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

A popular section of this site is called “These make me laugh” . It’s down on the right. Do check it out. Where, newly posted this week is a curious encounter for […]

It’s what you’d call all-round impressive. Not just Mark Lockheart as tenor player/composer/teacher/in-demand- member of many bands…. but the material Edition Records have put together to support the release of his first […]

Undeniable fact: Jazz piano players can literally crop up anywhere…… JAMIE CULLUM Cullum reports on his Twitter page today that he has just landed in Addis Ababa (famous for its blue Lada […]

Ron Carter (above) stands tall. Approaching his seventy-second birthday, he exudes calm, statesmanlike* authority. Last night – his third and final date this year at Ronnie Scott’s – his gentle art brought […]

Photo from the 14th April celebration of Marian McPartland’s 30 years presenting National Public Radio’s Piano Jazz (list of all the piano luminaries who attended is in a previous post) . McPartland […]

New Zealand/ New York bassist Matt Penman from SF Jazz Collective I spoke to trumpeter/ promoter Richard Turner about the three night festival he is running at the Con Cellar Bar this […]

This coming weekend (23-26 April) is the main trade fair/mini- festival/ gathering/showcase for European Jazz. It’s called Jazzahead and it takes place in Bremen – around a Culture Centre called the Schlachthof […]

Q. Where is the National Jazz Archive (NJA) A. It is in Loughton Library (above) , Traps Hill, Town Centre, Loughton, Essex, IG10 1HD. The archivist is David Nathan (david.nathan@essex.gov.uk) and the […]

Jazzelation (above) is a surprise. It is a band which has recently emerged from the Oxford scene. It involves some fine players. The band has just produced a CD , Spring Is […]

Tomorrow, Saturday 18th April, would have been the 65th birthday of one of the unsung VERY greats of British music, arranger/composer/ pianist Steve Gray. “Steve Gray is the finest jazz band arranger […]

Two British musicians who get star billing in Russia- complete with their names in cyrillic script to prove it! As Russia emerges day by day from the icy grip of winter….how COOL […]

The career of Marian McPartland -see a well-made, informative and affectionate video tribute to herabove – was celebrated at Club Dizzy’s Coca Cola (please can someone enlighten me where that name comes […]

Both Liam Noble and Paul Clarvis are fully equipped and seasoned professionals , at the top of their respective games as pianist and percussionist. They are permanently in demand in any number […]

Digby Fairweather (above left, with me) , a good friend and one of the most generous spirits in British jazz, was on the phone to me. We always talk about all sorts […]

LA-born, Paris-raised China Moses is a completely electrifying live performer. I would urge anyone who is unwillingly facing the prospect of a quiet Tuesday evening indoors this week, to head straight for […]