Cross Currents Trio: Chris Potter, Zakir Hussain and Dave Holland Publicity picture

The summer festival news is coming thick and fast. Peter Bacon tries to keep up:

The 2018 edition of the Manchester Jazz Festival (or mjf as it likes to call itself in funky lower case initials) went on sale last Wednesday and these are their highlights with their notes (as identified in their press release):

Cross Currents Trio featuring Dave Holland, Zakir Hussain, Chris Potter: Three living legends of jazz unite in a rare UK performance fusing contemporary jazz and world music virtuosity.

Trish Clowes’ My Iris: Trish’s compositions, conveyed by distinctive players from the UK scene and inspired by Wayne Shorter, Joni Mitchell and Björk, explore rich melody and dramatic contrast, from full throttle to the most delicate and intricate whispers.

Yazz Ahmed’s Electric Dreams: British-Bahraini Yazz is a distinctive and intelligent soloist and composer. Her latest project is an ongoing series of innovative live collaborations with her favourite artists using electronics, live looping and sampling to explore contemporary jazz from a personal angle.

Arun Ghosh: Arun, one of the UK’s most charismatic artists and passionate communicators, returns to profile new music from album But Where Are You Really From? which fuses his trademark South-Asian folk and jazz with elements of rock, classical, folk and ambient music.

Ashley Henry Trio: Ashley has become one of the UK’s hotly-tipped stars. From a new generation referencing J Dilla, Robert Glasper and Madlib, yet steeped in the tradition of the piano masters, he leads this relaxed but driving trio with an aesthetic and sensitivity beyond his years.

Henry Spencer and Juncture: Astonishing dynamic variety, compositional flair and a measured vigour mark out this fast-rising star of the London scene and his multi-award-winning and close-knit band. Emotive and evocative music that touches jazz, rock and minimalism and makes for an energising sound of its own.

Norma Winstone, Klaus Gesing, Glauco Venier with special guest Abel Selaocoe: Descansado – Songs for Films is the trio’s fifth recording together, boasting a beguiling set of personal interpretations of these broad-ranging and often overlooked songs. Norma’s crystalline tone, vast range and open versatility have graced an astonishing international performance and recording career that stretches back over decades.

Hackney Colliery Band: Inspired by New Orleans marching bands, Balkan beats, hip-hop, sizzling Latin brass and high-octane rock, with a few unexpected covers of the likes of Goldie, The Prodigy, Kanye West and even Toto, Hackney Colliery Band bring the UK colliery brass band tradition bang up to date.

Namvula: Fusing the folk and urban traditions of her Zambian homeland with those of her Scottish roots and London’s eclectic music scene, Namvula crosses boundaries with a dancing spirit, transporting you into different worlds, yet staying firmly rooted in African soil.

We have previously reported on the The 2018 Irwin Mitchell mjf originals commission which is Esther Swift’s Light Gatherer.

LINK: mjf 2018 website