Album review: Chris Laurance - Ken Wheeler: Some Gnu Ones (Jazz in Britain)

Chris Laurance (bass) + Frank Ricotti (vibes tks 1, 2); Martin France (drums tks 1, 2); Rita Manning (violin), Bill Hawkes,Katie Wilkinson (violas), Nick Cooper, Ian Burdge (cellos), (strings tk 1); John Parricelli (guitar tks 2,3); Tom Walsh (flugelhorn tk 3)

Bassist, Chris Laurence (and long time collaborator of Kenny Wheeler) recorded three Wheeler compositions in 2020 six years after Wheeler’s death in 2014. Some Gnu Ones was released in 2021 by the newly formed Jazz In Britain label and is available on CD, digital and vinyl.

Opening night upstairs @ Ronnie's - A New Room, a New Chapter - Feb. 6

© Kate Wright

Dana Masters (vocals); Cian Boylan (piano); Freddie Gavita (trumpet)

After over 18 months hidden behind scaffolding with the door policy changed to No hard hat, no entry. Upstairs at Ronnie’s emerged not with a whisper, but with a knowing smile. The roof has been raised, the sight-lines sharpened, the acoustics honed. Where once there was the charm of faded Bohemia, there is now a refined intimacy - warm lighting, crisp sound, and the feeling that every note lands directly in your lap.

 

The opening night carried that delicious tension of something reborn. Staff quietly proud. Audience curious. Musicians ready to christen the space properly.

 

Enter Dana Masters, her performance – Intimate, Fearless, Joyfully Human.

 

Joe Steels Group @ Blaydon Jazz Club - Feb. 16

Joe Steels (guitar); Ben Lawrence (keyboards); Andy Champion (double bass); John Hirst (drums)

Joe Steels is touring his new album. A Blue Patch, currently available as a download with vinyl to follow, would be given an airing here Blaydon Jazz Club. On a dry, but cold evening, a good number of folk made the effort. Joe, Ben Lawrence, Andy Champion and John Hirst arrived on Bridge Street well ahead of the punters to set up and run through one or two numbers.

Round the Block for starters, appropriately the first track on the new album, found Joe in typically melodic, flowing form. The Black Bull's audience would hear more than new material and, for the remainder of the first set, Joe revisited his back catalogue: The Wait with its swing section and Andy Champion laying down a first rate bass solo, Fingal's Cave, a drum feature for John Hirst, Dew Drops and The Wandering Herd (a tune about, or inspired by, cows!) with superlative extended guitar playing by bandleader Joe.

Neil Yates Quartet @ the Moor Club, Stockport - Feb. 15

Neil Yates (trumpet, tenor sax; vocals); Andrzej Baranek (keyboards); Joshua Cavanagh-Brierley (bass); Rick Weedon (drums).

Neil Yates was actually born in Stockport and now resides in North Wales where he  can be regularly heard at a small pub near Llandudno - the Penryn Arms on Monday nights. I intend to visit this venue at the earliest opportunity.  For tonight's gig Neil was backed by a superb trio including a drummer new to me, Rick Weedon, who did some tasty brushwork on the Louis Armstrong tune  Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans?. I used to own an EP of Louis doing this number with Jack Teagarden which I liked a lot. 

Sunday night @ the Globe: Yorkshire Gypsy Swing Collective - Feb. 15

Lewis Kilvington, Martin Chung (guitars); James Munroe (double bass); Derek Magee (violin); Christine Pinkard (clarinet) 

The Yorkshire Gypsy Swing Collective come from across Yorkshire, but had not played north of the Tees previously, although hopefully they'll be back. They do exactly what it says on the tin! Gypsy jazz bands tend to call themselves Hot Club de Somewhere, and although this band bucked that trend, they were certainly hot last night, swinging like crazy from the first note. 

Simon Spillett Quartet @ the Moor Club, Stockport - Feb. 1

© Jeff Pritchard

Simon Spillett (tenor sax); Andrzej Baranek (keyboards); Ken Marley (bass); Eryl Roberts (drums)

Sorry for the delay with my review but this was due to illness and other medical factors which made travelling very difficult.

However, it was well worth the effort as this turned out to be a fantastic gig with outstanding performances from all the band and in particular Eryl Roberts who excelled on Oleo. 

Spillett played quite a few standards including a very fast tempo Just In Time and I Thought About You. The opener was You'd be so Nice to Come Home To. Ken Marley also sounded great on this number.

All in all this could be a hard gig to beat in 2026. Mike Farmer

The Old Duke, Bristol - Feb. 15

The Old Duke has been part of the Bristol jazz scene for many a year. Live music seven nights a week, many of the nights jazz and blues gigs, it's always free admission. 

Contrary to the local weather forecast it was a surprisingly sunny day, and with an hour to kill before catching a train to Newcastle, it was time to pay a first visit to the famed jazz joint. Turning into King Street the sounds of a Sunday lunchtime session filtering out onto the street were enough to tempt the passerby to pop in to check out who was playing Jeepers Creepers. 

Adrian Cox Trio @ The Tobacco Factory, Bristol - Feb. 14

Adrian Cox (clarinet, vocals); Honey Boulton (guitar, vocals); Alex Gilson (double bass, vocals)

W.D. & H.O. Wills. A couple of names to conjure with. Now seen for what they were, beneficiaries of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, one of their former premises in Bristol is now a thriving arts centre. 

The Tobacco Factory on Raleigh Road occupies three floors - cafe/bar, meeting rooms, performance spaces and more. The Loft on the top floor is a bright, airy, flexible space offering theatre-style or cabaret table seating. This evening's sold out concert would be a fundraiser for the Bristol Jazz Festival.

The Buck Clayton Jam Sessions

Back in the early days of the vinyl age the floodgates were opened for jazz musicians and symphony orchestras. The latter could play Beethoven's Ninth without the listener having to flip the disc over several times. Likewise jazz musicians no longer had to formulate their solos to fit into the constraints of a 10" piece of shellac. Instead they could stretch out indefinitely or until Miles suggested the player takes the mouthpiece out of his mouth.

The LP was the ideal format for recording jam sessions and none were carved in vinyl better than those led by Buck Clayton in 1953 and 1954.

Album review: Django Festival Allstars - Evolution (Motéma)

Samson Schmitt (lead guitar); Ludovic Beier (accordion, accordina); Pierre Blanchard (violin); Antonio Licusati (bass); Francko Mehrstein (rhythm guitar)

The Django Reinhardt NY Festival was founded at Birdland in 2000 and the Festival Allstars made their debut two years later. Both the band and the festival are still going strong.

Although both organisations were inspired by the recordings of Stéphane and Django in 1930s Paris, they are not caught in a time-warp. Playing compositions by Schmitt, Beier and Blanchard that whilst respecting tradition swaps the horse drawn caravan for a supercharged Renault resulting in gypsy jazz with an urban edge.