News, reviews, features and comment from the London jazz scene and beyond

Andi Panayi Quartet(Bishopsgate Hall, February 16th 2010, lunchtime) It is useful to be reminded, every so often, how much pleasure this music gives to people. That was something Starbucks worked out at […]

Preview: Launch of Tom Norris Edge of the World CD(The Forge, Camden, Tuesday 23rd February, 7.30pm.Preview by Jane Stringfellow). First things first, Tom Norris is a talented songwriter. All twelve tracks on […]

“Real men do it unplugged.” The concluding sentence of classical music critic Michael Church’s grumpy review of Pat Metheny’s Barbican gig last week from today’s Independent (newspaper)should probably not be allowed to […]

Dame Cleo talks movingly about the events of last weekend on BBC Radio 4’s The Last Word. Audio clip starts at 07:53 Meanwhile Professor Lisa Jardine has a tribute to Dankworth on […]

Tickets for the Queen Elizabeth Hall for the tribute to Ian Carr (1933-2009) on Tuesday February 23rd are selling fast. The front stalls have sold out. The concert is being produced by […]

Cheltenham Festival (April 28th – May 3rd) – booking opens for members on Monday 15th and for the general public on Monday 22nd. You can download a full FESTIVAL BROCHURE HERE.The listings […]

Every day next week at midday on Radio 3 Composer of the Week presenter Donald Macleod, aided by Geoffrey Smith will present five hour-long programes next week on Bebop. In Monday ‘s […]

Review: Eric Legnini Trio(Pizza Express, February 10th 2010, review by Peter Horsfall) Ever heard of Belgian pianist Eric Legnini? Well, neither had I, before I spent a night at the Pizza Express […]

Review: Pat Metheny Orchestrion(Barbican Hall, February 10th 2010, Review by Rod Fogg) Stage left, there’s a vibraphone, behind that a baby grand, and further over a tall cabinet containing glass jars half […]

Yay, going for maximum points here. Four answers: 1) According to Michael Brecker: “I am not the master of the saxophone, George Garzone is.” 2) Garzone is a saxophonist, a native of […]

Julien Lourau Quartet(Vortex, 8th February 2010) I caught the first of a two-night stint at the Vortex by Julien Lourau’s quartet at the Vortex, launching the new CD Saigon (Naive). The “Saigon […]

A confirmation from pinnerlocal.co.uk Saturday 13th’s Jazz Concert featuring the John Dankworth Quintet will go ahead despite the sad death of the Jazz Legend. […] Dame Cleo Lane had wished that the […]

YENTOCS. I’ve often wondered what would happen if I was to wake up one day and decide to spell my surname backwards. Would I suddenly be confused for Alan Yentob? What might […]

Here are the thoughts of one composer-orchestrator-arranger about another. Frank Griffith wored extensivel with Sir John Dankworth, who would often say that Griffith “knows more about my life than I do.” Sir […]

Review: Vincent Herring’s Earth Jazz Agents + The Polly Gibbons Quartet,(Ronnie Scott’s, February 6th 2010 – second show, Review by Rob Mallows)　 Alto saxophonist Vincent Herring is steeped in straight-ahead jazz, and […]