I have already celebrated the luck we as Londoners have to have Jean Toussaint here, and Frank Griffith and Bob Martin
The traffic in the other direction is significant too: we have exported loads of good musicians to the US. And sometimes they come back to play. Brits, Londoners even, many of whom have become New Yorkers through inhabiting the caffeine cauldron, developing , trying on new things, exploding with energy, urgency. Their appearances liven up the busy London scene. Yes,they add something special and different, and they are very welcome.
An unsystematic-idiosyncratic list (there are many many more I’m sure!):
First up, respect for age: one of the great voices of the baritone sax, Joe Temperley. Born 1929. Went to 1965 to New York. We get him back when the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra is in town.
Next up : Tenor man Ralph Moore. Born in 1956 in Brixton. Went as a teenager in 1972 to California. Great albums. Horace Silver Quintet. Wonderful Concord album with Ray Brown. Recently I have only come across him on TV -in the house band on the Jay Leno show. I guess that gig feeds a Burbank family. He looks pretty happy here with Kevin Eubanks, so I guess we won’t see him…
Try a few more recent ones : Bass player Orlando Le Fleming, . Went to NY in 2003 and had three years in Jane Monheit’s band. And stayed. His Myspace site says he’s busy touring the US with David Sanchez. Nothing in the UK. Have to make do with getting out my copy of Iain Ballamy’s More Jazz album on Basho and giving it a spin I think.
Janek Gwizdala, astonishing electric bass player. Home educated in Mitcham. Studied at Berklee from 1998 to 2000 when he moved to New York. I still have my ears two astonishing gigs in April 2007 at Boaters, and the Bull’s Head- with Gary Husband on drums, Elliott Mason (see below) , and on one night Simon Carter on keyboards and another Gwilym Simcock on piano.
Try this:
And check out this awesome list of the people he’s worked with since he’s been in New York:
Mike Stern, Randy Brecker, Airto Moirera, Pat Metheny, Flora Purim, Bob Malach, Hiram Bullock, Adam Rogers, Clarence Penn, Paul Shaffer, Kenwood Dennard, Marcus Miller, Wayne Krantz, Bob James, Billy Cobham, John Patitucci, Eric Johnson, Bob Mintzer, Ronny Jordan, Terri Lyne Carrington, Jojo Mayer, Gary Husband, Mark Turner, Arturo Sandoval, Danny Gottlieb, Peter Cincotti, Rick Margitza, Tony Royster Jr, Richie Morales, Scott Kinsey, Gregoire Maret, Lew Solof, Andy Milne, Mike Phillips, JEM, NERVE, Dapp Theory, Jeff Lorber, Wayman Tisdale, Oz Noy, Lionel Loueke, Jose Neto, Frank McComb, Billy Pierce, Paul Oakenfold, Stevie Winwood, Barry Altschul, and Adam Freeland.
Source: Janek Gwizdala’s Facebook page
And Norwich-born trombonist and bass trumpet Elliott Mason from the Mason Brothers Band , who’s VERY busy with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, too busy to be coming back for a while I guess. Although I hear early rumours of LCJO doing the Barbican and working on a Vortex project…
But if these guys are too busy…and good luck, they deserve it….who’s coming over soon?
I’m certainly looking forward to a visit by fine RAM-trained pianist John Escreet, born in Doncaster in 1984 . He’s got an interesting band coming in March. He’ll be at the very cramped Con Bar in Camden Town, but I will catch him on March 18th when he’s doing a late night set at the 606.
Categories: miscellaneous
Test comment from BD
Seb, I think you’ve unaccountably overlooked the great Jimmy Hamilton – some of his distinctive and exceptional playing with the Duke must serve to put him in contention !Geoff