The announcement of John D's death

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

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 -

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

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

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.