Something for the weekend sir? I [7-9/1/12]

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

yippeeeee Alyn talks to Shorty a Giant! on JL

interesting JLU

Claire Martin with a special jazz festival edition featuring concert music from Swedish vocalist Viktoria Tolstoy recorded at the 2011 Islay Jazz Festival , plus concert highlights from saxophonist Gilad Atzmon and his Orient House Ensemble recorded at the 2011 Scarborough Jazz Festival.

knock this your lobes too

axophonist Steve Coleman and his Reflex Trio at the London Jazz Festival. Coleman emerged in the 1980s as one of the founding members of the M-Base collective and has become one of the most influential jazz musicians of the last 20 years. His music is characterised by complex rhythmic and melodic patterns derived from non-Western art and philosophy, and is most widely performed by his long-standing Five Elements Band. The Reflex Trio is a more recent, as yet unrecorded project. Joining Coleman are two young members of the New York scene: Cuban pianist David Virelles and drummer Marcus Gilmore.

all on iPlayer by Tuesday next week ....

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

er still no programme details on iplayer for shorty rogers

Roll up, roll up, for a rare UK appearance by arguably the most influential jazz musician of the last 20 years – Steve Coleman; what's more, it's his first headline appearance on Jazz on 3, and it's with a trio that has never produced any recordings. This really is one not to miss.

When you've been waiting 13 years to get a musician on the programme, another 10 minutes won't hurt, especially when they're taken up with a tribute to reeds player Sam Rivers, a musician whom Coleman was hugely influenced by, who sadly died on Boxing Day.

Then it's into the gig, and Coleman's trademark terse, deeply rhythmic ideas. He's a master at weaving elaborate melodies from the smallest cells, and of somehow giving his music a sense of groove despite its intense complexity. You'd feel sorry for his young bandmates, pianist David Virelles and drummer Marcus Gilmore, if they didn't rise to this steep challenge so well. Gilmore is especially impressive in the first set, giving an African feel in the first piece before getting ultra-fast and hip in Reflex.

So what makes Steve Coleman tick? We'll find out in the interval as he joins Kevin Le Gendre in conversation in front of an audience at the Queen Elizabeth Hall – among those on the menu are Dave Holland and Von Freeman, and Coleman's take on rhythm in basketball.

Back on stage, the second part of the performance starts in circumspect fashion, gently pushed along by Virelles who, for large parts of the gig, performs almost more as a bass player than a pianist. The night finishes with a track that has the air of a Coleman classic – this gig is well worth waiting for.

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[handsomefortune]

thanks for the reminder calum da jazbo, no falling asleep to this excellent programme monday night!

pianist David Virelles and drummer Marcus Gilmore, if they didn't rise to this steep challenge so well. Gilmore is especially impressive in the first set, giving an African feel in the first piece before getting ultra-fast and hip in Reflex.

was it actually an 'african feel'? as soon as players lay off the snare, give the other skins priority ...it's usually described as 'african', though it didn't occur to me particularly while listening. to my ears the trio play authentic new music, which some might just describe as 'difficult'. how might anyone dance to the trio, for instance?

nevertheless, absolutely fascinating how they work together as illustrated in both sets! all pretty inventive, drawing from a mass of influences. though since 'eclectic' is so often currently used where 'dirivitive muddle' might have been more appropriate, i hesitate to describe the trio with the word, as they are anything but 'a muddle'. but they're clearly all very original players, incredibly fluid in their roles, no matter how short coleman's phraseing, the adaptations around him were brilliantly imaginative. touching in this sense, and highly 'listen againable', so i shall.

anyone interested in drumming might well want david virelles to practise with! not just because of his rhythmic style but because his chords support the music created, leaving just enough space for listeners to make their own melodic interpretations. particularly inspiring magic that could perhaps only work quite so well as a three piece.... (more players would begin to detract perhaps)?

i also enjoyed coleman's responses during the interview. refreshingly plucky, and just a tad impatient with kevin, who i thought asked rather tame questions, in view of the trios' music. though i'm not sure why interviews are actually held onstage tbh...if it's such a coup to get coleman and friends on, why risk possibly wasting time being 'visually entertaining speaking on stage'? especially, when there are potentially more involved chats to be had in the privacy of a studio, that everybody can listen to on their radios? (still, at least kevin didn't ask coleman to say his name/brief description down the mic, like jez does of late with some of his guests!....jazz + the safety of a sort of sunday school approach to radio appearances, a style i personally hope jez ditches asap). coleman's response to kevin's reminder as regards his being one of the founding members of the M-Base collective was potentially amusing, though i could've done with a fuller explanation; and some more on the jazz greats/etc that he's brushed shoulders with.

anywaysup, monday's 'jazz on 3' was probably one of the best i've heard, just in the context of focusing on one bunch of players, rather than a dj approach, merely spinning some tunes, sneaking in some promotions in between wherever possible.

Swedish vocalist Viktoria Tolstoy recorded at the 2011 Islay Jazz Festival not to my taste, and unfortunately i went to sleep (in mild disgust at the conservatism and inauthenticity) well before Gilad Atzmon and his Orient House Ensemble recorded at the 2011 Scarborough Jazz Festival. had started. what did others think of it?

'jazz library' interview with shorty was interesting, but after a particularly hectic saturday, nothing would've kept me awake unfortunately. so i need to listen again.

[Serial_Apologist]

Excellent review there, handsome - you really should take up jazz writing. Afraid there's little chance of a Jez change of interview style, though totally agree about the embarassment quotient of on-stage exchanges, virtually by-rote. I wonder how many on here realise that if applause is "too restrained" they sometimes do a second take?? I was tempted to boo!

(I should warn that the last person I strongly advised to take up jazz criticism was hackneyvi, and not long after that he stopped posting!)

[Alyn_Shipton]

Sorry for late posting of Shorty playlist. It was lurking in the archive section of the Radio 3 website which doesn't automatically talk to the new bit. Everybody'd gone home from the relevant bits of Radio 3 on Friday night when I realised it hadn't magically appeared. It is there now.

[Quarky]

"anywaysup, monday's 'jazz on 3' was probably one of the best i've heard, just in the context of focusing on one bunch of players, rather than a dj approach, merely spinning some tunes, sneaking in some promotions in between wherever possible. "

Agreed - Steve Colman is an extremely interesting musician - but there aren't many people that could hold together a full 1.5 hour programme.

Must listen again.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

thanks Alyn

in the Basie style, Shorty Rogers Courts the Count provides ample room for fine solo work by West Coast luminaries like trumpeter Maynard Ferguson, alto saxophonist Bud Shank, tenor saxophonist Zoot Sims, bassist Curtis Counce, and the great drummer Shelly Manne. Kansas City goes Hollywood and the feeling's fine. AMG

[charles t]

Re: Shorty Rogers...while attending the L.A. Raiders (football...oblong) games I sat near Don Randi, musician proprietor of the famed Baked Potato Jazz Club in North Hollywood.

It was a gas to compare renditions of Shorty's 'speaking' voice.

I don't know whether Alyn will feature same, or, not.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

yep chas the prog featured an interview with Shorty, and he was most effusive in his affection for Jimmy Giuffre ....