Art and music

It’s not far from the parts of the brain stimulated by art and by music. Perhaps that's why artists and musicians seem so often to work hand in hand. Most obviously in the jazz scene here in London as an artist is Gina Southgate who has a regular display at the Vortex.

A third leg of this creative stool is maths/science. Eloquently put by the book “Gödel, Escher, Bach” by Douglas Hofstadter. And there is an evocative subtitle “An eternal golden braid”

Very rarely do all three come together. But very frequently there are two out of three, such as my own awareness of Escher and Bach, but not Gödel. Einstein was a violinist, as was Paul Klee and many artists passim who have become musicians, with two springing to mind being Terry Day and Leafcutter John. The art school movement of the 60s has a lot to answer for. Miles Davis could paint (of sorts). Evan Parker was originally a botanist, and Jake McMurchie (who leads Michelson Morley) studied maths.

My usual immediate reaction to the influence of science on art is that there is a strong precision involved, such as meticulous anatomical drawings by the like of Leonardo. Jazz musicians are usually logicians, solving problems of how to make music out of chord sequences, but also how to integrate with the musicians around them, as well as being able to assert their individuality.

My thoughts on this have been further influenced by my contact with mathematician turned artist Aurelie Fréoua. She uses terms and concepts such as ‘order’ and ‘chaos’, homing in on the spiral and on colour. But there is something which hooks up to jazz and even improvisation. Her work seems to have movement to it. Her spirals have intriguing ways of moving around colours, by the way that the paint is applied. While her abstracts start with her working from a wholly blank canvas, going with the flow, before actually recognising imagery which emerge from her subconscious. So there is an element of improvisation.

Like any good artist, she is fearless, though well aware that her work needs to communicate.

This was the case in a portrait of me that she has done. Completely transforming my complexion, clothing and hair but getting over her own vision of me!

She has been developing in a parallel way to many musicians whom I know and using the same attitude. I wonder if she will respond as much to the music as a stimulus to creativity, in the way that many musicians have responded to art?

The new Vienna School of Jazz: Namby Pamby Boy and Vienna Improvisers Orchestra 2016

The Viennese jazz scene is evolving. And, with the signing of Namby Pamby Boy on Babel, we are part of it. I went to Vienna for the launch of the new eponymous album at Konzerthaus. And enjoyed a great gig with over 250 there. How would I describe it? Bits of early Acoustic Ladyland, Led Bib, prog, New York downtown (reflecting Fab Rucker's work with Bobby Previte perhaps) and snatches of the approach of Weather Report (which of course was founded by an Austrian, Joe Zawinul). It has a lot of drive and positive enthusiasm, which could make it one of those bands that we dream of - which can, without compromise, perform also in 'non-jazz' environments. Of course, there was the Vienna Art Orchestra, which spawned a number of great musicians, such as Wolfgang Puschnig as well as leader Matthias Rüegg. Matthias, along with Christoph Huber, was one of the founders of Porgy & Bess, one of a handful of imaginative jazz clubs continuing in Europe today.  Another important 'link' in the Austrian chain is Peter Herbert, the bassist who is on a couple of albums with Huw Warren, as well as Christine Tobin's 'Deep Song'.

Now we are coming across a great new generation. Hannes Riepler brought over some about two years ago: the Pichler brothers and Maria Neckam. Mark Holub, of Led Bib, is now in Vienna too, and has come over with violinist Irene Kepl, on a couple of occasions. A trio involving Swiss singer Andreas Schaerer and two Austrians (Schaerer-Eberle-Rom) performs at Cheltenham. Pianist Elias Stemeseder is in Jim Black's present band

Meanwhile, Julian Argüelles is beginning to work teaching magic on the next generation as a professor in Graz, one of the longest-established conservatoires teaching jazz.

I got to hear some of the others also, when I went to the Zoom festival organised by Jazzwerkstatt. The Vienna Improvisers Orchestra was the final concert. It is always intriguing to differ the various Improvisers Orchestras around Europe, such as those in London, Glasgow, Amsterdam (the Royal IO). This one is very much the brainchild of Michael Fischer who really makes the group move like a single instrument. The VIO's texture seemed to be strongly influenced by strings accounting for nearly half the line-up and also a strong vocal duo. Fischer allows a lot of space to many of the instruments to solo extensively. Particularly noteworthy, to me, was that of Alex Kranabetter on trumpet who was able to take advantage of the many sonic capabilities of the instrument, sensitively sputtering as much as playing technically clearly.

As with many such improvised gigs, it was a mixture of getting involved in the process, and enjoying the elements in the middle of the set, but it led to a grand climax which was worth the wait. So, watch out! The Austrians are coming.

Jazzahead - some thoughts

Jazzahead is the big jazz trade fair that has developed over the past ten years. It is now pretty vast. Despite spending three days there, there were so many people I missed meeting and working out ideas with.
I spent most of it with my Babel hat on, as there are several new albums - not least Namby Pamby Boy and the new duo of Elliot Galvin and Mark Sanders. Indeed I sat mainly on the Austrian stand!
It is rather enjoyable to have a question and find the specific person who might have the answer face to face. If it be about a venue in Estonia or a festival in Poland, the people who know are there.
But there are some new trends that I feel are there. And particularly I am concerned about the changing balance of live music - moving more and more towards festivals and away from the regular venues.  I reckon, for example, that there are now not more than 10 venues in the whole of Europe putting on adventurous jazz with proper fees on a regular basis. The Vortex is a second tier, with much more limited resources. However, the number of festivals is growing and growing.
Festivals are a great way for audiences to experience new things intensely. But there are only 52 weeks in a year. What about the rest of the year?
Take London. A dense and intense festival for 10 days in November. But on 15 February? Or 18 June?
I noticed this for the number of great young bands who have played at the Match and Fuse festival last October (N.B. 28, 29 October this year.) Now they are asking when they can play the Vortex again. I wish we could oblige them all.
Other things I found out - many bands are able to get travel support from their home countries to perform overseas. Unfortunately not, in general, UK bands. How can we 'compete'?
I sorted out the basics of our festival with Intakt in 2017. There is already a bit of information on the Vortex web site.
Showcases are patchy in quality when delivered, if not on paper where most look pretty mouth watering. It's part the problem of selection by 'committee'. However hard they try, the results are not always as good as they should be. Some, indeed, are probably not necessary for a showcase, as they have a commercial quality already or the musicians are known already.
Another part of the problem is that the groups only have 30 minutes. That puts a pressure on the band that means that the gigs don't really allow the bands to open out.
And a third is the time slot. A clear example here was Bokani Dyer, whom we at the Vortex know and love dearly. He had travelled all the way from South Africa and the showcase was at 0030. So the venue was a bit sparsely attended.
And certainly we have booked a few bands off the back of Jazzahead, even if a couple of years later. Such as Kaja Draksler last year, or Julia Kadel (playing in June)
I realise that the organisers are really trying hard to balance things out.
And a final thought is about how the press are beginning to disappear a bit off covering the scene. Very few proper 'press' journalists there, though I did meet the main German magazines and Downbeat. Things are moving more towards blogs and DAB stations on radio. For example, I was happy to meet Jez Nelson and Chris Philips, now radio buddies again at Jazz FM. But I most notably see it at the Vortex. For the past two nights, we have been privileged by the company of Bobo Stenson; while on Sunday and Monday, we have Tim Berne's Snakeoil. In the past BBC would probably recorded at least one of these (or else Enrico Pieranunzi who appeared at the start of April). Not a single journalist has asked to attend, nor a radio person. Likewise, relatively little advance coverage in the nationals such as Guardian. We need to redress this balance. Thoughts please?

May at the Vortex

Some great highlights as ever at the Vortex in May.
It starts with Tim Berne's latest version  of Snakeoil, now up to a 5 piece for two nights on 1 and 2 May.
Elliot Galvin then previews the material from his upcoming trio album on 3 May. There will also be copies available of his new duo album with Mark Sanders, which won't be formally appearing on Babel till September.
More great pianists during the month. (I am a sucker for them!) Perhaps the one we see/least is Lucian Ban on 12th, in duo with Mat Maneri.
Barry Green (4th) John Law on 5th; Marco Marconi (11th) Tom Cawley with Trio Red (17th); Pat Thomas (19th); Sam Leak and Bruno Heinen both playing solo (22nd) and ending with more solo (and quartet) from the marvellous Huw Warren (27th). And not forgetting Alexander Hawkins playing with Evan Parker (26th).
Gilad Hekselman, who has become one of our favourites, is back with Petros Klampanis on 29th.
Last but certainly not least, do check out the stars of the future with the Royal Academy of Music finals students on 30th and 31st.
Meanwhile Christine Tobin is back for two nights on 23 and 24 May (along with another piano genius Steve Beresford) in Brian Eley's special show about Alzheimer's.

April at the Vortex

While the programme of the club is ongoing, there are always a few highlights and connections that seem to spring out every month.
This month, the programme is topped and tailed by gigs involving two of the most influential European pianists in jazz.
Enrico Pieranunzi.  Comes in on 4-5 April. It's a privilege that Enrico's London base has become the Vortex. We have had a trio with Geoff Gascoyne and Enzo Zirilli as well his Racconti Mediterranei involving the gorgeous clarinet of Gabriele Mirabassi.
For his concerts this time, half will be with a trio involving Andrea di Biase and James Maddren (and adding Fulvio Sigurta on 5) and the other half will be him playing solo. His touch is very classic, so it's not surprising when I found an album that he has done of Scarlatti sonatas.
At the end of the month, we have Bobo Stenson, playing with Martin Speake. They recorded together for ECM about a decade ago. Bobo has, along with JT, defined European piano identity for Europeans. They last played together at the Vortex in 2009 and you can see the result here.
Put 28 and 29 in your diaries.
But it's a month with all sorts of other things that one can be excited by.
On 12th, the Deep Whole Trio's gig coincides with Paul Rogers' 60th. So come to the party!!!
We are lucky that a couple of specials are there to co-ordinate with Stewart Lee's curated All Tomorrow's Parties festival. Namely on 10th, Alan Wilkinson's trio will play early evening and on 24th, we'll have Tania Chen.
I look forward to the gig on 10th in the evening. Terry Day seems to be playing better than ever at present. And it'll be great to have Tom Challenger and Shabaka Hutchings sparring, along with Jonathan Impett on trumpet (who was on the Babel albums by Amit Chaudhuri) and Peter Urpeth coming down from the Hebrides.
21st - James Allsopp's Organ Trio. This guy is always a blast. And he now seems to be becoming a member of Pigfoot. Let's see for sure on 30th, when the band celebrates 1972, a year of good and bad no doubt.
But then I can't forget that Stan Sulzmann is back as is Carol Grimes and we can hope that Gilad Atzmon will be focussed on his horn playing, where he is uncontroversially top notch. Good to hear him taking on Coltrane. Denys Baptiste did this a few weeks ago and it led us into the stratosphere.
We, at the Vortex, also take certain young musicians to heart. One such is Camilla George, who is back on Wednesday. A lovely saxophonist in the making, with pianist Sarah Tandy firing things up behine.
Anyway, as I called the month 'topped and tailed by two great pianists', so too this blog post.

Some Babel news

Babel Label at times gets forgotten in the hype of some of the new artists/labels on the scene. We've now been going for 22 years. But if you look it's been a good touchstone of some of the best of British jazz over this period. I am proud to see that, for one of the last Jazz on 3 programmes dedicated to British jazz, Babel-related stuff has a prominence. Check out the programme on http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b072hwj8 and you'll hear Django, who nearly appears on a few Babel releases, but definitely as part of True Love Collection and Skull View, Big Air, which Babel proudly released in 2012, Acoustic Ladyland, whose first two albums were on Babel, TrioVD, and Steve Williamson, whose first recording for 20 years was with Black Top, released in 2014.
So, I would like to think that new Babel stuff is worth checking out - and owning.
Coming soon:
Michelson Morley - the band led by Jake McMurchie
Brass Mask Live - led by Tom Challenger and with a launch gig to come on 30 March at Rich Mix
The Saberton Album - a tribute to Pete Saberton, perhaps less known by the public but revered by musicians from all generations over here.
Elliot Galvin and Mark Sanders - one of the best young pianists teamed up with a great great drummer, who is a father figure to many.
In addition, the first two forays into bands who have no direct connection to these shores. Perhaps as the British seem to be bringing out their Europhobia, we are doing our bit for the opposite:
Hermia Ceccaldi Darrifourcq - we know Sylvain D from his work with Kit Downes. Valentin Ceccaldi is one of the most dynamic cellists, belying his young age, and Manu Hermia has been ploughing a furrow acrosss the Belgian scene
Namby Pamby Boy - Fabian Rucker's Austrian posse. As with many of these groups, the name of the band is ironic. Their new album is launching on 8 April at Konzerthaus in Vienna.
You can buy them via www.babellabel.co.uk

London Jazz Festival - how we try to deal with it

We have started putting together our programme for the EFG London Jazz Festival for 2016. Out in November.
At present, I am collating a whole range of proposals  because, of course, the Vortex has limited space. How best to balance things out between the sort of gigs supporting our scene here in London and musicians from elsewhere in the UK or overseas. (There will be, almost certainly, our regular Mopomoso and London Jazz Orchestra dates, by the way, as well as double bills involving Dice Factory and Benoit Delbecq/Petter Eldh/Jonas Burgwinkel.)
The London Jazz Festival is not a guaranteed money spinner for the Vortex. With 30+ gigs a night going on around town, we have to be careful. For example, one of the best gigs, creatively, last year was Orquestra Mahatma. And there were about 15 only in the audience.
Also, we ourselves receive no direct additional funding for our programming. Of course, sometimes the gigs that we want have support from elsewhere. We are reliant, as ever, therefore on musicians' own co-operation with the club and our own enthusiasms.
Meanwhile, the Festival itself has already announced some of its own headliners! Of course, one of the other problems for the audience is that this may be the only chance to hear these line-ups when they are in London. But a punter can only go to one gig a night. So this immediately precludes the chance that something even better turns up later.

"Survival"

Jazz has survived by keeping a foot in the camps of the commercial and also the sector supported by grants/patrons.
Contrast the clubs and venues, such as the Vortex or Ronnie Scott's, with the parts which have been supported by the Arts Council. The reach of the Arts Council into jazz has been relatively short-lived and never that huge, in comparison with the largesse required to keep opera, the orchestras or the big venues such as the South Bank running.
I remember organising my sole Contemporary Music Network tour for the wondrous Billy Jenkins (soon to turn 60, by the way) in 1996 and the relative luxury and support that was given at that time - guaranteed radio broadcast and half a dozen gigs which got organised with virtually no pleading.
The 'commercial' approach has really been imported from New York, while the other could be thought of as more 'European', picking up on the philosophical, aesthetic but also the classical roots of the music. Clubs closing have been mainly the result of commercial exigencies.
The country in which the supportive approach has been seen to best advantage is Germany. Struggles of festivals and venues are mainly the result of a decline/cut back/questioning of public funding. If public support is reduced this is problematic, while the chance of growing without is difficult.
A recent example of the former has been shown by the latest querying leading from the debt of €300,000 of the promoters of Moers Festival. When the programme was announced on 3 March, there was no guarantee that it would take place. A new hall was opened a couple of years ago, courtesy of North Rhine Westphalia and it seemed to lead to the festival's long-term security. Basically, the programme is, for jazz and Vortex lovers, near perfect - many of the artists perform at the club, but rarely in as large formations as Moers could afford. Rainer Michalke, one of the co-founders of the Stadtgarten in Cologne, has been running for a decade and built on its roots of high quality improvised music, from all points of the compass.
And a clear example of the latter is that, up in the North, in Hamburg, a tremendous wide-ranging jazz festival, Elbjazz, had grown dramatically over the past four years. Virtually unfunded by the city or state, the festival grew, courtesy of the support of leading shipyards and also the involvement of some of the main jazz promoters, such as Karsten Jahncke - in the year that I went, the range was from Jamie Cullum via Joshua Redman and Troyka to Schlippenbach Trio and Mary Halvorson. With inadequate income from the general public/ sponsors and only a belated offer of more-than-token public support, the festival has been put on hold. But it will be revived next year, we also have to hope.
The struggle of jazz as peripheral to the mainstream arts world is shown by the fact that the festival took place in the shadow of the new Philharmonie rising nearby. Total cost of that edifice, much underwritten by the city, is €750,000, up from an initial €200,000! So, here, an attempt at a true commercially-based festival in Germany has foundered with the public funding safeguarding its serious-minded roots.
At least Tina Heine, whose brainchild it was, now has the chance to run the autumn jazz festival in Salzburg. This was the second festival that Gerhard Eder had created, following on from Saalfelden. Unfortunately he died suddenly and suprisingly last Autumn. So she will be able to take her knowledge of the scene to the neighbouring country which already has a few fantastic festivals.

UPDATE!
The Moers Festival is now safe for another year. As the press release on 10 March said:
'moers festival 2016 will take place as planned, just like we thought it would.

Concern about the festival’s financial situation arose after the new CEO reevaluated the figures. Last night, the city of Moers signed a guarantee agreement and thereby fulfilled the new CEO’s condition to go ahead with moers festival 2016. Time will show to what extent the CEO’s financial assessment was correct.

Unfortunately, we lost precious time to advertise for the festival due to the uncertainties in these past weeks. Therefore we now need your help with advertising for our festival! Please support us now by raising awareness of the festival.

The best proof that the world needs moers festival is a sold out house on all four days.'

Clearly it's a relatively expensive investment for a town of just over 100,000, but who would have heard of the town outside the Ruhr area, had it not been for this festival?

Programme on www.moers-festival.de

The great pianists of Europe - Pieranunzi, Stenson

In April, there are two particularly great pianists coming to the Vortex.

4, 5 April ENRICO PIERANUNZI

Pieranunzi has now played 3 times at the Vortex. He is a musician whose New York 'home' is the Village Vanguard. But his London one is the Vortex!
With an amazing classical clarity, it is a pleasure that he will be back.

28, 29 April BOBO STENSON playing with Martin Speake

Bobo Stenson is one of those who defined the European piano style a la ECM, along with, of course, Jarrett, but also our late great friend John Taylor (JT).
Bobo recorded a decade ago with Martin Speake. So Martin has invited him back for his first visit for several years. He will be playing with Martin, Steve Watts and Jeff Williams.

March at the Vortex

I try and keep up to date on some of the March highlights at the Vortex in a more quirky way than on the programme. But there's a lot on and I actually wouldn't really want to say that I prefer these to others.

These include
5 Phil Robson Organ Trio - With Phil now living in New York, his visits are to be treasured. Here with Ross Stanley (who was mind blowing last week on piano with James Allsopp and Ed Jones) and NY-meets-London drummer Gene Calderazzo.
7 Lume. Lume nights are always special, though not enough audience. Totally undeservedly really. Adam Fairhall has always sparkled when we've had him here. He'll be well prodded by Tom Ward and Olie Brice, no doubt.
10 Vein The previous gigs by this Swiss band (With Greg Osby and Dave Liebman). Now we have the chance to hear them alone. I heard some of this last year in Schaffhausen and can't wait to hear more.
11 John O'Gallagher/Hans Koller A thoughtful saxophonist is Mr O'Gallagher. Not many musicians can translate Webern for grooving jazz. John can. Glad to have him back with Hans Koller
13 Emilia Martensson with all star guests. Worth it for a great series of vocalists.
15 Sacha Rattle/Zeynep Ozsuca  + Bruno Heinen. A slightly broader variety of music. As James Allsopp pointed out to me, music by Berg and Lutoslawski are almost 100 years old. So not that 'contemporary' or 'avant garde' to our ears.
18 Alice Zawadzki and Box String Quartet.  We all love Alice. Box String Quartet could develop with a little help from our friends, into a new Kronos Quartet. Help them on their way!
19, 20 Festival of the Between. Alya has put together a mouth-watering combination of musicians fusing Europe and the Middle East.
25 Penny Rimbaud presents the complete war poems of Wilfred Owen.  Has the founder of Crass mellowed? He was always thoughtful, but here he brings out his strong views by focussing on a great poet. He's done it here before and I was very moved.
31 The Enemy Well not really.Kit Downes, Petter Eldh and James Maddren are great guys, when you get them away from the stage, at least. Back on 1 April with a double bill of Tom Harrison Sextet. 

Programming and more

For the past year, I have been as busy on programming the music at the Vortex in Dalston, as releasing on Babel.
It has helped focus my mind on the changing nature of getting to hear  this innovative music, especially live but also recorded - who is playing, where do you find it, what does it take to best hear it. Many of these questions move into more general ones about where we have time to get to experience culture, how it can be created - the problems of time, location and value - and more.
So, for now, here are a few initial thoughts on how the Vortex is placing itself.
The first thing to notice is the increasing difficulty of existing in the expensive environment that we are in. Rents are rising, as are all running costs in London, but income isn't! The chance of getting public funding, such as from the Arts Council, is getting harder; the number of venues is on the decline, according to a recent report commissioned by Boris Johnson by around 30% since 2008; yet the number of really good musicians who want the chance to play is rising. Jazz courses are doing a great job in nurturing some fabulous young musicians, even though they have to get smarter to work out how to survive. There used to be big record labels willing to help too.
Luckily, we have a sympathetic landlord in Hackney Co-operative Developments who has been able to keep the rent relatively steady. The changing nature of the area where the club is, in Dalston, and its accessibility by public transport (especially the Overground) has also been helpful.
Next then is to consider how to balance out the need for the music to be experienced and selecting what might be right for us. It's about finding the right audiences for the music and a steady income without compromising on quality.
The various solutions that the Vortex has been going for, over the past year in particular, include: moving towards more gigs per month (in February alone 46); encouraging more volunteers to do functions both in the office and in the evenings; and keeping a good relationship with the musicians. While the marketing has suffered a bit in terms of the spend, the club has nevertheless been able to increase turnover and numbers coming in through the door. Meanwhile, we have tried to balance out the music that is performed at the club. A whole range in terms of the styles which one can look at when considering the words 'jazz' and 'improvised'.
This weekend is a good case in point. On Friday, Ian Shaw delivering his customary balance of entertainment and musicianship, followed late by Wolf Off, a blend of electronica, grooves and improvisation from Loop Collective members; on Saturday, Julian Siegel Quartet (the highest quality original contemporary jazz) followed late by a jazz-rocksteady-ska band late, then on Sunday, two doses of free improvisation (Mopomoso and a night curated by Loz Speyer) and our Downstairs session led by Hannes Riepler. The busier more mainstream gigs help fund the less busy free improv.
As the number of musicians passing through the club rises, so the amount of interest in performing also increases. Both from the scene in London, but also from elsewhere in the UK and overseas.
There is partly a degree of self-selection in who is asking and who we interact with. We can't put on gigs with too little audience indefinitely.
So we have to keep looking, The club is hovering just above the levels to survive but it needs to strengthen.
But more on different elements of these anon.

BABEL IN 2014

Babel ended 2013 with a flurry of new releases that carried on into 2014. There were the high-spirited compositions and energetic surges of SPY BOY by Brass Mask, and the sprightly melodies and Afro-Cuban rhythms of TOWER CASA by Nick Smart's Trogon. Early in 2014 these were followed by Step Wide, Step Deep, Opabinia, Parallel Moments and others. It was also the year that Babel celebrated its 25th Anniversary. In an interview with Textura to mark the occasion, the Director of Babel, Oliver Weindling  gave the following short but sweet interview.

Identity: The Babel Label was started by me, Oliver Weindling, twenty years ago. I like to call it a “jazz” label, reflectingan attitude and approach that j azz can have, in terms of pushing boundaries but without necessarily being unapproachable. That frequently overlaps with London's Vortex, where I help with the programming. Only part of this will be the traditional view of “jazz.”

Distinguishing characteristics: The label primarily reflects my taste (whatever it may be at any time). If the music has individuality, creativity, commitment and personality, with something unique to offer, then that's what really thrills me.

Proudest accomplishments: Survival for twenty years and releasing 
over 120 albums. Thus helping one aspect of musicians on the scene
 in London releasing their music to the world. Jack Massarik of The
 Evening Standard said about Babel, “It brings to the public for 
twenty years music that it doesn't want to hear.” My additional 
word to that is “YET”! So all Babel releases rank more or less
 equally as my proudest accomplishments.

Currently promoting: Alexander Hawkins: Solo and Ensemble, with 
a new trio due next year; Dan Messore's new Indigo Kid;
 Woven Entity; Whahay: bassist Paul Rogers' take on Charles Mingus;
 Bourne Davis Kane (with Paul Dunmall); Sylvain Darrifourcq / Valentin
 Ceccaldi / Manu Hermia; Brassmask: Tom Challenger's brass band with 
influences of Haitian rara and Henry Threadgill. That's enough for
 now.

Future: Continuing to survive and find exciting music.

What's coming in 2015 in brief...

Good things eventually come to all who wait... there's a new album by WHAHAY (Paul Rogers, Robin Fincker and Fabien Duscombes) with it's Charles Mingus inspired theme. A live performance of the album at the Vortex Jazz Club in this December received a rave review from Richard Williams who said,  The album was terrific but the gig was a monster... Unsurprisingly , The Guardian's John Fordham described the trio as on of Jazz's best kept secrets. 
A second helping of Dan Messore's Indigo Kid with the title 'FIST FULL OF NOTES' and is due for release soon.This second album shows that Messore has really come into his own as a leader and composer. Bruno Heinen and Kristian Borring's came together for POSTCARD TO BILL. This was a project centred around compositions of the great pianist Bill Evans, recorded live at the Vortex, and arranged by the duo who took inspiration from Evans’famous duo recordings with guitarist Jim Hall. 

Releases in 2014

Babel would like to thank reviewers who chose Babel releases as part of their best of 2014. Peter Quinn, musician and music writer, who cites Emilia Martenssen's ANA and Black No 1 amongst his selection of outstanding releases for 2014, The mercurial interplay, surging counterpoint and textural 
shifts of Black Top's debut # One combines boundary-pushing improv with brilliant musicianship, while subtle arrangements, exquisitely beautiful songs and a voice of remarkable expressive depth mark out Ana, the second album from the London-based Swedish vocalist, Emilia Mårtensson.
Marlbank also chose Babel's Emilia Martenssen as #3 of his best of 20 jazz vocals for 2014. Textura  also chose ANA as #20 of its 20 top albums. 
Bird is the Worm who chose Step, Wide Steep Deep as #17 of it's 30 best albums in 2014. To be included in the top 30 releases the music had to engage - elicit a cerebral connection, evoke intrigue, show personality, be different and embrace the best qualities of creativity.  

NOW’s THE TIME III
(Compilation focusing on France)
Not yet available

Preview:
John Fordham  http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/dec/11/nows-the-time-iii-focus-on-france-jazz-review

WOVEN ENTITY (Dec/14)

by Woven Entity
https://babel-label.bandcamp.com/album/woven-entity

Reviews:
Marlbank   http://www.marlbank.net/reviews/2274-woven-entity-woven-entity-babel-recommended
Chris May  https://www.jocksandnerds.com/articles/woven-entity-cd

NO. 1 WITH SPECIAL GUEST STEVE WILLIAMSON (Jul/14)

by Black Top
https://babel-label.bandcamp.com/album/no-1-with-special-guest-steve-williamson

Reviews:
Gapplegate
http://gapplegatemusicreview.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/black-top-with-steve-williamson-no-1.html

A collation of Black Top reviews

shttp://www.thecentreofattention.co.uk/black-top-2/news/what-they-have-been-saying/

 ANA (April 2014)
by Emilia Mårtensson
https://babel-label.bandcamp.com/album/ana


Reviews:
John Fordham  http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/apr/24/emilia-martensson-ana-review
Dave Kelly  http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/apr/20/emilia-martensson-ana-review-jazz
http://www.londonjazznews.com/2014/04/cd-review-emilia-martensson-ana.html

Mark Corroto
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/ana-emilia-martensson-babel-label-review-by-mark-corroto.php

Peter Quinn
http://www.jazzwisemagazine.com/pages/jazz-album-reviews/13087-emilia-martensson-ana

Peter Bacon
http://thejazzbreakfast.com/2014/04/09/emilia-martensson-ana/

Ian Mann
http://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/emilia-martensson-ana/

Other review links

http://emiliamartensson.com/blog/

STEP, WIDE, STEP DEEP (Feb 2014)
by Alexander Hawkins Ensemble

Reviews
Bird is the Worm
www.birdistheworm.com/recommended-alexander-hawkins-ensemble-step-wide-step-deep/
London Jazz News
www.londonjazznews.com/2014/04/cd-review-alexander-hawkins-ensemble.html
All About Jazz (Karl Ackermann)
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/step-wide-step-deep-alexander-hawkins-babel-label-review-by-karl-ackermann.php
Adrian Pallant
https://adrianspallant.wordpress.com/tag/step-wide-step-deep/
All About Jazz (Phil Barnes
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/alexander-hawkins-step-wide-step-deep-by-phil-barnes.php

SONG SINGULAR (Feb 2014)
Alexander Hawkins

Reviews
Guardian (John Fordham)
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/feb/27/alexander-hawkins-song-singular-review
All About Jazz (Karl Ackermann)
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/song-singular-alexander-hawkins-babel-label-review-by-karl-ackermann.php

OPABINIA (Feb 2014)
Dominic Lash Quartet

Reviews
The Jazz Mann
http://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/dominic-lash-quartet-opabinia/
London Jazz News
http://www.londonjazznews.com/2014/03/cd-review-dominic-lash-quartet-opabinia.html
All About Jazz (John Sharpe)
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/opabinia-dominic-lash-babel-label-review-by-john-sharpe.php

PARALLEL MOMENTS (Feb 2014)
Raymond MacDonald & Marilyn Crispell



Reviews
Gapplegate Music Review
http://gapplegatemusicreview.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/raymond-macdonald-and-marilyn-crispell.html
All About Jazz (Glenn Asitara)
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/parallel-moments-marilyn-crispell-babel-label-review-by-glenn-astarita.php
Jazz Times (Scott Albin)
http://jazztimes.com/community/articles/128237-parallel-moments-raymond-macdonald-marilyn-crispell
The List
https://www.list.co.uk/article/57705-raymond-macdonald-and-marilyn-crispell-parallel-moments/

Thank you for your support and wishing you all peace, love, prosperity and more in the coming new year.

 Happy New Year!

News From the Tower

New Release By Woven Entity

WOVEN ENTITY are: Lascelle Gordon, Patrick Dawes, Paul May and Peter Marsh. The band began life in 2010 after percussionist, DJ and multi instrumentalist Lascelle Gordon crossed paths with fellow percussionist Patrick Dawes and with drummer Paul May at various gigs and suggested the three try playing together. Soon the trio were organically evolving a brand of freely improvised music that wasn’t afraid to groove, float or tinkle. With appearances from a regular pool of guests such as Led Bib’s Chris Williams, Snorkel keyboardist Ben Cowen, bassist Peter Marsh, trumpeter Andy Knight and saxophonist Alan Wilkinson, 

LASCELLE GORDON

Lascelle (often known as Lascelles Lascelle) began his musical career as a DJ at London’s Wag Club in the 1980s, where his eclectic taste made him a favourite among the punters. After touring as A Certain Ratio’s DJ, he went on to form the Brand New Heavies, one of the biggest bands of the Acid Jazz movement. Leaving the band some five years later he formed Heliocentric World, scoring a hit single for Gilles Peterson’s Talkin’ Loud label before joining indie rockers and NME darlings Campag Velocet as their drummer. From there, Gordon went on to provide percussion live and in the studio for such diverse acts as Mr Scruff, The Sandals, Beth Orton and Gossip - he’s also worked extensively with producer Trevor Jackson and with Ben Cowen as 7 Hurtz, whose collaborators include Peaches. More recently Lascelle has toured with indie popsters Le Volume Courbe, supporting My Bloody Valentine on their 2013 tour, as well as forming improvising collectives Flight and Vibration Black Finger.

PATRICK DAWES
Patrick Dawes has been working for over two decades as a percussionist, beginning his career working alongside DJs in clubs such as the Ministry of Sound. In 1995 he began a four year stint recording and touring with The Herbaliser before joining Groove Armada as their live percussionist for the best part of a decade. As well as working alongside the likes of the legendary Richie Havens as well as co-fronting quirky jazz-popsters Patrick and Eugene and recording two albums with them, Dawes has released two albums for Tummy Touch, Circus Train and in 2013, Raising Stone, a collaborative record featuring contributions from a diverse range of talents from improvising vocalist Maggie Nicols to Acoustic Ladyland saxophonist Pete Wareham and early music specialist William Summers.

PAUL MAY
Paul May is one of the most respected drummers on the UK improvising circuit. His CV includes work with the likes of Alexander Hawkins, Tim Hodgkinson, Klaus Filip and Matthias Eick, as well as working with bassist Peter Marsh in electro-acoustic improvisers Sonnamble, Elvers (with trumpeter Ian R Watson) and Found Drowned (with guitarist James O’ Sullivan) to name just three. May has enjoyed a long working relationship with pianist Carolyn Hume which has yielded several well received albums on Leo Records and led to the formation of the quartet Fourth Page. May also plays and records regularly with bluesman Duke Garwood as well as songwriter Petra Jean Phillipson.

Peter Marsh
Marsh has often been heard alongside Paul May in recent years, forming the rhythm section for a bewildering variety of improvising bands from Clang Sayne to Fourth Page to Sonnamble among others. As well as playing a more conventional role backing singer Petra Jean Phillipson, they’ve
also worked with a huge range of improvisers from Alan Wilkinson, Martin Siewert to Klaus Filip. They also record as a duo, with a debut album (Falling More Slowly) released in 2013 on Linear Obsessional. Previously Marsh also played in avant fusion band Lob, spent time depping in The
Tiger Lillies, has played a lot of folk music (from Brittany to Macedonia) and has worked providing soundtracks to films by artists including Laura Cooper and Sami van Ingen. He has played with many improvisers including Lol Coxhill, Steve Williamson, Paul Rutherford. Robert Dick, Roger Turner and David Toop to name a few.

The new album Woven Entity is essentially a freewheeling expanded rhythm section, Woven Entity cook up a rich, strange brew of psychedelic jazz, electronic explorations, ethnological forgeries and unstoppable ritual grooves. Featuring contributions from guests Alan Wilkinson, Ben Cowen and Julie Kjaer, Woven Entity’s debut is a restless, playful and eclectic record that
 travels a long way in its 48 short minutes, cheerfully trampling genre divisions in its path. The brief ‘C358X’ opens proceedings; flurries of exotic percussion and a woozy, sourly cosmic synth skirt round each other, much like  Sun Ra crashing an Art Ensemble of Chicago session. The following ‘Me=You’morphs somewhat unexpectedly from a bracing free jazz workout for balafon, bass, drums and bongos into a deep, insistent groove that might just lure the more adventurous listener to shake a tailfeather or two. Julie Kjaer makes her first appearance on the album with some sly, bittersweet flute, steering away from the dancefloor towards darker, more uncertain territory. ‘Naked Eye’ displays May’s uncanny ability to conjure both anarchy and order from the drumkit as he, Dawes and Gordon trade phrases over a lush backdrop of loops and drones; one second he’s coaxing squeals from a cymbal, the next  he’s locked in a metronomic groove Jaki Liebezeit would be proud of. ‘This Day Will Come’ also subverts expectations, like much of this album seems to. Birdsong, bass and balafon are joined by percussive eruptions and what sounds like someone building furniture before settling into an extended coda for fizzing electronic noise and a pair of harmonicas, underpinned by the warm thrumming of Marsh’s bass, before dying away suddenly. Alan Wilkinson turns up on ‘So Black Dada’ with a short but (uncharacteristically) sweet alto solo over a shifting matrix of metals, talking drum and jaws harp that provides one of the album’s most affecting moments. Trisssh’ (dedicated to the late Trish Keenan of Broadcast) blends minimal gamelan-esque percussion, field recordings, wind-up toys and drum machine into a slo-mo avant funk brew. ‘Hola’ is powered by a brooding, episodic groove from May’s muted kit, flecked with whistles, saxophone multiphonics, sonar bleeps and duck calls.‘Earth/Crisis’ is the longest piece by some margin. Beginning with abstract scribbles and stridulations, an off- kilter, loping afro-jazz groove emerges.Kjaer delivers progressively more heated, oblique bursts of alto before the whole shebang implodes into a primitive, ritualistic throb worthy of early 80s experimentalists 23 Skidoo. Kjaer is back on flute for ‘Who’s Who’, a humid slice of poised exotica that comes on like a stoner take on Ra’s ‘Angels and Demons At Play’. Gordon’s spectral electronics hover above the proceedings, while he and Dawes decorate Marsh and May’s locked down groove with intricate percussive exchanges. It’s astonishing how they keep out of each others way yet can apparently act as one organism, negotiating tempo and dynamics on the fly with astonishing fluidity. The album ends with ‘Moors and Orandas’, a luminous, mournful piece which promises to lead somewhere rich and strange, then thinks twice about it. Something for the next journey, perhaps.Woven Entity’s music is immersive, rhythmically infectious and eclectic to the point of uncategorisablity. All gates are open.


RELEASE DATE:
15/12/2014

1.  C358X
2.  Me = You
3.  Naked Eye
4.  This Day Will Come
5.  So Black Dada
6.  Hola
7.  Trissh
8.  Earth/Crisis
9.  Who’s Who
10. Moors and Orandas

https://babel-label.bandcamp.com/album/woven-entity

Babel selected as favourite...and other news.

Babel Label Selected As One of textura's Favourite label for 2014

At Babel we are delighted to have been chosen by the publication textura as a favourite label. textura has been around for 10 years focusing on experimental,electronic, jazz and classical music forms putting out 11 issues per year packed with reviews, interviews and articles.There is also the textura label on which three full-length recordings, Kubla Khan (2008), Esther Marie (2010), and Monuments and Ruins (2012) were released. The latter is a split work with two contrasting but connected soundworlds, one epic and memorializing and the other eerie and elegiac by Ben Chatwin and Damian Valle. The Canadian-based publication, every November selects ten labels whose output 'dazzled' and stood out from the crowd in the past year. Along side Babel the other labels chosen include: Cantaloupe, Denovali, Gruenrekorder, Hubro, Innova, Metalheadz, New Amsterdam, Populist, Schole and Western Vinyl. This time textura seem to have chosen eleven.There is a short but sweet revealing interview with Babel's capo Oliver Weindling reproduced below organized around the themes of Label identity, distinguishing characteristics, proudest accomplishments, currently promoting and the future.

 Identity: The Babel Label was started by me, Oliver Weindling, twenty years ago. I like to call it a “jazz” label, reflectingan attitude and approach that j azz can have, in terms of pushing boundaries but without necessarily being unapproachable. That frequently overlaps with London's Vortex, where I help with the programming. Only part of this will be the traditional view of “jazz.”

Distinguishing characteristics: The label primarily reflects my taste (whatever it may be at any time). If the music has individuality, creativity, commitment and personality, with something unique to offer, then that's what really thrills me.

Proudest accomplishments: Survival for twenty years and releasing
over 120 albums. Thus helping one aspect of musicians on the scene
 in London releasing their music to the world. Jack Massarik of The
 Evening Standard said about Babel, “It brings to the public for
twenty years music that it doesn't want to hear.” My additional
word to that is “YET”! So all Babel releases rank more or less
 equally as my proudest accomplishments.

Currently promoting: Alexander Hawkins: Solo and Ensemble, with
a new trio due next year; Dan Messore's new Indigo Kid;
 Woven Entity; Whahay: bassist Paul Rogers' take on Charles Mingus;
 Bourne Davis Kane (with Paul Dunmall); Sylvain Darrifourcq / Valentin
 Ceccaldi / Manu Hermia; Brassmask: Tom Challenger's brass band with
influences of Haitian rara and Henry Threadgill. That's enough for
 now.

Future: Continuing to survive and find exciting music.

Recent  Babel Release:  Woven Entity by Woven Entity 
 Woven Entity is Lascelles Lascelle (percussion), Patrick Dawes( percussion), Paul Barkingside(drums) and Peter Marsh (bass). Expect improvised and semi-improvised spiritual grooves skirting the boundaries of astral jazz, free improv, krautrock and lo-fi electronica. The band operates as a floating collective along side various guests including saxophonists Julie Kjaer, Chris Williams (Led Bib), Alan Wilkinson, Andy Knight, Ben Cowen and others.

Coming to the Vortex Jazz Club: Whahay 13/Nov/2014
Info:  http://www.vortexjazz.co.uk/event/whahay/
Whahay is Paul Rogers (hybrid 7 stringed double bass), Robin Fincker (saxophone, clarinet) and Fabien Duscombs (drums). Their latest offering is a tribute to Charles Mingus' compositions which are revered but at the same time given a 'European free Jazz' treatment. There is also a solo set from another Babel artist James Allsopp on tenor saxophone.



Check out Babel on Bandcamp 

Match & Fuse festival

A three day festival across three venues in East London: showcasing an exhilarating diversity of new music across a multitude of genres

- M&F LONDON 2014 will feature  premieres of new works from Elliot Galvin, Shabaka Hutchings, James Allsopp, Rebecca Sneddon & Lunch Money 

- M&F LONDON 2014 will be broadcast live online to the world through Screensaverlive.tv on October 3

- M&F LONDON 2014 will feature some of the UK and Europe’s most exciting acts, breaking genre barriers, challenging convention and producing innovative live sounds including: 

Lazy Habits, The Comet Is Coming, Pixel, Lana Trio w/ John Butcher, Snorkel, The Physics House Band, Bellatrix and many more.

MORE INFORMATION HERE