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Joe Stilgoe Trio with special guest
Julian Joseph Trio
Dylan Howe Quintet
Zoe Rahman Quartet
Renato D'Aiello Quartet with Rachel Gould
Jim Mullen Reunion Band
Frank Harrison Trio
Arnie Somogyi's Ambulance
Steve Melling / Clark Tracey Special Septet
With support form the Andrew Woodhead Quartet at 7:30pm
(Friday 2 December)
One of Europe's most celebrated jazz pianists and composers John has recorded over 80 CDs, mostly for the ECM label, and many of his pieces have become contemporary jazz standards. He is rarely seen in the UK as he is in such enormous demand on the continent but will always be available to join a celebration of the life and music of Kenny Wheeler (most recently on his 80th birthday big band tour). This trio is the nearest to a stable group he's run during the recent past. Its last appearance for Sheffield Jazz at the Crucible studio in 2006 was so magnetically wonderful that they were keen to bring him back. A series of gigs was essential to make the trip worthwhile so we at Wakefield were contacted well over a year ago to investigate our willingness to join a mini Northern tour. After many hiccups this is now happening and his home town of Manchester (RNCM) is also hosting him.
"Taylor is more classical and impressionistic, less gregariously hook-orientated than Esbjorn Svensson or Tord Gustafsen, doesn't convolute pop tunes like Brad Mehldau, reawaken standards like Keith Jarrett, or play with Herbie Hancock's swollen-river imperiousness. But he rebalances elements of all those qualities." - John Fordham (Guardian)
John Taylor - piano
Palle Danielsson - bass
Martin France - drums
Latest
CD: Requiem for a Dreamer (this trio with Julian Arguelles) (CamJazz 2011)
Web:
www.johntaylorjazz.com
Andrew Woodhead Quartet:
Andrew Woodhead - piano
Sam Rapley - tenor sax
Tom McCredie - bass
Alex McManus - drums
Top
John Taylor
(Friday 9 December)
Christmas Party - starts at 8.00pm - 3 sets with buffet in first break and monster raffle in the second.
In snowy January Joe visited Wakefield for the first time and played /sang to an audience depleted in number by snow. You will have heard how entertaining this accomplished musician is. The immediate cry was "He'd be perfect for our Christmas Party" and so he will. This time he shares some of the pressure with a sax player, Simon Allen, who has great personal appeal and a wonderful sense of fun. His terrific musicianship will ensure we have a great gig.
Joe is currently recording his second album and we shall undoubtedly hear material from that tonight as well as an outing of the catchy single "I like this one". Simon has recently launched his first CD too.
"Best New CD of the year...A very ear-catching singer...highly accomplished pianist...Extraordinarily enterprising, imaginative and articulate songwriter." *****
The Jazz Rag
Joe Stilgoe - piano and voice
Special guest, Simon Allen - sax
Chris Hill - bass
Ben Reynolds - drums
Latest
CD: I Like This One (single) - click on play button:
Web:
www.joestilgoe.com
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Joe Stilgoe
Simon Allen
Julian Joseph Trio
(Friday
6 January)
Broadcaster, composer, pianist and Big Band leader Julian has been a major
figure on the British jazz scene since his early days with the Courtney
Pine band. Recently he has built an all-star Big Band around the Trio
we shall see tonight and it has featured at both the London City Jazz
Festival and Ronnie Scott's. The opera "Shadowball" has earned
him a nomination for the British Composers awards. Furthermore he has
been commissioned to write another suite "The Brown Bomber"
as a contribution to the Cultural Olympiad (a tribute to boxer Joe Louis).
Julian has brought his trio to Wakefield once before for an unforgettable
night of freewheeling jazz. We are honoured to be able to present him
once again and look forward to a night of virtuoso piano playing with
built-in X-factor.
Julian Joseph, a pianist
who really does know how to shape a musical idea and make it more and
more intense until you're practically jumping out of your seat with excitement.
- Ivan Hewitt,The Telegraph
Julian Joseph - piano
Mark Hodgson - bass
Mark Mondesir - drums
Latest CD: Universal Traveller (East West - B00004S6H1)
Web:
www.julianjoseph.com
Julian Joseph
(Friday 13 January)
Dylan has a triple life as session musician, rock drummer (Wilko Johnson; the Blockheads) and jazzer. This, his latest and most ambitious band, is an all-star affair which will take him beyond the Blue note sound of previous offerings. Steve Fishwick, recently back from the USA is on cracking form as heard at Festivals last summer. Paul Booth is a worthy contender for best tenor player in UK jazz but also spends time in the rocking chairs of Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood; he recently recorded with Clarence Penn. Professor Tom Cawley (Peter Gabriel / Curios) is a piano maestro bar none. Mark Hodgson remains in the big time returning after last week's gig with Julian Joseph.
Can this be bettered as a line-up for Dylan to provoke relentlessly from the kit? I think not.
Paul Booth - tenor sax
Steve Fishwick -trumpet
Tom Cawley - piano
Mark Hodgson - bass
Dylan Howe - drums
Latest
CD : Stravinski ~ The Rite of Spring Part 1 (Duo with Will Butterworth)
[Motorik Recordings 2010]
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Dylan Howe Quintet
(Friday 20 January)
Zoe's last musical project explored the influence of her Bangladeshi father's heritage on music and thence on jazz. Now she has researched the other side of her family's background - her mother's Irish forefathers and their musical impact. A rich seam you may say. She brings the band to Wakefield as part of the launch tour for the resultant new (5th) album - Kindred Spirits.
Recently Zoe has toured with Courtney Pine - opening for him, and then playing with his band, at Brecon for example. Her opening set on that occasion - part trio, part quartet - brought the tent down, giving even the popular Courtney an example of entertaining jazz that was hard to follow.
Gifted
with the knack of writing attractive and memorable tunes she also plays
with monstrously accomplished flair. Added to that, Zoe's kookie personality
and vivacious piano style are so infectious that we'll all go home dancing
or floating over the landscape - it'll be hard to come down by bedtime.
Then she really had them (sic - the audience),
by playing music that was terrific but also accessible. And she and the
others radiated sheer pleasure in playing together - it was clear they
all liked each other and were happy performing together. No egos. - The
Irish Times
Zoe Rahman - piano
Idris Rahman - clarinet
Alec Dankworth - bass
Gene Calderazzo - drums
Latest
CD: Kindred Spirits (Manushi)
Web:
www.zoerahman.com
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Zoe Rahman
(Friday 27 January.
F ollowing a successful appearance of American singer Rachel Gould with his band at Ronnie Scott's last October Renato now has a weekly spot at the Club upstairs featuring a singer every Monday. It was a pleasure to hear the relaxed style of this experienced singer who recorded with Chet Baker and easy to see a successful relationship with the musical style of Renato. Now living in Holland, Rachel studied at Boston University before beginning her singing career in the 70s. She has taught in Germany, Switzerland and Holland and is known both for her personal interpretation of standards and her own compositions.
Bruno Montrone is a talented young pianist from Bari in Southern Italy who has already worked in New York and London as well as throughout Europe.
We must thank Renato for introducing us to musicians unfamiliar to us but with reputations already well established elsewhere.
Rachel
Gould - voice
Renato D'Aiello - tenor saxophone
Bruno Montrone - piano
Dario Di Lecce - bass
Chris Higginbottom - drums
Web: www.renatodaiello.altervista.org
Renato D'Aiello
(Friday 3 February)
Adam is a virtuoso jazz harmonica player. He has forged a high reputation among the London clubs and is able to bring a great band together. When I mentioned that I had doubts about a full evening of harmonica to musicians who know his work I was regaled with waves of encouragement to go ahead as his playing is so varied. Originally from South Africa, his first CD "Free at First" made reference to his origins and is a tribute to Joe Zawinul with whom he played. He also played piano for the late Dudu Pukwana in township bands during his formative years. His new CD, for which this gig is part of a promotional tour, includes some South African melodies as well as standards. We shall hear some songs from the album and much more of a wholly melodic nature.
"...only proponent of this instrument who has brought a truly unique voice and idiom to the constantly evolving language of jazz. [...] a challenge to equal for sheer scope of virtuosity, musicality and surprise". - Raul d'Gama Rose
Adam Glasser - chromatic harmonica
Robin Aspland - piano
Alec Dankworth - bass
Tristan Maillot - drums
Latest
CD: Mzansi (Sunnyside Records)
Web:
www.MySpace.com/adamglasser
Adam Glasser
Jim
Mullen Reunion Band
(Friday
10 February)
With Support from Tom Wheatley Trio
This
project was instigated by Mick Hutton as part of his return to top level
jazz bass playing. Many of us will remember his wit and expertise from
Appleby days and how tragic was his loss from the scene as the result
of a botched tendon operation . Now fully restored, and playing better
than ever, Mick is out and about with several bands once more. This band
is one for which he holds great nostalgia from his early days and which
will still play up a storm. Gareth will spar with Jim and Gary will drive
things along so the project can't fail to delight.
Jim Mullen - guitar
Gareth Williams - piano
Mick Hutton - bass
Gary Husband - drums
Latest
CD: (Organ trio with Stan Sulzman) Smokescreen
Web:
www.jimmullenjazz.co.uk
Tom
Wheatley Trio
Declan Forde - piano
Tom Wheatley - bass
Jay Davis - drums
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Jim Mullen
(Friday 17 February)
With Support from Ed Rice Trio
Frank's most prominent partnership has been the long-term relationship with Gilad Atmon in the Orient House Ensemble. He has, however, run a trio since 2006 which has been particularly well received in Italy. His latest bass player was collected there; Davide is another member of the Global Music Foundation, which Stephen Keogh directs. He trained with Neils- Henning Øersted Pederson in Copenhagen and now lives in Stuttgart. He was a member of Monty Alexander's trio for three years and has played with Jon Faddis and Randy Brecker. Stephen is best known for his work with Peter King but since moving to Barcelona he has become a member of Bill Charlap's European band. He works all over the world with the likes of Brad Meldhau and Steve Grossman.
So this is an exceptional trio which will mix modern standards with Frank's own compositions in their programme.
Frank Harrison - piano
Chris Hill - bass (Played with Jamie Cullum and John Turville trio)
Stephen Keogh - drums
Latest
CD: Tina May & the Frank Harrison Trio (DVD)
Latest CD: The Causeway Suite
Web:
www.frankharrison.net
Ed
Rice Trio
Ed Rice - piano
Ivan Scutt - bass
Adam Staines - drums
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Frank Harrison Trio
(Friday 24 February)
The first time Arnie brought this band to Wakefield we were introduced to the miraculous playing of Tim Lapthorn, Paul Booth and the compositions written while musicians in residence at Snape Maltings. Then they returned with American trumpeter Eddie Henderson guesting. This time they are in pared down quartet format but the newcomers whose stars have soared are still in place.
Terrific playing characterised by plenty of energy in the best of contemporary accessible styles is what we know to expect from these musicians rehearsed to within an inch of their lives by Birmingham Conservatoire's favourite jazz tutor and member of Ronnie Scott's "All-Stars".
Paul
Booth - tenor sax
Tim Lapthorn - piano
Arnie Somogyi - bass
Dave Smith - drums
Web:
www.MySpace.com/ambulancejazz
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Arnie Somogyi
(Friday 2 March)
This concert was made possible through the generosity of an anonymous sponsor - thank you.
As a London critic says below this is a band of stars from the Appleby generation making wonderful music that will get any jazz fan stimulated. The new CD "Special One" features original tracks by almost every member of the band and a special arrangement of Cherokee by Simon Allen. All the musicians are familiar favourites of the Wakefield audience and so we can expect a very full house tonight. Steve is always in demand, as are all his compatriots, so when a sponsor asked for this band as close to his birthday as possible it was an early call to get them together - only one member of the CD line-up was unavailable.
This classy straight-ahead album is what happens when an unusually strong team of British stars feel like recording together and do something about it. - Jack Massarick in his 4 * review for the Evening Standard
Steve Melling - piano
Clark Tracey - drums
Geoff Gascoyne - bass
Mark Armstrong - trumpet
Simon Allen - alto
Paul Booth - tenor sax
Martin Gladdish - trombone
Latest
CD: Special One (Melljazz)
Web:
www.stevemelling.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/index.html
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Steve Melling