dance)
Das Kapital, Ohne Kapitalisten geht es besser (from Ballads and Barricades)
Fraud, Wrong Brain (from Fraud, Babel)
Lenny Popkin, These Foolish Things (from Live at Inntoene Festival, PAO)
Michel Reis, Purple Rain (from A Young Mind, WPR)
Billy Jenkins, I Like Rain (from When The Crowds Have Gone, Babel)
Q, No Coffee No Speak, part 1 (from Q, Rude Awakening)
Robert Morgenthaler/Urs Roellin, Im Zug (from Off Road, UNIT)
Iner Demirer, Chesney (from You, Me and Char, Pozitif)

Check out this great video of Claude Tchamitchian, whom I heard solo in Berlin. Taken from ZJFT 2010 in Groningen.

Inntoene takes place in Diersbach Austria this weekend. http://www.inntoene.com/inntoene-jazzfestival/programm/
Moers festival takes place in Germany this weekend. http://www.moers-festival.de/home.html?no_cache=1&L=1
Zomerjazzfietstour is in Groningen in August. Get on yer bike. http://www.zjft.nl/

Playlist for Babel Babble, 17 may

2011-06-08T09:45:00.000+01:00

Playlist for Babel Babble, 17 may

2011-05-18T11:45:00.002+01:00

Playlist for the latest show:

Brahms: Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen (Bach Chor Boeblingen, Stuttgarter Philharmoniker, Roland Bader)
Georges Brassens
Phil Robson: Songbird (from Six Strings and The Beat)
Christine Tobin: Dreamland (from Secret Life of A Girl)
Eve Beuvens: Little Scorpion
Orchestre National de Jazz Luxembourg featuring David Laborier: Fast and Furious (From Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Band?)
Flat Earth Society: Edward, Why Don't You Play Some Blues? (from Psychoscout)
Geri Allen, Charlie Haden, Paul Motian: See You At Per Tutti's (from In the Year of the Dragon)
Zed-U: Forest (from Night Time in the Middle Passage)
Nils Landgren/Esbjorn Svensson: Lapp-Nils Polka (from Swedish Folk Modern)
Billy Jenkins: Donkey Droppings (from First Aural Art Collection)

A few little themes this week, with some things to do with European jazz, especially the little Belgian/Luxembourg section in the middle. I hope that Babel will have a Wallonie compilation out later in the year, while I would heartily recommend the Gaume Jazz Festival for some of the music from the region.

I played Z-U because I loved Sons of Kemet on Monday at the Vortex.
Charlie Haden is playing at the Barbican. He was also on Later with Jools. As wilful as ever, it seemed.

I may have lost a bit of the Landgren/Svensson track because of not flicking over the right button. So here's another track.

</i<iframe width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/mmuGAP8iCuM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>frame>

Suddenly found this track of Nivk Cave with Charlie Haden, Sanborn, Thielemans

Babel Babble, 10 May 2011

2011-05-11T09:42:00.001+01:00

Sorry, playlist not quite up yet.
Including Django Bates, Recyclers, Emilia Martensson,

But check out this by Big Air at Saalfelden

A-Z of Jazzahead

2011-05-05T08:43:00.000+01:00

Seb Scotney on Londonjazz put up his A to Z of Jazzahead here. Here's mine.

A - AFIJMA. This is the French jazz festivals organisation and which the Vortex has just joined as a foreign associate member.
B- Belgium. Unlike much of this divided country, jazz appears to be a unifying factor. They have a great range of promoters in both the Flemish and Wallonie regions, such as Jean-Pierre Bissot from Gaume, Wim Wabbes from Vooruit in Gent etc. etc. (Also, Oliver Belopeta of Skopje)
C - Copenhagen Jazz Festival. Preannouncing its highlights, the main festival has over 1000 concerts in July. Go for it Christian.
D - Dutch Jazz. A country which has the resources and musicianship. Mouthwatering venues (e.g. Bim Huis and SJU Utrecht) and festivals (such as North Sea)
E - Europe Jazz Network. The Vortex is a member. Anke and Battista have been doing a great job in bringing us members together.
F - Festivals. Lots of them.
G- Gerry Godley. The mastermind behind the 12 Points festival in Ireland and overseeing, with Bo Gronningstaeter its expansion Europe-wide.
H - Hungary. The BMC label seems to be the driving force behind a lot of Hungarian jazz, not just a label but also a festival.
I - ILK. One of the great young labels around, driven by the ILK Collective in Denmark. The guiding light is Lotte Anker, a great saxophonist.
J - Jazz Services. Joe Paice set up the British stand with limited resources, but managed to get a presence for us after all.
K - Kelman, John. The ubiquitous and hard-working creative mastermind of allaboutjazz.com
L - Luxembourg. Much of the development of the scene here is due to trumpeter Gast Waltzing, who is also label manager, promoter, professor at music conservatoire.
M - Muetzelfeldt. Karsten, a radio journalist for WDR in Cologne and Deutschlandfunk, has an encyclopedic knowledge of European jazz and can be seen all around the place.
N - Norwegian. One of the main languages of the event, along with English, German and French. This is where all is moving towards over the next few years.
O - Orotone. A leading French agency. Laurent Carrier works hard to ensure that many of the young bands get around Europe. (Also Philippe Ochem of Jazzdor Strasbourg).
P - Panisset. Jacques has overseen the development of Grenoble Jazz Festival and its move to having a name including Babel!
Q - Quenum. Thierry is a great journalist, using his knowledge effectively for Jazz Magazine in France.
R - Rui Neves. A great promoter who runs the wonderful Jazz em Agosto in Lisbon.
S - Sendesaal. This is the former Radio Bremen studio, now a concert hall where I heard Colin Vallon and Mathias Eick. I first went there in 1992 to help Iain Ballamy record All Men Amen. Its revival is a fitting tribute to the indefatigable Peter Schulze, who also initiated Jazzahead.
T - Tallinn. This year's European Capital of Culture with a great programme of music and also the home of the Free Tallinn Trio, coming back to London in October
U - Ulli Rattay is one of the best jazz publicists around in Germany. Understands the music but is also a realist.
V - Vortex. Todd Wills managed to survive insomnia and various alcoholic potions which were being offered to ensnare him for gigs.
W - Winckelmann. Matthias is one of the great jazz producers, with Enja now 40 years old. A mentor to me.
X - Xylophone. Or rather Vibraphone. Pascal Schumacher (at the Vortex in June)
Y - Youthful. What so many of the grey beards seem to have, in order to keep going.
Z - Zomerjazzfietstour. A festival around Groningen where you cycle from gig to gig. Marcel Roelofs is one of the happiest men you could ever meet - and a demon ninepin bowler.

Babel Babble playlist, 3 May 2011

2011-05-04T08:58:00.000+01:00

Meadow (Iain Ballamy) from All Men Amen (B&W)
Bad Drummer (Stephane Kerecki/John Taylor) from Patience
River Man (Andy Bey)
Kill Your Jitterbug Darlings (Bushmen's Revenge) from Jitterbug (Rune Grammofon) [at the Vortex, 1 June 2011]
Slave Thing (Paula Rae Gibson) from You Gather My Darkness Like Snow.... (Babel)
John Cage: The Wonderful Widow of 18 Springs (Cathy Berberian) from Magnificathy (Wergo)
Ursula and the Wind Dance (Aka Moon) from In Real Time (Carbon 7)
Like Someone In Love (Huw Warren) from Infinite Riches in a Little Room (Babel)
Janits Sedej Kalnina (Ilgi)
Beautiful Indifference (Arthurs/Fairhurst) from Mesmer (Babel) [at the Vortex, 6 May]

The theme was partly linked to having been at Jazzahead in Bremen. Meadow was recorded at the radio station studios there. I picked up album by Bushmen's Revenge and Stephane Kerecki there. Babel also got the heads up to do a Now's The Time sampler on Wallonie jazz - hence the choice of Aka Moon.

This week's question: who originally sang River Man?

Answer to last week: Sphere was Monk's middle name.

Apologies for losing a few seconds before the last track of the show. I forgot to push a switch.

Podcast coming soon.

There was no Billy Jenkins track this week. So how about this?

And a lovely track by Graham Collier, with Harry Beckett soloing. (I am also smitten by JT's comping and soloing.) There's a Harry Beckett tribute at the Vortex on 30 May.

Babel Babble, playlist 26 April 2001

2011-04-27T11:39:00.005+01:00

Mole People (Julian Arguelles) from Skull View (Babel)
Machine Gun (Finn Peters) from Su Ling (Babel)
Final Movement, Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 (Bach) played by Concentus Music (Harnoncourt)
Blue Sphere (Thelonious Monk) from London Collection (Black Lion)
The Priest (Christine Tobin) from Aililiu (babel)
Soleils (Rene Aubry) from Invites sur la Terre (Wagram)
Discovering Metal (Django Bates) from Summer Fruits and Unrest (Winter and Winter)
Golden Slumbers (Orquestra Mahatma) from Young Person's Guide (Babel)
Big Juice (Noble/Marshall/Buckley) from Bud Moon (Ping Pong)
Asturiana (de Falla arr Berio) from Fiesta! (BBC)
All I Really Want To Do (Bob Dylan) from Another Side of Bob Dylan (CBS)
Shower (Led Bib) from Sizewell Tea (Babel)
Love Takes Time (Selen Gulun) from Answers (Pozitif)

Contact me at oliver@babellabel.co.uk about availability of the CDs.

The themes this week were how apparent simplicity creates universality, based on a discussion I had with Joachim Badenhorst at Vortex, since he was playing Bach. Django's piece shows, by contrast, how total complexity can be satisfying.

Also a few iconic Babel release solos - Huw Warren on The Priest, Django Bates on Mole People.

And, above, another sign of this simplicity leading to beauty.

Big Air (with Steve Buckley and Oren Marshall) play Cheltenham on 1 May and Vortex on 2 May.

And a couple of tracks from the Han Bennink season at the Vortex, playing with Steve Noble and Terry

there's a review here. http://londonjazz.blogspot.com/2011/04/review-han-bennink.html#comment-form

Jazz and its venues and its audience

2011-04-27T10:00:00.000+01:00

Sebastian Scotney's Londonjazz blog (HERE) recently highlighted a debate that has evolved in France over venues, their status and their treatment of their musicians. Being involved in a venue myself - the Vortex - I realise constantly this discussion which often occurs internally, but also bubbles over every now and then.

I'd just like to make a few incidental observations:

1) Venues, and particularly those working daily, such as Duc des Lombards, have to look at all ways they can of survival. So putting food in people's mouths is one important way. In London, all the main venues (apart from the Vortex) do this. I sometimes fear that they are treated as supper clubs first and then as jazz venues. This was one of the original gripes of Laurent Coq.
Musicians of course do similar things. They sell t shirts, they sell CDs, whatever it is to raise their income levels.

Overall, it's a balance between quality and commercial!

2) The role of the audience at a jazz gig is vital, and often underestimated - usually by the audience themselves. So they think that, by talking, staring longingly in each others' eyes, or whatever, it won't affect the music. IT DOES! And of course, also the listening experience for the others wanting to appreciate their money's worth. Gail Brand's recent research for the Guildhall School of Music confirms this.

Babel Babble playlist on NTS, 19 April

2011-04-20T09:36:00.001+01:00

The programme is broadcast live weekly on NTS on http://www.ntslive.co.uk

LISTEN TO THE SHOW HERE

If You Go Away (Emilia Martensson/Barry Green) from forthcoming Babel release
Chelsea Morning (Joni Mitchell) from Clouds
Mutawal from Yemen Traditional Music of the North (Auvidis)
Ooh Salamander (Christine Tobin) from House Of Women (Babel)
Toon Town (Chris Batchelor/Steve Buckley0 from Life as We Know It (Babel)
Concorde No. 1 (Disorder on the Border ) from Vol. 1 (Babel)
The Poacher (Ronnie Lane) from April Fool (NMC)
Xibaba (Huw Warren) from Infinite Riches In A Little Room (Babel)
Polcuta from Festive Musics of the Jews from The Botosani Region (Ethnophonie)
And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda (June Tabor) from Anthology (Topic)
Oliver North/Twisted (Billy Jenkins) from Entertainment USA (Babel)
Marching Dice (Acoustic Ladyland) Camouflage (Babel)
Norwegian Wood (Amit Chaudhuri) from Found Music (Babel-Vortex)

The programme covered iconic singers - people who send tingles down the spine but with a history. So indirectly covered Brel, Marlene Dietrich but included the moving June Tabor singing Eric Bogle's iconic And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda (ahead of Anzac Day on 25 April)

Alev Lenz, who does the show immediately after mine, played a song about the 15 year old Turkish boys forced to fight against the Australians. So, the two shows seem to be dovetailing into each other.

I mentioned Edith Piaf, part of the stimulation to this strand. Check out this video of La Foule

The competition was won by Graham Lee.
There's a version of The Poacher on Youtube with Charlie Hart on violin (top left)

For more information on how to get the releases - and many are available through the Babel shop - ask me on oliver@babellabel.co.uk

Babel Babble on NTS, 12 April

2011-04-13T09:09:00.002+01:00

Listen here

Arrival of the Tourists (Billy Jenkins/Fun Horns) from Mayfest '94
Sun and Moon (Sam Crockatt) from Flood Tide (Babel, forthcoming)
Waltz for Rosie (Bruno Heinen) from Twinkle Twinkle (Babel, available summer 2011)
Gangar e Tarkjel from The Jews Harp World (Etnisk Folkklub)
Black Hole (Paula Rae Gibson) from Maybe Too Nude (Babel)
Strangers (Sam Leak) from Aquarium (Babel)
La Scaramella (Josquin) from Une Fete Chez Rabelais (Harmonia Mundi)
Peonies after Hiroshige (Liam Noble) from Let's Call This (Babel)
Block Ice & Propane (Erik Friedlander) from Block Ice & Propane (Skipstone)
Vapors (Steve Lehman) from Now's The Time II (Babel-Vortex)
Bracken from Big Air (Babel)

Competition: La Scaramella is the alternative name for a Commedia dell'Arte character with strong associations with (the) Queen. How?
Winner receives a copy of Let's Call This\
Email me on oliver@babellabel.co.uk

Next show on www.ntslive.co.uk next Tuesday at 3 p.m. Broadcast LIVE!

It was a challenge to broadcast live for the first time. But I made it. There are great shows before and after me. James playing 1960s electronic music and then Alev Lenz. Check out the station on http://ntslive.co.uk

Oliver

Babel sampler on Jazzwise

2011-03-03T13:00:00.004Z

In April, Jazzwise will be including a new Babel sampler.
Here is the track listing and my write-up
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jazz is all about passion, commitment, obsession. In terms of the music, the musicians and their supporters. It is this which keeps jazz surviving even when the rest of the music “industry” wails.

This is the theme taken for the latest sampler of music on Oliver Weindling's Babel Label. Babel, in its 17 year life, has been about the same obsessive desire to bring to attention some of the great music developed and developing in the UK. An obsessive desire to continue.

Any album, be it from the early days of 1994 or from 2011 has a freshness to it. This means not just albums by Steve and Julian Argüelles, Huw Warren, Polar Bear, Acoustic Ladyland, Led Bib, Phil Robson.....

But they give a springboard for a major schedule of releases, some of which are included here, but also the likes of Alexander Hawkins and Lothar Ohlmeier, along with artists on our Vortex-linked imprint such as Dan Messore and Amit Chaudhuri. On this sampler, we look backwards and forwards, with classic tracks by Billy Jenkins, Partisans and Steve Argüelles, juxtaposed with some of the newer releases, such as Outhouse, Twelves, Sam Leak and the two latest BBC New Generation Artists (Tom Arthurs and Shabaka Hutchings)

Contact sampler@babellabel.co.uk and get hold of exclusive online tracks by Christine Tobin, Paula Rae Gibson and others.

Billy Jenkins - Pointless Adornments from 'Suburbia'

Suburbia is a perfect merging of Billy Jenkins's angst and pride in South-East London. Great playing on the album from the likes of Mark Lockheart and Ramm père (Dave). He has recorded 8 albums on Babel and is certainly a national treasure, according to Penguin Guide.

trio VD - Rash (2:00) from 'Fill It Up With Ghosts'

The three Leeds-based Chris's – Bussey on drums, Sharkey on guitar, and de Bézenac on saxophone - show an exceptional focus and tightness, which understandably made this Mojo's jazz album in 2009 and the band making waves on the European festival circuit.

Blink - Mummy's Boy (5:13) from 'Twice' (forthcoming)

Chamber jazz by this trio, with the bass rendered unnecessary due to Alcyona's powerful left hand and Paul Clarvis's melodic drumming. The trio is completed by Robin Fincker on clarinet and saxophones. “Quirkily lyrical frames, with intriguing themes and sharp contrasts” (The Guardian)

Zed-U - Showroom Dummies (4:47) from 'Night Time On The Middle Passage'

BBC New Generation Artist Shabaka Hutchings towers physically above Neil Charles (bass) and Tom Skinner (drums) but certainly not in terms of the unanimity of purpose of the trio, shown to full punchy effect on this Kraftwerk cover. As John Surman wrote: “So exciting to hear young musicians who are prepared to branch out and explore a wide range of musical possibilities.”

Triptych - Dense Fur (6:31) from 'Amusia'

Richard Fairhurst is one of the few jazz Steinway artists in the UK and this is his foray into piano trio territory (with Jasper Høiby and Chris Vatalaro) where he confirms the importance of good melody and “great harmonic ingenuity” (Ivan Hewitt, Daily Telegraph)!

Partisans – By Proxy from 'By Proxy'

Together for over 12 years, and sounding better than ever on this, their third Babel album. Phil Robson (guitar), Julian Siegel (Saxophone), Thad Kelly (bass) and Gene Calderazzo (Drums) are now a supergroup and father figures for the bands that have followed. All have their own projects (with Julian just completing a German tour) but their work with Partisans (including a gig at this year'a Jazzahead) acts as a constant common thread.

Blue Moon In a Function Room - Vision On

In one of the earliest Babel releases, the ever-resourceful drummer Steve Argüelles recruits Stuart Hall, Billy Jenkins and Steve Watts to push standards to their limits. Not to be lost on this one is the irony of a great tune used on a TV programme for deaf viewers.

Twelves - Party Girls from 'The Adding Machine'

The “single” from the new release by a band led by bassist Riaan Vosloo now extended to being a quartet with Tim Giles (Drums), Mark Hanslip (saxophone) and given a rockier dynamic by Rob Updegraff (guitar)

Outhouse + Hilmar Jensson - Long Notes from 'Straw, Sticks & Bricks'

Outhouse is invigorated from the influences they have sought out individually and together over the years, such as Gambian Wolof drummers and a new core line-up with Tom Challenger and Robin Fincker on saxes, Johnny Brierley (bass) and Dave Smith (drums). Moving well away from their modest start in an outhouse in Golder's Green. They add Icelandic genius guitarist Hilmar Jensson for their latest album.

Golden Age Of Steam - Oboe or Glockenspiel from 'Raspberry Tongue'

The successor band to Fraud including both James Allsopp (reeds), Tim Giles (Drums) and with the addition of Kit Downes on organ. Prize winners all, and giving a bite and intensity to a strange-sounding choice of title.

Arthurs / Fairhurst - The Flirt from 'Postcards From Pushkin' (forthcoming)

Originally a BBC Proms commission, trumpeter Tom Arthurs and Richard Fairhurst have been working together for over 5 years as a duo, this being a follow-up to the album Mesmer.

Duw A Wyr - Bryniau Cassia from 'God Only Knows'

Welsh hymns interpreted as intense love songs. By the haunting voice of Lleuwen Steffan partnered by Huw Warren and often by Mark Lockheart on saxophone. Religion has rarely sounded sexier.

Mark Hanslip / Javier Carmona - Nipple from 'Dosados' (forthcoming)

The duo of reeds and drums could hardly be more intense than this interplay between Mark and Javier. Focussing on a part o- Strangersf the body which is …...

Aquarium – Strangers from 'Aquarium' (forthcoming)

Pianist Sam Leak's debut is a “fine achievement” (according to John Taylor), where James Allsopp, Calum Gourlay (bass) and Josh Blackmore (drums) join him on what Jazzwise called “lush chamber jazz”.

Acoustic Ladyland - High Heel Blues from 'Last Chance Disco'

Highly charged and dynamic, Babel catalogued the early life of this band, with Last Chance Disco being Jazzwise's album of the year in 2005.The album from which this is taken is one of the most successful on Babel.

There's so much to choose. So additional tracks available online include:

They'll be by JULIAN ARGUELLES, CHRISTINE TOBIN, DISORDER ON THE BORDER, PAULA RAE GIBSON AND OTHERS.

Click to return to Babel web site.

Oh dear! Whatever happened to Hackney' "creative quarter"?

2011-02-12T14:04:00.000Z

On the wikipedia entry for Hackney it states that "Hackney Town Hall Square has been developed as a new 'creative quarter'." Oh dear! Ocean is bankrupt, though at least will re-emerge as a cinema soon. Hackney Empire is currently more dark than going (but it's a beautiful place, nevertheless), etc.
It's clearly attempted to move West a bit. Dalston has that creative buzz. The beacons are The Rio Cinema, The Vortex, Arcola and Cafe Oto. Meanwhile bubbling under are some venues such as the Boys Club on Boleyn Road, the Lux Cinema people and innumerable artists. This heartens me despite the arrival of the hen party brigade from Essex on Saturday nights. Thankfully, though not Downstairs.
Meanwhile we have our own square - Gillett - and even a small bit of open space for performances at Dalston Square to come.
But now, when the time is right, where's the money to give us the extra leg up? Nowhere. We have to live in hope however.
It's all happened despite the powers that be at the ACE or the Town Hall, who threw too much at Ocean, Clissold Leisure Centre and placed their bets on Dalston Square rather than Gillett.
I'm glad however that there is now a healthy dialogue with LBH as we search for the resources to consolidate on our successes, and I hope that it appears soon enough.

Vortex benefit, Margate 4 February 2011

2011-02-09T09:54:00.002Z

Benefit for the Vortex and Margate Jazz Festival at Margate Winter Gardens, 4 February 2011

Jamie Cullum, Ian Shaw, Liane Carroll, Christine Tobin with David Mossman.

Also some photos from party at Harbour Cafe, The Parade Margate.

And check out some audio here on Jamie Cullum fan site.

Penguin Jazz Guide

2011-02-01T10:03:00.000Z

(Here are a few thoughts. I'll possibly improve it over the next few days to a proper review, but the assessment is one that I hold to.)

The Penguin Guide has changed form, now being a "best of", as selected by Brian Morton and the late Richard Cook. In reality, the onus of selection, rather than review, has been on Morton as Cook died in 2007. Overall it still links to a monumental task. The reviews seems to be the same, but this time there is an added bonus of a few pertinent quotes from the artist, or savvy musicians. It still makes enjoyable reading, due to their pithiness.

But part of the fun of the older editions was that it was more a tour d'horizon. So there were some fun criticisms and comments. It was always a joy to try and find out what was in and out and why, especially as both writers are those of immense respect.

The listing is now chronological. The problems with this have been widely discussed and it is with relief that there will now be an index. Nevertheless it's fascinating to see how the balance of jazz has changed. The largest era for recordings is the second half of the 50s. Unsurprising if one thinks who was going strong then. Still early enough to record the earliest generation on lp, it was the heyday of be bop and then..... 

But how few Europeans there were until then – just 3 albums up to 1950!

 So, overall, if you bought all the albums then your collection would indeed be amazing. But... 

When I've looked at my own speciality in U.K. I have been surprised hy some of the selections. Arguably Dim Lit by Polar Bear is a good album. But really the only one to pick from the era of post Loose Tubes-influenced musicians starting with the "Partisans generation" and onwards via F-IRE and Loop? Tina May, but no Christine Tobin? Brian Morton called Big Air "one of the most important Uk albums of the last 25 years" when writing in Jazz Journal. Yet though, it was out in time to be included, but isn't. It would be intriguing to know why there was a reassessment.

A strong  preponderance of improv heavyweights, but do some of the shortcomings also reflect the rest of the scene. I had a chat with a leading French journalist. He though the Martial Solal choices OK, but not his best. Of course they can't include what they haven't received, but if they want a degree of definitiveness then they haven't consulted widely enough. 

So a great book with many caveats. The edition with index will once again  bring it closer to the magisterial editions. Worth getting as part of the way to get albums when building a library. but unfortunately you'll probably need look at other sources too. The previous full editions were worth it because they could also warn you off some duff albums/artists. No longer can it be your only source - or at least 'not yet'! If only though we did have some other choices too.

Evan Parker's "Might I Suggest"

2011-01-31T12:34:00.001Z

The end of an amazing few days, in emotional and creative terms. was the gig by Stan Tracey, Clark Tracy and Evan Parker.

On several levels: I loved the fact that Stan Tracey and Clark had equal billing. "Stan AND Clark" unlike the usual Stan Tracey Trio WITH Clark Tracey. His playing was amazing for someone aged well over 80, and the delicacy of the duo with Evan was spellbinding.

Other highlights:
Hans Koller giving an outing to his big band and playing the music from his new album
Empirical's new music which sounds so much and extension of Steve Lehman and the New York scene. (Well, Nat Facey has had lessons from Lehman, and they all trekked up to his gig in Birmingham, so what can one expect?) (Funny to hear that George Fogle is not allowed to be a full member of Empirical because they are being marketed as a quartet. The label won't pay for the recording if they convert to a five piece.)
A delicate encore of Evan playing with Django's Beloved Bird. Django playing perfectly placed chords.
(I have to confess that I missed most of the rest of the gig!?)
Alex Hawkins playing "covers" of Leroy Jenkins and Anthony Braxton.

But that ends a 10 day period which also included Ingrid Laubrock's Anti House with new hubby Tom R, and Mary Halvorson, Steve Lehman's first gig in the UK, Phil Robson blowing the house down for 2 nights with Mark Turner, and placed in there too, Mike Westbrook.
So a perfect blend of the statesmen of British jazz, along with the best new sounds from New York, London and a few from elsewhere (e.g. Django's band!)

(P.S. This image is of Stan Tracey with a reflection in the glass of one of the paintings.)

BBC Russian Service and its importance to jazz!

2011-01-29T09:45:00.002Z

Answer: LEO FEIGIN

Leo, while working for the BBC Russian Service, smuggled out of Russia some of the free jazz for which the scene is a better place: Ganelin Trio, Trio Archangelsk. To finance this he released albums by Anthony Braxton, Marilyn Crispell and more.

Leo Records is the upshot. Long may they continue.

Leo was succeeded at the BBC Russian Service by Alexander Kan, himself also a lover of this music, who has brought to UK, inter alia, Evelina Petrova and sorted out tours for the likes of Acoustic Ladyland in Russia.

I hope that this is duly noted by the powers that be as a spin-off of major importance. Politicians need to look beyond the ends of their noses.

There's a bit more about Leo here.

Fofoulah at Vortex this Sunday

2011-01-27T12:41:00.002Z

Fofoulah

Biram Seck - vocal & guitar
Tom Challenger - sax
Phil Stevenson - guitar
Johnny Brierley - bass
Dave Smith - drums
Kaw Secka - talking drum & sabar

+ Jim Hart - marimba

Fofoulah is a new group from London which features members of Outhouse Ruhabi, the much-acclaimed Outhouse project with Wolof Drummers from The Gambia.

As well as Outhouse Ruhabi regulars Dave Smith (drums), Tom Challenger (sax), Johnny Brierley (bass) and Kaw Secka (Sabar), Fofoulah also features one of UK’s most funkiest and rootsy guitarists, Phil Stevenson alongside Senegalese singer and songwriter Biram Seck, whose voice is known for its unique raw husky quality and deep emotion.

The melting pot of Fofoulah’s ever-changing ideas has culminated in a joyful blend of African praise song and polyrhythm, cool grooves and jumpy melodies. Whilst continuing to explore the influence of West African rhythms, Fofoulah’s creative vision embraces each individual members' musical personalities, creating a fresh and individual musical mix.

The first set also features Cornish mallet wizard Jim Hart on marimba!

Fofoulah @ The Vortex
3pm, Sunday 30th January 2011

£8 ON THE DOOR
£5 LIMITED CONCESSION LIST via text or email
www.vortexjazz.co.uk

Arts Council funding - what are the arts?

2011-01-26T10:56:00.000Z

ACE received over 1340 applications for regular funding. A lot will be unhappy, but I am sure that many would have had a good case.
Meanwhile if an opera house writes as its application "Mary had a little lamb", I'm pretty certain that its grant would be safe.
The Vortex didn't apply, as we were discouraged somewhat at this juncture. The last application for Grants for the Arts was turned down for being "too commercial" (£15000 for improving web site and setting up recording of gigs). So we continue to put on our highly commercial programme of jazz including Alex Hawkins tonight, Django Bates tomorrow etc.
Either we are doing something wrong in terms of how our applications are put together or our programme needs to be even less (!) commercial than it already is?

Vortex Jazz Research on jazz and radio

2011-01-22T13:26:00.002Z

It was a fascinating afternoon yesterday discussing the field of radio and jazz. Nerve-wracking as I didn't know how many would attend. But there was enough of a balance between experts in radio and experts in jazz to give a good dialogue, as it warmed up. We had 16 there, ranging from John Cumming of Serious, through Bernd Hoffmann, head of jazz at WDR, Femi Adeyemi of NTS Radio based at the Vortex, Ross Dines of Pizza Express, Seb Scotney of londonjazz, Russell Finch of Jazz on 3 to Charlotte Keech, manager of Ian Shaw.

Thanks to all who came.

For now just a few interesting pointers:

public radio is under pressure, not just in the UK, but also in Germany, where currently there is over 4000 hours of jazz a month on the 11 public radio stations. WDR alone presents on average 80 minutes a day, according to Bernd Hoffmann. However, resources are being squeezed with the legislation moving towards more private stations. Unfortunately, many of these do not have the resources to give proper opportunities for recording etc.
internet radios can provide quite a crossover between radio in the traditional way, but merging it with film, dialogue etc.
Good radio still is dependent on good presenters.
Existing public radio lacks the chance to find out about new releases. This is often compensated by small community stations which are developing. Record sales of jazz anyway down by up to 75%. This is partly due to ignorance, especially with no small shops to help out.
Don't expect podcasts to fill the gap which a lack of public (BBC) broadcasting may lead to.
It's too easy, in a private sector world, to dilute jazz broadcasts, especially if there is no clarity about this. eg., by only creating compilation shows or making a definition of jazz which is too broad. Jazz radio has a responsibility to help out people to understand what is out there, not just about the contemporary releases but also historic elements.

Any of those there are welcome to add further thoughts by signing in.

I am also looking for the next subjects. Any thoughts?

Bernd Hoffmann on jazz radio

2011-01-20T09:46:00.002Z

Bernd Hoffmann, who is speaking at our Vortex Jazz Research seminar tomorrow, has written a great paper on jazz on German radio. It is from in Graz

2010 Jazzresearch News Number 36 (Pages 1719 - 1728)

Bernd Hoffmann, Cologne / Germany

Radiophone Jazz Sceneries:

Jazz in Broadcasting and on Stage

Apparently it is a caprice of history: radio and jazz are the sounding companions of a whole century. Already during the first decades the new mass medium broadcasts the swinging music from the New World. On American ground the encounter of different music cultures from Europe and Africa develops into a genre, which finds the ideal partner and agent in the quickly growing broadcasting sector. Reports and the transmission of concerts are first steps of this symbiosis. Jazz, which is primarily perceived to be music of acoustic character, presents itself as entertaining dance music, later on followed by advanced concepts. Next to sound carriers like gramophone records and compact disks, especially radio is a presentation platform for improvised music at the beginning of the 2010s. New stylistics are created and commented upon, trends are described and regional scenes and the change they undergo are documented. On radio we get to meet whole generations of jazz musicians, American jazz with its historic sounds, current European approaches of improvised music in their “national” dialects.

The multilayered image of jazz distinguishes the facets of its presentation in public broadcasting, in programs about historical styles or current concerts featuring improvised music, recordings of musicians of a certain regional scene, concerts featuring international groups, and festivals that are arranged by the respective regional public broadcasting agencies. If radio transmission, music productions or the politico-cultural positioning: the plentifulness of tasks emphasizes a complex editorial system within the German Broadcasting Association (ARD), Deutschlandfunk and Deutschlandradio Kultur, which emerged already during the postwar period and which have historically grown due to the network-like structures within different jazz scenes in Germany. The current state of jazz music is closely related to the positioning of public broadcasting agencies towards this genre, the jazz editorial offices of the ARD are the primary pillars of German jazz life, on a regional as well as on a national level. Due to their continual support, a close cooperation between them and musicians, festivals, and venues becomes possible. The federal system of the regional public broadcasting agencies supports the widely spread activities in the German jazz regions and fosters the informal exchange of information about artists and bands within the network of engaged jazz editorial offices, also in those states that are further off city regions.

The draft paper “On the Situation of Jazz and current Improvised Music in Germany” by the Bundeskonferenz Jazz presented to the German Bundestag in February of 2007, evaluates the work of the ARD jazz editorial offices in detail:

Especially the role of the regional public broadcasting agencies needs to be emphasized, which play an important role for the production and the reception of jazz. Nine regional broadcasting agencies of the ARD (Bayerischer Rundfunk, Hessischer Rundfunk, Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk, Norddeutscher Rundfunk, Radio Bremen, Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg, Saarländischer Rundfunk, Südwest Rundfunk, Westdeutscher Rundfunk) as well as Deutschlandfunk and DeutschlandRadio Kultur have jazz editorial offices, whose programs hold regular slots for jazz shows. The ARD (plus DKultur and DLF) broadcasts about 33 hours of jazz a month and thereby is the leading mediator for jazz in the medial landscape of the Federal Republic of Germany. Upon this, festivals, sponsorship awards (e.g. WDR Jazzpreis, SWR Jazzpreis) and politico-cultural co-operations (“Gemeinschaft unabhängiger Spielstätten”) were created on basis of initiatives by public broadcasting and also support the regional and national jazz scene. The bigger public broadcasting agencies like WDR, NDR and HR have their own renowned Big Bands who perform on stages and festival nationwide.^¹

Radio programs bring the different aspects of jazz together: studio productions or concert recordings, interviews or portraits of musicians, music analysis or the stylistic categorization of a festival. The jazz programs of the ARD radio offer an astonishing scope as regards content and when taking a look at the current thirty-six programs with their yearly broadcasting volume of 2.598 hours, a very complex world of music becomes visible. Within a weekly rhythm the nine ARD broadcasting agencies and Deutschlandfunk as well as Deutschlandradio Kultur broadcast several jazz programs in order to offer different radio show formats for the different music styles - from swing to improvised music. Thirteen of those forty-nine programs extend the jazz genre towards a stylistically fanned out Afro-American repertoire definition: As historic companions of jazz, blues and sacred singing have found their own way of expression. With about 1.110 hours of broadcasting time a year, which is almost fifty percent of the daily broadcasting volume (until 8 pm), these styles of music offer a diversified tone color.

The real centerpiece of the editorial work comprises those thirty-six programs^² that coin the jazz profile of the ARD in 2010: Here, all regular formats of shows are outlined that offer about 2.600 hours of jazz to the listener each year. The quantitative distribution of regular jazz shows – with regard to the respective regional broadcasting agency – shows many different ways of management. On the one hand the jazz tradition of certain federal states in West and East Germany plays an important, historically grown role. On the other hand, the specific form of presentation and the content form a distinctive image of the radiophone scenery in Germany.

Already in times of its constitution, the young Federal Republic of Germany is being accompanied by radio broadcasts that satisfy the desire for information, mostly of young jazz fans. With the help of the ninety shows of the “Jazz-Almanach” that was broadcasted by the NWDR Köln between 1948 and 1952 the impulse on a regional scene can be demonstrated well.^³ Author of the show, Dietrich Schulz-Köhn, has – just like his “combatants” Joachim Ernst Berendt, Karlheinz Drechsel, Joe Kienemann, Werner Götze, Olaf Hudtwalker or Dieter Zimmerle - braced and manifested the jazz ideal in daily life of both German political systems via public broadcasting. That is because since the beginning of the federal broadcasting system we encounter a close cooperation of the jazz scenes and the regional broadcasting agencies, a cooperation that looks back on sixty years of teamwork and correspondingly filled archives. These historical concerts are a brick within the mosaic of jazz history and current documentation of improvised music by ARD radio.

The different organization of the editorial work is being discussed quite diversely in the German specialized press. At the same time, the factor of broadcasting volume for jazz is being discussed, a factor which is hard to quantify. This is due to the lack of controversy as regards contents about stylistic and questions of personnel. With the works of Schreiner (1968), Fark (1971) and Jost (1988)^⁴ exists a pretended serious, quantitative denomination which is supposed to provide a basis of argumentation in the discussion about more broadcasting time for jazz. In another paper I have discussed that this study does not serves as a basis for comparison, especially as the East German stations are not included in the data that is being analyzed as a basis for theses studies.^⁵ For the Federal Republic of Germany in the 1960s Schreiner calculates a volume of about 1.320 hours per year. Frank and Jost see a growth of the Jazz broadcasting volume, which – with all caution – is estimated to be about 1.550 hours. A systematic error in these calculations lies in the selection of the named broadcasting formats and the nonobservance of irregular broadcasted jazz shows. According to today’s data that would after all be a third of the broadcasting volume today. Another fact characterizes the “calculated” decade: Almost all regional broadcasting agencies create their own jazz newsroom and thereby professionalize their work for shows and the concert business, create a solid network through the newly developed program advisory council of the Berliner Jazztage (later Berliner Jazzfest).

The eleven jazz editorial offices of the ARD have systematically registered the regular and irregular jazz programs between 2006 and 2008 in order to provide a solid foundation for a qualitative and quantitative analysis. Further the transmission of the big bands and further activities have been accounted for as well. This comprehensive database documents a broadcasting volume for jazz music of 4.500 hours between 2006 and 2008 via airwaves, cable, and Internet. The prevailing census, which was obtained on basis of the thirty-six radio shows, affirms this volume and thereby the tendency of the extensive study. But through the selection of certain shows the general volume appears to be less.

Calculated were - next to the thirty-six jazz shows - the regular “mixed” formats that primarily used jazz music for their program. This is stylistically mixed concert series but also culture journals that use jazz as their core music. The thirty-six jazz shows therefore hold a volume of 2.598 hours per year; mixed formats have a volume of 1.110 hours. The ARD therefore broadcasts 3.708 hours of jazz in 2010. Shows that occur due to current events are not counted in.

With regard to the timely distribution of jazz shows the program schemes a development hardly acknowledged to this day. The argument that jazz shows are always broadcasted during nighttime when nobody is listening, is confronted with the result of a current count out. Apportioned into three time zones (shows until 8 pm, until midnight, and until 6 am) the primetime of jazz remains between 8 pm and midnight. More than 60 percent of all regular shows take place in that time span, jazz nights account for 17.9 percent. In the afternoons and early evenings 564 hours of jazz music are transmitted, with 21,7 percent there are more afternoon and evening jazz shows than nightly jazz shows.

The differentiation by means of content of the different shows and their regional use becomes apparent though the division of five aspects:

Shows that focus on the reporting of concerts and festivals
Shows that cover outstanding artists
Shows that present concerts and new releases
Shows that deal with stylistic comparisons and the jazz-historical classification
Shows that give an insight to current developments b presenting short reports

With regard to the analyzed 36 shows and broadcasting series (= 100 %) the graphic on page 6 shows that monothematic shows about styles, rhythmic phenomenon or jazz-historical events take more than 32 percent of the regular jazz radio shows. In contrast we find the extensive concert format (=28,9 %), which documents the liveliness of actual jazz life by live-transmissions but also through historical transmissions like at the Berliner Jazztage.

The propagation of musical contents via the new releases demonstrates the service oriented thought and attitude which had already developed in the 1950s. 16.6 percent of all jazz shows provide this commentary overview and provide information on seldom recordings that are hard to be accessed. With the format of the jazz magazines (=18.8 %) jazz editorial offices of the ARD to develop a different type of radio show; a rather historical variant are the portrait-shows that present important personalities, mostly of historical jazz (=7.7 %).

After taking this look at the quantitative aspect of the broadcasting volume of jazz within the ARD now aspects that rather deal with the content – this is where the true evaluation of the editorial offices sets in:

The term “Jazz sceneries” implicates the existence of different regional scenes that show different dynamics. The strength of a region can be determined by a number of location factors, e.g. the number of venues, festivals, or concert series. More difficult are assessments of the number of musicians or groups who play improvised music; especially hard is the evaluation of their attribution to a certain active scene. Further, institutions like conservatories or radio stations influence and change the image of a region with their own dynamics. As the federal states provide jazz only with insufficient funding, the support of public broadcasting for festivals and concert series has become almost institutional. Due to the linking of local festival activities and editorial work within the ARD, 28 festivals and concerts series could be documented between 2006 and 2008 that show this specific aspect of support: ARD: Jazzfest Berlin; Bayerischer Rundfunk: Internationale Jazzwoche Burghausen; Deutschlandfunk / Nord- deutscher Rundfunk: Jazzbaltica; Deutschlandradio Kultur / Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk: Leipziger Jazztage; Hessischer Rundfunk: Deutsches Jazzfestival Frankfurt; Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk: Bundesweites Jazz Nachwuchsfestival Leipzig, Festival Woman in Jazz Halle, Jazz in der Oper Halle, Jazzmeile Thüringen, Sonnenberger Jazztage, Jazz in der Semperoper Dresden; Nord- deutscher Rundfunk: Hamburger Jazztage, Jazz Open Hamburg; Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg: Jazz Units, Jazz Focus, Jazz in E., Preisträgerkonzert des »Karl-Hofer-Performance-Preises«; Radio Bremen: Jazz ahead; Saarländi- scher Rundfunk: Jazz live with friends, Internationales Jazz Festival St. Ingbert, Jazz Festival St. Wendel; Südwest Rundfunk: Donaueschinger Musik- tage; Westdeutscher Rundfunk: Internationales Jazz Festival Münster, Duisburger Traumzeit-Festival, Moers Festival, Internationales Jazzfestival Viersen, Internationale Jazztage Hilden, Dortmunder Jazztage, WDR 3 Jazz.Cologne.

Further, monthly concert series in the transmission halls like “Bühne frei im Studio 2” in the transmission halls of RBB, RB and WDR, the New Jazz Meeting or the jazz club Quasimodo (DKultur) compliment this regional diversity. Upon this, it is the radio festivals that offer ambitious programs next to the ARD-festival Jazzfest Berlin. With the Deutsches Jazzfestival Frankfurt (HR), the Donaueschinger Musiktagen (SWR), the Leipziger Jazztagen (MDR), the Hamburger Jazztagen (NDR) and WDR 3 Jazz.Cologne, public broadcasting shows an enormous bandwidth of national and international improvisation art.

As festivals on the one hand allow the public presentation of the regional scene, interesting production occurs on the other hand - with jazz musicians behind closed doors. Due to the technical infrastructure of the public broadcasting stations they have the best preconditions for demanding studio productions, that especially support young jazz musicians with their first steps as artists in their own right. This form of support is hardly known although this is especially important, as it is a direct investment into the future of jazz music. The following selections emphasizes the portion of production of all public broadcasting agencies of the ARD: Bayerischer Rundfunk: ICI Ensemble München, »Wisdom Of Pearls«;Alejandro Sachez Nonett + 1, »Schärfe einer Sekunde«; Norbert Gabra, »Tango Jazz Trio«. – Deutschlandfunk: Florian Ross Oktett; Jochen Feucht Quartett; drei Preisträger »Jugend jazzt«. – Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk: Leipziger Big Band, »Kontraste«; David Timm & Reiko Brockelt, »Inner Circle«; Leipziger Big Band mit Allan Vizzutti, »Live In Concert«. – Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg: Efrat Alony, »Unarmed And Dazed«; Maria Baptist, »Music For My Trio«; Ekkehard Wölk, »Reflections On Mozart«. – Saarländischer Rundfunk: Hel- mut Eisel & Band, »Klezmer At The Cotton Club«; Zabriskie Point, »Weepsleepdream«. – Südwest Rundfunk: Alexander von Schlippenbach, »Twelve Tone Tales« Vol 1 und Vol 2 (Intakt). – Westdeutscher Rundfunk: Vince Mendoza, »Blauklang«; Markus Stockhausen, »Synopsis«; Ekkehard Jost Ensemble, »Cantos de libertad«.

The politico-cultural positioning of the ARD jazz newsrooms holds a wide spectrum of activities: The Jazzpreis of the Mitteldeutschen Rundfunks (MDR), SüdwestRundfunks (SWR) or the Westdeutschen Rundfunks (WDR) help to attract national interest to regional jazz scenes. Further the sustainability of politico-cultural oriented broadcasting series (WDR: „Jazz Cities in NRW“) should not be underestimated. The national Federal Meeting „Jugend Jazzt“ is controlled by the DLF analogous to the national character of this competition. With the hr-big band (Hessischer Rundfunk), the NDR Big Band (Norddeutscher Rundfunk), the WDR Big Band and the SWR Big Band the ARD supports orchestras of international caliber that have proven in many productions that they are ensembles that are amongst the best in the world.

1 Bundeskonferenz Jazz, »Zur Situation des Jazz und der aktuellen improvisierten Musik in Deutschland. Eckpunktepapier«. Presented by the Bundeskonferenz Jazz in February of 2007, on: http:/www.bkjazz.de/index.php?id=90. Access: May 3, 2008

2 Die Jazz-Sendereihen der ARD im Jahre 2010 sind:

Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR)

01) »Radio Jazznacht« [BR 2] So, 0:05–2:00 Uhr

02) »Jazztime« [BR Klassik] Mo–Fr, 23:05–0:00 Uhr

Hessischer Rundfunk (HR)

03) »hr2 Jazz Now« [hr2] Mo/Do 19:30–19:55 Uhr

04) »hr2 Jazzgroove« [hr2] Di, 19:30–19:55 Uhr

05) »hr2 Jazzfacts« [hr2] Mi, 19:30–19:55 Uhr

06) »hr2 Swingtime mit Bill Ramsey« [hr2] Fr, 19:30–19:55 Uhr

07) »hr2 Die hr-Bigband« [hr2] Sa,19:05–19:55 Uhr

08) »hr2 Live Jazz« [hr2] So, 19:05–19:55 Uhr

Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR)

09) »Jazz Lounge« [MDR Figaro] Mo–Sa, 19:30–20:00 Uhr

10) »Jazz« [MDR Figaro] Do, 21:00–22:00 Uhr

11) »Jazz in Concert« [MDR Figaro] 1 x mtl, Mo, 20:05–22:00 Uhr

Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR)

12) »Jazz vom Feinsten« [NDR 1Radio MV] Di, 21:05–22:00 Uhr

13) »Play Jazz« [NDR Info] Mo–Do, 22:05–23:00 Uhr

14) »Jazz Special« [NDR Info] Fr, 22:05–23:00 Uhr

15) »Jazz Klassiker« [NDR Info] Sa, 20:15–21:00 Uhr

16) »Jazz Konzert« [NDR Info] Sa, 22:05–23:00 Uhr

17) »JAZZ NDR Big Band« [NDR Info] So, 22:05–23:00 Uhr

18) »NDR Info Jazz Nacht« [NDR Info] 5 x jährl., 22:05–6:00 Uhr

Radio Bremen (RB)

19) »Jazz nach 10« [Nordwestradio] Mi, 22:05–23:00 Uhr

20) »Hot Jazz« [Nordwestradio] Sa, 23:05–0:00 Uhr

Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB)

21) »Late Night Jazz« [Kulturradio] Sa, 23:04–0:00 Uhr

22) »Jazz Berlin« [Kulturradio] 1x monatl., Fr, 22:04–0:00 Uhr

Saarländischer Rundfunk (SR)

23) »Jazz live with friends« [SR 2 Kulturradio] 6 x jährl., Mi, 20:04–23:30 Uhr

24) »JazzNow, mit Jazz ABC« [SR 2 Kulturradio] So, 18:30–20:00 Uhr

Südwest Rundfunk (SWR)

25) »SWR2 Jazztime« [SWR2] Mo, 15:05–16:00 Uhr

26) »SWR2 Jazz Session« [SWR2] Di, 21:03–22:00 Uhr

27) »SWR2 NOW Jazz« [SWR2] Do/Fr, 23:03–24:00 Uhr

28) »SWR2 Jazz nach dem Hörspiel« [SWR2] So, 19:00–20:00 Uhr

29) »SWR2 Jazz vor Sechs« [SWR2] Mo–Fr, 17:50–18:00 Uhr

Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR)

30) »WDR 3 Jazz« [WDR 3] Mo–Sa, 22:00–23:00 Uhr

31) »WDR 3 Jazznacht« [WDR 3] 10 x jährl., So, 00:05–6:00 Uhr 4 x jährl., Sa/So, 20.05–6:00 Uhr

32) »WDR 3 Konzert Jazz« [WDR 3] 1x wöchentl., 20:05–22:30 Uhr

Deutschlandfunk (DLF)

33) »Jazz live« [Deutschlandfunk] Mo, 21:05–22:00 Uhr

34) »JazzFacts« [Deutschlandfunk] Fr, 22:05–22:50 Uhr

35) »Jazz zur Nacht« [Deutschlandfunk] Mo/Di, 1:05–2:00 Uhr

DeutschlandradioKultur (DKultur)

36) »Tonart« [Deutschlandradio Kultur] Di, 2:05–5:00 Uhr

3 Bernd Hoffmann, »›Spiegel unserer unruhigen Zeit‹: Der Jazz-Almanach. Anmerkungen zur Rundfunk-Sendereihe des NWDR Köln (1948–1952)«. Jazzforschung / Jazz Research 40 (2008), S. 175–239.

4 See: Reinhard Fark, Die mißachtete Botschaft: Publizistische Aspekte des Jazz im soziokulturellen Wandel. Berlin: Spiess, 1971. – Ekkehard Jost, »Jazz ... und der Rundfunk«. Jazzpodium 4 (April 1988), S. 8–13. – Klaus Schreiner, »Jazz im Funk«. Claus Schreiner (Hg.), Jazz Aktuell. Mainz: B. Schott’s Söhne, 1968, S. 220–225.

Hierzu die Berechung von Fark: BR: 11,30 Stunden, HR: 11,40 Stunden, NDR: 23 Stunden, RB: 22 Stunden, SDR: 14,30 Stunden, SWF: 16 Stunden, WDR: 10,30 Stunden (Schreiner 1968: 222f.).

5 Bernd Hoffmann, »Regionale Struktur – nationale Perspektive. Die Rolle des öffentlich- rechtlichen Rundfunks in den deutschen Jazzlandschaften«. Jazzforschung / Jazz Research 40 (2008), S. 135–149.

Seminar on developments in jazz and radio

2011-01-17T09:02:00.000Z

The  first Vortex Jazz Research seminar will take place on 21st January at

The Vortex.

The subject will be on jazz on radio, especially focussing on

the world beyond jazz on  BBC Radio 3, such as Internet and digital.

The seminar will begin at 2.30 p.m. and will run until about 5 p.m. Lunch

will be available in the cafe Downstairs for £5 from 1. p.m. and there will

a chance to network before and after.

Taking the lead from Germany's Radio

Jazz Research, we are planning on this informal seminar becoming a regular

event as a place for jazz professionals to meet, learn and discuss

informally.

We are delighted that the participants will include:

Bernd Hoffmann, head of jazz at WDR, the largest public radio station in

Germany and responsible for over 30 hours of jazz broadcasting a month

on average.

Karen Pearson, Folded Wing. Producer of the Jamie Cullum show on BBC Radio

2, and of programmes on NME Radio and of the British Council Selector

programme.

Jez Nelson, CEO, Somethin' Else. Presenter, Jazz on 3

Femi Adeyemi, dj and founder of NTS Radio, an internet station about to

start broadcasting next door to the Vortex.

We want a good cross-section of others involved with jazz - as promoters,

agents, labels, journalists etc And of course jazz lovers!

If you wish to come, contact me at oliver@vortexjazz.co.uk and please let us

know if you want lunch.

Twelves

2010-12-13T11:37:00.003Z

Two new Babel albums are previewed at the Vortex tomorrow. Twelves - Riaan Vosloo, Tim Giles, Mark Hanslip and Rob Updegraff - and a duo of Mark Hanslip and Javier Carmona.
Come along. Please. It'll be great!

Acoustic Ladyland

2010-12-10T10:07:00.000Z

Acoustic Ladyland is reaching the end of its life. Falling on its sword is a route chosen by Pete Wareham himself (above shown at Eastcote Studios during the recording of remarkable Last Chance Disco). Last night was an exceptional pleasure as the band returned to the Hendrix music of the first album Camouflage.

Hearing the band yesterday indicated how masterful they have become, since the band's first gig at Ronnie Scotts on 10th September 2001. Not just their consummate skills being once again focussed on the music, with which they started but their imaginative reworking during their own solos, and their empathy. I can't guess how many gigs they have played together, and also that rhythm section of Tom H and Seb (also playing in Polar Bear of course).

A very moving week is evolving. Tonight is Last Chance Disco - actually the first music played properly in the current Vortex in early 2005. While tomorrow ends with the current band.

To have been involved during this early period by releasing Camouflage and Last Chance Disco on Babel has been a privilege for me.

So it's great, and unsurprising, that the gigs are sold out.

But there is one thing that really indicates a certain state of the media world vis-a-vis jazz (or perhaps music in general) at present. There were previews, of course. But there has been NO press to write up and describe the importance of the evenings. And of course no radio or other similar media. Contrast if it were the last performances of many other rock bands, or the last performance by a diva at Covent Garden. Well, it's their loss and the world's loss. In the mean time, let's just go and enjoy the party.

Before they re-emerge as......???

London Jazz Festival preview

2010-11-10T10:58:00.000Z

I did a London Jazz Festival preview of Babel artists on the Londonjazz blog. So check it all out.
Can't recommend too highly all of the bands. Great that trioVD particularly will be at ICA on 19th. This venue is in peril of closing. So support them in this iconic venue.

Three gigs to watch out for over the next week

2010-10-01T09:36:00.000+01:00

Amit Chaudhuri - Vortex Saturday
Author and singer Amit Chaudhuri launches his new album Found Music (coming out on the Babel-Vortex label) this Saturday at the Vortex. Amit is known for his novels and cultural essays, but is equally a singer. This gig will show that to be the case. www.vortexjazz.co.uk

Richard Faihurst Triptych, Sam Leak - Pizza Express. Monday
Richard's new album just got a 4 star review in the Guardian. He "reappraises the classic piano-trio approach with varied original material". Meanwhile Sam Leak will contrast with his new band. (Recording to come out on Babel soon.) www.pizzaexpress.co.uk

Carsten Daerr Trio, Tom Arthurs/Richard Fairhurst - Vortex Thursday
Carsten Daerr leads a great dynamic piano trio from Berlin. Highly rhythmic, highly charged. Playing opposite them are the duo of Tom Arthurs and Richard Fairhurst. Their next album on Babel, first performed at the Proms last year, will be the second for this duo on Babel. www.vortexjazz.co.uk

I started looking through the London Jazz Festival programme for Babel-oriented gigs. There are lots this year. Makes a change from a few years ago! Further information soon.

Where does the money come from?

2010-07-31T10:29:00.000+01:00

According to today's FT, the main private sponsorship of the arts is to London and outside has suffered. Local corporate sponsorship is really difficult to get in the regions - there's less of it. So, for jazz and music, I can see that more of this sponsorship would be geared to festivals, because it makes a bigger splash in media terms than the "drip drip" of helping a smaller venue.
Similarly in London for a club like The Vortex. Dalston is in the regions as much as Dewsbury.
So two conclusions are reached in my view for now. First, public funding should be geared to helping the day-to-day. Second, the best way to fill the gap for a venue is to promote the voluntary activity and door money, i.e. lots of small amounts of money from individuals rather than large lumps. Much as the latter are desirable and not to be ignored, the work is harder to find it and grab hold of it.

Brit jazz

2010-07-28T12:18:00.000+01:00

What a horrid name! But it seems to have stuck. And by making a festival, Ronnie Scotts is to be applauded for focussing on this scene for the next weeks. It's the tip of a vibrant iceberg of jazz!
I hope that it is not forgotten that British jazz is not to be thought of as something that only emerges when it hits Ronnie's in this way, or for the 10 days of the London Jazz Festival.
People need to be reminded that there is jazz year round at places like the Vortex, 606 and Bull's Head where, between them, the programmes cover the musicians featured at Ronnie's. Ronnie Scott's puts on many of them anyway as the year goes on. And then all the other venues, like The Hideaway.
Musicians in the scene run the risk of being relegated to a few festival gigs a year. We have fewer and fewer club venues or similar. Especially with knowledgeable part-timers like Leeds Jazz pulling out. We need the chance for musicians to play all over the place all year round.
I have been hearing great reactions to the quality of the scene here from a few people abroad, such as from Skopje and Strasbourg. We don't - yet - have to travel that far to hear our own local guys.
(By the way, surprised that Christine Tobin hasn't been booked for it. Maybe put her at the top of the list for 2011, Simon and Paul?)

Well done, Kit

2010-07-23T10:44:00.000+01:00

So good that the Mercury Prize once again recognises a top quality musician like Kit Downes. However, it should not be regarded as the only style that Kit is involved with. He is such a perennially curious soul whos is fuelled by music. And the more he seems to experience, the better it becomes. So, neither is it the only side of Kit, and nor should it be viewed as the definitive. Take the work that he is doing with Golden Age of Steam (with a new album on Babel) and Barbacana.
Also we must not forget the record labels involved. All the jazz releases who have received recognition over the past decade or so have been on small UK labels. And certainly none have been dismissed by the Mercury Prize as "token" - that's something to be left to a few ignorant pop journalists. Jazz is an important element of the UK music scene which is in a very dynamic state. Many musicians elsewhere are using jazz musicians themselves or return to jazz as a way of developing new ideas. Examples include the likes of Fyfe Dangerfield who also is involved with The Gannets.

New York is where so much is at?

2010-07-19T14:46:00.001+01:00

Going to North Sea Festival for the First time, what struck me was the focus given to much of the New York scene - or rather Brooklyn, as they want to call it at present. And how good much of it is. I already went with 2 nights of Vijay Iyer ringing in my ears from the Vortex so was already convinced.
Rudder, Darcy James Argue, John Escreet, Jason Lindner.....
Following in the steps of 2 key men, in my eyes. Steve Coleman and Tim Berne.
But what amazes me is the extent to which they haven't got through to audiences. Is it a Stuart Nicholson effect, who has been playing down New York for several years, or some other reason. We have tremendous trouble at the Vortex in selling gigs by Vijay, or Craig Taborn, to the extent that we should. If not at the Vortex, these musicians otherwise are tending not to be p,aying Ronnie Scott's or similar large spaces. But rather Charlie Wright's, or even small bars. Why?
It's not for lack of welcome exposure on Radio 3 or from jazz journalists, such as Kevin Le Gendre, or from other musicians, eg Phronesis working with Mark Giuiliana and Outhouse with Hilmar Jensson.
Thoughts please. Cos they should be being heard regularly, and selling out, in London.

Technology moves on - web sites and podcasts

2010-07-19T11:46:00.000+01:00

There's the first Vortex podcast now available here. Not perfect yet, but a start indeed, especially as one can get music and information. With less and less time relatively available on traditional radio, podcasts (as well as internet radio) provide a way forward. Unfortunately, you have to look and find. So there's an element of luck in getting hold of many. But having a podcast around with a chance of it being found is better than nothing at all.
Downstairs at the Vortex - the bar and cafe owned by your truly as a tenant of the club upstairs btw- has also come of age with its own web site ready (after a gestation period almost longer than for a human baby). Check it out here.
Web sites are important even for food. When my godson Tommy was looking for lists of good restaurants he eliminated some (even one run by a chef whose cookbook his father uses). Why? Because he didn't like the web site. So it's no longer just about the food.
But of course being a cafe that does more than food or a jazz club that does more than jazz are anyway the case with the Vortex and Downstairs. With more and more happening out in Gillett Square and our own events springing out organically from the position in the Vortex and also an enthusiastic staff. Such as the Portavilion on Saturday and the Sound Advice festival on Sunday.
Meanwhile we have some table tennis tables arriving next weekend as part of the Ping London event. However, due to Cyril, dj and barman (as well as rower and motivator in football academies), for us it's become Ping Brazil with capoeira and samba to accompany the tat tat tat of the ball on table and bat.

Louisiana suffers

2010-06-21T11:43:00.000+01:00

I love this track by Randy Newman. So appropriate again now with the Deepwater problem. How people take such little notice when they suffer.

Some musicians in their past lives

2010-06-16T10:06:00.004+01:00

Steve Beresford

Chris Batchelor (but also Ben Mandelson and others)

Iain Ballamy, Django Bates, Tim Harries

Andy Sheppard, Soft on the Inside 1989. So name those musicians in one.

Paul Dunmall

John Etheridge (soft Machine) + John Marshall etc

John Eacott

Steve Williamson

Gaume festival

2010-05-18T22:40:00.000+01:00

When I was away in Coutances last weekend, I was lucky enough to be invited to the launch of one of my favourite annual festivals - in Gaume in Belgium (not far from Luxembourg and even closer to the trappist brewery at the monastery of Orval). Run for the past 25 years by Jean-Pierre Bissot, he has consistently had many great names of jazz but before they had been recognised elsewhere.
So he explained that Esbjorn Svensson played at his festival as early as 1992 (!), nearly a decade before his trio became famous. Over the past 6 years that I have been going there, I have been particularly impressed by his choices of pianist, including Simon Nabatov, Stefano Bollani (again well before his ECM fame). So it is to the pianists that I often look first. (By the way, Colin Vallon from Switzerland is on that wish list. He is about to record for ECM. I heard him in Gaume 2 years ago. Another is Eve Beuvens, whom I heard last year.) We'll book them at the Vortex when we know that a few more people will show up to agree with this judgment.
So this year's tip for the top is Omri Mor from Israel, playing Andalujazz, which is based around the sephardi music in Algeria.
Also there will be many of the Belgian favourites including Philip Catherine and Greg Houben.
Overall it's 24 concerts over 3 days. The admission price will be around €80. What a bargain.

New on Babel for part of the rest of 2010

2010-05-04T09:53:00.000+01:00

Some of our newest releases include:
Triptych (Richard Fairhurst, Jasper Hoiby, Chris Vatalaro)
Golden Age of Steam (James Allsopp, Kit Downes, Tim Giles)

With copies ready soon of:
Twelves (Riaan Vosloo, Rob Updegraff, Mark Hanslip, Tim Giles)

And for the autumn:
Outhouse with Hilmar Jensson

With whatever else is blown from the volcanoes.

And now some more of the jazz

2010-05-01T12:03:00.002+01:00

Even with no Cheltenham, there's lots of Babel-ish jazz to enjoy over the weekend. TrioVD at the Garage tonight. And Outhouse get ready for their recording with Hilmar Jensson by performing together at the Vortex on Monday. Golden Age of Steam was as monumental as usual last night.

A political bit, and a financial bit

2010-05-01T12:02:00.000+01:00

I realise a couple of things recently which frustrate me. (And I'm going back to my roots of studying PPE and being an economist.)
1. About this election. I never realised the extent to which Labour has gerrymandered over the past decade. They can get the smallest number of votes, but still be the largest party. The strength of the Lib Dems has shown this up.

2. The banks clearly want something new to have to trade. No more CDOs, corporate shares to bankrupt. So they try it out on Greece. It has an implicit possibility that I'm sure they'd love. If the Euro collapsed they can get back to the game of currency dealing with all the arcane ones which they can use of carry trades, such as drachma, peseta etc. At present, the existence of the euro means 16 less that they can play around with. Yet they have the traders - ranging from MIT Ph.Ds to Essex traders - needing something to do to make money. A few guys sit in Goldman Sachs creating some off balance sheet deals for Greece. Do they link that to the photo on the front page of the FT yesterday of riot police?
Probably not. Yet they should.

Oriole at the Vortex tonight!!

2010-04-21T08:58:00.000+01:00

A last minute change in the programme, as Oddjob couldn't be there. Jonny's in London, so we've taken advantage of it.

8.30 till 9.00 - Julia Biel - Piano and Vocals

9.30 till 11.30 - Oriole

Jonny Phillips - Guitar
Idris Rahman - Saxophone/Clarinet
Ben Davis - Cello
Nick Ramm - Keys
Paul Clarvis - Drums
Ruth Goller - Bass

Plus Special Guest
Julia Biel - Vocals

Tickets £8

Call 020 7254 4097

www.vortexjazz.co.uk

"music that is quietly intense, beguilingly beautiful and full of pleasingly robust tunes that stay with you long after you hear them. Expect waltzes, gentle samba, persuasive grooves, poignant themes and uplifting melodies that'll make you smile, think and want to dance.” - Timeout

Django Bates

2010-04-16T08:57:00.000+01:00

Great to have Django at the Vortex and such a packed house. Deservedly garnering 5 star reviews such as John Fordham in the Guardian. I was especially pleased by his playing of This World by Iain Ballamy. First because I love his ballad playing most and his focus on the piano.
But also because the recording of All Men Amen, where this was performed, was a turning point in my move to have a record label. I prodded Iain to take advantage of Peter Schulze's kind offer of recording at Radio Bremen and then recall how I did the classic jazz record label producer thing. The band flew out leisurelly on the day before, while I had to schlepp all the gear, from a Human Chain gig in Southend, by van. Arriving knackered (albeit after breakfast in Bruges and lunch in Amsterdam), having just had 3 hours sleep on the ferry, the band dragged me off to dinner. And then it was off to the studio to record what, for me, is Iain's magnum opus. So sad that it isn't more widely available, having come out on the B&W Label.
(It only goes to prove that there are certain rights that musicians need to have over their music that labels greedily retain.) Though I notice that you can buy it from Jazzcds here. So do it if you have a chance.
So hearing that gig on Tuesday, along with the others recently - and being reminded by Tom Cawley that Curios wouldn't exist were it not for the encouragement of the Vortex - is what makes me proud to have a part in this scene.

What if the government cut funding for jazz?

2010-04-15T12:38:00.000+01:00

If the government cut funding for jazz, what would it do for jazz gigs in London?

Certainly next to nothing for the venues such as Vortex, 606, Ronnies, Pizza Express. As we are all unfunded! Of course it might limit the chances for the Vortex to upgrade its facilities. But we all work on the system that it's a permanent recession for jazz (Thanks for Billy Jenkins for pointing that out to me very soon after starting Babel.) Similarly for the record labels, who are more limited by the music industry situation than the official funding.

By contrast, it could easily affect bigger gigs at the major venues, and the core of the London Jazz Festival.

But the proof of the pudding will be in the eating after the election.

Someone should be asking the parties for their jazz policy. They did this in Germany and got a commitment from all of them that jazz support would not be reduced. When I've asked journalists, mags and blogs to ask them, they laugh at the thought of even posing the question because they don't expect an answer.

Stuart Nicholson has a go at blogs

2010-04-08T09:07:00.000+01:00

In the latest Jazzwise, Stuart Nicholson has a go at blogs, generally regarding them as amateur and not properly "peer reviewed". So does that mean that I shouldn't take any notice of the erudite blogs of Ethan Iversen and other musicians, or the journalists here in UK, such as Peter Bacon's Jazzbreakfast, Mike Butler, Londonjazz? Not least the writing of Chris Parker on the Vortex web site.
Of course there are some bad blogs out there. But also some good ones too. And with the reduced opportunities to find out about jazz in the mainstream media, and the changing face of information dissemination it's essential.
I can't be bothered replying in the form of a letter.
I prefer to answer in the form of my blog. Much more appropriate.
Now. Much more intriguing is how things are moving in regard to Myspace (which I hardly look at nowadays apart from a few specific bits of music to hear), Facebook and Twitter.As well as where it's going to be able to hear so much jazz via the shops.

From global to local

2010-03-15T23:35:00.000Z

Part of the joy of jazz is that it mixes all sort of creative influences. From whatever standpoint one starts, the extent of the mix differs: sometimes more folky, sometimes more African. It is a thrill that musicians can get together from different places and create something unified. A positive view of globalisation. Except....
The authorities are making it harder to get the visas and work permits required to encourage this interconnection.
The Vortex, for example, is registered with the Border Agency for issuing work permits. They can be issued in minutes nowadays. Except that it is getting harder overall. Because there are fewer venues registered. (No suprise, as once the application is in, there then follows a 90 minutes interview with 3 officials.)
It's the same for musicians wanting to go to the US. I know of several who now can't be bothered, because of the paperwork, or don't meet the criteria. All that work that Pete King undertook to at least creative exchanges, now undone.

DAVE LIEBMAN, EVAN PARKER, TONY BIANCO AT VORTEX

2010-02-26T15:26:00.000Z

At last it's out on CD. This is a legendary gig of Evan, Dave and Tony at the Vortex in 2008. the first time that they played together - and the only time till now.

Available on Red Toucan records, you can buy it online.

I was there. BUY IT HERE

The announcement of John D's death

2010-02-09T17:20:00.000Z

There seems to have been shock and consternation about how Cleo Laine could have performed a concert knowing of her husband's death. (One person whom I have spoke to thinks that this is due to Cleo's selfishness and desire for limelight. Mistaken of course. But this is a person with whom I understand there was no love lost between him, Cleo and JD.)
Surely music is one of the best means of outpouring of grief?
We had a similar situation at the Vortex recently, after Jackie Tracey's death. Devoted wife and manager of Stan - and of course mother of the band's drummer, Clark. Stan played the Vortex 2 days later.
Truly professional, truly emotional.

John Dankworth

2010-02-07T14:50:00.000Z

A few random jottings about things that impressed me about John Dankworth, in random order:

His commitment to furthering jazz, not just through education but through advocacy, e.g. Jazz Development Trust.
His awareness of all generations of musicians, to the extent that he replaced Allan Ganley with the young tyro Jim Hart
His encouragement of musicians, such as getting the Wavendon Allmusic scheme started. Being a major figure in bringing bebop to Britain through Club 11.
The enthusiasm to play. When he and Cleo did a gig at the Vortex, he played with his quintet for an hhour before she joined in for a further 90 minutes. And this was just 4 years ago.
A selflessness to Cleo. In the Vortex autograph book, he filled it in and signed it. However leaving the space above his own signature for Cleo!!
Telling me that he had to bring his saxophone into the Royal Academy of Music in a violin case if he had a gig that night, because of the antagonism of the RAM at that time to jazz. I gather that later he offered only to teach saxophone if they set up a big band. A good quid pro quo.
His generosity in giving away the Stables as a theatre and allowing people to wander around his garden every year for a festival.

No doubt more will come to me. But that's a nice little selection....

Predictions for 2010 -

2010-01-06T10:44:00.001Z

What chance HMV buying Ronnie Scotts in 2010? As they are now buying the Mama Group, which includes Jazz Cafe and Apollo, to get involved at Ronnie's would have sense.
Or the Arts Council selling some of its property portfolio, e.g. AEG buying South Bank; or privatising some of its functions, e.g. a trust taking over Royal Opera House? Here it is because it becomes a way for the government to raise some money to reduce its deficit.

Hmmmm

In Clean Air We Fly

2009-12-02T08:21:00.000Z

One feature of this installation, which is taking place outside the Vortex, is that cyclists are required to man one of the bicycles and help the installation work, for 30 minutes at a time. If you want to do it, contact emmajones@hced.co.uk

Chris Batchelor - Paul Hamlyn Award

2009-11-10T08:09:00.000Z

Last night Chris Batchelor was awarded one of the 8 Paul Hamlyn Awards. It's worth £45,000 over three years and he can do with it what he wants. Iain Ballamy got one in 2007 and Evan Parker in 2008. So,for the past 3 years, there has been one jazz musician.
I am proud to be associated with Chris's last 2 recordings. He doesn't release much - this is only the second album in over 10 years. And indeed I received a comment when Big Air was about to come out that "Chris doesn't play much". Well, that's also because he runs the jazz course at Middlesex University, where recent alumni include Led Bib, Hans Koller, Jason Yarde, Ben Reynolds, Stian Westerhuis and many others. No wonder he has little time!
I first was privileged to release the album "Life As We Know It" in 1997. The gestation for Big Air started in 2001. And here we are.....
Of course, one should also mention that he has had a long-term musical partner in Steve Buckley. What a wondrous saxophonist. Glad that he is about to return.
Here is a track of theirs from Saalfelden Jazz Festival this year.

Independence of culture

2009-10-26T15:35:00.006Z

An article in yesterday's Observer allows me to put up an image of one of my heroes, John Maynard Keynes. For Keynes was founder of the Arts Council.
Tamara Rojo makes clear about the independence of culture as a result of having an Arts Council. Clearly this is in part due to a fear of subversion of culture for propaganda ends, as was the case with Nazi Germany. Wittinglly and unwittingly, a number of artists were held up as talismans for the system, such as Wilhelm Furtwangler. Indeed, Germany hasn't had a proper culture ministry in the post war era. If there is one now, it's a new development.
If the Arts Council is streamlined to such a degree that it becomes a mouthpiece for DCMS, then who knows where and how the arts will be used or manipulated. Of course, it won't seem as though that has been done, but it could easily be the case. Over recent years, Arts Council applications have already asked for details about ethnic breakdown (and even sexual preferences) of those involved. And it looks for outcomes rather than artistic quality.
Certainly we have found it difficult at the Vortex to persuade the Arts Council that we are worth significant support as a top quality jazz club! Discussion focusses on making returns in a shortish time period, in my view.
With the government about to make significant cuts in spending, I can easily envisage that they desire to streamline arts funding and bring it "in house". I hope not.

The label to find (some of) the best bands to come?

2009-10-24T11:13:00.004+01:00

I look back at the catalogue of Babel fairly regularly - if only because there are quite a few boxes of CDs in my storage spaces and in my shop by the Vortex.
Two things come out from some of these recent musings:
One is the quality of so much music that has come out of the UK jazz scene over the past 15 years. Much of this period has been a bit of a lull economically for jazz. Yet even many of the earlier albums hold up as well as any of the later ones, which have been more successful. For example, the three Babel albums by Julian Arguelles, those by Huw Warren and those by Christine Tobin. Some of my favourite little solos are on these albums. For example, Huw's solo on The Priest on Christine Tobin's Aililiu, or Iain Ballamy's 16 bars of perfection in "Everybody's Talking" on Billy Jenkins True Love Collection.
Second, the number of bands who have used the label as a springboard. In other words, that I have been able to find a lot of great musicians early. So some of these are going on elsewhere, but we did it first (or nearly first!). Tom Arthurs is now a BBC New Generation Artist, Led Bib themselves got a Mercury nomination. Then there are all those musicians who received BBC Jazz Awards, while the awards existed - Fraud, Finn Peters, Acoustic Ladyland, Christine Tobin etc. etc. (By the way, I have always been surprised that Polar Bear, despite a Mercury nomination and great albums, didn't get a Jazzwise best album award or Seb Rochford never, despite the recognition that he has justifiably received, got any best musician gong).
So, if you are looking to the future of many musicians, come to check out our albums first?!
TrioVD, Amit Chaudhuri, Paula Rae Gibson, Golden Age Of Steam, Twelves Trio, Outhouse with Hilmar Jenson, Lothar Ohmeier (in the dark!) and more to come over the next year.
A model of a label which has probably been doing much of the same is Fresh Sound New Talent in Barcelona, where you would have heard first offerings by Brad Mehldau and and and.
Meanwhile, I am beavering away on bringing out at least one great "classic" British jazz album. It'll take time but I hope that the result will be positive....

Year end CD listings

2009-10-09T10:11:00.002+01:00

We are the time of year, when journalists prepare their year-end lists. When one looks down it, I would be intrigued to see what proportion are
a) CDs which were released in the past 3 months and/or
b) CDs where average age of the musicians is under 30.

So, if I look at the Babel list of releases in 2009, I would be surprised to see any of our releases in most lists, since they include Partisans, Big Air (both not being in the criteria as above) or Zed-U (released early in 2009).

Paula Rae Gibson - In The Dark

2009-09-04T14:28:00.005+01:00

Paula Rae Gibson is performing In The Dark on 8 September, 6 October.

We have tickets for £5. Email me on oliver@babellabel.co.uk if you want to be on the list.

The basic facts are that Paula Rae Gibson is a singer, a songwriter, a photographer and a filmmaker but with Paula the devil is in the detail. Her husband, film director Brian Gibson died in 2004, after which Paula threw herself into her art partly in order to distract herself from her pain and create artefacts that offered some sense of pleasure and release.

Her debut CD, written as a direct response to her husband's death, No More Tiptoes, was released in 2007. The track We Blow It Everytime was selected as one of Time Out magazine's top ten of the year. PRG followed up with 2008's Maybe Too Nude which she recorded with Goldfrapp's Will Gregory. Paula's third CD Rather Make Believe Than Make Do is due early in 2010.

In her two books of photographs, Diary of a Love Addict (2006) and (Fear I Know Not) I'll Always Walk Away (2007) she is most often the subject; mixing sensuality, loss, passion and pain with autobiographical texts against artistically stressed /treated images in ways that are thoughtful, philosophical and erotic. Paula has exhibited in LA and Brussels as well as in various London galleries.

Paula scripted, composed the music for, and acted in, What Are You Doing Forever? which was screened as part of the Portobello Film Festival, and her video The Poet Without Tragedy won the prize for the Best Music Video at the 2009 Independent Film Festival.

Time Out preview on www.paularaegibson.com

Launch of Kevin Le Gendre Now's the Time ll

2009-08-20T12:09:00.002+01:00

A special launch event for the new CD compilation 'Now's The Time II' (Vortex Records) will take place in the Clore Ballroom at the Royal Festival Hall next Friday 21 August starting at 5.30 p.m.

Loz Speyer, Babel artist Julie Sassoon and Jason Yarde are amongst those performing live and Kevin Le Gendre, who compiled the album, spins the tunes for this extended night of top free music.

The album features a superb set of contemporary jazz that covers everything from fusion to avant-garde and all points in between. As John Fordham wrote in the Guardian: "...... a rich contemporary mix with strong dancefloor underpinnings. **** "

This is the second Vortex release, following the successful Mercury-nominated Knee Deep In The North Sea by Portico Quartet, and is in the Vortex tradition of encouraging people towards what they might not know so well!!

Admission is free!!!!!!

The album has been compiled by broadcaster, jazz journalist and DJ Kevin Le Gendre from the best of his sadly missed 'Now's The Time' BBC London contemporary jazz radio show. AS he writes in the sleeve notes: "Improvisation, the overwhelming desire to pass comment on a given musical statement, to subtitle the title, has its place in any jazz school of thought - be it bebop, avant-garde, third stream or fusion."
Full tracklisting:

1/ William Parker Quartet - The Watermelon Song
(originally featured on 'Raining on the Moon', 2002)

2/ Lafayette Gilchrist - Unsolved, Unresolved
(originally featured on 'Towards the Shining Path', 2005)

3/ Leon Parker - Every Day
(Originally featured on ('The Simple Life', 2001)

4/ Loz Speyer's Time Zone Cuba - Katakusi
(Previously unavailable, 2005)

5/ Ron Blake - Sonic Tonic
(Originally featured on Sonic Tonic, 2005)

6/ The Bloomdaddies - Captain E
(Originally featured on Mosh for Lovers, 2002)

7/ Lost Brother - Departure
(Originally featured on Lost Brother, 2005)

8/ Steve Lehman - Vapors
(Originally featured on Demian as Posthuman, 2005)

9/ David Gilmore - Music Revolutions
(Originally featured on Ritualism, 2000)

10/ Lan Xang - Day of Fear, Night of Truth
(Originally featured on Lan Xang, 1997)

11/ Robert Glasper - Maiden Voyage
(Originally featured on Mood, 2003)

12/ Julie Sassoon - 44
(Recored at the Vortex club, 2008)

13/ Jason Yarde - Where Will it Take You
(Originally featured on www.soundjunction.org)

New releases on Babel - Golden Age of Steam, trioVD, Twelves Trio, Triptych, Paula Rae Gibson

2009-08-07T10:33:00.007+01:00

Lots of names, but many of the musicians we know and love.
First will be trioVD. With a launch at the London Jazz Festival in November
Then, in early 2010, Triptych (Richard Fairhurst, Jasper Hoiby, Chris Vatalaro); Golden Age of Steam (James Allsopp, Kit Downes, Tim Giles), Twelves Trio (Riaan Vosloo, Mark Hanslip, Tim Giles, Rob Updegraff. Yes, it's actually got 4 musicians but 12/4 = 3.)
Paula Rae Gibson. Title and format not yet confirmed.

More news soon.

Vortex on The Thames

2009-08-07T08:44:00.003+01:00

Vortex on The Thames

Thursday 17 September

From Butler's Wharf Pier on board a luxurious paddle steamer

Featuring

Liane Carroll and Barb Jungr

Bringing the sound waves of British contemporary jazz to the currents of the Thames, the Vortex is proud to announce the start of a new venture: Vortex on the Thames.

For one special evening take-in the world famous views of London's skyline from onboard a beautiful paddle steamer.

The cruise will take place on Thursday 17th September and features two of the UK's finest jazz vocalists – Liane Carroll and Barb Jungr.

Liane Carroll

Having picked up just about every British jazz award going in the last few years, Liane Carroll has been recognised by critics and fans alike as one of our very finest jazz singers.

‘...gigs featuring singers are generally hugely enjoyable, informal affairs, and in Liane Carroll, the tradition finds one of its most skilful exponents. Humourous banter slips imperceptibly into medleys of originals, material by the likes of Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits...’ (Chris Parker).

Barb Jungr

Britain’s premier song stylist, Barb has recently returned from a sellout run at New York’s prestigious Cafe Carlyle for which she received rave reviews – ‘One of the very best nightclub singers in the world’ (Time Out New York).

She returns to play Vortex on the Thames with a stunning programme of songs featuring material from Yip Harburg to Leonard Cohen, Cole Parter to Marc Cohn.

Tickets & booking

Tickets £32.50

Book by phone on 020 7254 4097

Book online

50% of the profits will go to the Vortex Jazz Foundation, the charitable arm of this world-renowned jazz club, set up to promote jazz in London.

Itinery

19.30 – 20.45: Boarding for ticket holders on the steamer at Butler’s Wharf Pier (South Bank near Tower Bridge).

0.45: Steamer departs Butler’s Wharf Pier and sails under Tower Bridge up to London Bridge before returning and heading downstream towards Canary Wharf.

21.15 – 22.00: First set
22.15 – 23.00: Second set

23.00: Steamer returns to Butler’s Wharf Pier – guests to disembark

This will be a spectacular evening of jazz in a spectacular setting and will hopefully be the first of many great evenings of music with Vortex on the Thames.

Is jazz helped by gimmickry

2009-07-27T10:47:00.003+01:00

By which I mean pandering to what might create publicity, such as a commission or a festival.
The commission - a way for promoters to get a bit of a high from getting something different. Often from a festival. Barry Green told me yesterday that a band that he was in was encouraged to do a commission from a festival. It meant a whole change in the nature of the band. Extra musicians, time spent writing and rehearsing (which could have been better used for honing and improving). And the result was something played once and never again.
A festival is also a way of providing a gimmick and a sop for something that continues 365 days a year. Is it enough to just get the jazz "fix" over a few days or, in the case of the latest Britjazz festival at Ronnie Scott's, two weeks. The Olympics are going on about something called "legacy". We need that, at least from festivals, and also the link to the past that's also going on. For example, I introduced gigs at the last year's London Festival by saying, for example, "Day 8 of the London Jazz Festival and Day 320 of the Vortex Jazz Festival". It's a year round thing. As it is indeed for the musicians.

And then two come along at the same time

2009-07-24T13:18:00.004+01:00

Not buses, but Tom Arthurs on BBC Radio 3 twice today. And before midnight!
Once - and just as I am writing this - with Richard Fairhurst and then later today improvising with Julie Sassoon.
My gosh, when you look at the write-up, the BBC tries as hard as possible to show that it's jazz without using the word. "scope for improvising" etc. Hmm

And of course the real person coming twice, rather than my old friend/enemy the 210.

A few brief twitter thoughts

2009-07-22T14:51:00.003+01:00

I have been on Twitter for a few weeks and find it quite intriguing - for much of the time. I like the information that is sent through much of the time.
But two things get me:
1) those people who are regarded as "icons", such as Stephen Fry, who are allowed to judge things in a few words and are hung on to. Even to the extent that he is being used to recommend world music albums by p.r.'s. (Well, I like Stephen Fry a lot, and like much of what he says, but not that religiously.)
2) People come to snap judgements and write up instant reactions at the wrong times. Perhaps they should sometimes take some time to digest things or listen again. I was reading, on the BBC web site how the instant comments to Bruno were enough to kill box office by Day 2 and also the latest U2 album.Not a good thing for jazz, where the devil can be in the detail and the second, third or fourth listenings can be revelatory.

Led Bib

2009-07-21T15:09:00.004+01:00

Great that Led Bib has been nominated for the Mercury Prize with their new album Sensible Shoes.
With Babel of course (see photo above)
Close contacts with the Vortex. They launched their first album there, did a festival in the lead-up to recording Sizewell Tea (on Babel) and have played there regularly.
It's interesting that they don't come out of the regular London "conservatoire" circle but from Middlesex University, where they were taught by Loose Tubes alumni Chris Batchelor and Stuart Hall, with means a strong dose of the music of Hermeto Pascoal, amongst others.

Iconic singers

2009-07-19T18:16:00.005+01:00

Every country/style has an iconic singer who creates emotion like no other for that style. Often they are female, and often they are now dead. Very few are in jazz.
Youtube is great in that we can at least now check them out.
So here are a few:

Amalia Rodrigues.(Beautiful enough to make one cry and understand the meaning of saudades.)

Om Khaltoum. (When I went to Yemen a few years ago, there was even a channel on the plane dedicated just to her.)

Elis Regina (here with the Father Christmas of jazz, Hermeto Pasocal. Amazing to think that, if she were alive today, she'd be just 64.

and of course Billie Holiday

Too many more to list. But I'd be interested for any thoughts, especially UK ones.
Suddenly thought. What about Sandy Denny?

Reasons to be cheerful!?

2009-07-16T14:22:00.002+01:00

I have heard of a number of stories about jazz's survival recently. Copenhagen Jazz House has been given £250,000 by Nordea Foundation, linked to a Danish bank; Jazz Times is about to re-emerge after being suspended; Jazz Journal has been reborn having merged with Jazz Review. Meanwhile, the Vortex has been given a large grant from an individual to pay for its piano.
Why is this happening in a recession? Hard to guess, but probably it's to do with jazz continuing to be a meaningful music, being played to a high level, whatever the economic environment. So, for that reason, it encourages people to give it money. (Certainly, nothing to do with public funding.)
There's a fantastic sense of community and all this clearly is leading to survival of the music in relatively satisfactory surrounds.

Festivals, festivals

2009-07-13T08:23:00.003+01:00

I have just come back from Copenhagen Jazz Festival, lucky enough to be there for 3 days. 100 gigs a day, and over 80% by Danish musicians. The whole city is overrun by jazz. Perhaps the rising preponderance of local musicians is due to economic stringencies, but there is also a great sense of pride in the local scene. Local musicians working with the legendary Yusef Lateef and Palle Mikkelborg celebrating Aura. What's more many of these gigs are free to get in, especially those in the open air. Such as in the square next to the university at Frue Plads or in the N.C Orstedt park near the hotel, where I heard a free improv band including Lotte Anker. Yet playing to several hundred.
The city takes advantage of the fact that much of it is all within walking distance within the old town. Not a cheap town and there seem to be cafes everywhere. In fact, both jazz record shops, Jazzcup and Jazz Kaelderen, seem to be as important as places to eat and drink as to buy music. Well, why not? Jazz is about atmosphere and why not make buying the music as good a part linked to the ambiance as anything else.

Jazz on German radio - part 2

2009-06-27T10:02:00.003+01:00

Going to a seminar on jazz and film last week in Linz, run by Bernd Hoffmann of WDR, made me realise all the more the differences between radio in UK and in Germany, something I alluded to a while back
First, radio is able to be highly reactive to its environment and its musicians. For example in Linz, there was a small festival in a club called Cheeese (sic), which was recorded by ORF and WDR. So all six bands were recorded and the broadcast went out live or just delayed by a day or a few hours. Furthermore, one at least from Cologne, co-led by saxophonist Niels Klien, was a new Franco-German collaboration encouraged by WDR. How often can that happen over here? Not that often, where decisions at the BBC are made so centrally, the shows are much shorter and broadcast at graveyard times. Meanwhile the enthusiasm of the presenters and producers over there - not just Bernd Hoffmann but also the likes of Arne Schumacher of Radio Bremen or Guenther Huesmann - and their ability to translate ideas into practice is so different.
No wonder jazz over here remains so much in the hinterground.

The economy as a saxophone?

2009-06-26T11:14:00.006+01:00

No, not something suggested by Terry Pratchett, but rather a description by Doug McWilliams - erstwhile colleague many years ago at the CBI - in yesterday's Financial Times to describe the shape of the economic recovery.
But which one? I presume he means an alto or tenor. But what about a baritone? Or even a bass with all its bends and stretches. That could be fun, but it would make the economy a bit of a rollercoaster ride! Try modelling that one, economists out there?

Record labels. A subject close to my heart!

2009-06-12T10:00:00.002+01:00

Steve Lawson is a compulsive communicator. Through video, twitter and blog. Yet he still seems able to have time to make music.
Great on all fronts to follow, because 90% of what he writes is worth thinking about or reacting to.
So I read with interest his views on record labels. Which I sort of agree with. He sent a thought-provoking response to my own comment. Thought-provoking in that his positive comments about what Babel has achieved in terms of releases but (his perceived) lack of reaction to this from the artists.
Where do many musicians regard the album? A means of archiving? A quick fix from something that, because it is a "label", must be able to give them the same monetary return as an advance from Universal?
They therefore don't often look at the recording in its own terms, perhaps. I was delighted that Julian Arguelles for example recognised Skull View as his favourite recording. I indeed am proud of Julian's three albums for Babel between 1995 and 1997. they also focus so much on the here and now.
Last night we had the launch of Zed-U's new album at the Vortex. I think that they are doing something wholly unique in a manner that is totally balanced between the three musicians. Let's hope that people buy the album too, as that's the only way that I am going to get anything back from it.
Certainly, I would agree with the point of Steve that they have to realise that it's something that we work on together. There is for me a great and important partnership between the recording, the live performance and the music itself.
I am about to sit down and include on the web site all the accolades which Babel artists/releases have garnered over the past 15 years. There are a lot of them, I think. And I hope, enough to keep me inspired for the next 15 years of Babel - or perhaps I should just be looking to the next few hours.

Royal Opera House 17, Polar Bear 2

2009-06-06T11:18:00.004+01:00

No, not a football score, but a contrast as to the number of rehearsals being undertaken for performances by Royal Opera House Orchestra for the new production of Berg's Lulu and by Polar Bear for their new recording.
Seb gave his band the music on Sunday, they played the Vortex on Monday and Tuesday and into the studio for a new album on Wednesday and Thursday.
Of course, it shows the difference in resources available between opera and jazz, but also shows the resources that are thought to be required between the two. Is the orchestra at Covent Garden really that poor to need so many rehearsals? I always thought that UK orchestras were renowned for their speed of learning of the most complex scores. Hence their use for so many recordings.
Seb not only feels, I am sure, that this is enough to retain the freshness of the music but also that he doesn't need more. (The studio in which they have recorded is also excellent value, with Sonny, the engineer, the man behind the Portico Quartet's first album and also recent work by Paula Rae Gibson.) But, hell, the Opera House clearly "needs" the money.....
I am knocked out by the speed with which jazz musicians learn parts and then deliver energy at their gigs. Something from which the administrators at the Opera House can learn?

Babel prize winners

2009-06-05T12:54:00.002+01:00

It's great when musicians get recognised with prizes for their work. Kevin Le Gendre (with new Now's The Time compilation) and Phil Robson both won Parliamentary Jazz Awards. Ingrid Laubrock has won the prestigious SWR Jazz Prize.
Unlike the UK awards system, the German is recognised with a handsome sum of money (€15,000). By contrast I don't know of any UK awards that give more than a bit of local prestige. Even getting a major "gong" doesn't help pay the bills. Stan Tracey now has a CBE but, because he has a minimal pension, has to keep working at well over 80. Amusingly, I heard from Freddy Gavita, who won something at the British Jazz Awards, that he was notified of his award by text message and contact via Facebook. Not even a piece of paper!!

The print media - going through the agonies like music

2009-06-04T08:45:00.002+01:00

I have just read on Howard Mandel's blog that Jazz Times could be folding. At least Jazz Journal survives, having merged with Jazz Review.
The print media sector is going through the same problems as music has been going through over the last 10 years in trying to adapt to digital and so on.
Initially they have tried to believe that free content will drive advertising revenues. This hasn't happened. It's all about the content really, and can they work out a way for the participants in the digital world to pay?
Then the two can co-exist side-by-side. I still love the feel of paper and look forward to the thrill of opening the morning paper or a new magazine. (Though I don't do it for the same reason as the guy who said that he first opens the Times to see if his obituary is in. If not, then he knows that the day can progress OK.)
How that is to be done, I don't know the answer to. Possibly micropayments, such as buying the individual articles (reviews) where they have the authority. Otherwise indeed all will migrate to blogs. That's OK for reviews , but certainly not good enough for longer thoughtful pieces. Both because of inadequate available investment to spend the time involved to get the topics right.

Music Market - 7 June

2009-06-03T15:03:00.003+01:00

The next Music Market is on 7 June, in the Square next to the Vortex. Upstairs at 4 p.m.will be the London Jazz Orchestra performing Coltrane's Africa Brass. So why not make an afternoon of it?
Free to sell or attend.

Jazz sous les Pommiers

2009-06-01T22:48:00.002+01:00

Jazz sous les Pommiers is a lovely way to spend a few days in May. A small town of just 10,000, they manage to sell out a hall of over 1,000 three times a day, as well as a theatre of 400 and a spiegeltent and many bars full of blues bands and whatever. Can you think of any festival here which might have a jazz fun run? Or have a chemist full of jazz posters?
Also some great gigs. Especially Dave Holland. Making the complex seem simple, he stands there with the most enormous grin from ear to ear for 90 minutes. And Branford Marsalis, using Justin Faulkner, just 18. In its way, Partisans is the UK equivalent of Branford's band. Even if it uses a guitar instead of piano. And of course both have Calderazzos in their band - Joey with Branford and elder brother Gene on drums with Partisans.
Django was there with StoRMChaser. And of course a sprinkling of French bands. (I enjoyed Emile Parisien. Very intense, very French.) BTW, if you look inside the CD of Django with StoRMChaser you discover that the title includes Rhythmic Music Conservatory's initials. It also includes the alternative suggestions by Eddie Parker, which were not used. Such as SpeRMCount! (Eddie always has been able to play with words. I recall that he discovered that an anagram of Bill Evans was Ball Veins. How appropriate.)
I also managed to see the Bayeux tapestry en route. One is a bit rushed through the tapestry itself, though it's an incredible artefact, in its history and descriptive powers. A shame that I was unable to spend time seeing the D Day beaches. I really enjoyed the tableaux of the battle and also the ships arriving in Hastings. Check out the decapitated body at the bottom of the frieze.

Research grant for jazz. My true view

2009-05-29T09:16:00.002+01:00

The heading of a letter sent to Jazzwise completely led to my being misunderstood. "Research grant misguided". The letter from Paul Jolly (of 33 Records) and myself actually said that we wanted the Arts Council to do the same as the Arts and Humanities Research Council which has awarded a grant of £500000 to study Black British jazz. So for us the Arts Council needs guiding and not the research grant.
Unfortunately, others branded us as against the grant, being congratulated in this regard by Geoff Eales in their letters page the following month, while this month Chris Hodgkins of Jazzwise criticises us among others for criticising the grant.
It only goes to show how people are influenced by the headlines and the power of the sub-editor. They don't read the article properly that follows. (It's similar to my criticism of jazz reviews having star ratings. People look at the number of stars and not the actual review.) It's bizarre in a field where people are so sensitive to nuance of the music that they are not so for words.

Here's the actual letter again for the record.
"We were intrigued to read about the grant of £495,643 from the Arts and Humanities Research Council to examine "What is Black British Jazz?" We were initially angered that such amounts of money were being channelled into research when the existing jazz scene, live and recorded, and built partly on this heritage, is itself so underfunded. However, on further reflection, we actually wonder if the researchers are truly recognising the importance of the music in a way that other organisations such as the Arts Council aren't.
Much of jazz's legacy is created through its recordings. UK labels, such as Babel and 33, are finding the environment tough, on the back of the economic crunch out there. For example, Dune, committed to releasing high-quality jazz primarily from a black perspective, has released virtually no albums over the past couple of years probably due to a shortage of funds, and certainly not due to a lack of talent. We therefore plea to Liz Forgan, as new Arts Council England chair, to make support for jazz commensurate with the Arts and Humanities Research Council. "

Parliamentary Jazz Awards - the only serious awards left?

2009-05-28T08:13:00.003+01:00

Awards are important. Not just to highlight the individual winners but also to help draw attention to the music. There's no doubt that the Mercury nominations for the albums by Portico Quartet and Polar Bear on Babel/Vortex helped their sales dramatically and also the profile of both bands.
Similarly, the BBC Jazz Awards were definitely helpful and encouraging.
The only awards left which adequately take on an awareness of the contemporary jazz scene left over here are the Parliamentary Awards which took place last week. (And congratulations to Phil Robson for winning best musician and Kevin Le Gendre for best journalist in particular.) Though their credibility has not been helped by the recent shenanigans about MPs' expenses. But let's not forget that this is really an award of thanks and support from a group of good-natured jazz fans. No more, no less in my opinion.
Contrast this with the more supportive awards elsewhere. Les Victoires du Jazz in France, the German jazz critics' prize, the Albert Mangelsdorff Prize in Germany (worth €20,000), the Hans Koller Prize in Austria. (Germany also has a series of prizes in the various regions which help bring attention to young musicians.) The list goes on.
We need a proper system, imperfect though they may be.

The Loose Tubes legacy -education

2009-05-25T18:39:00.004+01:00

Loose Tubes was known for being a great innovative band in the latter half of the 80s. Proms, chat shows, appearance on The Tube, great music on 3 (unavailable) albums and the genesis for the likes of Django Bates, Iain Ballamy, Julian and Steve Arguelles, Chris Batchelor......
Seeing Django perform with his band from the Copenhagen Conservatoire in Coutances last week made me realise a further element of the legacy - their education influence. Not just Django but also Chris Batchelor and Eddie Parker who set up the course at Middlesex, John Eacott at Westminster University, Steve Berry in the North West (where as jazz teacher at Cheetham's he encouraged the talent of Gwilym Simcock and Tom Cawley to name but two).
Probably the students nowadays are 5 years more advanced than they were equivalently 20 years ago. And these guys must share some of the credit for that.

Is it the "j" word?

2009-05-18T08:45:00.003+01:00

Peter Bacon, in his blog, berates the Observer Music Monthly for the lack of jazz coverage. Indeed, the last time I recall more than a paragraph of jazz is when they had a photo of Gwilym Simcock as an up and coming jazz musician. Wearing a Superman costume! (Tried to find it on the web but couldn't)
Andy Sheppard, interviewed about John Coltrane by Matthew Parris, had to put up with most of the programme discussing Coltrane's drug habit as clearly Parris had no interest in the music. (Andy did a great job in turning the subject round to Coltrane's genius despite this.)
Is there a problem with the word "jazz" and its connotations? Has it been putting women off going to gigs as mentioned in Howard Mandel's blog. I think that, for me, too many musicians and people get hung up about the word. The word isn't the problem, it's sometimes an intimidating atmosphere, sometimes ignorance of journalists and people in the music industry who don't appreciate music - just "product".
On Saturday, for Ian Shaw's gig at the Vortex, we had at least two groups of women on a night out together and most of the rest were couples or families. Last week we even had one night (for The North Trio) where the audience was split 60:40 female to male. It's the same debate about the age of audiences.
Well, if one spends the whole time putting people off with high admission prices and making people feel that they need to understand the full repertoire of Charlie Parker before they are allowed in through the door, what can one expect? And if the music media is getting lazy and looking for quick fixes, ditto?
The music itself is fine. It's the people

Redesigning Paris, Heathrow....and The Vortex

2009-05-16T14:05:00.003+01:00

Mike Davies is a great supporter of our club and one of our most eminent architects, being the partner of Richard Rogers. In between completing Heathrow Terminal 5 and advising Nicholas Sarkozy on a new vision for Paris (he's on the left - The Man In Red), he has suggested how the Vortex could be extended outwards.
There's just a small matter of the money that would be involved. Any ideas for raising £300,000 or so??

Associate of a "royal and national Institution"

2009-05-14T11:40:00.004+01:00

I received my certificate yesterday as an Honorary Associate of the Royal Academy of Music. Apparently I have "contributed significantly to the Academy". Not hard to do, if recent graduates include James Allsopp and Tim Giles of Fraud, Gwilym Simcock, Jasper Hoiby, Josh Blackmore as well as those about to hit the headlines, such as Kit Downes and James Maddren (about to do their final recitals), etc etc. Similarly, not hard to do with a venue such as the Vortex and the team there to back one up!
First, it was great to see jazz well recognised in these awards. John Fordham, Steve Rubie of 606, Pete Churchill (as one of the jazz professors) and Gwilym Simcock were also being honoured.
Second. Talking to Nick Smart, who runs the Junior Academy, one realises how much is now being achieved for jazz, in the colleges in general (excluding Royal College of Music but including Middlesex University) and the Academy in particular. Musicians such as Josh Blackmore, Kit Downes, Gwilym Simcock and Freddy Gavita were all part of the Junior Academy. And I was knocked out by Nick to be told that Partisans had spent a day with the students last Saturday. It only goes to prove that what young aspiring teenage jazz musicians are being exposed to, even in a formal education environment, is as imaginative as it can be. Certainly that wouldn't have been the case a decade ago, I'm sure.
Third. On the awards themselves, they are actually really democratic. Clarinettists - and jazz promoters - rubbing shoulders with the bar man and security.
Of course, I suppose that I'm now a bit biassed. But I would encourage people to come to the gig at the Vortex at the end of the month where some of the finallists are being put through the wringer. And it's free!

How do we get audiences regularly?

2009-05-13T11:16:00.004+01:00

It's a perennial one. Why do audiences come to some gigs and not others? Our latest example at the Vortex. Vincent Courtois, Sylvie Courvoisier, Ellery Eskelin. All at the top of their playing. A great gig, summarised beautifully by Chris Parker here. They have an album on Camjazz, which I have sold several of over recent weeks, and all well known as leaders and from their work with others. Apart from Vincent (making his first appearance at the Vortex), the others have even played in sold-out gigs. The gig was one that confirmed why, most of the time, it's not worth my while straying from Dalston for my musical fix.
So, what went wrong, in that we only had 30 people there and lost a packet? Not enough press press awareness? Well, we've had as much as usual in terms of mobilisation. Usually people like John Fordham are really supportive. (Last time she played the Vortex, with her husband Mark Feldman, he gave the gig a great review.) However, it was indeed sad that it wasn't mentioned in the Guardian Guide this week, nor elsewhere. I have spoken to some people who read the Vortex programme regularly, but it clearly passed them by.
No particular answer, but certainly I welcome any thoughts for good, cheap ways of getting the message across.
And it's certainly not going to put us off bringing such musicians to town again. We have to keep trying and not get demoralised!

The virtual jazz festival

2009-05-05T08:28:00.002+01:00

Peter Bacon and Tim Dickeson have done a great job in evoking personal recollections of Cheltenham Jazz Festival. Check out their blogs on http://thejazzbreakfast.wordpress.com/ and http://editionontour.blogspot.com/. Uncostrained by space limits that the national and specialist press will have and therefore able to interpret the subtleties of the music.
There is also a Jazz on 3 broadcast from the festival but again limited to a single intense programme with highlights
Cheltenham is not a cheap event to go to if you're not local. The price of getting there, the price of accommodation and the admission fees.
By contrast, I look at how things are covered abroad. As a member of a group called Radio Jazz Research in Germany, I have regular contact with a number of journalists and radio producers, especially from the WDR area. WDR alone records 6 (!) festivals, just in their own region of North Rhein Westphalia. It includes festivals such as Muenster and Moers.
From Muenster alone they will broadcast 6-8 hours of music. (Having been there, I can confirm that some of it, with the likes of Rudresh Mahanthappa, Rita Marcotulli and a young marvel pianist Pablo Held, was fantastic. Never less than worth hearing.)
Meanwhile a few newspapers will probably review the festival with maybe 1000 words maximum. How can 90 minutes of music and 600 words cover a festival with Dave Douglas, Dave Liebman, Jack de Johnette, Hugh Masekela and and and?
The BBC is still providing adequate coverage of a few festivals. They record the totality of Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival as well as some of the concerts from London. Cheltenham or Bath are equally creative.
No wonder jazz continually gets short shrift.

Land of Kings

2009-05-03T16:09:00.007+01:00

My photo up (with that of Stephanie and Todd) for Land of Kings event by Briony Campbell. Photos of venues in Dalston. http://www.brionycampbell.com/projects/LandOfKings.html