Book review: S.M. Muller - Butterfly Jazz

A fast paced noir novel in which a French jazz pianist, Tom Miller, meets and falls in love with a mysterious Italian jazz singer in the late night Parisian club where he is resident pianist.

Tom becomes besotted with her and devastated when she suddenly vanishes. This leads him and Frank Morot, a retired, hard-boiled, private detective to follow up clues that take them to Sicily where their quarry is being held in captivity by a Mafia family.

Despite the title and the opening chapters this isn't a jazz novel although if it were ever shot as a movie the scope for a jazz soundtrack would be tremendous. 

Nick Mondello meets Rick Keller

Our man in America, Nick Mondello, interviews saxophonist, composer, arranger and author Rick Keller out there in Nevada. As with all of Nick's "catch-ups" it's fascinating.

Listen/watch HERE. Lance

An Evening of Jazz @ St James' Church, Morpeth - June 28

Emily Masser (vocals); Edgar Ho (piano); Oscar Ho (double bass); Dave McKeague (drums) + Robin Forbes (MD); Ollie  Hall & Will Straughan (vocal duet); Kirsty McDowell (cello); Mid Northumberland Chorus

A summer's evening in Morpeth. A coffee, then a stroll over to St James' Church. The occasion? An Evening of Jazz. The Mid Northumberland Chorus and guests would perform to a full house, all pews occupied long before the scheduled start. At half past seven the chorus filed onto the stage. 

Bob Chilcott's A Little Jazz Mass opened the concert programme. The Chorus, Piano and Jazz Band. The 'Piano and Jazz Band' just happened to comprise Edgar Ho (piano), Oscar Ho (double bass) and Dave McKeague ('David' in the programme, it was a Sunday, after all)! The trio, plus guest, would form the centrepiece of both the first and second halves of the evening's concert programme.

Dean Stockdale Quartet @ Davenham Theatre - June 25

Dean Stockdale (piano); James Owston (double bass); Jamie Taylor (guitar);  Gaz Hughes (drums)

A warm welcome as usual was given by staff at Davenham Theatre on a very warm evening with free bottles of water offered on arrival free and ice creams at the interval at modest cost. One of my favourite venues for jazz in Cheshire, it's an intimate theatre, perfect for an evening of jazz and meeting friends old and new.

The band were all very well known by me having seen them on multiple occasions with various groups some very recently. The last time I saw Jamie was in Trio JDM at Buxton Festival with Dave Walsh and Martin Longhawn. He travelled from Sheffield. Dean from Darlington is one of the UK’s very best jazz pianists and I see him together with James from Birmingham and Gaz from Macclesfield multiple times each year as well as with other musicians.

Newcastle Jazz Festival - Day Two: Laura Jurd - June 27

Laura Jurd (trumpet, electronics); Elliot Galvin (piano); Ethan Johns (guitar); Oren Marshall (tuba); Jeremy Stacey (drums)

Laura Jurd, the much-lauded trumpeter/composer, arrived on Broad Chare to play a 'Miles Davis' set. The closing act at this year's Newcastle Jazz Festival drew a near capacity crowd. Trailed  variously as 'Re-imagining repertoire from across Miles' career' and '[drawing on] Davis's catalogue across his career', it remained to be seen what Jurd had in store.

In a valiant, but largely ineffective, attempt to create a through-draught, Live Theatre's doors were open to the elements until just before the down beat. As Laura Jurd took to the stage, industrial-size fans whirred, hand-held fans wafted, it was hotter than Hades. 

Newcastle Jazz Festival - Day Two: Rory Ingham Quartet - June 27

© Patti

Rory Ingham (trombone); Dean Stockdale (keys); Michael Whent (bass guitar); John Bradford (drums)

One or two members of the audience were muttering darkly at the thought of an hour spent listening to a trombone fronted quartet. However, it only took the opening few bars of the Charlie Parker alto intro to All the Things You Are to turn the doubters into believers. Bass guitarist Whent is rarely see or heard outside of the subterranean depths of the Strictly Smokin' Big Band. Maybe someone psyched Rory up and he truly put Michael to the sword giving him a solo above and beyond the call of duty.

Newcastle Jazz Festival - Day Two: the Alexia Gardner Quintet -June 27

© Patti

Alexia Gardner (vocals); Alan Law (piano); Harry Keeble (tenor sax); Jude Murphy (bass, backing vocals); Abbie Finn (drums).

Alexia never fails to delight. Unique interpretations of tried and tested standards delivered in her own individual style.

I'd heard her singing them all before yet they seem to come out differently each time - the hallmark of a true jazz singer.

Newcastle Jazz Festival - Day Two: Mark Toomey Quartet - June 27

Mark Toomey (alto sax); Jeremy McMurray (piano); Ken Marley (double bass); Paul Smith (drums)

Known to many as a Charlie Parker disciple, alto saxophonist Mark Toomey is more than a mere copyist, he's very much his own man. In the heat of the day (doors open, fans working overtime), in a one hour set of original compositions, intentionally or not, Toomey set about proving the point. 

Teesside-based Toomey arrived on Tyneside with pianist Jeremy McMurray, all the way from Manchester way, bassist Ken Marley, and drummer Paul 'Smithy' Smith. In a pad numbering in excess of one hundred original tunes, Toomey was spoilt for choice. Do You Have the Time? the first out the hat, typical M. Toomey. Bird-like, fluent, the quartet on it. 

Toomey confessed to not being one for naming tunes - Mouse in the House and Song for Laura, titles inspired by home and family. And why not? That's as good as anything. Jeremy McMurray knows his way around a keyboard, that's for sure, Ken Marley, propulsive, robust, Paul Smith equally propulsive*, it all added up to a secure foundation, enabling Toomey to fly high, free as a bird (Yardbird?). 

Newcastle Jazz Festival - Day Two: OUTRI - June 27

Ian 'Dodge' Paterson (bass guitar, voice, electronics); Jeremy Bradfield (visuals)

Giles Strong Quartet, Slowlight Quartet and in a host of other jazz settings, Ian Paterson is a familiar face on the regional jazz scene. A ready smile, quietly spoken, for this Newcastle Jazz Festival appearance, Ian or Dodge, as is he is known to some, would adopt his alter ego, OUTRI.

As the audience filed into Live Theatre's stifling third floor Studio space, the stage resembled an under-desk tangle of PC/printer/laptop cables (gathering dust), which, in many a household, is, perhaps, best out of sight and out of mind. We've all been there, crouched down, clueless,  huffing and puffing, cursing the failings of the internet.

Without fanfare, Dodge got to work. A prolonged period of knob twiddling ensued as two bass guitars (four and five string) stood idly by in a rack. 

To Dodge's left sat the multi-tasking Jeremy Bradfield, eyes focused on a backdrop screen, all the while manipulating a Spaghetti Junction of electronic bits and pieces. One was tempted to offer to to help tidy up the mess...

Newcastle Jazz Festival - Day One: Clark Tracey Quartet - June 26

Clark Tracey (drums); Art Themen (tenor sax); Tom Marsh (bass); Gareth Williams (piano)

Clark Tracey's father, the late composer, arranger, pianist and bandleader Stan Tracey, played the original Newcastle Jazz Festival circa eleven times during its 25 year existence. More than any other UK jazz act.

These appearances ranged from solo piano to big band and various combinations in between. One of his favourite formats was that of the quartet and it made sense that his son, Clark, should pay tribute to his dad's music with a quartet. As Art Themen had played in the original Stan Tracey Quartet, the family tradition was maintained.

Or was it?