Ubunye
John Pope Quintet
Caroline Boaden Fourtet
Green Tangerines
Alison Rayner Quintet
Clark Tracey Sextet
Greg Abate + Pete Rosser Trio
Eternal Triangle – Trevor Watts/Veryan Weston/Jamie Harris
Emma Johnson’s Gravy Boat
Ben Crosland Quartet
Xmas Party – Patsy Gilbert Quintet – Pete Rosser – Jenny Smith
Ubunye
Friday 1 October
Ubunye (oneness) unites singers from Kwa Zulu Natal with musicians from Leeds in an inspirational blend of styles and cultures. High energy beats and traditional vocals sounds combine with Jazz and Gospel and morph into new contemporary styles. At times it’s energetic at other times delicate and quiet.
High energy African beats and traditional sounds morph into more contemporary African musical styles. All that and the jazz skills of this established quartet. Bring it on!
“It’s a soulful, goose bump inducing experience.” – Manchester Jazz Festival
“no one who hadn’t heard them perform before could quite anticipate the ways in which Ubunye would be remarkable” – Wakefield Jazz
Nokuthula Zondi-Kamudyariwa – vocals
Xolani Mbatha – vocals
Thandanani Gumede – vocals
Dave Evans – keyboards
Kenny Higgins – bass
Sean Hunt – drums
Liam DeTar- guitar
Website: www.ubunye.co.uk
Ubunye will be releasing their debut album early in 2022.
John Pope Quintet
Friday 8 October
Openhearted quintet led by Newcastle bassist/composer John Pope, with earworm tunes and shades of Ornette Coleman’s freewheeling collective style.
John Pope – bass
Jamie Stockbridge – alto sax
Faye McCalman – tenor sax/clarinet
Graham Hardy – trumpet
Johnny Hunter – drums
Website: www.johnpopebass.co.uk
Caroline Boaden Fourtet
Friday 15 October
Stylish and intelligent jazz from some of Yorkshire’s finest musicians, led by drummer Caroline Boaden, featuring originals and classics, from Monk to Joni Mitchell.
Caroline Boaden – drums
Stella Midgley – vocals/guitar/lap steel
Jamil Sheriff – piano
Ed Harrison – bass
Website: click here to visit
Green Tangerines
Friday 22 October
Contemporary foot-tapping jazz-funk from Liverpool, with more than a nod to the 70s – assertive horns and rippling electric guitar over a tight rhythm section.
Sarah Sands – vocals/sax
Sam Taylor – trumpet
Jack O’Hanlon – guitar
Fran Mills – bass
Tom Hudson – drums
Website: www.greentangerines.co.uk
Alison Rayner Quintet
Friday 29 October
Alison Rayner has been a leading light of British jazz for over 30 years, with the Guest Stars in the 80s and with the Blow The Fuse partnership. Strong heartwarming tunes and incisive improvising, with musical influences from around the world.
Alison Rayner – bass
Diane McLoughlin – saxophones
Deirdre Cartwright – guitar
Steve Lodder – piano
Buster Birch – drums
Website: www.alisonrayner.com
Clark Tracey Sextet
Friday 5 November
Remarkably now a sexagenarian veteran of British jazz, Clark returns to Wakefield with the latest iteration of his Art Blakey-inspired hard bop sextet, featuring some of the UK’s finest young musicians, and special guest Mark Armstrong, director of NYJO.
Clark Tracey – drums
Mark Armstrong – trumpet
James Wade Sired – trombone
Tom Ridout – sax
Gareth Williams – piano
James Owston – bass
Website: https://clarktracey.com
Greg Abate + Pete Rosser Trio
Friday 12 November
New York saxophonist Greg Abate is one of the best exponents of seat-of-the-pants barnstorming bebop, channelling the spirit of Charlie Parker and putting the Wakefield Jazz house rhythm section firmly through its paces. Unrehearsed spontaneity.
Greg Abate – alto sax
Pete Rosser – piano
Sam Jackson – bass
drums – John Settle
Eternal Triangle – Trevor Watts/Veryan Weston/Jamie Harris
Friday 19 November
The legendary improvising saxophonist/composer Trevor Watts was present at the birth of free jazz in 1960s London as part of the Spontaneous Music Ensemble (with John Stevens et al). This new trio features long-time collaborator Veryan Weston (whose 70th birthday celebrations here at Wakefield Jazz were postponed last year) and percussionist Jamie Harris. This new music builds on Trevor’s vital Moiré Music band of the 1980s to perform some new open-ended pieces based on African/Latin-influenced rhythmic structures.
Trevor Watts – alto + soprano sax/composer
Veryan Weston – piano/synth
Jamie Harris – congas/percussion
Website – Trevor Watts: Click here to visit
Website – Eternal Triangle: Click here to visit
Emma Johnson’s Gravy Boat
Friday 26 November
Cinematic jazz composed by Leeds-based Emma Johnson, with strong melodies and cathartic improvisation. As featured on their new cd Worry Not.
Emma Johnson – tenor sax
Fergus Vickers – guitar
Richard Jones – piano
Angus Milne – bass
Steve Hanley – drums
Website: www.johnsonmusic.co.uk
Ben Crosland Quartet
Friday 3 December
Huddersfield-bassist leads his current quartet featuring avuncular saxman Rod Mason, playing a mix of originals and contemporary classics by John Scofield and Jaco Pastorius.
Ben Crosland – bass
Rod Mason – sax
Dean Stockdale – piano
Dave Tyas – drums
Xmas Party
Friday 10 December
New Listing
We are sorry to inform you that Tina May is unwell and has had to pull out of the Christmas gig at Wakefield Jazz on Friday 10th December.
What we have decided to do is showcase Wakefield (and Leeds) finest musicians in a three set extravaganza.
Fresh from his performance at the Leyburn Festival, our Arts Council funded intern, Ben, will take charge of the first set and feature singer Patsy Gilbert. The second set will be under the stewardship of our own Pete Rosser, so anything could happen – but we know that it will be good. He has enlisted Jenny Smith for vocal duties. The third set will joyously prepare you for Christmas.
Patsy Gilbert / Jenny Smith – vocals
Richard Ormrod – saxes
Ben Gilbert / Pete Rosser – piano/accordion
José Canha – bass
Caroline Boaden – drums
Hits: 520
