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Todd Gordon Band
Pete Oxley’s Curious Paradise
Richie Barshay’s Round Table
Threeway
Gilad Atzmon Quartet
John Horler Quartet
Byron Wallen trio with special guest Julian Siegel
Quentin
Collins Quintet
Gallery
(Friday 7th september 2007)
Quentin is a hard-working perfectionist who has always impressed when
he has visited Wakefield in the bands of others. His intense hard-bop
plus style is always expressed to the max and he blends with the mod of
any band. This is a celebration of his first CD under his own name which
earned him a profile in Jazzwise (June 2007) in which he admits that his
playing is all about “energy and bravura”.
This band contains nothing but players equal to providing the same and
so we should start our new season with a bang.
A
review of the new recording stated :
” Following the example of trumpet greats, Freddie Hubbard and Woody
Shaw, Collins switches fluidly from soaring, brassy lines to more darkly
lustrous tones. The highlight is a cinematic noir version of Gabriel Faure's
Pavanne, yet both lyrical originals and Coltrane/Monk covers, are fresh
and entirely convincing.”
Quentin
Collins - trumpet
Tony Kofi - tenor
Jim Hart - vibes
Larry Bartley - bass
Winston Clifford - drums
Latest
CD : If Not Now – Then When
(Cadiz - SUNCD002)
Web: www.quentincollins.com
Top
(Friday 14th September 2007)
Todd
Gordon is on his second career. Having done well as a computer consultant
he became dissatisfied and decided to develop his singing talent, especially
his interpretations of the Sinatra style. By 2001 he had graduated from
Karaoke to Henry’s Cellar bar in Edinburgh. His easy personality
and impeccable crooner’s sound soon took him into great company
and by 2003 he was opening for Dionne Warwick’s concert tour of
the UK. He is now broadening his approach beyond the Sinatra repertoire
to the full range of the American Songbook.
His latest CD (the second produced by Ian Shaw) features Guy Barker, Alec
and Jacqui Dankworth, John Paricelli and Steve Rubie. We are very lucky
to have this outstanding performer visit Wakefield to sing for us. With
Konrad Wiszniewski to help interpret David Patrick’s outstanding
arrangements we can expect sentiment and sparks.
“His
new CD – Ballads from the Midnight Hotel – is sensual, thoughtful
and beautifully crafted. An immaculate choice of songs sung with intelligence
and conviction… this is the Todd Gordon I’ve been waiting
for”. - (Claire Martin, BBC Jazz Line-Up)
Todd Gordon - vocals
Konrad Wiszniewski - tenor
David Patrick - piano
Matt Home - drums
Alec Dankworth - bass
Latest CD : Ballads from the Midnight Hotel (Hemba records – HR-TG10653)
www.toddgordon.com
or www.myspace.com/toddgordon
(Friday 21st september 2007)
This is the third incarnation of 'Curious Paradise' and Pete describes the current lineup as his “dream team”. It will be particularly good to welcome Julian Nicholas back to Wakefield after far too long an absence, but look out for the virtuosic playing of Phil Peskett. As always, the band is a showcase for Pete’s own compositions and his album title hits the nail on the head by suggesting that only an English writer could have produced the tunes. Very melodic and in a variety of styles - there is always an interesting twist to his writing and plenty for the improviser to get to grips with.
"Delightful, truly extraordinary music. Drawing from folk melodies and a clear understanding of South American idioms, CURIOUS PARADISE has successfully melded an underlying Englishness with the heat and passion that one normally associates with Brazilian music." - (Daryl Johnson in a New York review).
Pete
Oxley - acoustic, electric and synth. guitars
Julian Nicholas - tenor & soprano saxophones, bass clarinet, penny
whistles
Phil Peskett - piano and keyboards
Oli Hayhurst - acoustic & electric bass
Russ Morgan - drums & percussion
Latest CD : English Elements (LIVE)!
Website:
www.peteoxley.com
Top
(Friday 28th September 2007)
Richie Barshay has been Herbie Hancock’s
drummer for three years and recently toured with Kenny Werner. He moved
from Boston to New York to be where the action is and is now carving a
niche with his own band.
This band results from Richie’s friendship with the UK-based American,
Mike Janisch who had the idea of a trans-Atlantic collaboration. The energy
of this generation of players guarantees that a fine night of superbly
played exciting music will be on offer.
Dan Blake also moved from Boston to Brooklyn and now teaches at The Conservatory
at Brooklyn College. Petr moved to New York from the Czech republic via
Canada and Boston. An intriguing mix of modern musicians who may never
come together again.
Richie
Barshay - drums
Jim Hart - vibes
Daniel Blake - tenor
Petr Cancura - tenor / mandolin
Mike Janisch - bass
Latest CD : Homework (Ayva Music)
Web:
www.richiebarshay.com
Top
Threeway Gallery
(Friday 5th October 2007)
Ben Crosland has been a good friend of
Jazz in West Yorkshire for years and has a knack of persuading stars from
the National Scene to play with him and interpret his music.
This tasty trio has been together for three years and played many venues
combining original material with more familiar jazz compositions.
Crosland formed the trio in 2004 with Waterman and Lodder, two long term
associates, in order to explore the subtle and open possibilities of a
group without drums. The interplay between the players creates a natural
intensity combined with an acute sensitivity to dynamics. The variety
of the original compositions, contributed by mainly by Ben, and the different
tone colours created by the instruments ensure a satisfying and well rounded
performance.
“As this CD shows, the players pull off the difficult trick of balancing relaxation and intensity – such a vital ingredient of successful small- group jazz. So Waterman unleashes one of his most powerful solos on Crosland’s ‘The Road Ahead’, without disturbing the basically pensive mood, while Steve Lodder’s solos are similarly fluent and full of ideas, yet slotting right into the groove.” (Dave Gelly - Observer)
This
concert is supported by the Arts Council’s Musicians in Residence
scheme.
Steve Lodder - piano / keyboard
Ben Crosland - bass
Steve Warterman - trumpet / flugelhorn
Latest CD : Conversations (Jazz Cat)
Web:
www.jazz-cat.com
Top
(Friday 12th October 2007)
Fresh from the successes of his performances
as Artie Fishel and the Promised Band, Gilad now returns to the relative
sanity of a normal appearance.
One of the hardest working players in the UK today, Gilad also finds time
to tour abroad and to write new music and politically inspired novels.
He is an entertainer who might regale his audience in any one of several
languages - or none, as well as find something to poke fun at in the audience
or his band. But when it comes to his music, his approach is as passionately
serious as one could hope. It takes special musicians to keep up with
what he delivers and that is just what this band contains.
“…a master of dynamics and the slow-build, mixing lyricism with hoarse, Coltranesque squalls, a combination for which he would have a formidable international reputation as a soloist alone. But his self-appointed mission to restore to jazz a cultural-political clout it had in the first bop era and in the free-jazz of the 1960s makes him something considerably bigger.” - (John Fordham, The Guardian)
Gilad
Atzmon - saxophones and clarinet
John Turville - piano
Yaron Stavi - bass
Asaf Sirkis - drums
Latest
CD : Artie Fishel and the Promised Band
Web:
www.gilad.co.uk
Top
(Friday 19th October 2007)
For some time, John’s highest profile gig has been with 'Acoustic Triangle' but he was John Dankworth and Cleo Lane’s pianist for years. He has played with almost everyone of his generation on the UK scene and is highly sought after to accompany singers. Here he has the opportunity to stretch out into his own sophisticated music with a rhythm section of the highest quality.
Horler's playing is sparkling throughout, inventive, fluent and full of ideas - but never overpowering. His touch at the keyboard is always assured and there is a real beauty and delicacy in his handling of the more reflective material. (Ian Mann reviewing the CD - The Key to it All)
John
Horler - piano
Pat Mc Carthy - guitar
Dave Green - bass
Winston Clifford - drums
Latest
CD : The Modern Jazz Trio - 'The Key To It All' (Diving Duck Records:
DDRCD006)
Web: No site
Top
(Friday 26th October 2007)
When Rosario Giuliani pulled his tour out of its UK leg we were very lucky to get this unusual band at short notice.
Contemporary British Jazz at its finest – played by experienced and expert exponents.
2007 MOBO (best Jazz) nominated Wallen was in the
trumpet section of Guy Barker's big band when they visited Wakefield last
May and has secured a huge reputation as a composer as well as a player.
He plays piano and flute too. Julian is this year's BBC Jazz Awards 'Best
Instrumentalist' winner.
Latest CDs:
Byron - Meeting Ground (Twilight Jaguar)
Julian - Max (with Partisans) or Closeup (with the JS Quartet)
Byron Wallen - trumpet
Larry Bartley - bass
Tom Skinner - drums
Julian - saxophones and clarinets
www.byronwallen.com
and www.juliansiegel.com
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