Album review: Ross Margitza Trio - Discovery (Self-released)

Ross Margitza (pianist, composer, arranger, producer);  James Suter (bass except 6); Daniel Dufour (drums except 6) + Joel Frahm (soprano sax tk 1);

The Soha Quartet (tks 1,3,4,7): Mei Liu, Chloe Yofan (violin); Thomas Gougeon (viola); Katsuaki Arakawa (cello)

Discovery: Frahm wails away on soprano underpinned by the string quartet and the trio all working well together on Margitza's melancholic composition.

Frahm departs, his work is done. The strings take a break as the leader plays For Amelie. It's a delightful piece, reflective, a portrait painted by a pianist with bass and drums in a supportive role.

R.I.P. Harry Brown (1974 - Sept. 3, 1926)

Jazz Jamaica M.D. and trombonist Harry Brown sadly passed on Sept. 3 at a relatively young 52 sending shock waves throughout the jazz world. Heartfelt tributes have been expressed on social media by his many students and fellow musical associates including Gary Crosby O.B.E., Janine Irons O.B.E. and Tomorrow's Warriors.

Rest In Peace.

Lance

Jazz Time Aycliffe Radio - Sundays 6.30-8.00pm (repeated Tuesdays 8.00-9.30pm).

https://www.ayclifferadio.co.uk/listen. 

Playlist 06/09/26 (repeated Tuesday 08/09/26)

Seasonal: George Shearing.

Memories of Buddy Bolden: Wynton Marsalis.

Requests from the Graham Hardy gig: Emmet Cohen, Terell Stafford & Dick Oatts, Clifford Brown & Max Roach Quintet, Laura Anglade, Terence Collie.

Requests: Ella Fitzgerald, Ron Carter, Herb Jeffries/Laurindo Almeida, Paquito D'Rivera.

Rerelease: John Wadham/Louis Stewart.

Request: Dollar Brand Trio, Booker Ervin Quintet.

What’s on in the Northeast: Emma Rawicz

Swan and Chequers Big Band @ Swan and Chequers, Sandbach - August 31

© Richard Morris

Andy Scott (MD); Rob Cope, Tom Thorp, Nadim Teimoori, Jamie Gallagher, Steph Green, Emily Leavy  (saxophones); Nick Smart, Ray Butcher, Alex Thomson, Dan Farrar, Tom Spicer (trumpets); John Barber, Tom Green, Paddy Bloor, Josh Cargill   (trombones);  Gwilym Simcock (piano) ; Josh Savage (drums); Jade Serafin (double bass);  Simon Jermyn (guitar)

The final concert of the four day festival held at this venue in Cheshire over the Bank Holiday weekend. Whilst concerts on the previous three days were held indoors this concert was outside in the courtyard with the band undercover on a stage and the audience outside. Fortunately the rain of the morning disappeared and the sun roared its approval of the music on show.

Whilst I knew some of the musicians who would be playing in the big band I was not aware of them all. How pleased I was to see Tom Thorp in the lineup. One of the best saxophone players in the UK and a great composer. He and his quintet Ilumetris commence touring in the autumn. I had not seen renowned saxophonist and composer Nadim Teimoori before and he stunned me with several solos. In the trumpet section were Nick Smart and Ray Butcher who I have seen play on multiple occasions. On piano Gwilym Simcock was as usual tremendous. Mixed in with these heavyweights were very talented graduates, undergraduates and younger musicians. Musical Director was Andy Scott who is a renowned saxophonist and composer equally at home in jazz and classical contexts. He is a saxophone tutor at the Royal Northern College of Music.

TRIO-SKW @ Swan and Chequers, Sandbach - August 30

© Richard Morris

Tim Williams (guitar); Josh Savage (drums); Lucas Kelly (organ) + Rob Cope (alto sax on last two numbers)

Sunday's 8.00pm slot concluded proceedings on the third day of the festival with an organ trio which is always a treat and not always on the menu at a jazz festival. I had not seen Lucas Kelly before and what a revelation this 27 year old graduate of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire was on his Nord C1 Combo organ. I noticed top Gwilym Simcock and Nick Smart grooving  away in the audience to the tunes of this trio in their first set after hanging around for a further hydration break after the conclusion of their own concert which immediately preceded this one.

Gwilym Simcock and Nick Smart Quintet @ Swan and Chequers, Sandbach August 30

© Richard Morris

Gwilym Simcock (piano); Nick Smart (trumpet and flugelhorn); Laurence Cottle; (bass guitar); Josh Savage (drums); Simon Jermyn (guitar) + Rob Cope (tenor sax on  Holding & Weathered)

Sunday's 5.00pm slot featured the Gwilym Simcock and Nick Smart Quintet. Gwilym and Nick had appeared with Rob Cope’s Joy Ride band on Saturday, today they were joined by three amazing musicians. 

Josh Savage , a local Sandbach lad, Simon who had flown in from Berlin where he is based and Laurence, one of the UK’s most accomplished bass players. All five apart from Laurence are also due to appear in the Gwilym Simcock Big Band on Monday. 

Album review: Jamie Safir – “Momentism” (Chill Tone Records)

Jamie Safir (piano); Conor Chaplin (bass); Luke Tomlinson (drums); Iain Ballamy (saxes)

Jamie Safir has performed with an array of notable acts that include Kyle Minogue, Emma Smith, Jamie Cullum, Annie Lennox and Claire Martin, amongst others. But, as he explained, “I’ve been writing, recording and performing properly for 15 years … but I was never the artist; I was never the focus.” This makes Momentism something of a watershed moment for Safir in that it is not just his first outing as band leader but the songs he has recorded are all originals. All the numbers are his own compositions apart from Amethyst which was co-composed with Emma Smith. Momentism also sees Safir reunited with Iain Ballamy for the first time since their collaboration with Ian Shaw on What’s New. Ballamy plays on five of the tracks, as indicated by * in the track listing.

Late Night Chicago Radio with Denny Farrell (Sept. 3 - Sept. 9)

André Previn/Joe Pass: Limehouse Blues.

Billy Strayhorn: Take the A Train.

Diana Krall: I've Got You Under my Skin.

Andy Brown: You're my Everything.

Mel Tormé: Moon Song.

Mark Braun: Deep Excavation.

Julie London: Blues in the Night.

Count Basie: Shiny Stockings.

Paul Desmond: Summer Song.

Patti Denham: Flamingo.

LISTEN 24/7.

Album review: Christopher Lucas Wilson Trio - Wilson's Way (Independent)

Christopher Lucas Wilson (piano); Alex Austin (bass); Isaiah Spencer (drums)

Like Wilson's previous album, Solemn Moments released  in 2023, Wilson's Way is another joyful mix of originals, standards, Latin and bebop all played in Wilson's way - pardon the pun.

Years ago another Wilson, Teddy, was invariably described as elegant as indeed his playing always was. With the passage of time elegance  became a lesser-used adjective in jazz circles - until now that is. Thanks to Christopher Lucas Wilson, if this album is anything to go by, elegance is very much back in fashion.

Alex Clarke Quartet @ Swan and Chequers, Sandbach - August 30

© Richard Morris

Alex Clarke (tenor/alto sax); Andrzej Baranek (piano); Ed Harrison (double bass); Dave Walsh (drums)

On my journey from North Wales the rain pelted down but fortunately, just as I arrived in Sandbach the rain stopped and the sun came out. An omen that this would be a good day and it certainly was.

The second of four scheduled concerts, I'm told I apparently missed a very good earlier concert by Wendy Kirkland and her band which started at the unholy hour (for jazz musicians) at 11.30am.