york jazz scene issue 2

return the enclosed feedback form (which is also accessible online), in order to help us know what matters to you. Remember, YJS is the magazine for the jazz community in York, so if you have something to say about what we’re doing then let us know!

Welcome to Issue 2 of York Jazz Scene! So much has happened since the magazine’s debut and I would like to say a huge ‘thank you’ for all of the positive comments, and also for the points for improvement, which have been taken on board as much as possible. Have you bought any tickets for the Spring Festival of New Music yet, or the NCEM Jazz Weekend? If not, perhaps our interviews with local drummer Simon Roth and Dave Morecroft, the

bandleader of Re:Impressions, will change your mind! Furthermore, do not miss the special feature interview with Rob Lavers, our coverage of ‘the Al Wood experience’, or the closing research article about the music of Jamie Cullum, which is likely to spark debate! Everyone involved in YJS wants to make sure that we print material which is not only of high quality, but also of interest; therefore, it would be appreciated if as many people as possible could please

Editor’s Greeting

Special Thanks to...

Issue 2, May/June 2009

YORK JAZZ SCENE

‘Promoting jazz musicians and serving their supporters’

What’s Inside? Editor’s

Greeting/Special Thanks

1

Foreword by James Lancaster

2

Kenny Wheeler: Afterthoughts

3

Wanted: YJS Team Members!

4

In the Spotlight: Rob Lavers

6- 9

Behind the Scenes with Liz

Haddon

10-12

Janette Mason, Alien Left Hand

(CD Review)

15

For One Night Only...

17-18

The Fabulous Al Wood (gig

review)

19

Spring Festival Fever

20-23

Burning Up 24-27

Jamie Cullum: a jazz-pop

crossover artist and the

authenticity of his covers

29-32

Ron Burnett, for the YJS mention in his ‘Jazz Notes’ column.

Keith Jevons, for putting a special section dedicated to YJS on his Jazz in Yorkshire website http://www.jazzinyorkshire.co.uk

Melanie Paris, for the promotional opportunity at the NCEM in March.

Nigel Slee, for all of his advice, and also for putting a link to YJS on the Jazz

Yorkshire website: http://www.jazzyorkshire.org

Anna Lacy York Jazz Scene Editor

YORK JAZZ SCENE

Editor: Anna Lacy

Editorial Assistant: Gwen Postle

Contributors: Ron Burnett

Christina Cartaciano

Liz Haddon

Anna Lacy

James Lancaster

Rob Lavers

Isaac Lockett

Dave Morecroft

Simon Roth

Dave Smyth

Sally Wilson

Al Wood

Photography: Michael Brunsden

Anna Lacy

Logo Design: Amy Wray

Special Thanks: Paul Baxter

Vic Bernath

Esmee Fitzgerald

Martin Scheuregger

Dave Smyth

I was blown away when Anna sent me the first issue of York Jazz Scene, as I hadn’t been expecting such a substantial and in-depth insight into the jazz scene within the city. Reading it through really put into perspective that there is a thriving jazz community in York which spans the generations, from kids who are still at school, through to the old guys who have seen it all and make everything look easy. This family needs its young blood, and most regular gigs will welcome young musicians to sit in and play a tune or two. I remember my first attempt at a jam session; it was a nightmare! The old guys in the band left me sitting in the audience, with my horn on my knee, while they played two full sets, and then claimed to have run out of time – without me even blowing a note!

I don’t think that would happen today. Over the years, regulars at the Wednesday night jam session at the Black Swan (Peasholme Green) have been amazed by young talent such as Ben Malinder, Andrew Cox, Will Collier, Rachel Sowerby and Sam Ward; they travelled to York from Wakefield, Boroughbridge, Ripon and Harrogate in order to get some jazz experience, and have since gone on to bigger and better things. It would be great to see some young jazz talent coming out of the schools in York, but (with the exception of old guys Eddie Hick and John Marley) this currently does not appear to be happening; York schools do not figure prominently within the region, even with opportunities such as the National Festival of Music for Youth available. It would be great to see young musicians from York schools joining the city’s jazz music scene.

It is fab to see YJS pulling all of these strands of jazz together, by incorporating students, the local players and the visiting musicians; who knows, maybe it will become the focus which will lead to us creating a York Jazz Festival? When times are tough for pubs and venues, it’s great to see the word being spread [well, I have been called a Jazz Evangelist! – Ed.], to attract visitors and locals to hear some fine music. I’m sure local businesses will be keen to support YJS with some advertising. I must end on a sad note by paying tribute to York’s finest tenor sax player, John Terry, who passed away recently. John’s warm, laid back sound charmed York audiences at venues like the Spotted Cow and the Edinburgh Arms; he was an absolute gent, and will be sadly missed.

©York Jazz Scene. Copyright of

individual pieces remains with the

contributors.

Foreword by James Lancaster

Issue 2

Prior to my arrival at university, and being a tuba player, I had not been exposed to jazz, and so had not heard of some of the ‘big names’ such as Kenny Wheeler. However, the concert in March clarified why he’s a big deal; his presence alone changed my attitude towards the gig. We were no longer just performing his music as an ensemble, but were hosting him, and accompanying him as a solo performer. The intimidating need to play Wheeler’s compositions accurately certainly showed in the performance, and also in the run-up to it, with intensive rehearsals anxiously pulling the structure and fluidity of the pieces together. Having rehearsed without him until the day of the performance, his arrival cemented the music into place; just one rehearsal with his flügelhorn transformed the music with its empty-sounding segments to a consistent and full sound. The nature of my part meant that I had plenty of opportunity to see the reaction of the crowd to his solos, and appreciation of the music as a whole, which I was able to share with them. The concert rekindled that sense of accomplishment that a performer feels, which I thought I had lost, and it was undoubtedly one of the musical highlights of the year so far.

- Isaac Lockett

Having seen Kenny perform before, I have always appreciated his skill as a trumpet and flügel player; but since the gig, I have a huge respect for his compositional and arranging skills as well. The band put a lot of time and effort into getting the charts up to standard for the performance. There were many difficult ensemble passages, and also challenging chord changes for the soloists, which are not easy to get your fingers ‘round! We knew that we would only have a few hours with him on the day, and I think that this, combined with the thought of meeting the man himself, caused a certain amount of trepidation. Our fears were, of course, entirely unwarranted. Kenny seemed happy with our playing, and we ran the set with only a few suggestions from him regarding tempo before we called it a day. Throughout the band, there was a strong desire to do him and the music justice, and I hope we did just that. It was a great honour to play with Kenny Wheeler, but he was only with us for a few hours; it is the experience of performing his music that will stay with me. It is such a joy to play, and his musical language is so unmistakable, that when I heard a snatch of it on the radio, I instinctively knew who I was listening to. Kenny himself seems a man of few words – perhaps this is because his music speaks so eloquently for him.

- Sally Wilson

Kenny Wheeler: Afterthoughts

Jazz Orchestra members reflect

Jazz Orchestra perform with special guest Julian

Argüelles in the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall on 12th

June 2009, 7:30pm

YORK JAZZ SCENE

York Jazz Scene was not designed to be a one-person operation, so if you are enthusiastic, dedicated, able to keep to deadlines, and want to play a vital part in helping to spread the word

about jazz-related goings on in and around York, it would be great to hear from you!

Particular help would be appreciated in the areas of: Design

Web Management Advertising and Finance

Please note that involvement is on a voluntary basis (i.e. for the love of the jazz).

Interested? Contact the Editor!

Email: [email protected] Tel: 07939 463936

Wanted: YJS Team Members

Are you online? So are we!

In Issue 1 we said ‘watch this space for future internet expansion’, and hey presto, there are now a

number of ways to keep up to date with all things YJS!

Read YJS online at: http://www.issuu.com/yorkjazzscene/docs/yorkshire_jazz_scene

Check out our MySpace page: www.myspace.com/yorkjazzscene

Got a Google account and/or want a more interactive YJS experience? Be sure to log onto our Google blogspot:

http://blogspot.yorkjazzscene.com

Join the York Jazz Scene group on Facebook: Just type ‘York Jazz Scene’ into the Search box

Want more information about York Carnival 2009 ? Log onto the website:

http: www.yorkcarnival.org

his earliest jazz-related memories, and thinks that it is “a natural style” for a saxophonist to become involved in, considering its important place in the jazz tradition. However, attempting to list his influences are impossible; “you can’t go there”, he tells me, because there are “hundreds” of people across a spectrum of styles who have contributed to his development as a musician. This is certainly reflected in his backlog of project work, where he has worked with a salsa band, African musicians, a flamenco artist,

YORK JAZZ SCENE

There’s no doubt about it, Rob Lavers is a busy guy; so busy, in fact, that the only way I could interview him was to pop ‘round his house. Mind you, he offered to feed me, and the Unwritten Code of Students clearly states that to turn down the offer of a free meal is, quite frankly, criminal, so who was I to argue? Whilst munching our way through a yummy pasta salad, we got on with our chin-wag, I mean, interview. Anyone who has heard Rob play knows that he is a man of many talents. It was surprising to discover that he

In the Spotlight: Rob Lavers Anna Lacy grills the saxophonist over a spot of lunch

only picked up the saxophone whilst at university, but had been learning music from a very early age, and can play piano, guitar and clarinet! Contrary to what one might expect, Rob studied painting at university, but as his involvement in music increased, he began to question whether he would continue with this after graduation. It was during his final year that he decided he would pursue a career as a musician, and after completing his course, he threw himself into London’s live music scene. Rob reveals that John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins are

Issue 2

and electronic dance music, in addition to ‘free’ jazz playing. He believes all of these experiences are crucial to the development of an individual style, as well as one’s artistic progression. “That’s why no two musicians sound the same, because their careers paths are so different”. “My primary interest is in improvisation. I like the freedom in jazz; I like the fact that you can express your personality, that every gig is different, that every time you say something you have to think, you’re responding to the ‘now’, to the moment. You’re very much in the flow of what’s happening right up to this minute, whereas with classical music, it’s more about reproduction and interpretation.” He states that he doesn’t consider jazz “any one particular thing”, and, suddenly looking very serious, he offers his personal definition: “jazz is music which is improvised. It doesn’t matter if it’s ‘rinky-tink’ or reggae-dub-ska, Afro, or classical […] if there’s an element of improvisation, then it’s jazz.” The struggle for an absolute definition has been a preoccupation in academia and the media for decades, and this has often called into question the validity of musicians who choose to experiment with styles outside of the recognised field of ‘jazz’. In recent times, the

debate intensified due to the controversial retrospective perspective taken and promoted by Wynton Marsalis, particularly given his international status as a musician ,and the influence that this provides him with.

far more inclusive, and is perhaps appropriate for today’s ‘postmodern’ world. Like every musician he knows, Rob supplements his performing career by teaching, whether through private tuition or running workshops for people of all ages [he leads the Late Learners’ Workshops during the National Centre for Early Music’s Jazz Weekends that occur in May and November]. He explains that when he begins to teach someone, he does his best to find out as much as he can about where the person is ‘at’ with their instrument for “a general ease of comfort of playing”, before he can consider how he might help improve their technique; he feels that it is important to ask “what are they getting out of music, and what do they want do get out of music?”, in order to maximise their enjoyment of music, and being a musician. In terms of his own personal practicing, he describes a number of scenarios, but insists that it is not a fixed process, and very much depends on his schedule of work commitments. He does, however, mention that he will very often try to sketch out ideas for compositions during these practice sessions. Rob has released three albums under his own name since 2004; the first was Stretch, and Rob fills me in as to the

“jazz is music which is improvised. It

doesn’t matter if it’s ‘rinky-tink’ or reggae-

dub-ska, Afro, or classical […] if

there’s an element of improvisation, then

it’s jazz.”

However, jazz has been built upon the interaction and synthesis of different musical and cultural traditions from its earliest days, something which has remained integral to its evolution to the present, so Rob’s definition appears

YORK JAZZ SCENE

background of this title: “I aimed to have very strong melodic hooks and chord sequences, and then gradually dissolve the harmony and create a free form style of playing, which I equated to stretching out the music, stretching your mind, stretching one’s comfort zones. It’s not for aerobics or anything!”, at which point we both start to laugh. He then discusses the second album, Small Creature (2007), which was facilitated by Jazz Yorkshire, who organised studio time for him. In contrast to Stretch, Rob reveals that this sophomore release was signed to the 33 Records label, which helped financially, and also incorporated a larger group of musicians, with cello, french horn, and clarinet appearing on a number of the tracks. His most recent album is called Child’s Eye, although at the time of my visit, he is in the midst of preparing music for an upcoming studio date. When asked why composing his own music is important, he makes his point very clear:

“If I was still painting, I wouldn’t be reproducing Picasso’s; I’d be trying to develop something individual and original. I think it’s strange in music that it isn’t the ‘norm’ for people to write; it’s a natural expression. I’ve never recorded a standard – maybe I will do sometime – but right now I’d rather discover what I’m about inside…I’m not doing down playing standards; it’s just not where I’m coming from. I like to dream up things.”

prioritise booking ‘big name’ acts over lesser-known artists in order to ensure ticket sales. This means that “a lot of the music being created in this country isn’t being showcased; musicians are setting up their own venues just to showcase their own music”, and whilst Rob thinks it is good that musicians are taking the matter into their own hands, he passionately believes that the government needs to “take jazz more seriously”, and relieve some of the pressure from the clubs. “If a band is just starting out, they’re putting all their time into writing and rehearsing and making ends meet, and so they don’t have time to market themselves. It’s a tough situation to be in, and if you can’t even get a gig in a jazz club, how are you going to launch, how are you ever going to get to the point where clubs will start booking you, ‘cause you’ve never been booked?” This chillingly echoes the vicious cycle in which many young people find themselves when trying to gain some work experience, where they are repeatedly rejected by

He may let his imagination run wild in the studio, but Rob is only too aware of the difficulties currently facing jazz musicians; those who have read Issue 1 of YJS are likely to recall Rob mentioning the shortage of venues in York in his Foreword, and he takes the opportunity to expand upon the point. He identifies a number of problems that are exacerbating the situation, such as funding being redirected to support the Olympics; and the current economic climate which is forcing venue owners to

Issue 2

employers due to lack of experience, which further entrenches their situation. Given his strong views, I enquire how York might seek to confront this matter, and contrary to his usual cheerful self, his answer is quite pessimistic; it is evidently not a clear-cut topic. He explains that the relatively small size of York as a city means that it does not possess the cosmopolitan vibe and “wealth of venues” of neighbouring Leeds; he suggests that jazz is not seen as part of the cultural heritage of York, and therefore not pushed as an integral part of the tourist industry, in comparison to Prague, where jazz appears to be everywhere. “I don’t know if there’s enough demand in York for a jazz club”, he continues, “I’m not sure that culturally it’s ready, and I don’t know how that could change, unless there were more people interested in the arts in general.”, at which point he comments upon the loss of the arts centre, which he believed closed due to lack of support from the council, despite putting on quality musical and theatrical performances. From this sombre dimension of the conversation, things take a more uplifting turn with the discovery that Rob has been involved in a number of cross-art ventures. He studied film and TV composition at Kensington

The Rob Lavers Quartet performs at Kennedy’s Bar (Little Stonegate) every Sunday lunchtime, 12-4pm. If you wish to book Rob for a gig or a workshop, you can contact him via his website: http://www.roblavers.co.uk Stretch, Small Creature, and Child’s Eye, can be purchased at gigs; alternatively, they are available to order from Rob’s website. Small Creature is also available from 33records: http://www.33jazz.com and http://www.amazon.co.uk ; Child’s Eye can also be bought from http://www.jazzcds.co.uk and http://cdbaby.com. Rob recommends finding his music on iTunes, and if in doubt, ‘googling’ them!

College, and has produced music for adverts, animations and jingles; in addition, he has also written for theatre shows, the most recent being The Dreamsnatcher which was staged at the Theatre Royal. With his background in painting, it was perhaps unsurprising for him to express his enjoyment of being able to place music “in a context where you have a visual element”, and musing that “it would be a great project” to organise a show combining imagery and music, where both are considered as important (in film and theatre, music is typically used as a background device). Upon suggesting that he should be the person to establish such a project, he smiles and says “Maybe I should!” Would it be too pre-emptive to say ‘watch this space’? I hope not.

“It’s a tough situation to be in, and if you can’t even get a

gig in a jazz club, how are you going to launch, how are you ever going to get to

the point where clubs will start booking

you, ‘cause you’ve never been booked?”

YORK JAZZ SCENE

Remember the two workshop reviews from Issue 1? Meet one of the key people involved in organizing them! Could you tell us a bit about yourself and what you do within the department? I’ve taught piano here for about eight years now; I’m also a Research Fellow, which started three years ago, when I was a research assistant working with John Potter on a large research project that was linked to the University of London in which we look at how students learn to perform. Now I do other kinds of research, mostly my own. Could you tell us more about the jazz workshops that have been organised here? John Potter got some funding from the Teaching and Learning Research Committee, which enabled us to fund a series of workshops. We email teachers and contacts to find out if they would like to offer workshops and then assemble a weekly series from that, which hopefully interest different students. I think it was important to build on the jazz workshops particularly, be-cause there don’t seem to be that many formal opportunities for students in

jazz learning at the moment, and it would be nice to offer a few more things on a more regular basis, so that the students can have things to work towards. It’s good to get the different expertise of different people as well, because you see a different side to the person leading the workshops. What has been the reception towards the workshops? We’ve done some evaluations from questionnaires and they’ve been incredibly positive; people really value the workshops because they’re an addition to the feedback that they would get from the one-to-one lesson, and in some cases they get feedback from their peers who are listening, more particularly in vocal sessions where the teachers have actually asked for feedback from the people that are observing. It’s a very good pedagogical exercise in several different ways. Has this been the case with the jazz workshops? Well the workshop that John Taylor did last term was very different, because he played extracts of music and invited responses to those extracts; I think it showed quite a lot

about the way that a jazz musician might think about music, but it was not at all a practical demonstration. We have a place for something that’s more about exploration like that one was, and we have a place for something that’s very much in the traditional masterclass setting, where someone plays and piece and then has feedback. There’s value in both, but I think it’s very important that we have diversity in what we can offer. Why do you think it’s important that these workshops exist? Most students would say that they don’t have enough contact time with their one-to-one teacher, as their lesson allowance would cover maybe ten lessons throughout the whole year. Most students feel that that is inadequate and would like more lessons, but the department budget is such

Behind the Scenes with Liz Haddon

“it was important to build on the jazz

workshops particularly, because there don’t seem to be that many formal

opportunities for students in jazz learning at the

moment”

Issue 2

that this cannot be offered; so this is a very good way of giving a different kind of tuition where a lot of people can benefit at the same time. It also offers a complimentary balance to things being offered in one-to-one lessons, so students can work on material with their own teacher and get feedback from someone different. They can see others in that learning process and evaluate how they respond, and all those things make it a complemen-tary thing to what they already get. The impression that I’ve got from the jazz workshops is that they’ve been quite explorative in different ways. Is that something that might be set to continue, or is there going to be more opportunity for people to perform? Well I personally think it would be nice – if we are segregating the genres – if the classical workshop could have that exploratory element in them, and the jazz could have more of the masterclass elements as well. It’s very good to have a range of styles within each option. I think it depends a lot on who says they would like to offer things, because certain people work in certain kinds of ways. If people have suggestions to what they would like then it’s important that they tell us.

Could you tell us about your current research? I’m looking at the context for instrumental and vocal learning in this department for undergraduates beyond their one-to-one lessons. I’ve been investigating things like situations where students have more than one teacher at the same time, which is something that the present teacher may not know about; how they learn through masterclasses and workshops, and how these things feed back into what they do with their one-to-one teacher. At the moment I’m looking at jazz learning and, in my view, how students have to construct their learning to quite a large degree compared to what’s on offer for classical learning. There are vastly less opportunities, and it seems to me that if students want to get involved in jazz, they have to make opportunities themselves. In a way, it’s not a bad thing, because it reflects how things will be if they become professional jazz musicians, and they need to have the skills of networking, promotion and making things

happen, but at the same time, I think there’s a slight inequality of opportunities, and perhaps it’s time to reassess the ways that jazz is formally provided for. All of the interviews are going to form a chapter of my research. What are your own personal opinions about jazz? Jazz is not a music that I’m very familiar with, having been through a fairly conventional classical system of learning. But my own view of jazz is that it’s a very rich source of inspiration; there are so many styles and cross-fertilisations that it’s constantly changing and evolving; a recording is just a snap-shot of something that happened, it’s not definitive, and I think that’s fascinating. A very dynamic thing is happening in jazz, which is not always the same in classical. I think perhaps the aspirations of the two things are really quite different; jazz is so open, and classical music can sometimes be seen as fixed on certain ideals, often the idea that in performance you are trying to aim at some kind of perfection. Whereas in jazz, you are perhaps aiming at something completely different, such as how you’re going to respond to your fellow musicians, and that can be different every time.

“perhaps it’s time to reassess the ways

that jazz is formally provided for”

YORK JAZZ SCENE

How are people responding to your research? Certainly with the jazz research, all the people that I’ve spoken to have been very open and pleased to have the opportunity to talk about it. People always need some kind of affirmation and understanding and valuing of what they do, and I think they feel that because I’m asking them about it, that what they do is being valued. Have you come across anything that took you by surprise? I think I was sometimes surprised by the strength of feeling, because there are people who are that passionate about jazz, they perhaps want more than they can have. The department sets a limit as to how much you can do as part of your formal assessment, because the ethos of the institution is that they want people to have a broad spread of things whilst they’re here. That can cause a little bit of conflict, because if that’s what you really want to do, you may end up seeing everything else as irrelevant. But that passion will hopefully be what sustains you, and fires your drive to ‘make it’ when you leave, so it’s very important to have it. In due course, I’ll try to make my research available to those people who have taken part; I’d like them to see what the whole picture looks like, and it’s important that students

actually see what people think about these things, because they clearly have different views, and it’s important that these different views are heard. Also, if this research does change anything that happens in terms of jazz in this department, that everybody’s needs are being met as much as they possibly can be. The aim of the research is not to create change, but sometimes change is an inevitable by-product. What do you think of the fact that there is a publication dedicated to the jazz community in York? I think it’s a very good thing, and long overdue. I think the magazine serves a really important function, because quite often if you come to a new place, either as a first year student or a postgraduate, it takes a while to find out what’s going on and who’s involved, and in the magazine it puts that information ‘out there’ and it makes it easier to find out what’s happening. I think the other really important thing is that it has made the link between the town and the university much more transparent; people now know that they can go to the Black Swan on Wednesday night, whereas before, that knowledge might have only been held by those students really passionate about jazz. But people who want to just get a taste of it might not have known, and now they can find

that out, so I think that’s really helpful. It’s very important that students can see what others students do, because it’s a large part of what happens here…do you know the zone of proximal development? It’s the idea that if you learn with people that are just that little bit further ahead of you, it’s really inspiring and stimulating. So by doing things like interviewing the students who are really passionate about jazz, who have got big projects off the ground, who are giving excellent performances, and producing really high quality material, I think it’s a really empowering model for other students, because they can see that these things are possible, and they can also see within the department that these are significant things to have achieved.

Workshop Dates: Wed 6th May, Room 106, 2pm; Improvisation session with Geth Griffiths Tues 12th May, Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall 4:30pm; Vårfest Workshop with Anna Maria Friman, Arve Henriksen and Jan Bang Mon 8th June, Room 058, 2pm; Motivic improvisation with Zezo Olímpio Any questions, or ideas for future workshops? Email Liz Haddon at: [email protected]

Interviewed by Anna Lacy.

Issue 2

Looking for a Gig? Start the search at these venues!

Black Swan (Peasholme Green):

York Jazz Jam, every Wednesday night, 8:45-11:15pm. Special guest nights happen on the last Wednesday of every month. Bring along your instrument and join the jam!

Old White Swan Pub (Goodramgate):

Ron Burnett’s Mardi Gras Jazz Band, and Bejazzled, every Thursday night (each band plays on alternate weeks).

Kennedy’s Bar (Little Stonegate):

Rob Lavers Quartet, Sunday lunchtimes, 12-4pm.

The Tanglewood (Malton Road): Jazz trio led by Karl Mullen, Sunday lunchtimes.

Ye Olde Starre Inne (Stonegate):

John Addy plays here on alternate Wednesdays.

The Court Café Bistro & Bar, Dean Court Hotel (Duncombe Place): Jazz Suppers with the Andy Hillier Trio on the first Tuesday of every month, from 8pm.

Full payment is required when making reservations.

Pizza Express (Lendal Bridge): Monthly jazz events held on Thursday evenings.

National Centre for Early Music (St. Margaret’s Church, Walmgate):

Hosts special Jazz Weekends every November and May, and includes jazz performances within its regular concert programme. Their Spring Jazz Weekend runs 8th-10th May 2009. Box Office: 01904 658338 or Email: [email protected].

Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall, University of York Music Department

The University of York supports performances by professional artists and student-run ensembles throughout the year.

The University of York Jazz Orchestra perform with Julian Argüelles on 12th June, 7:30pm. Re:Impressions perform a special extended lunchtime gig on 30th June.

Box Office: 01904 432439 1-3pm Mon-Fri or Email: [email protected].

Basement Bar, City Screen Cinema (Coney Street): A variety of events are held here, including the occasional jazz gig.

Issue 2

NEWSFLASH! Joel Purnell will replace Mark

Chandler and Stuart Macdonald for the 24th June special guest slot in the

York Jazz jam series at the Black Swan pub (Peasholme Green)

Janette Mason, Alien Left Hand Ron Burnett

Few musicians are able to make a living only playing jazz, and most play many styles of music in session work. Janette Mason has been the pianist, arranger and Musical Director for Oasis, Pulp and Ian Shaw, amongst many others, and has also composed TV and film scores for the award-winning Ruby Blue, Sex and the City and forthcoming film, The Calling, starring Brenda Blethyn. Alien Left Hand is a dynamic second album under her own name. Given the above, it comes as no surprise that this is a mature and considered work, and establishes Mason as one of Britain`s leading

jazz player-composers. Flavours of many musical influences are seamlessly blended into a programme comprising of six originals, as well as tunes by Leonard Bernstein and the Eurythmics. Mason uses a variety of line-ups: from duets and trios, to the near-big band ensemble of the title track, and a studied solo version of Bernstein`s ‘Some Other Time’. ‘Mae’s Song’ is a ballad of touching simplicity, written following the death of her mother. Mason’s rhythmic concept varies from a minor blues in 7/4, to the tricky bebop unison melody of ‘NY Cab Ride’. Tenor saxophonist Julian

Siegel is a guest on this track, ‘Sweet Dreams’ and ‘Alien Left Hand Syndrome’, whilst other guests include Tom Arthurs and Martin Shaw (trumpets), Dudley Phillips (double bass) and Josh Giunta (drums). The scat vocal by Lea DeLaria on ‘NY Cab Ride’ is best avoided, and, thankfully, is her only appearance. A great band sound and a thoroughly modern album, Mason has absorbed the energy of the cross-cultural contemporary Europeans such as Kit Downes and Esbjorn Svensson, but takes the more melodic road established by Carla Bley and Gil Evans. Well worth a listen.

YORK JAZZ SCENE

Your YJS

York Jazz Scene is on the hunt for material to appear in the next issue (hoped for July/August release)!

Got a great idea for an article/interview/review?

Need to promote your jazz gigs? Want to tell us how we’re doing?

YJS is dedicated to the jazz community in York, so whether you’re a musician, venue owner,

promoter, or simply someone who enjoys listening to jazz and attending gigs, you are a part of this, and we want to hear from you!

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 07939 463936 Write to: Anna Lacy, c/o Department of Music, University of York,

Heslington, York, YO10 5DD

Who’s Playing at the NCEM Jazz Weekend??

Friday 8th May, 7:30pm Simon Spillett Quartet

Saturday 9th May, 7:30pm The Burden of Paradise

Sunday 10th May

4:00pm Julian Joseph 8:00pm Re:Impressions Featuring Dennis Rollins

Not bought tickets yet? Well, what are you waiting for?!

Issue 2

For One Night Only...

Could you tell us a bit about your musical background?

I started playing when I was seven, although I started to learn the saxophone when I was ten. I left school in 1959 to turn pro, and I’ve been in it ever since! I’ve mainly worked with big bands, starting in Blackpool in 1959/60; in ’62 I went to London to join Ken Macintosh’s band, which was a touring band at that time, and left that after about a year. I had a motoring accident in 1963, so I ended back up north, and worked freelance for quite some time. I took up the trombone in 1961 and in ’69 I took up the trumpet, and by the mid-70s I was working with the BBC Northern Radio Band in Manchester in the trumpet section. In 1980 the BBC had a big ‘empty out’

Al Wood takes a break from the bandstand to chat with YJS

and got rid of five orchestras, and we were one of them, so we ended up still working there on a much smaller contract. In 1983 I joined the Leeds College of Music staff, where I stayed for a few years, before retiring in 2007. I am now a gentleman of leisure. There have been a lot of rumours bandied about, so it needs to be asked: how many instruments can you play? Saxophones, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, bass, and a bit of piano. Why so many? I’ve always been interested in messing about with instruments. It helps with writing and arranging, because you understand how to write for various instruments; you know about the mechanisms and how they’re played. What drew you to jazz in the first place? Oh crikey…I think it was quite early, when I was learning the saxophone at school. I was about twelve or thirteen when I

discovered people like Herb Geller, Art Pepper, Phil Woods and those sorts of guys; they were all very young men in those days starting out in the business, but they were all stars, real quality players. That’s where I gained a lot of interest in jazz and tried to emulate them, and I hopefully picked up a few habits and tips from them. Then I tried to develop my own identity. What has made you stick with jazz throughout your career? I just love it; it’s as simple as that, whether in a small group, or with my big band. I still run a big band in Leeds outside of the College. It just gets under your skin; it’s difficult to get rid of. Do you feel a particular affinity with a particular strand of jazz, and if so, why? I suppose, in spite of small group gigs, I do feel a particular affinity with big band jazz, because it’s really where it’s at. I think big band jazz sums it all up, puts it all together. You’ve got all the guys who did the small group stuff in the early days, but they all worked with big

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bands at some stage, and everybody seems drawn to a big band at some time in their career. It’s just my favourite thing; the big band is the most exciting thing for me. I love it. Had you performed in York at all prior to this gig? I used to play in the Black Swan twenty years ago; I used to do it quite regularly with a piano player, who a lot of people will remember, named Brian Thacker, and Dave Johnson, and the bass player – ooh dear, I’m stuck there, I can’t remember. But that was the regular trio, and I used to do it fairly regularly. It hasn’t changed at all, except that room is smaller [laughs]. Do you have any particular opinions on the scene in and around York? Not really, because I haven’t been to York for quite some time, so I know very little about it these days. Looking at the guys in here tonight, the players are considerably younger than the fellas I used to play with back then, so things have changed in that respect, and that’s great ‘cause it’s a younger generation that is actually taking over. Punter-wise, there are still a lot of old faces in there that I swear were there twenty years ago,

and probably forty years ago. So that generation is still with us, and God bless them, let’s keep them there.

“in spite of small group gigs, I do feel a particular affinity with big band jazz, because it’s really where it’s at. I think big band jazz sums it all up, puts it

all together.”

Have you got any recordings that we should check out? No, oddly enough. Well, I did lots of stuff years and years ago in various bands; I think I did three albums with Maynard Ferguson’s band in the early seventies, which was very exciting – not very financially rewarding – but very exciting, nonetheless. I’ve got a MySpace page, which really involves the big band, so that might be worth

a look; if you put my name in there on MySpace, it’ll bring up the big band, and there are a few tracks of the band on there. But it’s not just about the big band; I do use it for my own things as well. Have you got any gigs that you’d like to share with us? The big band is going to the Wigan Jazz Festival on the 12th of July, the Sunday lunchtime at JJB Stadium in Wigan, so that’s a good ‘un. There’s not a great deal of work with the big band; as you’ll appreciate it’s not a very economic proposition, running a big band, but there’s negotiations going on with Geoff Matthews for the Southport February Winter Jazz festival next year. But hopefully between now and then there’ll be other things coming in. I work a lot in a trio with myself on saxes and clarinet, Deric Harris on guitar and Ken Marley on bass, and we do all sorts of things: we do lots of corporate work, and private parties; we even do wedding pre-drinks receptions, but it’s all jazz. People just like the sound of a jazz trio, and background music, and we’re quite busy with that. It’s good. Interviewed by Anna Lacy.

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The Fabulous Al Wood

Christina Cartaciano

As a relatively new person to jazz, I can make no claim to knowing everything about this music; however, I do know that Al Wood is a master as what he does. Live at the Black Swan pub on 25th March, he performed with a passion that no on dare deny. When I arrived, there were many empty seats, but gradually more and more jazz enthusiasts entered the room until it was full. Watching Wood practice his craft – either on the alto or baritone sax, two of the many instruments that he can play! – you could not help but notice the ease with which he carried himself, and he did not need

to compete with guest trumpeter, Ian Chalk. When the two played together, their instruments produced a pleasant harmonious sound, and listening to Wood solo during ‘In a Sentimental Mood’, a Duke Ellington classic…well, the music was smooth and full-bodied – much like the beer I was drinking. Even my friend, who had not attended the sessions before, was amazed! The band explored a variety of tunes throughout the evening, ranging from lively numbers, which encouraged even the most stoic to tap their toes, to deep, soulful ballads that were full of emotion and reverie.

Sometimes these mood changes could be quite extreme, but the audience didn’t seem to mind; I think they were merely impressed by Wood’s ability to raise such responses within themselves through his amazing musicianship. It was inevitable that this showcase of Al Wood’s talent would have to end, but I certainly didn’t leave with a feeling of disappointment; I knew that I had been very fortunate to hear a local legend perform, and I will definitely be back to listen in the months to come!

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Spring Festival Fever Simon Roth brings us up to speed

So Simon, what exactly is the Spring Festival of New Music?

The Spring Festival was originally formed by a student from the University of York who did it for their solo project, which the music department then took on board a few years later, and was run by a member of staff. There were ideas for a module where whoever chose to do it would form the committee to run the festival; that didn’t happen, but the festival has been handed over to students this year. The committee was initially formed from undergraduate representatives on the concerts committee - this included myself and Chris O’Shea - and then whoever wanted to be involved after

that. Once we had enough people, we held nominations for the different positions such as Chair [Ben Gait] and Secretary [Sally Desmond]. We invited all students to submit concert proposals, and then spent several months investigating each of them, taking into account what everyone on the committee wanted from the festival. We needed to consider what was practical and affordable, but our aim was to make anything we wanted to happen, happen. All of the scheduled performances are realizations of these initial proposals from the students, and is a real representation of what they want. A number of them developed in completely different directions, but that’s the nature of it, I suppose.

What is your opinion on the fact that the students are in charge? It’s a really positive thing. I think that the committee have shown a really high level of professionalism, and hope that the Spring Festival is considered and experienced on a professional level, particularly because of the way that we’ve been dealing with international, national and regional artists. I know the staff are proud that the students have got this together. One of the funniest things has been the different sources of funding that people have come across, ranging from the Norwegian embassy, to various Science and Technology funds. What is the exact purpose behind the Spring Festival? Well, its full title is the Spring Festival of New Music; so, the first thing we did as a committee was to define what we meant by ‘new music’, because it differs from person to person, and the undergraduate course here embraces a lot of music from outside the Western ‘classical’ tradition. To give you one example: during the experimental digital media module, [Dr.]Ambrose [Field] played us people like Merzbow, Aphex Twin and Pansonic, so

“often when you’re dealing with a small

budget […] one of the easiest things is to

reduce the artist fees, and I think it’s

important that the artists aren’t hard

done by, that they are receiving proper

salaries.”

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it’s clear that he regards those guys as progressive in the same way as ‘contemporary classical’ music. The committee decided that ‘new music’ meant a few things: firstly, ‘new’ to York; music and artists that either haven’t performed in York, or been seen in York in the context that they’re appearing. It also meant acknowledging music from all spheres and genres; there was no genre-related criteria, other than making sure that there was a good level of diversity, incorporating the ‘contemporary classical’, the improvised, and the electronic, because there are many exciting developments happening in each of them. Another idea we liked was booking artists who already had some sort of connection with York, but then to place them in a collaborative context; setting up something that wouldn’t happen otherwise. For example, there will be Anna Maria Friman’s [Trio Medieval] collaboration with Arve Henriksen and Jan Bang, Re:Impressions featuring Dennis Rollins as their guest soloist, and the Weide Trio featuring [alumnus] Tom Gibbs. A number of these collaborations are happening in ensembles that are being put together especially for the Spring Festival, such as Sefiroth, the Jorvik Ensemble, and the collaboration between Leafcutter John and nuclear scientist Dr. David Jenkins.

So what exactly is your role on the committee, and what does that entail? After the initial stages, where we were all working together as a committee, I ‘turned into’ one of two artist liaison co-ordinators, which means that I’ve been dealing with roughly half of the events happening during the festival. Basically, I’m the medium through which the committee talks to the artist, and have been involved with ‘making things happen’, so negotiating fees and arranging programmes; when the artists come to York, my job is to make sure they know practical things like where they need to be, etc. I’m also organising the Music in Odd Places programme during the festival, which will see loads of ‘sabotage’ performances happening all over campus and the city. Had you any prior experience of this type of work before you were on the committee? I pretty much got on board the Spring Festival with my own experiences as a musician. I thought about how I would feel in the artists’ position, if I were to be approached; I wanted it to be fair to the musicians involved, because often when you’re dealing with a small budget and you have to do a lot of the fundraising, one of the easiest things is to reduce artist fees, and I think it’s important to make sure that the artists

A number of international artists are scheduled to perform

during York Spring Festival.

From top: Dennis Rollins; Arve Henricksen; Leafcutter John.

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aren’t hard done by, that they are receiving proper salaries; in some instances they maybe aren’t as much as we’d hoped, but the artists have been really helpful and accommodating, in that respect, and I think they are genuinely happy that there is a younger generation interested in their music. The only other experience I’ve had of this sort of thing, other than through organising tours or gigs of my own, has been the Concert Series Committee, where I’ve been a representative for a few years.

Arve Henrickssen was a proposal put in by Anna Goldbeck-Wood, the Treasurer on the Committee, as there were a lot of ideas emerging regarding a Scandanavian-themed concert. The Norwegian Embassy has made this possible, because Anna managed to secure some funding from them. I personally wanted to have an electronic artist who could do an installation, and it occurred to me that Leafcutter John would be a great person

graduated in the summer and we thought it would be great to have him and Tom Gibbs involved. Phil basically said ‘I want to do this thing with my trio’, which has me in it, and I put that to the committee. We ended up grouping the Phil Merriman Trio and Weide Trio featuring Tom Gibbs together, taking into consideration the audience and concert aesthetic. It depends how you define jazz, but it you’re talking about music that uses

There are a number of jazz-related items on the programme, could you tell us more about them? Dave Morecroft submitted a proposal to have Re:Impressions perform with Dennis Rollins. He and I already have a working relationship with Melanie Paris at the NCEM [National Centre for Early Music]; Melanie is always looking for student involvement, and because Re:Impressions is a large, student ensemble, I thought that it would be perfect for the Sunday night slot during the Jazz Weekend.

for that, because he has done similar things and also works as a performer. The collaboration with David Jenkins is very interesting, because a lot of Leafcutter John’s work is heavily rooted in physics, whether the physics of sound, or just physics as a topic; it’s working out well, because they’re finding many relationships between art and science in what they do. There were a lot of ideas floating around when they met each other! We approached Phil Merriman because he

improvisation as a compositional device, then there’s also a good amount of that in the festival, ranging from Sefiroth, to the Friman/Henriksen/Bang collaboration, and Leafcutter John’s performance. Hopefully the ‘jazz’ in the Spring Festival represents the development of the genre in its various modern guises.

Left hand page: Juice Vocal Trio; Mikhail; Backbeat

Percussion Quartet. Right hand page: York

alumnus Tom Gibbs; Sefiroth.

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What does it mean to you to have established, upcoming and student jazz musicians participating in the festival? It’s weird that if you’re a student you’re maybe taken less seriously, or not regarded as a professional, but I think the festival shows that the boundaries are blurred; it doesn’t really matter whether you’re studying or not, because it’s about the music. Any artist studies in their own way, and continues that study whether they’re in an institute or not, so it’s great that the boundaries aren’t so clear. I mean, Tony Williams played with Miles Davis when he was seventeen on Seven Steps to Heaven, where he was still young enough to be in school. If someone’s a good player, who cares if they’re still in school, or at an academic institute?

What effect do you think or hope this might have on the jazz scene in York? The jazz scene in York is a funny one. A lot of the time at the jazz gigs, there is quite a formal atmosphere, which can create a barrier between the performer and the audience. Alan Barnes’ trio gig at the NCEM back in November beautifully broke that barrier; they played acoustically, and he [Alan] was very warm towards the audience. It really helps the music that way. I think that the barrier has a lot to do with the bizarre venues where jazz is played in York; they often have very specific acoustics that can unnerve performers who are unfamiliar with them, but what was great about the Alan Barnes Trio, is that they really embraced the space. So, I suppose what we’re hoping to do for the jazz scene is to find that middle ground, maybe break down some of the formality of concert-going, yet retaining the importance of the ‘listening’ experience.

What are you most looking forward to about the festival? It wouldn’t be fair to name specific artists, as it’s my intention to be at every single event! I’m really looking forward to the fact that there’s a lot of music packed in every day; I think it will really feel like a festival. You’ve got stuff next to each other that’s just so different; the diversity is something I’m looking forward to. I’m also excited about seeing how the installation turns out, and hearing the results of the collaborations.

Want to find out more information about the York Spring Festival of New Music? Here’s how you can! Email: [email protected] Website: www.yorkconcerts.co.uk/springfestival MySpace: www.myspace.com/yorkspringfestival There is also a Facebook group, and we’re on Twitter!

Interviewed by Anna Lacy. Many thanks to the Spring Festival Committee for granting permission to use these photographs.

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Burning Up

YJS gives Dave Morecroft a good roasting

For the benefit of people who perhaps haven’t heard of it, what is Re:Impressions?

Re:Impressions is essentially a big band, made up of four trumpets, four trombones, five saxes and a rhythm section of piano, bass, guitar and drums. When I formed it, one of my ideas was to perform more funk-based music; the phrase ‘hard-hitting’ always gets used, but it’s just an energetic, contemporary ensemble, which remains commercially accessible.

Tell us about the early history of the band. We were actually formed for the York Proms, which was going to take place in June 2007. Re:Impressions didn’t exist at that time, but I wrote on the York Proms application form that I was running a big band; I always put myself in situations like this to set myself deadlines and make things happen, so I knew I had six weeks in which to form a big band, get it running and get some repertoire going. The York Proms was rained off,

actually; it was going to be in Rowntree Park, but the Ouse flooded over, so we didn’t get to play our first performance until that December. The York Proms organisers were really keen for us to be involved, and had arranged for us to be on the main stage with quite a main slot, so it was annoying that it had to be cancelled! The December performance was our first lunchtime concert in the department, and it went well, people were really receptive to it. There was a good-sized audience, we had people dancing at the

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back, and a lot of lecturers came up to me afterwards and said that they really enjoyed it. The reaction to Re:Impressions has just grown and grown. Describe your role within the ensemble. I play piano or keyboards, depending on whether there’s a more electronic, funky sound needed; I became increasingly involved in conducting, leading, and rehearsing the band weekly, choosing repertoire, buying music, and sorting parts out. Rehearsing the band is the main chunk that I spend on it, and within concerts I do a bit of conducting, leading, cueing sections and choosing people to solo. I also produce flyers and list the event on some ‘what’s on’ things online to promote each concert. How does your position as a fellow student compare with an ensemble like the Jazz Orchestra, which is run by a member of staff? It’s difficult when you’re trying to run something in a professional way, and to take an authoritarian role with people that you’re friends with, who are your peers, or you’re in the same year, or at the same musical level. I try not to lead with an iron fist, because I want people to enjoy it, but I find sometimes

that people’s punctuality and commitment tend to suffer because of that. I think that even though Jon Eato [who runs Jazz Orchestra] doesn’t shout at people, the status he has a lecturer may make the ensemble more official and easier to run somehow. What are rehearsals like from your perspective and how you prepare for them? Rehearsals are immensely varied. Sometimes they’re a lot of fun and we get a lot done…sometimes they’re very hard work and I feel like it’s an uphill struggle to get stuff achieved. But that’s just how an ensemble ebbs and flows; it’s not easy, and I probably don’t prepare for it as much as I should. Outside of rehearsal time, if there’s a new score I’ll look at it, have a listen, and try and familiarise myself with it; but generally, my preparation leads on from one rehearsal to another, in terms of what we achieved the week before, how many weeks we have left, and what stage I think we should be at in order to get everything together. How do you arrange the gigs? The majority have been Music Society lunchtime concerts, so I’ve just applied for them, and we get them because we bring in a good-sized audience. We did a gig at the Winning Post

“It’s difficult […] to take an authoritarian role with people that you’re friends with […] or at the same

musical level. I try not to lead with an iron first, because I want people to enjoy it”

as part of the Red Tribe Collective back in late January; that involved liaising with Simon Roth, and it was decided that it would be good for Re:Impressions to have a slot there, because the Winning Post have a room you can hire out for free, a lot of people would come along, and it would promote the Collective, as well as live music in York. We’ve also done things like Wentfest and York Carnival, , which have involved applying for them

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through forms, knowing someone on the committee, or being approached by someone who has heard Re:Impressions on another occasion. Could you tell us a bit more about the repertoire that the band plays? I’d use the word ‘burning’ to describe the music. As a musician, I really enjoy expressive musical material: tension and release, big sounds and driving passionate rhythms. Part of the reason why I formed Re:Impressions was as a kind-of response to Jazz Orchestra, because Jazz Orchestra generally plays very contemporary charts and quite intellectual music; it’s great, but there’s also a part of me that remembers the jazz band at my sixth form, which played similar music, refusing to be background music, this in-your-face thing, so that’s where I was coming from with

Re:Impressions. That type of music excites me, I guess. Tell us about upcoming Re:Impressions gigs. We’re performing with Dennis Rollins on 10th May. We are playing at York Carnival again, which is on the 24th May [Bank Holiday Sunday], on the main stage in Parliament Street. I assume we’ll be playing at Woodstock, but that hasn’t been applied for yet, and on 30th June we’ll be playing our last ever lunchtime concert in the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall – or at least, the last concert under my direction. It is going to be a special, extended two-hour lunchtime

concert in support of a music therapy-based charity, which is yet to be decided with the Music Society. I’m going to get some ex-members of the band to come up, some special guests, local musicians, ‘bigger’ musicians, some friends of mine from home, and from other big bands. I may write some music for it, and there’ll be a section where the band from this year will be playing the ‘greatest hits’, and then there’ll be a big amalgamation of players, or two different bands playing. I haven’t quite decided what, but it’ll be a big event. We’re aiming to fill the Jack Lyons, which would be amazing to do. How did the opportunity to perform with Dennis Rollins come about? Through the Spring Festival, mainly. I applied for a Re:Impressions performance featuring Dennis Rollins, and the Spring Festival Committee

“Part of the reason why I formed

Re:Impressions was as a kind-of response to

Jazz Orchestra”

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approved it. The university have a link with Melanie Paris at the NCEM, who gives us the Sunday night slot of the Jazz Weekend, and so it seemed to work out well for us to have that for this occasion. After receiving the go-ahead from the Spring Festival, I contacted Dennis’ manager, and then the Committee contacted her to agree what we’d be doing. Why Dennis Rollins? He plays music which is quite similar to Re:Impressions: very strong rhythmical drive, harmonically quite simple, but interesting nonetheless, and I just thought that his music would be very well suited once arranged for us. I’ve seen him play before, and he’s a great trombone player; you don’t see many trombone-featured concerts, so I wanted to do that. I had the privilege of meeting him once and he’s very nice, down-to-earth, and genuine; he’s also a local artist, because he’s based in Doncaster. How are you feeling about it? I’m aware that it’s going to be a lot of work! Over Easter I now need to write and arrange a whole programme of music, although I’m getting some help from past and present members of the band. Then I’ve got to write some original material, and arrange another of Dennis’ pieces for the band, which is daunting; but then again, it was

one of those things that when the Spring Festival asked me about the programme, I said that to make myself do it, because I know that come the tenth of May I will need to have a bunch of arrangements and compositions; so I’ve just given myself five or six weeks to come up with the goods. I suppose it’s good preparation for being a musician in the real world; you can’t be on a creative whim all the time, you have to write to deadlines, and that’s just the way it works. How do you think the band will approach the occasion? Hopefully the trombonists in the band will be suitably excited and awed. We’re going to have very intensive rehearsals at the beginning of next term, because the concert is at the end of the second week of term; we won’t be able to rehearse during the Easter holidays, because we won’t all be York, and I won’t have finished writing the

music. We’re probably going to have to meet three times a week with long weekend rehearsals before the actual gig, which is something that I’m going to have to think about. There might have to be some reshuffling; I want to make sure that the band is really on the ball, and we can’t afford to have punctuality or commitment issues, because we only have two weeks to prepare. That’s the rough and smooth of it. Interviewed by Anna Lacy.

Keep up to date with all things Re:Impressions-related online: www.myspace.com/reimpressions

All photographs are © Michael Brunsden Photography 2009

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Jamie Cullum: A jazz-pop crossover artist and the authenticity of his covers

Dave Smyth

The term ‘crossover’ is frequently used by the media when referring to a performer whose music is not restricted to a single musical style; this often carries derogatory connotations, because the artist is deemed not to be truly ‘authentic’ to any of them. Of the many current crossover artists, perhaps ‘the most remarkable success story’ is British singer and pianist Jamie Cullum.1 The idea of combining different musical genres is nothing new, particularly within the jazz idiom. In fact, during the 1920s and 1930s, there was no strict distinction between popular music and jazz; the repertoire was taken from musical theatre and, when changed by jazz musicians, came to form the first set of ‘standards’. However, the performances of these show tunes were not deemed ‘unauthentic’. For example, ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’’, a Fats Waller tune taken from a musical of the same name, was performed by many of the great jazz artists of the period, including Louis Armstrong, and is still performed to this day. Any performance of this piece is effectively a cover of an old popular song and, in musical terms at least, its

performance is in no way different to a modern day artist performing a cover. Yet it is doubtful that a performance by Armstrong would be deemed unauthentic or lacking in artistic integrity, as the performance of a standard such as this would not necessarily be deemed a cover. Post-world war two, artists have become increasingly identified with original music; they perform songs that they have written themselves, as opposed to performing the music of professional songwriters. This altered the way that the audience viewed covers, and was sharpened further by a more acute focus on categorising genres and sub-genres, in order to aid mass marketing. Given that there is usually no significant difference in terms of the musical interpretation of covers, it is arguable that the mass commercialisation and the over-categorisation of music is a major reason for the rise of the ‘crossover’ label. According to the allmusicguide, Jamie Cullum ‘mixes jazz with melodic pop and rock into a crossover style that calls to mind such artists

as Harry Connick, Jr., and Norah Jones’.2 This is a fair description of Cullum and his place in the music world, but it does not account for the negative baggage that the term ‘crossover’ carries as far as audience pre-conceptions and expectations are concerned. Cullum’s authenticity as a jazz artist has been repeatedly questioned by the media, yet he seems comfortable with not being pigeonholed into a single musical category. In an interview with All About Jazz, Cullum was asked whether not being labelled a ‘true’ jazz artist bothered him: ‘I am not out to impress the hardcore jazz fans as much as I am not out to impress the hardcore indie rockers ... I play with jazz musicians and we improvise and we change the set up, and we do change the way we play the songs. We are also not too proud to play a good groove and stick to it, play harmonies and have fun on stage. If we want to play a certain song then we will do it. That is what makes it special, different and interesting.’3 It is clear from this statement that Cullum knows where he wants to be musically and how he is perceived by the public. He will not be forced to appease any single market, audience, and this gives his

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music an integrity that is not often associated with crossover artists. It is easy to assume that many crossover artists perform their music solely for commercial reasons; the same could be said for why an artist chooses to release a cover. However, the novelty of this publicity stunt has worn thin over time, and this is partly why crossover artists do not always receive a warm welcome. Cullum, however, is passionate and sincere about his reasons for being the artist that he is, and this gives his music a legitimate edge. It could also be argued that, by aligning jazz with popular music, and therefore bringing it to a more mainstream crowd, Cullum is performing a crucial role in encouraging new audiences towards a style of music that has long been perceived as inaccessible to the uninitiated listener. The fact that he performs alongside jazz musicians also certifies his authenticity as a jazz performer. His trio includes Geoff Gascyone (double bass) and Sebastiaan de Krom (drums), who are both highly skilled and successful performers in their own rights. High calibre players such as Mark Nightingale (trombone) and John Parricelli (guitar) also contributed their skills to the album Twenty Something. In addition, Cullum is a very talented jazz pianist,

composer, and arranger himself. Aside from performing standards in innovative ways, Cullum also engages with pop and rock songs. He is by no means the first or only contemporary jazz artist to do so, but he approaches each cover with a similar mindset, so there is no ‘novelty’ about the decision or the performance. Of the many popular songs that he has covered, Cullum’s versions of Radiohead’s ‘High & Dry’, N.E.R.D’s ‘Frontin’’ and Buzz Cason/Mack Gayden’s ‘Everlasting Love’ are perhaps the most well-known. ‘High & Dry’ originally appeared on the album Pointless Nostalgic, released in 2001. Aside from the original lyrics, melody and harmony, the arrangement for jazz trio is very different: an additional piano introduction, extended instrumental and a prominent new riff, which provides the entire foundation for the new arrangement, have all been added. The trio have made ‘High & Dry’ their own by leaving the crucial components of the song in place, but adding new material to make it applicable for them as an ensemble. As a result, whilst clearly being recognisable as the same song, the overall sound is greatly different to the original Radiohead recording. Similarly, Cullum’s cover of N.E.R.D’s ‘Frontin’’ retains

features of the original, but incorporates variations. Similarly, Cullum’s cover of N.E.R.D’s ‘Frontin’’ retains features of the original, but incorporates variations. The most notable difference is the ‘feel’ provided by the drums; in the N.E.R.D original, the drums are electronically generated and play a sparse and jagged pattern, which does not provide a strong rhythmical background. However, within the trio, Krom plays straight quavers on the snare with brushes coupled with a constant crotchet pulse on the hihat, therefore providing a more fortified and prominent rhythmic backing. Gascoyne also plays a largely embellished part, in contrast to the significant lack of bass in the original track. Another key difference is the introduction of ‘stabs’, which provide another rhythmic angle to the performance. As in ‘High & Dry’, the trio incorporate an extended instrumental; however, on this occasion, they capitalise on the opportunity further, and take the song in a new direction: an original bass riff is introduced, and Krom plays a syncopated pattern on the drums with a quaver-offset crotchet pulse on the ride cymbal and hihats. Even without these interpretative and structural changes, the covers would already sound quite different to their originals, due to the fact that the instrumentation of the trio is substantially different to the ‘rock’ sound of Radiohead

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and the heavily processed backing loop that features throughout ‘Frontin’’. This gives the performances a personal authenticity, because they have not taken the songs and performed them merely ‘as is’; yet the covers are close enough to the originals to convey the same meaning, be convincing, and remain recognisable as the same songs. However, Cullum’s version of ‘Everlasting Love’ breaks from the sound and style achieved in the previously mentioned covers. It is a studio recording that has been heavily produced, and therefore possesses a very ‘synthetic’ sound in compari-son to the live sound that is key to both ‘High & Dry’ and ‘Frontin’’. Admittedly, this is not a new direction for Cullum, as ‘Singin’ In The Rain’ has a very similar timbral quality, as does much of the material on his album Catching Tales (2005). It is also interesting to note that no substantial new material is introduced, and there is no extended instrumental/solo section. ‘Everlasting Love’ was recorded for the soundtrack of the 2004 film Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason; it was a commercial success, reaching #20 in the Official UK Charts, and yet in comparison to his other covers, there is little to make it stand out. Perhaps the overriding issue with covering popular songs in the jazz idiom is that of ‘essence’. Almost all popular songs have a vocalist singing

lyrics, and it is arguable that the absence of vocals is a primary reason why many instrumental jazz covers of popular songs are not successful. This relates to both audience reception and expectation of how a song should sound; without lyrics and, more importantly, a singer, a lot of a song’s essence might be deemed lost. By singing as well as playing piano, there is a greater possibility for Cullum to take popular songs into the setting of a jazz trio and perform them convincingly. This would also partly explain why the instrumental sections of these covers are so successful; as opposed to being a solo within an entirely instrumental piece, they are a break from the verse or chorus, and allow the trio freedom to bring in more jazz-like harmonies and improvisation. In fact, without the instrumentals, many of the covers would simply be popular songs with very few jazz elements present. The ability to retain the essence of the songs is key to the success of Cullum’s arrangements. The trio’s approach is always stylistically appropriate, and gives the performances a base from which the group can then embellish as they wish. The instrumental interludes are interesting and fresh, and this combination of original-meets-new material helps the group to capture the mood of their covers, without being the original artist, or having a similar line-up. Most of the

time when popular musicians do cover versions, one or two aspects are changed, but there is often a large amount of replication or imitation of the original; this is not to say that they are incapable of covering songs in interesting ways, but that they may find themselves limited by the rigidity of the arrangements. This is strikingly different in jazz, where musicians will often approach a cover from a more exploratory angle and, perhaps, feel more at liberty to incorporate greater elements of variation. This results in substantial differences between the original piece and any given performance, and can be contributed to the significant improvisational focus common amongst jazz musicians. Cullum, therefore, brings together aspects from both the popular and jazz practices of covering songs. The movement which has allowed Cullum to reach this level of popularity ‘began with the commercial and artistic success of the Canadian singer Diana Krall’, who has led the way for other artists, such as Michael Bublé, to become high-profile figures themselves.4 Both Krall and Bublé have achieved commercial and artistic success during their careers, and, like Cullum, touch on different areas of jazz; Krall has succeeded primarily through performing standards with a trio, and Bublé has gained popularity with his Sinatra-esque ‘crooning’. In

YORK JAZZ SCENE

each case, their recordings and performances are traditionally authentic to the genre that they are emulating, whilst taking into account the personal characteristics of each performer. However, neither is pushing the music in a new direction, and so their performances fulfil nostalgic, as opposed to creative, values. This is where Cullum stands apart from his contemporaries, and those who led the mainstream jazz revival: instead of being easily identifiable as a jazz musician who plays popular music, or vice versa, he has managed to create a ‘grey area’ that allows him to perform in both styles, without sacrificing his artistic integrity. On the whole, his arrangements infuse the performances with a high degree of personal authenticity and innovation, whilst retaining the essence of the originals. Therefore, it is arguable that, from a jazz ‘authenticist’ perspective, Cullum is highly authentic; he approaches his covers as any jazz musician would, by applying the principles of improvisation and exploration, irrespective of the material in question. Rather than ‘crossing over’, he manipulates the material he has chosen, as opposed to being manipulated and limited by it.

References: 1. Shipton, A New History

Of Jazz, 684. 2. Collar, ‘Jamie Cullum

Biography’, on-line. 3. Wheeler interviewing Ja-

mie Cullum, ‘Jamie Cul-lum: Mad About Music’, on-line.

4. Shipton, A New History Of Jazz, 682.

Resources General: Collar, Matt. ‘Jamie Cullum Biography’, 2008. <http://www.allmusicguide.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:avfixq90ld0e~T1> (accessed on 05/01/09). Cullum, Jamie. Liner notes to Twenty Something (Special Edition). Jamie Cullum. CD, Universal, 9868729, 2004. Shipton, Alyn. A New History Of Jazz, 2nd ed. New York and London: Continuum, 2007. Wheeler, Katrina-Kasey, interviewing Jamie Cullum. ‘Jamie Cullum: Mad About Music’, 2007. <http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=24181> (accessed on 04/01/09). [n.a.], everyHIT.com. 2008. <http://www.everyhit.com> (accessed on 07/01/09). Sound Recordings: Armstrong, Louis. ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’’ on The Best of Louis Armstrong. Original studio sessions. CD, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, 82876805312, 2006.

Cullum, Jamie. Catching Tales. Original studio sessions, prod. Steward Levine. CD, Candid (Universal Classics & Jazz), 9873425, 2005. Cullum, Jamie. ‘Everlasting Love’ on Twenty Something. Original studio sessions, prod. Steve Lipson. CD, Candid (Universal Classics & Jazz), 9868729, 2004. Cullum, Jamie. ‘Frontin’’ on These Are The Days / Frontin’. Original live recording, original prod. Andy Rogers & Kevin Rumble. Broadcast live on BBC Radio 1, first transmitted 11 February 2004. CD, Candid (Universal Classics & Jazz), 9866211, 2004. Cullum, Jamie. ‘High & Dry’ on These Are The Days / Frontin’. Original live recording, recorded for BBC Wales’ Brecon Jazz 2003, first transmitted 22 August 2003. CD, Candid (Universal Classics & Jazz), 9866211, 2004. Cullum, Jamie. ‘High & Dry’ on Pointless Nostalgic. Original studio sessions. CD, Candid (Universal Classics & Jazz), CCD 79782, 2001. Cullum, Jamie. ‘Singin’ In The Rain’ on Twenty Something. Original studio sessions, prod. Stewart Levine. CD, Candid (Universal Classics & Jazz), 9868729, 2004.

Issue 2

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