Press release: Tonight (June 5) @ GCT - Double Big Band Show

Strictly Smokin’ Big Band are thrilled to welcome the phenomenal IKS Big Band (pictured right) from Frankfurt, Germany for a very special trans-European big band celebration at Gosforth Civic Theatre on 5th June.

​Founded in Germany and renowned for their precision, energy and adventurous programming, the IKS Big Band has built a reputation as one of Frankfurt’s leading large jazz ensembles. Blending classic swing tradition with contemporary big band writing, their performances are characterised by tight ensemble playing, bold brass, and a fearless commitment to the full power and colour of the big band sound.

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Joining them are Newcastle’s own Strictly Smokin’ Big Band (pictured left), one of the UK’s most dynamic and high-octane large jazz outfits. Known for their explosive live shows, deep swing feel and flair for theatrical presentation, Strictly Smokin’ have carved out a reputation for delivering big band music with both reverence for the tradition and a modern edge.

Album review: Clara Haberkamp - Love Maps (TYXart records)

Clara Haberkamp (piano, vocals, composer)

Hailed as "one of the most distinctive pianists on the German jazz scene" and described by herself as a genre-open pianist and composer, on the strength of this, and a previous album. Clara Haberkamp is certainly all of those.

As such it is difficult to decide which idiom a particular track is aimed at as quite often the horses are changed midstream which adds to the variety and gives the reviewer the opportunity to throw in that good old jazz phrase the sound of surprise which is always a useful tool to have on standby.

Album review: Mark Christian Miller - Strange Meadowlark (Sliding Glass Door Productions)

Mark Christian Miller (vocals, piano, arranger tk 9); Chris Dawson (piano, arranger); Joe LaBarbera  (drums); Chuck Berghofer (bass); Robert Kyle (tenor sax, flute. alto flute, arrangements); Josh Nelson (piano tk 7, arranger tks 7, 9)

For one reason or another this one never quite reached the top of my review pile - there always seemed to be some upstart jumping the queue - 'shy boys etc.'.

This is an unforgivable oversight on my behalf not least because a) it's been smouldering in my in-tray since February, b) with so many female singers arriving by trains and boats and planes, a new male voice makes for a pleasing contrast and c) it's a damn fine record!

Album review: Jon Batiste – Black Mozart: Batiste Piano Series Vol 2 (Decca Records)

There are very few musicians working today who seem genuinely incapable of being confined by genre. Jon Batiste is one of them.

Over the last decade he has become one of the most recognisable musicians on the planet, yet he has achieved that status by doing precisely the opposite of what the music industry usually demands. Rather than choosing a lane and staying in it, Batiste has spent his career moving effortlessly between jazz, classical music, soul, gospel, R&B, film scores, popular music and outright performance art.

For many people he first appeared as the charismatic bandleader on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Others discovered him through Pixar's Soul, for which he shared an Academy Award. More recently there was the extraordinary American Symphony, the deeply personal project and documentary that revealed both his immense ambition and the challenges he and his wife, Suleika Jaouad, were facing away from the stage.

R.I.P. Ron Escheté

Maurice Summerfield has sent me the sad news of the passing of guitarist Ron Escheté on May 20.

I never got to hear Escheté live although I was familiar with his excellent work with the Gene Harris Quartet, A particular recording that moved the earth for me was the Gene Harris' Quartet recording with Frank Wess on flute and tenor - It's the Real Soul.   

Several guitarists paid tribute HERE.     

Ron Escheté was 77. Sadly missed. Lance

Stockport Jazz

Sunday 7th June 2026

Stockport Jazz welcomes the return of multi-saxophonist Rod Mason to the Moor Club, with Paul Hartley (guitar), Ken Marley (bass) and Dave Walsh (drums).

8-10pm, doors open at 7.30pm

£5 entry on the door, all welcome

The Moor Club, 35 Heaton Moor Road, Stockport SK4 4PB  (next to the Elizabethan PH)

Single review: Tony Adamo - It’s Gotta B U! (Saint Jaz Records)

Tony Adamo (vocal, hipspokenword, music and lyrics); Mike Clark (drums); Richie Goods (bass)

The Heavyweight Champion of hipspokenword strikes again with a muscular straight-ahead offering titled It’s Gotta B U! The pulsating track simmers straight-ahead over Killer Joe-like changes and vibes all sent up by a B-3 heavy groove with bassist Richie Goods and “Headhunter” Mike Clark driving.

It’s a shorter track in which Adamo again uses his ultra-cool vocal styling to offer a jazz history lesson and a soulful message pointed right at you, the listener. You’ve got to be cool indeed and hand it to Adamo that in this age of fabricated and less than sincere unhip jazz offerings, Adamo is genuine, sticks to his pure jazz guns, and knows his endgame is to deliver utter hipness.

Munch Manship Quartet @ the Moor Club, Stockport - May 31

© Jeff Pritchard

Munch Manship (tenor sax, flute); Richard Wetherall (keyboards); Dave Lynane (bass); Dave Hassell (drums).

On my way to the gig, I wondered if Munch, who I know is a big fan of Sonny Rollins, would  feature any of his music tonight. 

The first tune was Shining Hour but the second number was a Rollins' composition - Paul's Pal. The  other Rollins' tune St Thomas, which I think is his  version of an old calypso number, popped up in the second set and featured Munch on both tenor sax and flute.

This reminded me of the occasion when, during a jazz cruise, the ship had to miss St Thomas due to a fierce hurricane. The  tour company, Chancery  Cruising, put a band together with Joe Farnsworth and Russell Malone and there was great  jazz, dancing and free cocktails.

Natalie Williams’ Soul Family @ The Festival Theatre, Hever Castle – May 29

Natalie Williams, Vanessa Haynes, Brendan Reilly, Aux (vocals); Phil Peskett (keys); Robin Mullarkey (bass); Ben Jones (guitar); Mark Brown (sax) Ben Edwards  (trumpet); Tom O'Grady (trombone); Martyn Kaine (drums?) +?

Some concerts begin with the first note.

This one began long before that.

 

As I walked through the grounds of Hever Castle on a glorious late-May evening, the festival atmosphere was already in full swing. The last of the sunshine hung lazily across the Kent countryside, casting a warm golden glow over the ancient stone walls and perfectly manicured gardens. Around the lake, the water shimmered like glass beneath a sky slowly surrendering to dusk. From the nearby Tudor Rose Garden, the scent of thousands of roses hung heavy in the warm evening air, drifting across the lawns and mingling with the sounds of laughter, conversation and anticipation.

 

Everywhere there was life.

 

The gentle murmur of conversation drifted across the grounds. Champagne corks popped. Wine glasses clinked together in celebration. Children ran barefoot across the grass while parents unpacked elaborate picnics that had clearly required military-level planning. The scent of fresh food mingled with the fragrance from the gardens as groups settled into their seats, taking in the view before a single note had been played.

 

Album review: Jack Wilson - The Bear and the Wolf (Whittington Records/ECN)

Jack Wilson (soprano/tenor sax, comp.); Billy Marrows (guitar); Max Kahn (bass); Jack Yardley (drums)

London based saxophonist, composer and educator, Wilson is an emerging voice on the UK (a.k.a. London) jazz scene and this, his debut album as a leader, has been long-awaited.

Cascade: Marrows, Kahn and Yardley chirp away in the undergrowth whilst Wilson soars above them escaping the repeated riffing that's going on down below. Yardley shuts up shop with a drum solo. 

Prelude For the Departed: Based on the spirituality of John Coltrane's music, it offers the opportunity to dwell upon those we've known who left us before paying their dues.