LARRAINE ODELL with Simon Brown (piano), Steve Cook (bass) & Roger Odell (congas) at The Mill Hotel, Walnut Tree Lane, Sudbury, CO10 1BD. 28th June 8.30 – 10.30pm. Admission FREE!

Larraine Odell – Vocals
Beginning her professional singing career with the group CMU with whom she recorded two albums, Larraine performed at numerous venues throughout the UK and Europe, including the Purcell Room, RFH, Boxford Fleece & Ronnie Jazznights Larraine 100612 (44)Scott’s.Larraine possesses a unique smouldering tonal quality and a subtle jazz phrasing style that has elicited great praise from two of her own vocal mentors, Mark Murphy and Sheila Jordan. “A sensitive singer who exudes a fine-honed jazz sensibility with every phrase”

Simon Brown is a highly respected and popular jazz pianist who is equally known for his arranging skills. He is always in demand to play many gigs throughout East Anglia when he is not playing at Jazznights or with his own trio, quartet and quintet.
Simon’s piano playing has long been the sound accompaniment of first choice for nationally and internationally known jazz stars appearing at Jazznights as well as Norfolk’s two leading jazz venues, the Lakeside Jazz Club at Lyng and The Green Man at Rackheath. He is also an accomplished soloist in his own right, blending vivacity and creative attack with often gentle lyricism. His influences are Oscar Peterson, Nat "King" Cole and Bill Evans.

Roger Odell – Drums
Jazznights Roger Odell 100612 (48 A)Roger was one of the founder members and drummer with the jazz-funk group Shakatak and the forerunner band Tracks. Roger has toured internationally and recorded numerous CDs, which he continues to do on a regular basis to this day. Apart from a great power drummer he is also a prestigious arranger.

Steve Cook – Double Bass
Steve has a wonderful rounded tone with great clarity. He has played with Mike Westbrook, Mike Kilpatrick’s Duke Jazznights Steve Cook 010412Ellington Orchestra, Barbara Thompson, Soft Machine, Seventh Wave and Gil Evans big band at Ronnie Scott’s.

Promises to be a wonderful evening of swinging jazz – all for free! – See you there

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Simon Brown visited Jazznights at The Cherry Tree on Sunday 24th June with his brand new quintet: Beyond Cantaloupe

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The band features the cream of Norwich’s jazz musicians at The Cherry Tree for a night of classic Herbie Hancock Blue Note tracks specially arranged by Simon. With a front line of trumpet and tenor saxophone and the resident rhythm section from the Norwich Jazz Club this is sure to be a great night.

The classic music that Herbie Hancock made for Blue Note Records in the 60 s is the focus of pianist Simon Brown band using arrangements written especially for this gig. Faithful transcriptions of Hancock s funky arrangements recreate all the probing, bluesy excitement of the originals. Also featuring Dan Friend (trumpet), Martin Eaton (tenor sax), Ivars Galenieks (double bass) and Brian McAllister (drums).

Simon Brown is a highly respected and popular jazz pianist who is equally known for his arranging skills. He is always in demand to play many gigs throughout East Anglia when he is not playing at Jazznights or with his own trio, quartet and quintet.

Simon’s piano playing has long been the sound accompaniment of first choice for nationally and internationally known jazz stars appearing at Jazznights as well as Norfolk’s two leading jazz venues, the Lakeside Jazz Club at Lyng and The Green Man at Rackheath. He is also an accomplished soloist in his own right, blending vivacity and creative attack with often gentle lyricism. His influences are Oscar Peterson, Nat "King" Cole and Bill Evans.

For this evenings superb set of early Herbie Hancock Blue Note numbers we had the following standards:

1. Empty Pockets from  Herbie’s debut album Takin’ Off originally released in 1962 for the Blue Note label , the session included Freddie Hubbard on trumpet and veteran Dexter Gordon on tenor saxophone. The album was a typical hard bop LP, with its characteristic two horns and a rhythm section. Herbie wrote "I was in a sad financial state when I wrote this". Great intro for the firsst set featuring all the band.
2. Three Wishes Three Wishes – the original recording was made with Donald Byrd in 1961. A classic in 3/d waltz time which also featured a superb solo from Ivars Galenieks on the double bass
3. Another number from the Taking Off album, the very popular standard  Watermelon Man. Herbie wrote  "In reflecting on my childhood, I recalled the cry of the watermelon man making his rounds through the back streets and alleys of Chicago’s south side. The wheels of his wagon beat out the rhythm on the cobblestones." This was a superb rendition by the band with a driving front line accentuated by Brian McAllister on the drums.

4. Empyrean Isles, Herbie’s fourth album 1964 which was a quartet album for trumpet and rhythm section for which Martin Easton left the front line to Dan Friend on trumpet together with Simon on piano, Ivars on bass and Brian on drums.
5. From Wayne Shorter’s 1966 album Adam’s Apple in which Hancock played piano, we had 502 Blues, again they played as a quartet, Martin on tenor sax having replaced Dan playing the Wayne Shorter part.. A very sensitive bluesy solo from Martin Easton followed by Ivar’s scat singing along with his double bass.
6. A Tribute To Someone the 2nd track from Hancock’s "My Point Of View" album. Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on March 19, 1963. My Point of View is the second album by pianist Herbie Hancock and was released in 1963 on Blue Note Records – Herbie Hancock (piano); Hank Mobley (tenor saxophone); Donald Byrd (trumpet); Grachan Moncur III (trombone); Grant Green (guitar); Chuck Israels (bass); Tony Williams (drums). A lovely medium tempo version with arrangement from Simon Brown.
7. Driftin’ Another number from the debut album Takin’ Off released in 1962 for the Blue Note. Featuring Simon, Dan and Martin on this medium tempo version. A very suitable finale to the first set which included for bar trades between drums, tenor sax, trumpet and bass.

Following the interval in which all glasses were suitably charged, we had the Jazznights raffle of the three jazz CD’s and a bottle of Merlot.
8. Oliloqui Valley opened the second set from the Empyrean Isles album which was a quartet number with Dan Friend on trumpet playing the Freddie Hubbard part.
9. Maiden Voyage from the fifth album Maiden Voyage released in 1965. It which was concept album aimed at creating an oceanic atmosphere refgerring to marine biology or the sea. A perfect vehicle for Ivars Galenieks use of the upper register of his bass.
10. Another number from the Maiden Voyage album was a medium tempo version of Dolphin Dance.
11. Cantaloupe Island, the jazz standard composed by Herbie Hancock and recorded for his 1964 album Empyrean Isles. ("Cantaloupe Island" was recently named number19 in the Jazz24.org list of 100 quintessential jazz songs of all time.) Again played as a quartet with Dan Friend on trumpet again playing the Freddie Hubbard part.
12. Speak No Evil, Wayne Shorter’s band is a quintessential 1964 session Blue Note group of the period combining Shorter’s most frequent and effective collaborators. The album and the track of the same name features Herbie Hancock on piano. This again proved the front line and Simon’s rhythm section  were a force to be reckoned with which also accentuated Ivars great scat singing with his bass lines.

13. Alone and I: from Herbie Hancock’s debut album followed. "I am very much interested in chord colour in music, and this tune displays much of what I have been working on in that vein." Hancock considered this piece the most interesting tune in the album and that it included his best solo." quoted by Herbie Hancock. This was a lovely ballad from the band featuring both tenor, trumpet and piano solos.
14. A far to quick (in time) last number from Herbie’s second album – the 1963 My Point Of View – a fantastic finale of Beyond Cantaloupe’s version of And What If I Don’t. Although played at a medium tempo we had a superb number featuring all the front line, Simon and Ivars using his bow on the double bass

The Interplay between the five members suggested that they had being playing together for years, not as it was, the first gig of this quintet! A tremendous evening with great arrangements from Simon Brown of the master, Herbie Hancock’s compositions (with a couple of equally great Wayne Shorter tunes.

Do not miss the superb Simon Spillett on Sunday 8th July. Having been strongly influenced by the great Tubby Hayes, Simon has long since developed his own approach to hard swinging modern jazz. With a repertoire of well known standards he always proves to be a popular draw at jazz clubs throughout the UK either as a single guest artist or with his own band.

Jazznights presents the best in modern jazz at:
The Function Suite, The Cherry Tree, Knowl Green, Belchamp St Paul, Suffolk, CO10 7BY.
Tel: 01787 237263       Admission £8.         Doors 7.30pm.       Music 8.00-10.30pm.

Reserve your table seating on 01787 237653 or email.  Pay on the night.
Food available and can be served before or during the performance.

Go to www.jazz-nights.com for details and future gigs.

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ESTELLE KOKOT the unique vocalist at Jazznights Sunday 10th June at The Cherry Tree

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Estelle Kokot was nominated for a South African Music Award (SAMA) in the ‘Best Jazznights Estelle Kokot 200211 (23)Jazz Vocal’ category and she followed this with a nationwide tour. “Estelle Kokot is an exceptional talent..” Timeout. "Standards and originals perfectly compatible side by side…compelling, haunting, passionate…" The Guardian.

"Estelle Kokot is a powerful, soulful and independent artist. Kokot’s is a personal, unselfconscious talent… her music is often vividly surprising, and unquestionably all her own." John Fordham – The Guardian

“Estelle Kokot is an exceptional talent..” Timeout

‘Kokot is an excellent arranger of her own and other peoples’ material’ (The Guardian)

‘Seductively poetic’ ( The Times)

With reviews like these we were so pleased that Estelle has made a return visit to Jazznights accompanied by the Roger Odell Jazznights Trio with vocal support from Larraine Odell:

Roger Odell – Drums
Roger was one of the founder members and drummer with the jazz-funk group Shakatak and the forerunner band Tracks. Roger has toured internationally and recorded numerous CDs, which he continues to do on a regular basis to this day. Apart from a great power drummer he is also a prestigious arranger.
Chris Ingham – Piano
Chris trained as a drama teacher at Warwick University before succumbing to the music, he played guitar in misunderstood art ‘n’ b combo The Locomotives and was pianist/vocalist in the Flanagan Ingham Quartet who released two albums (Zanzibar and Textile Lunch) and were described by The Observer as ‘one of Britain’s most original bands’. He is jazz piano and jazz voice tutor at Anglia Ruskin University
Bernie Hodgkins – Double Bass. Inspired by an uncle, who played and recorded with Django Reinhart and Stephane Grappelli in the legendary Quintet de Hot Club of France,Bernie grew up in a Jazz-oriented family.Their influence led him to become a respected bass player behind such people as Matt Munroe, Dickie Valentine and Dennis Lotus, in the early stages of his career. Bernie is particularly acknowledged as being one of the few players to bring an authentic, driving jazz feel to both the double bass and the bass-guitar, and for his fluent and creative soloing. Tonight Bernie was playing his 5 string double bass with the extra C string.
Larraine Odell – Vocals
Beginning her professional singing career with the group CMU with whom she recorded two albums, Larraine performed at numerous venues throughout the UK and Europe, including the Purcell Room, RFH, Boxford Fleece & Ronnie Scott’s.Larraine possesses a unique smouldering tonal quality and a subtle jazz phrasing style that has elicited great praise from two of her own vocal mentors, Mark Murphy and Sheila Jordan. “A sensitive singer who exudes a fine-honed jazz sensibility with every phrase”

Larraine Odell opened the first set of the evening with
1. You Stepped Out of a Dream (1940) from the show Ziegfield Girl with Music by Nacio Herb Brown and Lyrics from Gus Kahn. (Nat “King” Cole’s version from 1949 with Pete Rugolo’s Orchestra brought the tune back to public attention following Glenn Miller’s 1940 recording). This was sung at a medium tempo with a solo from Chris Ingham which was followed by:
2. Speak Low the 1943 song with Music by Kurt Weill an Lyrics from Ogden Nash followed as a ballad which was a beautiful example of Larraine’s sensitivity and understanding of lyrics which was augmented by a unique Roger Odell arrangement.
3.  I Only Have Eyes for You from 1934 with Music by Harry Warren and Lyrics  from Al Dubin. The rhythm was accentuated by Roger’s cymbal work and well supported by both Chris Ingham and Bernie Hodgkins.
4. Isn’t It a Pity? is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, written for the 1933 musical Pardon My English. This was a beautiful slow version of this ballad.
5. Where or When (1937) from Rodgers & Hart (The 1937 Broadway musical Babes in Arms, with music by Rodgers and Hart, ran for 289 performances and produced several hit songs: “My Funny Valentine,” “Johnny One-Note,” I Wish I Were in Love Again,” “The Lady Is a Tramp,” and of course “Where or When,” Richard Rodgers in his autobiography Musical Stages says that he and Hart received mail from college psychology professors who used the song to illustrate lectures on the psychic phenomenon!) Sorry about the rambling, the real importance of this medium tempo number was Larraine’s superb interpretation – a great finale to her set.

Estelle Kokot then joined the Jazznights Trio for her first set starting with
6. I’ve Got the World on a String (1932) Music by Harold Arlen and Lyrics from Ted Koehler – this was sung at a medium tempo but with a very original interpretation of Ted Koehler;s words with Estelle’s powerful, no messing about voice.
7. Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn’s 1944 I Fall in Love Too Easily at a medium to fast tempo with some great scat singing. Chris Ingham on his new Kawai MP6 digital piano responding to Estelle’s powerful style.
8. Another very different version of Fats Waller’s 1929 Honeysuckle Rose with an intro from just Estelle and Bernie Hodgkins on his 5 string double Bass. This was sung with a great blues feel.
9. A fine scat version of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie’s 1945 Anthropology (which as we all know of course is the academic study of humanity apart from of course the fine composition!.ended this fine first set from Estelle.

Following the Jazznights raffle of 3 jazz cd’s and a bottle of Merlot we had the traditional Jazznights sitting in spot which is open to all musicians who have an  opportunity to play with the band. Tonight we had three players.

10. Firstly we had a new comer to this Jazznights spot – a fine young musician playing Chris’s keyboard Nick White playing Mr. P.C. from John Coltrane’s Giant Steps Album featuring a solo from Roger Odell.
11. Steve Moore then joined the band  on piano for a great gentle version of In A Sentimental Mood. (Steve runs his own Jazz Trio and has been playing piano since the age of seven when he noticed he could pick up and play tunes by ear. While continuing to learn piano in his teens, Steve also took up drumming having lessons with Roger Odell of Shakatak fame. After recording an album with a band called Delfini, Steve found himself getting more into jazz and now at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge Steve is studying jazz piano under the guidance of Chris Ingham.)
12. A regular visitor to the Jazznights gigs, Geoff Harriman the played a lovely version of Fly Me To The Moon on his Harmonica.

13. Estelle Kokot the returned for her second set with a Portuguese version of  the 1934 For All We Know (Composer J. Fred Coots and lyricist Sam Lewis) which featured just the voice and drums.
14. A Felicidade by Antonio Carlos Jobim was again sung in the original Portuguese. Felicidade is Portuguese for Carnival and Chris Ingham and Roger Odell excelled and enhanced the song with a great fiesta feeling.
15. A superb medium tempo version of her own See You On Sunday from her album "Information"
16. Round Midnight is Thelonious Monk’s best-known jazz composition and carries the grand distinction of being the most-recorded jazz standard written by any jazz musician. Estelle sang this to Jon Hendricks lyrics. (Hendricks was adding new life to Monk. "Monk had told me that ‘the only **************** I want to write my lyrics is [you],’ meaning me," Hendricks said. So he wrote new lyrics, even to "Round Midnight," which already had lyrics written by Bernie Hanighen). A great ballad from Estelle.
17. I Scare Myself (1983) by Dan hicks with lyrics from Thomas Dolby followed and was very passionate song

18. Duke Ellington, Johnny Hodges and Harry James’s I’m Beginning to See the Light (1944) was sung in 3/4 time and showed Estelle’s great versatility in her interpretation of this jazz standard. Her powerful voice was reciprocated by Chris Ingham and Roger Odell’s verve.
19. Don’t Get Around Much Anymore (1942) Music by Duke Ellington and Lyrics from Bob Russell. This composition was first released as “Never No Lament.” By 1943 it had been fitted with lyrics by Bob Russell. Once the tune was released as “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore,” it hit the charts at No. 2 by the Ink Spots and No. 8 by Ellington. This was a very swinging version with an intro from Chris Ingham leading to Estelle with a further solo from Chris. A wonderful; finale to a lovely evening which was thoroughly enjoyed by all those lucky to be there.

Following her last Jazznights gig she said I am having so much fun – so did we all again!

The next Jazznights gig is on Sunday 24th June – BEYOND CANTALOUPE
Jazznight’s pianist Simon Brown brings his brand new 5 piece band featuring the cream of Norwich’s jazz musicians to The Cherry Tree for a night of classic Herbie Hancock Blue Note tracks specially arranged by Simon. With a front line of trumpet and tenor saxophone and the resident rhythm section from the Norwich Jazz Club this is sure to be a great night.

Reservations on 01787 237653 or email info@jazz-nights.com. Adm £8. Music 8pm-10.30pm. Food is available before or during the performance. Sitting-in spots from local musicians

For further information, future gigs and location go to http://www.jazz-nights.com

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