NFJAiM 2026: Zoe Rahman Trio @ the Lit & Phil - Oct. 2

Photos © Pam

Zoe Rahman (piano); Andrea Di Biase (bass); Gene Calderazzo (drums)

The final weekend of the tenth Newcastle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music 2026 began with three sets, each approaching the music from different directions in the form of Alison Gill; Zoë Gilby and Johnny Hunter; Andy Champion and the Zoe Rahman Trio. All three sessions were sold out and I felt fortunate to have been present at the latter of the three. After the show I felt more than fortunate - I felt blessed!

I've heard Zoe Rahman several times over the years but it had been quite awhile since the last time and I'm now consigned to a life of regret thinking about the concerts I missed.

Another interview by Nick Mondello

Album (LP) review: Blair/Huber - Eclipse (Leiter)

Darius Blair (tenor sax); Niko Huber (guitar) + Noah Fürbringer (drums on Prism Break); Khadim Seck (perc. on Titan, voice on 01/01/25)

It's nice, in this age of vanishing CDs and the advancement of digital downloads, to receive an album on good old fashioned vinyl. Not that there's anything old fashioned about Eclipse. The sound is perfect, a skilfully crafted 12" black vinyl disc full of magic. Produced, mastered and overdubbed in various German studios.

However, irrespective of what goes on behind the scenes it's the music that's all important and Blair/Huber don't disappoint the interplay between the two is awesome. League and Lawrence of Snarky Puppy spring to mind.

Tenderly: The Life & Times of Nat King Cole @ The Hearth, Horsley - Sept. 30

Duane Forrest (narration, vocals, guitar)

Nat King Cole, a global superstar, reaching an audience far beyond that of a jazz piano trio. Duane Forrest's Life & Times of Nat King Cole would range far and wide: Louis Armstrong (What a Wonderful World), Jim Crow, Capitol Records, NAACP, Strange Fruit, Civil Rights, Martin Luther King and more, much more.

Nathaniel Adams Coles his subject, Forrest's engaging performance/presentation would surprise many here in Horsley. The Hearth's audience sat rapt as our Canadian guest sang and talked about Nat King Cole, then sang some more, placing the American entertainer's life and career in the context of the times. Frim Fram Sauce, Sweet Lorraine. Sing-along? It  could have been, but no, Forrest took to singing a verse then seamlessly reverting to the storyline (no script, no iPad). 

It's a busy October!

The first long weekend in October (Friday 2-Sunday 4) sees the culmination of this year's Newcastle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music (NFOJAiM). Some concerts are sold out, others are close to being sold out. Details at: facebook.com/newcastlefestivalofjazzandimprovisedmusic. 

Apphia Campbell's one-woman stage play Black is the Color of My Voice return to the region on Tuesday 6th and Wednesday 7th at Northern Stage, Newcastle. Telling the story of Nina Simone, it's a gripping account of Simone's music and activism. Book at: www.northernstage.co.uk.   

At two o'clock on Tuesday 6th, pianist Alan Law begins a new, weekly residency at Whitley Bay's Ticket Office. Alan's guest will be Paul Grainger (double bass). Friday 9th, Bishop Auckland Jazz presents the Dean Stockdale Trio (1pm), £9.00. at the door. 

Press Release: Announcing Nominees for the 2026 Parliamentary Jazz Awards for Music Hubs and Schools Music Services Category

MUSICIANS’ UNION MUSIC HUB/SCHOOLS MUSIC SERVICES JAZZ EDUCATION AWARD

The Parliamentary Jazz Awards celebrate and recognise the vibrancy, diversity, talent and breadth of the jazz scene throughout the United Kingdom.
 
The Musicians’ Union are sponsoring the Parliamentary Jazz Awards 2026 and in particular a new award to celebrate the work of Music Hubs and Schools Music Services. This new award is being organised by the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Group with financial assistance from the Musicians’ Union and the help and support of SoundStorm and Music Mark The Awards, are organised by the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Group (APPJG) with further support from the Royal Society of Musicians and  UK Music.
 

The Bridges of Madison County - book and film.

I'm not usually into romantic fiction but The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller and published in 1992 is much more than that. It's the best piece of emotional writing since Romeo and Juliet with a nod to Brief Encounter along the way.

I lived every chapter, paragraph, sentence - I was him, I was her - I was them!

I look forward to watching the movie at the earliest opportunity.

In the meantime, there's a lot of clips and trailers to whet my appetite and to bring the jazz into the frame. With Clint Eastwood acting, producing, directing and providing a few rewrites it couldn't be anything else.

Nick Mondello interviews Steve Rawlins

Album review: Brandon Sanders - The Game Changer (Savant Records Inc.)

Brandon Sanders (drums, leader); Stacy Dillard (tenor sax); Warren Wolf (vibes); William Hill lll (piano) + Jeremy Pelt (trumpet); Briana Swann (vocal)

A cracker! Hard bop for today by a team of topnotchers. Lead from the rear by stickman Sanders the groove is in from bar one with gutsy tenor solos from Dillard, vibraphone magic from my favourite vibesman Wolf and the third generation of William Hills on piano as forceful or restrained as the number demands.

Pelt has the chops for his guest appearances. Laid back or shooting high, open or muted, he added an extra dimension to the ensemble. 

Stockport Jazz

This Sunday Stockport Jazz welcomes the Helena Summerfield/Carole Williams Quintet playing a mix of original compositions and jazz standards. The quintet features Andrzej  Baranek (piano), Peter Hartley (bass) and Eryl Roberts (drums).

Sunday 4th October 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)