On May 2nd, 1975, in Whipps Cross Hospital (nearest tube Leytonstone) a global brand was born to parents Ted and Sandra Beckham. As Brand Republic reported yesterday, the custodians of the Beckham […]

Scots jazz singer Alison Burns has been touring Sri Lanka courtesy of the British Council with her father-in-law Martin Taylor, and close to all sorts of danger . A scary account is […]

Jazz in London for March is available online NOW I am struck by the contrast between some of my recent items about things being quietly closed down, often where jazz is marginal […]

The BBC Jazz Awards ….. the empty stage(?) After the on-off saga of Brecon, time to look at what else might be off….or possibly on. 1) The Jazzwise Summer School “Jazzwise Summer […]

The Chicken Shed, Enfield on Friday March 6th: Five trombones. I’ve been thinking about a rating system for gigs. I want to highlight music which is melodic, approachable, friendly, and kind to […]

Mishka Adams Friday 20th February, Front Room, South Bank Centre, Mishka Adams Band. Free I only caught the second half tonight, so call this a snapshot or an apology rather than a […]

I like the look of the French jazz week at the new Kings Place concert hall by Kings Cross station, which is just announced for June. I like it a LOT. Much […]

Simon Purcell (left) Gwilym Simcock (right) 1) Those who teach also can.(Tuesday 24th Lord Rookwood, Leytonstone) An exciting band of players who know each other very well is out next Tuesday 24th […]

Will Gresford, who has been manager of the new Vortex ever since it first opened its doors properly September 2005, will officially leave this role and complete the handover on March 2nd. […]

BBC Wales has been reporting the twists and turns of the story of the Brecon 2009 Festival. Their latest update is HERE Rather than abandoning completely, whereby the town would lose all […]

Jim Hart (photo: Jeff Hardcastle) The winners of the 2008 British Jazz Awards, organized by Big Bear Music in Birmingham were announced in early December, but I haven’t seen much coverage. The […]

This Bob Martin?….. Or This Bob Martin? I wrote with enthusiasm about ex-Buddy Rich altoist Bob Martin HERE. Bob was playing earlier in the month in Frank Griffith’s nonet. He has an […]

Alex Bonney and Dave Kane (Photo: Russ Escritt) Congratulations to organizing dynamo Stephanie Knibbe, her French compatriot tall tenor Robin Fincker, and the many others whose can-do energy made the packed-out Loop […]

I wrote about last week’s Michel Legrand/Alison Moyet show , but for me it was a no-no on grounds of cost. Clive Davis of The Times went, he saw, and he WROTE….. […]

The Bull’s Head The Yamaha Jazz Room at the Bull’s Head pub in Barnes is one of the fixtures of the London jazz scene. Other things change, other clubs move, but after […]