News

Nursery Gig

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 03:00:00 GMT

Jazz Nursery - Miguel Gorodi/Sam Braysher Quintet featuring Pete Hurt

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 03:25:00 GMT

stripy-shirted horn section

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 00:45:00 GMT

Mark Turner interview

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 15:55:00 GMT

I was fortunate enough to get to do a little email interview with Mark Turner, which is published in the August 2012 issue of Jazz Journal. Mark is one of my favourite contemporary saxophone players, and someone who I know has influenced a lot of young musicians of my generation, so it was great to chat to him. The piece was ostensibly a preview for the new FLY Trio album, but I also got to ask him about some other topics, including his own influences and an exciting-sounding new quartet. You can read the article here.

Books about jazz

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 16:05:00 GMT

Check out these three books, they're all great. Some completely mental stories in the Art Pepper one!

Jazz Nursery

Wed, 02 May 2012 02:59:42 GMT

Looking forward to this on Thursday...

Penthouse Serenade

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 17:10:00 GMT

This is really good

Workshop

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 00:25:00 GMT

Enjoyed giving an 'introduction to jazz' workshop at Barts and the London Medical School the other week

Showreel

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 00:20:00 GMT

Eltham College, 20/01/12

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 06:00:00 GMT

East London Creative Jazz Orchestra

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 23:34:14 GMT

Had a great time over the last few weeks with the East London Creative Jazz Orchestra. Led by creative director Paul Griffiths, the ensemble comprises talented young musicians from across the ten Olympic gateway boroughs. Along with some other Guildhall musicians I was lucky enough to be doing some coaching with the band and helping out with rehearsals for their latest project, a collaboration with New York singer Gretchen Parlato and her band as part of the 2011 London Jazz Festival. Taylor Eigsti (piano), Alan Hampton (bass), Kendrick Scott (drums) and Gretchen were all great musicians, inspiring educators and lovely people, and the whole thing culminated with a performance on the Barbican Freestage. This was the second time I've worked with the ELCJO (there was a similar project with Robert Glasper for last year's festival) and hopefully there'll be many more to come. Below: me with Kendrick Scott (clang!)

More LCBB

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 23:10:00 GMT

Had a great time playing with the London City Big Band at the Guildhall graduation party on Friday evening. Below is a video of us playing Beyond The Sea (La Mer) at our debut gig at the Spice Of Life in Soho. See www.londoncitybigband.co.uk for more details, pics, audio and video.

London City Big Band

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 05:34:10 GMT

Very much looking forward to playing with the London City Big Band this Sunday afternoon (16th October) at the Spice of Life in Soho. We'll be playing lots of classic Sinatra repertoire as well as charts from the Basie, Kenton and Ellington bands. The band comprises students and recent grauduates from Guildhall, Trinity and the Royal Academy, and features the effervescent Billy Boothroyd on vocals.

Check out the London Jazz Blog preview here and the Facebook event here.

Guildhall jam sessions

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 17:00:00 GMT

As part of being a Jazz Fellow at Guildhall this year I'm helping run a jam session in Sundial Court Basement on Wednesday evenings. A mixture of current Guildhall students, recent alumni and more established names from the London scene are going to providing the house sets, which start at 8.45pm, with the jam following until around 11pm. Good friend and fellow Jazz Fellow Josh Jaswon played the first set to a packed house on Wednesday, and the dates for the rest of the Autumn term are as follows: 12th October - Gabriel Latchin with house rhythm section 19th October - Alec Harper Group 9th November - Alex Harris Group 23rd November - Nick Costley-White Group 30th November - Ed Blunt Large Ensemble Free entry!

Ethan Iverson profile

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 16:15:00 GMT

Just got round to putting up a feature I had published I had published in the May issue of Jazz Journal on Ethan Iverson, pianist from the Bad Plus and prolific blogger. Check out my profile on him here.

Penelope

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 02:20:00 GMT

Got a new track up. Penelope is a lovely ballad from the Wayne Shorter's 1965 album Etcetera. This recording's from my Guildhall final recital and features George Moore on piano, Nick Walsh on bass and Joe Sweeney on drums. Have a listen here. More to follow soon!

Final Recitals

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 15:25:00 GMT

Firstly, apologies for the lack of activity on my part on here. I've been busy preparing for my Final Recital recently, so haven't had much time for all this. The recital is this Monday (27th June) at the Guildhall School, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DT at 8pm. It's open to the public and entry is free so do come along if you're in London and fancy seeing some jazz. My band features the excellent George Moore on piano, Nick Walsh on bass and Joe Sweeney on drums. It's probably a bit late for this but I'm also playing on Joe Sweeney's final recital TONIGHT (23rd June), same place at 6pm. His band is completed by Nick Costley-White on guitar, George Moore on piano and Calum Gourlay on bass. It'll be great so (if anyone happens to read this in the next few hours) do come along. That's all for now - good luck to everyone with exams coming up during final recital season! I've seen some killing ones already... p.s. according to the site traffic thing on here, someone from Pelotas, Brazil has been looking at my website. No idea who that could be, but please can we come and play a gig for you?

Photos/Duchess of Kent

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 19:51:47 GMT

Big thanks to everyone who came to the Artillery Arms and Southill Arts Centre Gigs the other week - much appreciated. Naira very kindly brought her camera along to the Artillery Arms - see the results on the photos page. I've also updated the gigs section, so have a look at some of the new events on there. Playing with the Joe Sweeney Quartet at the Duchess of Kent in Islington on Wendesday 27th April. Free entry, come down!

Jazz at the Artillery Arms

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 21:45:00 GMT

On Tuesday 22nd March I'm playing at a night at the Artillery Arms, a lovely pub located on Bunhill Row, just around the corner from the Guildhall School and Sundial Court. Will Rixon's band is playing, which includes Alex Merritt, George Moore, Adam King and Daoud Merchant, as well as my quartet with Nick Costley-White, Nic Breakspear and Joe Sweeney. There's a £3 suggested donation on the door, all of which will be donated to the Multiple System Atrophy Trust. Music starts at 8.30. Can't wait. Check out the event poster by dear Eddie Blunt...

Domain names and jazz at the Horseshoe

Sun, 13 Mar 2011 23:20:00 GMT

So I finally got round to sorting out a domain name and all that. I'm rubbish at the technical side of this web stuff but we got there in the end. Anyway, there should still be some more content to come here soon, so do keep an eye out for that.

Also, some of my friends are playing in Clerkenwell on Monday (14th), which promises to be marvellous. Nick Costley-White Quartet and the Joshua Jaswon Quartet at the Horseshoe from 8pm. More info here.