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

Peter Hum of Ottawa has a good piece with Youtube clips about the Montreux jazz piano competition . 1st Prize (Shared) – Beka Gochiashvili (13 year old from Georgia) 1st Prize (Shared) […]

Review. Vic Ash / Simon Spillett Quintet.(Concorde Club , Eastleigh. August 12th 2009.) Last night at the Concorde Club in Eastleigh they seemed very relaxed. The club has just got national recognition […]

Many happy returns to Battersea-born joy-bringing George,here playing his most famous composition. “When people ask me how is it I was a musician, I facetiously say that I’m a firm believer in […]

PR Week carries the following piece: [PR Agency] Unity is handling the Pizza Express ‘Neverendingsong’ – a campaign that will centre on a jazz band performing a single piece of music for […]

In the chair at tonight’s “I’ve got Jazz for you” quiz and asking the questions was James Pearson. Keeping the score was Lizzie Ball. They played as a duo some unknown Brahms […]

Xuefei Yang (above). Classical CD promotion for EMI, Westfield Shopping CentreAugust 10th 2009 I hadn’t intended to write about this…. it’s not jazz….but I don’t think that musical experiences can come much […]

1. Most blues begin with the bald-faced lie, “I woke up this mornin’.” Thetruth is that nobody who sings the blues gets up before the crack of noon. 2. “I got a […]

The past few days have produced an absolute deluge of prose about the state which jazz is currently in. 1) For a very quick fun read – warning it may raise your […]

UPDATE: 16th August. FOLLOW THIS LINK FOR A REVIEW/ ROUND-UP Here is the full programme listing for the Canary Wharf Jazz Festival. It’s on next weekend in Canada Square Park (above). There […]

LIVE: Christine Tobin/Liam NobleCarole King’s TapestryVortex, August 8th, 2009 The Vortex was completely full last night for the first outing of Christine Tobin ( above*) and Liam Noble‘s Carole King Tapestry show. […]

The winner of Brecon’s (Kind of) Blue plaque is….. the fifty-two year old Concorde Club in Eastleigh. Band On The Wall in Manchester came second, and Ronnie Scott’s third. First with the […]

Like more than a thousand others I was strolling round Tate Britain’s free 6pm to 10pm Late Night Radio evening last night. Various musical performances and experiences had been arranged, in and […]

Dune’s monthly newsletter has some interesting dates in August and early September. Plus the promoter is flagging up the start of a South Bank residency, which will kick off with a Jazzploration […]

I cannot vouch for the proud claim of the Lower Ground Bar in West End Lane, NW6, to be “West Hampstead’s Premier Nightspot.” But what does look rather more unambiguously appealing is […]

This post might be just an excuse to put up a picture of beautiful scenery. But people interested in the Scottish scene should follow these.. -Jennifer’s Euphbass blog (she’s just posted a […]