From Byas opinion via NME outcasts to the Sands of time

[Serial_Apologist]

O agree. I have the lead sheet for this cpmposition in an anthology of Hard Bop piano. I will have to dig it out although O haven't played the piano in over 12 months! Might be an incentive to start playing again.

It is quite interesting listening to the younger, black English jazz musicians on J-Z and discovering that there is a whole community of jazz musicians out there I had not been aware of. I must preferred the recently featured band to the rather chilly Phronesis track which seems to owe more to Classical music than jazz.
I liked the SEED ensemble the other week too and this stuff seems a perfect antidote to some of the more academic and soulless jazz that the UK has put out in the 2000's. Hopefully this new stuff will push away the rather modish stuff like Neil Cowley trio which holds no appeal to me.


The new album by the trumpet player from Manchester seemed indicative to me of a lot of the things in jazz which I feel lacks interest. There is an obsession with mixing up meters as opposed to writing strong melodies or themes. I also felt the record seemed really over-produced in a way to compensate for the lack of clout with the solos. I did not hear the Iyer interview and switched the radio off when I got home after being depressed with the utter crap served up by Southampton at St Mary's this afternoon - absolutely woeful.

I did try and get people interested in promising newcomers on the London scene with my thread, but no one seemed interested.

[Jazzrook]

Sat 9 Feb
4pm - Jazz Record Requests

http://www.alynshipton.co.uk/blog

5pm - J to Z
Kevin Le Gendre with the cream of old and new jazz today featuring a celebration of Jamaican hard-bop trumpeter Dizzy Reece.

There appears to be a mismatch with the programme link which mentions only Vijay Iyer and Camilla George - shurely shome mishtake?

12midnight - Geoffrey Smith's Jazz
Oklahoma-born saxophonist Don Byas (1912-72) found fame with Count Basie but really made his mark in the bebop band of Dizzy Gillespie, forging a stellar reputation as a soloist. But in 1946 Byas moved to Europe, where he played well but now remains rather forgotten. Geoffrey Smith restores the reputation of a formidable tenorist.

Don Byas was guesting at the old Ronnie's on my second-ever visit. He had a Mexican-style moustache, and allegedly a bit of a reputation for cantankerousness, I believe.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0002h7l

Sun 10 Feb
11pm - James Collier's Music Room
2/3 Harmony. Multi-instrumentalist Jacob Collier explores the role of harmony in different types of music.

Last week's programme was an interesting investigation of polyrhythms from a wide range of musical cultures, though the inclusion of a Johann Strauss waltz and Ravel's Bolero was a bit of a stretch, I thought.

Mon 11 Feb
11pm - Jazz Now
Soweto Kinch introduces a concert by Enemy, while Emma Smith has this month's selection of tracks uploaded to BBC introducing.

It's pack up your troubles in your old Kit Downes and meet the Enemy, according to the link:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0002hfk

Radio 2 - Tues 12 Feb
9pm - Jamie Cullum
Essex-born swing and jazz singer/songwriter and musician Jamie Cullum with a showcase of jazz in its various forms, featuring live performances and interviews from rising stars, tonight with American jazz pianist Christian Sands discussing his recently released album Facing Dragons. He also shares his favourite music.

Also, Gideon Coe "with a BLUE NOTE label spotlight" on BBC 6 Music, Wed 13 Feb, 9pm.
It's a 3-hour programme but probably not all BLUE NOTE records!

JR