Brian was born in
Newcastle UK and went to Rutherford College to study engineering. He was evacuated to Lanercost near Brampton,
Cumbria during World War ll. He went on to be an apprentice with Parsons
Engineering of Newcastle
Courtesy Chris
Perrin
He learned to play the
cornet and then the trombone with The Salvation Army. This led to him playing
in brass bands and he started his jazz career playing with local jazz bands
including the Clem Avery Jazzmen.
He later moved to Canada to work in the wine industry and then on to San Francisco where he established a successful calibration business. When he ‘retired’ he became a consultant and was still testing the structural integrity of the Golden Gate Bridge up to his 90th birthday.
BERLIN RADIO FESTIVAL 2026
I've just returned from the Berlin Radio Festival, where my audio short Nothing but hope was shortlisted for the MikroFlitzer competition. Truly inspired and uplifted by all the fantastic audio pieces and the enthusiastic audio makers, I am now looking forward to the second season of RADIOPHONICx, communal listening event at Cobalt studios.
RADIOPHONICX - Season 2026/27
Yes, we are back with more outstanding international audio plays and sound art.
RADIOPHONICx is the only event in the north east dedicated to international radio and sound art. Celebrating a 100 year old art form, which resulted directly from the invention of a new communication medium, the radio.
From October to January Cobalt Studios will be hosting RADIOPHONICx, the communal listening event, once a month on a Saturday afternoon from 2 till 4pm.
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| Photo © John Lyons |
The Lewis Watson Quartet's magnificent tribute to John Coltrane will be reviewed tomorrow. In the meantime log on to Roy Woodcock's three-part programme dedicated to JC himself on Roy's Blues and JazzTastic Mixcloud show..
The podcast link to the shows is HERE.
A word of warning - it works fine on my smartphone but not on my PC. Strange.
Let me know if it works for you. Lance
Sunday 27th September 2026
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)
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| © Richard Morris |
Neil Yates (trumpet, tenor sax); Antony Stevens (trumpet); Andrzej Baranek (piano); Grant Russell (double bass); Johnny Hunter (drums)
The concept for this concert, as explained by Neil Yates, was to have a band with two trumpets. There are a few albums that have explored this concept including Two Trumpets recorded by Art Farmer and Donald Byrd in 1956.
Neil is renowned for his jazz trumpet playing. Antony Stevens is better known for playing the sousaphone on which I last saw him play at this venue. However, he gave a very good account of himself on the trumpet remarking that,at age 18, he was a student of Neil Yates and now at age 42 he was playing Step Lightly - a number Neil had taught him 24 years ago! Antony is a member of the roving brass band The Stray Horns who specialise in bringing their music to all sorts of events such as weddings, parties etc all around the country with other prominent members such as Jamie Brownfield and Mike Smith.
Ben Crossland (bass guitar); Rod Mason (soprano/ tenor sax); Dean Stockdale (keyboards); Dave Tyas (drums).
© Jeff Pritchett
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| © Roly Veitch |
First Song (Charles Haden): A dreamy, plaintive, esoteric exploration on, I presume, the mezzo sop sax. followed by Lage in a similar mode.
Amsterdam: Lovano sticks with the soprano enjoying some interplay with Lage. Debriano has his say on bass and Calhoun paradiddles. Lage produces some harplike sounds on guitar.
The Call: The soprano sounds eerie, almost phantasmagoric. I checked that all the doors and windows were closed. A shot of the 'cup that cheers'* calmed me and I found myself drawn into the mysterious aura surrounding the track.
Ross is surely the world's greatest 5-string jazz viola player. That he may be the only 5-string jazz viola player doesn't detract from his ability to swing the oft maligned instrument. Those who rank the viola alongside the banjo, oboe and accordion obviously hadn't heard Jimbo. He gets a mellow sound that doesn't grate like violins sometimes do. The extra string means he can stray into violin territory should he wish to do so. Perhaps if children began learning on a suitably sized viola rather than a violin the parents would be more tolerant towards their early strivings. Just a thought.
Aah! The Med. Given the title I assumed it would be something to accompany the clink as the neck of the first Amstel of the Summer comes to rest on the top of a frozen glass while the sea riffles the pebbles, in and out. But no! This is not an album of Ibiza Chillout. Instead we have a deeper dive into the music traditions of those communities that surround the sea, mainly Arabic. Led by Vretos on oud and more than ably supported by, especially, Verdinoglou on piano. It’s rich in melody and mood, with the four instruments revelling in the space available. The distinctive voice of the oud is wrapped in the other instruments, often singly, but occasionally all together to create brief dramatic moments. Much of the mood is melancholic with either the clarinet or viola providing the groundwork for Vretos’ light fingered single note explorations.
Back in the day, October 16, 1958 to be precise, in a DownBeat interview the yet to be 'canonised' John Coltrane made the following statements which I feel are still relevant today:
"You can only play so much of another man."
"Music is the means of expression with strong emotional content."
"Jazz used to be happy and joyous. I'd like to play happy and joyous"
"Never become so self-important that you can't listen to other players."
"By the time I run up on something, I find that Miles or
Monk has done it already".
Here endeth the first lesson - Amen. Lance
Ever since I heard Tommy Flanagan accompanying Ella Fitzgerald at Newcastle City Hall as part of a JATP package in 1962 I've been a fan of the Detroit born pianist.
Apart from his stints with Ella, Flanagan, who died in 2001, also played on two albums that are particularly relevant this year: Sonny Rollins' Saxophone Colossus and John Coltrane's Giant Steps.
The tracks on Made in Dublin were recorded after a 1984 concert. They remained a well-kept secret until after John Wadham's death in 2003 when a cassette was discovered amongst his effects. Cleaned up, remastered and remixed for release by Livia Records the result is on a par with the restoration of the Bayeux Tapestry.
He wasn't a jazzer although he did once book the Vieux Carré Jazzmen into the Albion pub - on St. Valentine's Night! Neither the music nor the pub was conducive to couples holding hands unless they were arm-wrestling for keeps.
To his credit Joss did sing Hello Dolly with the band - he could hold a tune. In the photo taken by Patti in 2020 Jess was campaigning to save all pubs after the devastation to the trade caused by Covid. The Albion Gin and Ale House - to give it its Sunday name - subsequently closed after a mysterious fire although Jess had since retired.
Everyone in Jarrow knew him and they all had a variety of opinions. I liked him for his sense of humour and his interest in local history of which he is now a part.
R.I.P. Lance
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https://www.ayclifferadio.co.
Playlist 20/09/26 (repeated Tuesday 22/09/26)
Seasonal: John Coltrane, Stan Getz
Requests from Esther Bennett's Bishop Auckland gig: Mark Murphy, Martin Taylor, Mel Tormé, Muggsy Spanier & His Ragtime Band.
Requests: Duke Ellington, New Cool Collective.
Memories: Oscar Peterson Trio & Dexter Gordon, Ray Charles.
New Release: Terje Gewelt.
Seasonal: Lester Young.
What’s on in the NE: Keith Nichols, Vasilis Xenopoulos Trio, Lewis Watson, Mary Lou Williams.
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| © Sylvia/Patti |
Over the years I've seen many Django inspired groups such as Waso, Nany Swing and the various ensembles fronted by Emma Fisk and Mick Shoulder. It was with the latter's Swing Manouche that I'd previously heard Danny Lowndes and here he was with his own group - Danny Lowndes Hot Club - as part of yet another sold out JATLP Lunchtime Concert Series.
A last minute substitution saw Shez Sheridan stepping in for Lowndes' regular sidekick Bryan Day which meant for a change to the set list in the printed programme. Nobody complained it wasn't as if you'd ordered lobster and been served prawns - quite the opposite in fact.
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| © Sylvia* |
There were a couple of changes in the anticipated line-up but it didn't detract from the excitement generated. True, there were times when I could detect moments of uncertainty but that's going to apply to any band with a change of personnel.
It didn't matter, if anything it ensured that the the jazz commandment, the sound of surprise, wasn't broken.
2026 being Miles' 100 year milestone the programme covered many aspects of his controversial musical journey. A notable omission was his 1949 Birth of the Cool band. However, as that band was a nonet that included French horn and tuba it would have been quite an achievement to have made a fist of it.
The 'fists' came later as will be revealed.
Brubeck Living Legacy, in partnership with the Royal Academy of Music and ECN Music, is delighted to announce saxophonist and composer Elliot Wong as the winner of the second Brubeck Living Legacy Prize.
Originally from Sydney, Australia, Wong moved to London to study at the Royal Academy of Music, where he recently completed his postgraduate studies in jazz. He was unanimously selected by a panel of Darius Brubeck (Brubeck Living Legacy), Nick Smart (Head of Jazz Programmes, Royal Academy of Music) and Emma Perry (Director, ECN Music).
Sunday 20th Sept. 2026
8-10pm, doors open at 7.30pm
£5 entry on the door, all welcome
The Moor Club, 35 Heaton Moor Road, Stockport SK4 4PB
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| © Richard Morris |
Making their
third visit to Llandudno Jazz Club in two years were the intergenerational QOW Trio.
This was the last leg of a short tour which included concerts in Croydon,
Scarborough, Coventry, Newcastle and Dublin. Taking the ferry from Dublin to Holyhead, prior to the concert these intrepid musicians soaked up the sunshine in this north west corner of Wales.
Now aged 80, legendary drummer Spike Wells was in very good form. As well as a very long career as a musician he also spent over 20 years both as a solicitor and as a priest. yet still finding time to play with many of the greats in the jazz industry including Ronnie Scott, Tubby Hayes, Bobby Wellins and Stan Getz. The second oldest member of the trio, Eddie Myer, is a renowned bass player in jazz and other genres. Since 1999 he's been a member of Turin Brakes. UK based Irishman Riley Stone-Lonergan is the youngest member of the trio and is considered to be one of the UK’s leading jazz saxophonists.
Eleven originals by Paterson reflecting Sharp Little Bones' quest for a unique identity. I'm not sure they've quite got there yet. Nevertheless, it's a work in progress that is getting there - drawing inspiration from Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and latter-day Miles along the way.
Difficult to single out any one player - everybody's spicing up the stew but...Tony Kofi is extra special. I've heard him many times on alto and once on baritone but this is the first time I can recall hearing him on tenor. In a year where the tenor sax has been dominant thanks to celebrations of the life and death of John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins, Kofi can hold his head high alongside such illustrious company. Fast and furious, tender and emotional or just somewhere in between, Kofi and his worthy constituents of Sharp Little Bones deliver the goods.
Outrageous A Train: An instrumental to kick off the gig at LA's Velvet Martini Lounge at Vitello's Restaurant in Studio City*. Solos by tenor, alto, trombone, bass. piano, drums and trumpet No need to tell you about this tune!
I'm a Woman: The material may be Peggy's but that's where the story ends and, in Angela's case begins.
Hallelujah, I Just Love Him So: The voice may be less silky than Peg's, its earthier, but she has the same power to connect with the drinkers and the diners.
Some albums reveal themselves almost immediately. Others keep moving just as you think you have them worked out. Eddie Parker’s Airborn belongs firmly to the latter.
There is an extraordinary amount going on here. Odd metres, recurring melodies, shifting ensembles, baroque flute, electric and 12-string guitars, passages of genuine beauty rubbing shoulders with jazz-rock muscle and moments that seem deliberately designed to wrong-foot you.
Yet remarkably little of it feels like hard work.
That may be Airborn’s greatest achievement: this is complicated music that doesn’t feel complicated.
This won't be my album of the year - not by a long chalk. Yet, paradoxically, it could be the one I play most - particularly at a party where the booze is flowing and inhibitions have long gone down the pan.
Despite the detailed listing above I soon lost track of who played what on what (instrument). It didn't matter I was having too much fun listening.
Leading live music promoter All Blue Music, in partnership with Bechstein Hall, is thrilled to announce an exceptional lineup of six premier jazz performances running from September to December 2026. Located in the heart of London at 22 Wigmore Street, this exclusive series – The Bechstein Hall Sessions – will play host to a vibrant mix of UK music icons, rising international stars, and award-winning instrumentalists.
Ken Marley (double bass); Andrzej Baranek (piano);
Dave Walsh (drums).
A packed Moor Club
audience was thrilled by a masterclass of jazz piano trio playing by the above
musicians. The focus of the material was a live album recorded at the
Village Vanguard in 2014 by Christian McBride, Christian Sands and
Ulysses Owens Jr which Ken explained is his personal favourite recording.
The trio transported the ambience and spirit of the legendary Greenwich Village
basement club over to Stockport, recreating the form and energy of the original
performances with each member adding their own personal stamp to the
music.
The opening number, a contemporary take on the nineteenth century anti-war spiritual Down By the Riverside featured a tightly arranged head, with gospel inflections and swinging expressive solos from Baranek and Marley. Walsh propelled the trio through an uptempo version of Wes Montgomery’s Fried Pies, notable for an exuberant and dazzling piano solo from Baranek. A lesser known JJ Johnson composition followed, Interlude, highlighted by an extended passage of energetic interchanges between bass and drums. The final number of the first set, a harmonically complex Christian Sands jazz waltz entitled Sand Dune, successfully captured the feel and flavour of mid-1960s Herbie Hancock.
I can remember, back in the day, UK tours covered theatres, cinemas and concert halls in more cities than there are teams in the Premier League - or the First Division as the current VAR infested competion was then known.
See graphic for tour dates. Lance
Conor Guilfoyle (drums), Kelan Walsh (tenor sax); Patrice
Brun (alto sax); Yuzuha O’Halloran (flute); Mathew O’Connell (guitar); Scott
Flanigan (piano); Barry Rycroft (bass) + Barry McGovern (spoken word).
This concert was previewed on BSH and the re-mastered recording of the original event has also been reviewed here.
Although I had a ticket for this event, a number of practical factors (including the presence of the Irish Sea) meant that sadly I was not able to attend. However the co-opting of a Dublin-based honorary BSH assistant correspondent means that an on-the-spot, eye-witness account has now been received.
The concert took place in the Whyte Hall, a purpose built 300 seat concert hall in the Royal Irish Academy of Music, one of the oldest music conservatories in the world with 1,500 students.
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| Bill Shaw cartoon from BSH archives © |
John Wadham (drums); Brian
Dunning (flute); Frank Hess (bass); Louis Stewart (guitar); Martin Walsh (bass).
As followers of the jazz scene in Dublin in the late 1960s and ‘70s, my friends and I knew we were hearing some great music and great musicians. It had long been clear that Louis Stewart was a world class guitarist but there were also many other fine musicians who could hold their own in top company - Jim Doherty and Noel Kelehan (piano), Brian Dunning (flute), Keith Donald (saxes), Mike Nolan (trumpet), Martin Walsh and Frank Hess (bass) - and then there was John Wadham, drummer par excellence.
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Playlist 13/09/26 (repeated Tuesday 15/09/26)
Seasonal: Cannonball Adderley/Miles Davis.
Requests from the Alligator Gumbo gig at Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club: Chris Barber, Crane River Jazz Band, Windy City Weatherbirds, Sammy Rimington, Percy Humphries.
RIP: Cassandra Wilson.
Requests: Count Basie, Oliver Nelson.
Memories: Cat Anderson & Duke Ellington, Harry Connick Jr., Chu Berry.
Requests: Bob Brookmeyer & Bill Potts.
What’s on in the NE: Emma Fisk's Hot Club Du Nord.
Requests: Joe Lovano, Charlie Byrd, Erroll Garner.
Aycliffe Radio is available on DAB in County Durham & the Darlington area or via your smart speaker.
Frank Griffith (tenor sax, clarinet);
Andor Jensen (baritone Sax); John Padfield (alto sax); Cliff Ray, Martin Smith (trumpet,
flugelhorn); Sam Crooks (trombone); Misha Grey (keyboards); Ed Harrison (double
bass); Eryl Roberts (drums)
With the exception of John Padfield who played on both gigs, this was a different line-up to the one that Frank brought with him on his last visit here. Although the only name new to me was trombonist Sam Crooks, some of the musicians involved in tonight's show were guys I have known for ages like Ed Harrison, one of the best bass players around, and some, like baritone saxman Andor Jensen, I met at a jam session at the Liner Hotel in Liverpool back in the day when I could drive. Although sometimes I'd take a bus to Liverpool from Manchester and stay in a hotel if I knew of a jam session happening.
