Black Top with Xhosa Cole (Parabola Arts Centre. 29 April. Cheltenham Jazz Festival. Review by Peter Slavid) Black Top is the improvising duo of Pat Thomas on piano and effects, with Orphy […]
Black Top with Xhosa Cole at 2023 Cheltenham Jazz Fest
Watford Jazz Junction, 18-21 May 2023
Watford Jazz Junction was new to the jazz festival scene last year and this second edition has a particular focus on the influence of the Caribbean on UK jazz. We take a […]
Concert For Ukraine: Alina Bzhezhinska and guests at Symphony Hall Birmingham
‘MY COUNTRY IS BURNING’ Alina Bzhezhinska and guests, Concert For Ukraine (Symphony Hall, Birmingham, 26 August 2022. Closing event of B:Jazz Festival. Photo-Essay by John Watson) John Watson went to hear, see […]
Xhosa Cole (Stanley Arts, Norwood, Int. Jazz Day, 30 April)
“I think people can underestimate the capacity that this music has to transform you emotionally and spiritually. We take that task and that job very seriously.” Xhosa Cole. Among the London gigs […]
Eddie Henderson Quartet Plus Xhosa Cole, Richard Foote and Chris Young in Birmingham
Eddie Henderson Quartet Plus Xhosa Cole, Richard Foote and Chris Young (Pizza Express, Brindley Place, Birmingham, 14 November. Review and photos by John Watson) The two greatest challenges facing any jazz trumpeter […]
The Winner of BBC Young Jazz Musician 2020 is pianist Deschanel Gordon
Pianist Deschanel Gordon has won BBC Young Jazz Musician 2020 We interviewed him earlier this month (Link Below) Here is the full text of the BBC’s Press Release Twenty-two-year-old Hackney-born jazz […]
Finalists Announced for BBC Young Jazz Musician 2020 (Final BBC Four 22 November)
The five finalists are announced today 6 November for the BBC Young Jazz Musician 2020. A socially-distanced Final will take place at Cadogan Hall on Saturday 14 November, and the final will […]
Xhosa Cole Quartet at Watermill Jazz Club, Dorking
Xhosa Cole Quartet (Watermill Jazz Club, Dorking. 21 January 2020. Review by Peter Jones.) On Tuesday evening, in a neat bit of symmetry, the venue of the year played host to the […]
Art Themen (Herts Jazz Festival, 28 and 29 September 2019)
Saxophonist Art Themen, who has been Patron of Herts Jazz since 2014 following the passing of Stan Tracey, will be appearing in two very different contexts at this year’s Herts Jazz Festival. […]
Clark Tracey and Herts Jazz Festival (27-29 September)
Under the leadership of drummer Clark Tracey, Herts Jazz has become one of the strongest in the British, volunteer-run jazz club circuit. Tracey spoke to John Fordham about how the club developed […]
