My Musical Year

It's been busy...

Concerts
italics = gigs I played :)
* = gigs I put on

January
[[ exams ]]
18 - Dub From Atlantis + The Hit-Ups; The Croft, Bristol
19 - The Haggis Horns; Native, Bristol
21* - The Blessing; epi bar, Bristol
22 - Ruckus Collective; Mr Wolf's, Bristol
23 - Ruckus Collective; Moles, Bath
25 - Hélélé; Oppo, Bristol
31 - Powerplant w/ Elysian Quartet; St George's, Bristol

February
4* - Spokinn Movement; epi bar, Bristol
7 - Mankala; The Attic, Bristol
9 - Ruckus Collective; Anson Rooms, Bristol
9 - Spokinn Movement; Mr Wolf's, Bristol
12 - The Blessing; Thekla, Bristol
16 - Ruckus Collective; Oppo, Bristol
18 - Ruckus Collective; Joe Public's, Bristol
20 - Roni Size & Reprazent; Thekla, Bristol
21 - Tribal Underground; Tao Bar, Bristol
23 - Ruckus Collective; a beer festival, Bristol
27 - Ruckus Collective; Mr Wolf's, Bristol
28 - Ruckus Collective; The Attic, Bristol (w/ Anomaly + The Scribes)
29 - Ruckus Collective; The Golden Lion, Bristol (w/ CCQ)

March
4 - Ruckus Collective; student ball, Bristol
6 - King Porter Stomp; Tao Bar, Bristol
7 - Ruckus Collective; student ball, Bristol
8 - Mark Wingfield; Avon Gorge Room, Bristol
9 - Kokolo; Mr Wolf's, Bristol
12 - Songwriter Session; The Lansdown, Bristol
14* - Anomaly; The Attic, Bristol (my birthday party!)
16 - Ruckus Collective; Mr Wolf's, Bristol
17* - Mankala; epi bar, Bristol
20 - Sheelanagig; Grain Barge, Bristol
25 - Joe Driscoll + Gideon Conn; Vibe Bar, London
27 - Tony Allen; Jazz Cafe, London
28 - Acoustic Ladyland; Vortex, London
29 - John Scofield; Jazz Cafe, London
30 - Richard Bona; Jazz Cafe, London

April
1 - Robert Mitchell & Omar Puente; St Cyprian's Church, London
4 - Ruckus Collective; Brixton Jamm, London
5 - Ruckus Collective; Bar Sonic, London
6 - Ruckus Collective; Thekla, Bristol (w/ The Apples)
7 - Polar Bear; Ronnie Scott's, London
10 - jam session; Harris jazz bar, Krakow
17 - Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings; Jazz Cafe, London
18 - Led Bib; QEH Front Room, London
19 - Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra + The Budos Band; Jazz Cafe, London
20 - Polar Bear; Colston Hall Bar, Bristol
22 - Ruckus Collective; Timbuk2, Bristol
26 - Ruckus Collective; Phoenix, Exeter
28 - Dr Doctor; Joe Public's, Bristol
29 - Ruckus Collective; Mr Wolf's, Bristol
30 - The Zen Hussies; Old Duke, Bristol

May
1 - Talibam! + Ashowka + Sweet Potato; The Croft, Bristol
4 - Ruckus Collective; Jester's, Bristol
8 - Ruckus Collective; The Croft, Bristol (w/ Bizali + Clayton Blizzard)
[[ exams ]]
26 - Edenheight; The Full Moon, Bristol

June
7 - Ruckus Collective; street party, Bristol
8 - Ruckus Collective; live radio session, Bristol
12 - Ruckus Collective; Lakota, Bristol
13 - Ruckus Collective; Mr Wolf's, Bristol
16 - Ruckus Collective; Tiger Tiger, Cardiff
17 - Ruckus Collective; The Croft, Bristol
28 - Ruckus Collective; The Golden Lion, Bristol

July
2 - Kenny Garrett; Ronnie Scott's, London
11 - NORTH SEA JAZZ FESTIVAL, Rotterdam
Charles Lloyd, David S. Ware, Led Bib, Herbie Hancock, Bootsy Collins,
12 - NORTH SEA JAZZ FESTIVAL
Pat Metheny, Victor Wooten, The Bad Plus, David Sanchez, Finn Peters, Wayne Shorter, James Carter
13 - NORTH SEA JAZZ FESTIVAL
Lefties Soul Connection, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Gary Burton, Mark Helias, Brad Mehldau, Maceo Parker, Branford Marsalis, Buddy Guy
16 - Samay; Dingwalls, London
20 - Neil Cowley Trio; Koko, London
21 - BBC Jazz Awards; Mermaid Theatre, London
[[ including: Return To Forever, Guy Barker, Empirical, Fraud, Tommy Smith, Charlie Haden, Tony Kofi, The Blessing... ]]
22 - Hypnotic Brass Ensemble; ICA, London
23 - Youngblood Brass Band; Jazz Cafe, London
27 - Ealing Jazz Festival, London
29 - Grupo Fantasma + Brownout; Jazz Cafe, London
30 - Portico Quartet; Rough Trade East, London
31 - Hot 8 Brass Band; Cargo, London

August
6 - Ruckus Collective; The Old Blue Last, London
15 - Ruckus Collective; The Griffin, Frome
16 - Ruckus Collective; The Yardbird, Birmingham
17 - Ruckus Collective; party, nr Brighton
19 - Ruckus Collective; The Croft, Bristol
20 - Maceo Parker; Pigalle Club, London
23 - Hélélé / Edenheight; Old Duke Jazz Festival, Bristol
24 - Compadres; The Tobacco Factory, Bristol
27 - Ruckus Collective; Mr Wolf's, Bristol (open mic)
28 - Ruckus Collective; Ride Cafe, Plymouth (w/ The Scribes)
29 - Ruckus Collective; The Good Ship, London

September
4 - Roots Manuva; Rough Trade, London
4 - The Apples; Cargo, London
11 - Ruckus Collective; Joe Public's, Bristol (w/ Toyface + The Hats)

October
2 - Clayton Blizzard; The Junction, Bristol
22 - Arun Ghosh; Vortex, London
23 - Adam Waldmann Quartet; Charlie Wright's, London

November
6 - Jim Hart + jam session; Charlie Wright's, London
7 - Spokinn Movement; Ginglik, London
13 - Spokinn Movement; Pangea Project, London
[[ London Jazz Festival starts ]]
14 - Ken Vandermark, Barry Guy, Mark Sanders; Vortex, London
15 - Bill Frisell; Barbican Centre, London
16 - Richard Galliano & Gonzalo Rubalcaba; Queen Elizabeth Hall, London
17 - Chris Potter; Ronnie Scott's, London
18 - Robert Glasper; Cargo, London
19 - Herbie Hancock; Barbican Centre, London
20 - Courtney Pine; Barbican Centre, London
21 - Matthew Herbert Big Band + José James; Royal Festival Hall, London
22 - Chucho Valdés; Barbican Centre, London
23 - Biréli Lagrène, Martin Taylor; Queen Elizabeth Hall, London
[[ end of London Jazz Festival ]]
24 - a concert featuring works of Morton Feldman and Earle Brown, taking place as part of the Mark Rothko exhibition at Tate Modern, London

December
4 - Erik Truffaz; 16 Tons, Moscow
5 - The Bad Plus; 16 Tons, Moscow
12 - jazz showcase, Moscow

Ruckus Collective
The band really took off in 2008, playing over 30 gigs (actually only up til August/September), visiting a few different places and recording a full-length studio album, Stop, Drop, Dance!, during a crazy period after uni exams in June. Earlier in the year we also self-produced a five-track EP, Rise of The Ruckusaurus. Apart from that I played the odd function gig here and there around Bristol, and plenty of jams - always good fun.
www.myspace.com/ruckuscollective

Journalism
I had quite a few articles published throughout the year, writing for publications including London Tourdates (LTD), Jazzwise, All About Jazz (AAJ) and Fly. Not sure if anyone's going to check these out, but here's a list (in order of publishing):

28/2/08 - CD: The Blessing, All Is Yes [AAJ]
29/3/08 - Live: Acoustic Ladyland @ Vortex, London [AAJ]
8/4/08 - Live: Richard Bona @ Jazz Cafe, London [Fly]
9/4/08 - Live: John Scofield @ Jazz Cafe, London [AAJ]
15/4/08 - Live: Tony Allen and Antibalas @ Jazz Cafe, London [Fly]
19/4/08 - Live: Polar Bear @ Ronnie Scott's, London [AAJ]
23/4/08 - Live: Robert Mitchell & Omar Puente @ St. Cyprian's, London [AAJ]
15/5/08 - Interview: 'These Acoustics Can Electrify' - Pete Wareham (Acoustic Ladyland) [LTD]
15/5/08 - Live: Antibalas and The Budos Band @ Jazz Cafe, London [LTD]
24/5/08 - CD: James Carter, Present Tense [AAJ]
30/5/08 - CD: Ponto de Equilíbrio, Abre a Janela [Fly]
21/6/08 - Live: The Heliocentrics / Flying Lotus @ Venn Festival, Bristol [Fly]
9/7/08 - Live: Kenny Garrett @ Ronnie Scott's, London [Jazzwise]
11/7/08 - CD: Blink, Blink [LTD]
21/7/08 - Live: North Sea Jazz Festival 2008 [Jazzwise]
22/7/08 - Live: Latin Funk Spectacular to hit Jazz Cafe [Fly]
24/7/08 - Live: Neil Cowley Trio @ Koko, London [Jazzwise]
24/7/08 - Interview: 'What's In A Name?' - Neil Cowley [LTD]
31/7/08 - Live: North Sea Jazz Festival 2008 [AAJ]
8/8/08 - Live: Samay at Dingwalls, London [LTD]
8/8/08 - CD: Polar Bear, Polar Bear [LTD]
22/8/08 - Interview: 'Mercury Rising For Hang Men' - Portico Quartet [LTD]
27/8/08 - CD: Avishai Cohen, Gently Disturbed [AAJ]
5/9/08 - Live: Maceo Parker @ Pigalle Club, London [LTD]
1/10/08 - Interview: Taking Off - James Morton [Jazzwise]
3/10/08 - CD: Alex Wilson, Salsa Con Soul [Fly]
4/10/08 - Interview: '77 Not Out' - Omara Portuondo [Fly]
24/11/08 - Interview: 'Freedom First, History Later' - Manuel Mengis [AAJ]
2/12/08 - Live: London Jazz Festival 2008 [AAJ]
21/12/08 - Live: Moscow City Jazz Festival 2008 [AAJ]


Broadcasting
While I was in Bristol, I had a weekly show on BURST Radio called 'Off The Hook'. It was a really cool experience and I played a lot of different tunes, as well as being joined by several guests from the local music scene. I won't go into detail here, as this is already too long, but you can see the myspace page for info and playlists. [Some of my friends have taken it over this year, as I'm not attending uni at the moment, so tune in!]


Many thanks to anyone who's had a look at this post - all the best wishes for Christmas and the New Year!

peace,
frederick

Moscow City Jazz Festival 2008

City Jazz Festival
December 4-5, 2008
16 Tons
Moscow, Russia


Erik Truffaz
December 4

Swiss trumpeter Erik Truffaz, a moderately well-known figure on the international tour circuit, surely counts Russia as a favorite gigging destination. This concert, in a popular pub-cum-music-club called 16 Tons, saw him welcomed by a highly enthusiastic young crowd--a far cry from the standard demographic at most similar events in the UK. Despite lengthy delays in reaching the city after landing at the airport, Truffaz and his quartet played with similar vigor, whipping up euphoric grooves based on relatively simple melodic and harmonic ideas. His effective cross-section of jazz and popular music is the main source of his mainstream appeal, although the live show was nevertheless largely sans gimmicks save for the drummer's momentary dabbling with electronic randomness. Obvious references can be made to the late work of Miles Davis, so it's not particularly original, but the band was enjoyable to watch and Truffaz can certainly look forward to many happy returns to city and country.


The Bad Plus with Wendy Lewis
December 5

Music by Stravinsky, Ornette Coleman and the three band members was on the bill in a typically distinctive set from The Bad Plus. Two things let them down. First, the sound engineer: Ethan Iverson's piano was far too low for the instrumental tunes, meaning it struggled for leverage against drummer Dave King's trademark scampering rhythms and skittery beats. A bigger, balanced sound to match the players' personalities was needed. The band's inclusion of indie rock singer Wendy Lewis for recent tours and the upcoming album has raised many eyebrows, and justifiably so. Her presence, although it clearly dominated the sound check, did not lend matching gravity to the overall performance--with a limited vocal range and negligible on-stage charisma, it felt like she was getting in the way more often than not, distracting from the fine creative work of Iverson, King and bassist Reid Anderson. The group's desire to explore new territory is understandable--even after a series of highly acclaimed trio records--but one couldn't help thinking they might have made a better choice of vocalist.

Photo Credit
Elmira Kuznetsova

Published at allaboutjazz.com, 21/12/08 - click here for original.

London Jazz Festival 2008

London, England
November 14-23, 2008


Ken Vandermark, Barry Guy, Mark Sanders
The Vortex
November 14

In a meticulously unplanned concert, the music often seemed like a sonic battle between these three renowned improvisers. Sporting a black-fitted tee and a hairstyle that could be straight from the Police Academy films, Vandermark was the dominant voice. On tenor saxophone and occasionally clarinet, his signature wailing, guttural, distorted screams interchanged with lithely melodic phrases and deft percussive passages. Sanders and Guy were largely in the background, providing a constant stream of ideas and demonstrating why they are so highly regarded amongst the European avant garde. Guy in particular employed a number of extended techniques, utilizing all parts of his five-string double bass and performing on-the-job customizations such as jamming a drumstick under the strings, or using a soft-headed beater to produce gentle ripples of sound during quieter movements. Certainly a spectacular opening for the promising festival program, it would be hard for any subsequent performance to surpass the sheer creative intensity on display this Friday night.

Bill Frisell
Barbican Centre
November 15

The idea of a band playing live to accompany films is becoming very fashionable: Courtney Pine and Steven Bernstein are, along with Frisell, artists who have experimented with the concept. Frisell's trio tonight provided the soundtrack for a series of short pieces, from abstract insectile cartoons to a couple of delightful Buster Keaton slapsticks. With such a volume of audio and visual stimuli assaulting the senses, it was difficult to simultaneously focus attention on both music and moving images. However, the band, comprising Kenny Wollesen on drums and Tony Scherr on bass, always produced something to fit the occasion--whether stretching out in illustrative soundscapes or employing highly synchronized compositions with clever and perfectly-timed sound effects from the drummer. Always the individual stylist, Frisell stamped his mark on everything they played, his instantly recognizable tone ringing out with influences heavy in rock and country as much as jazz. The only drawback was that, occasionally, there was not a lot of variation in the overall sound produced for different films.

Richard Galliano and Gonzalo Rubalcaba
Queen Elizabeth Hall
November 16

A truly dreadful opening act featuring Romanian violinist Alexander Balanescu and Russian accordionist/singer Evelina Petrova went on for much too long without going anywhere musically; it wasn't even jazz. Galliano and Rubalcaba did not appear as a duo until after 10 p.m., after brief solo recitals from both. The fleet-fingered French accordion player ran through a series of short tunes, including Astor Piazzolla's classic "Libertango," with typically passionate Gallic flair. Rubalcaba's formidable touch was not employed to its fullest extent at any stage. His hands danced around the keys, but he seems to have developed a calmer, more restrained and exploratory attitude--there were no blistering runs, but his harmonic and rhythmic inventiveness was equally spectacular for those listening carefully. As a duo, they were engaging and communicative, giving each other space to play and not going over the top. A few more tempo changes would have been pleasing, but on the whole an impressive and vibrant performance.

Chris Potter
Ronnie Scott's
November 17

What hasn't been said about Chris Potter? Deserved critical praise has been sent his way from all angles, including for the current 'Underground' project featuring Craig Taborn (Fender Rhodes), Adam Rogers (guitar) and Nate Smith (drums). All were in fine form at Ronnie's, with the band's groove-oriented aesthetic laid bare for a packed house to enjoy. Potter's tenor sax (and occasional bass clarinet) cut through an intriguing web of guitar and Rhodes as they melted together lavishly, with either Rogers or Taborn keeping an eye on the low frequencies to compensate for the lack of bassist. The saxophonist's brutally rhythmic improvisational attack is perfectly suited to this kind of upbeat setting--the band has mastered the art of carefully growing each tune, gently rising in volume and intensity to push any soloist to his limits. And the repertoire wasn't restricted to fast-paced blitzing assaults, with Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell covers thrown in for a bit of mellow variety.

Robert Glasper
Cargo
November 18

The lines between jazz and hip-hop have been frequently blurred in recent years, by all manner of artists from saxophonist Greg Osby to the incendiary Youngblood Brass Band. No one, however, has been more effective than Glasper in exploring the crossover through a piano trio format. A relative newcomer on the international circuit, the Texan differs from many musicians who have dabbled with this potent fusion in that his music is genuinely rooted in jazz and hip-hop as equal partners--rather than simply jazz from a hip-hop angle, or vice versa. For this outing Glasper was joined by Alan Hampton on bass and phenomenal drummer Chris Dave, the band's indisputable engine. Beat-heads were out in force, uttering whoops of joy at Dave's peppery rhythms, lightning fills and fearsomely fiery breaks. His sense of timing is wickedly skewed in the best possible way, the perfect complement to Glasper's rippling, undulating chordal style. The pianist is a player of unrivalled fluidity and superior harmonic nous, but his vamps sometimes became overly cyclical and the music a touch directionless. Yet Dave and Hampton always managed to keep things moving--the essence of the trio is perhaps more about soaking up the grooves than any individual leading the way.

Herbie Hancock
Barbican Centre
November 19

To this writer's delight, it seems Mr. Hancock may have read the review posted on AAJ of his performance at the 2008 North Sea Jazz Festival. In short, it was a less-than-innovative stroll through a funk songbook largely of the Headhunters idiom, which, despite the classic nature of the tunes and excellent delivery, was disappointing in its familiarity. This show, on the other hand, was much more exciting--Hancock explored some different material at greater length, aided by a stellar band featuring Terence Blanchard (trumpet), Gregoire Maret (harmonica), Lionel Loueke (guitar), Kendrick Scott (drums) and James Genus (bass). The musicians seemed to gel more meaningfully than an almost completely different group in Rotterdam, with Genus and Scott locked together solidly and Loueke in inspired form. They played for nearly three hours. Blanchard was an imperious presence on every solo, strutting the stage and employing delay and chorus effects for added wow. It's an increasingly rare delight to find him on the road with other leaders, as he is often occupied with teaching and film score gigs. The Swiss Maret had his moments, but looked a little out of depth next to the plethora of highly experienced players. Of course Hancock had to throw in a couple of old standards--"Cantaloupe Island," "Actual Proof" and "Chameleon" as an encore (with obligatory keytar jamboree)--but long, twisted, epic adventures through "Speak Like a Child" and Wayne Shorter's "Visitor" ceded together, and a stirring rendition of Loueke's convoluted "17s," more than compensated.

N.B. Highlights from this concert are being broadcast by BBC Radio Monday 3, December 8, 2008 and will be available for seven days online at www.bbc.co.uk/radio3.

Matthew Herbert Big Band
Royal Festival Hall
November 21

Matthew Herbert has created a musical monster. With five saxophones, four trumpets, four trombones, piano, bass, drums, lead vocalist, more than 60 backing singers (exclusively for this gig), a musical director and the man himself on electronic wizardry, this a summative depiction of contemporary jazz on a grand scale. It is also a beast which obeys its every command, capable of filling any setting with euphoric uproar. Sadly the Festival Hall engineering crew did not match the band's standard--it came through the system flat, cramped and unbalanced in a venue that should do better. After a slow start, featuring a couple of forgettable pop-ish meanderings, things really took off with powerful vocalist Eska leading the effort; although often burdened with slightly mundane and repetitive lyrics, she was never lacking style in delivery, admirably making the most of what she was given. One of the most enjoyable moments was a delightedly choreographed tune that featured almost all performers on stage tearing up copies of a low-reputation national newspaper in tandem. Here and in other instances, Herbert's crafty live sampling skills were a lesson in ruthless accuracy. The audience went home very happy, but, in purely technical terms, this ferocious band could have sounded a lot happier.

Chucho Valdes
Barbican Center
November 22

With Chucho Valdes, one always knows what to expect: a flourishingly buoyant display of Latin jazz led from the piano stool of this old master. Tonight, a rare visit to London, was no exception. Opening with a scorching medley including Duke's "Satin Doll" and the effervescent "Caravan," he went on to quote Joe Zawinul's "Birdland" in mambo form and spotlight the talents of his two percussionists--Juan Carlos Castro Rojas (drum kit) and Yaroldi Abreu (congas)--by allowing them to let loose in a long, spicy rhythmic feast with no real piano melody. That was just the first half. After the interval, Valdes brought out a four-piece horn section as well as his sister, the eccentric singer Mayra Caridad, for a couple of party numbers. The music took on a slightly rougher, more instinctive vibe, with all players given ample solo freedom. A brilliantly tight arrangement of Victor Young's "Stella by Starlight," with the head blasted out at breakneck speed, was typical of the sweltering big-band writing Valdes has developed through his noted group Irakere. The pianist clearly prides himself on well-drilled ensemble work and, although this set of compatriots may not have reached the dizzy heights (forgive the pun) of Paquito D'Rivera or Arturo Sandoval, they all had rich improvisational contributions to make--particularly Alexander Abreu's blaring trumpet and the cameo appearance of German Velazco's sweet soprano sax. And if that wasn't enough, a solitary woman even began to dance in the aisles of the cavernous Barbican hall: a typically British scenario, surely a far cry from the rapturous reception this superb band would receive back in Cuba.

Bireli Lagrene and Martin Taylor
Queen Elizabeth Hall
November 23

This was a fitting end to the festival, as two of the world's principal guitarists came together for an intrepid race to the pinnacle of distinction. Messrs. Lagrene and Taylor both worked with the great Stephane Grappelli, and, while continuing to honour the gypsy swing roots of Grapelli and Django Reinhardt, they have carved their own niches in the minds of music lovers. Taylor is par excellence in his incredible solo work, hypnotically fingerpicking his way through standards and originals alike; imagine Tommy Emmanuel high on jazz with a smooth electric tone and endless silky licks. Lagrene, although he has dabbled in fusion and post-bop, often favours the Manouche style of his Gypsy forefathers. His compact trio, featuring gentle bassist Diego Imbert and Hono Winterstein on rhythm guitar, offered the perfect opportunity for the Frenchman's dazzling chops to run free. When joined by Taylor for the last few songs of the night, the spectacle became any guitarist's dream ticket: the two had traded ideas in earlier duets, but went on to push each other further upwards with breathtaking interplay, supercharged by the immaculate backing of Winterstein and Imbert. A couple of swinging encores later, it was the end of everything--another spectacular success for the London Jazz Festival.

Published @ allaboutjazz, 2/12/08 - click here for original.