HANNAH HORTON (saxes) with the Roger Odell Jazznights Trio at The Cherry Tree Sunday 3rd February 2013

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Hannah graduated from Trinity College of Music in 2005, having gained her advanced postgraduate performance diploma on  sax studying with Mark Lockheart and Gerard McChrystal. Her individual sound and melodic lines are indicative of Stan Getz  on tenor and reminiscent of the laid back style of Gerry Mulligan on baritone.

“Hannah has a warmly attractive ‘vocal’ sound on the tenor and baritone saxophone combined with lovely unhackneyed  phrasing”

A natural born improviser from an early age, Hannah has played the saxophone since before high school days. As a  youngster she attended the prestigious Junior Guildhall School of Music and Drama and in her teens became a lead member  of NYJO (National Youth Jazz Orchestra) and the National Youth Music Theatre. Accomplished on flute, bassoon and  clarinet as well as sax, she now teaches her own students to a high level whilst pursuing her performing career with the  Hannah Horton Quartet in London and the South East. Hannah’s jazz influences include Stan Getz, Keith Jarrett, John  Coltrane, Gerry Mulligan, Jan Garbarek, Kenny Wheeler, McCoy Tyner, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis to name a few. On the  classical front she loves Bach, Debussy, Finzi, Heath, Poulenc and Stravinsky.

At the Trinity College of Music where she graduated with an advanced postgraduate performance diploma, she was  coached and inspired by prominent names from the British jazz scene, including Mark Lockheart and Paul Bartholomew.  Since then her hallmark velvet tone and versatility have attracted growing audiences. Renowned jazz guitarist John  Etheridge, commented: ‘Hannah has a warmly attractive ‘vocal’ sound on both the tenor and baritone saxophone,  combined with lovely un-hackneyed phrasing.’
In addition to leading her own jazz quartet, Hannah is a composer in her own right. She has played alongside many great  jazz musicians including John Etheridge, Tina May, Acoustic Triangle, Simon Bates, Irene Serra, Buster Cooper and John  Lamb. Her individual sound and melodic lines are indicative of Stan Getz on tenor, and reminiscent of the laid back style of  Gerry Mulligan on baritone.

Following Hannah’s playing in the Jazznights Sitting In Spot during the last John Etheridge Jazznights gig, Hannah was invited back to perform for us for the whole evening. Hannah was playing with the Jazznights Trio who were:

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.
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.
Steve Cook – Double Bass
Steve has a wonderful rounded tone with great clarity. He has played with Mike Westbrook, Mike Kilpatrick’s Duke Ellington Orchestra, Barbara Thompson, Soft Machine, Seventh Wave and Gil Evans big band at Ronnie Scott’s.
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’s lovely set included the following songs:
1. The Lamp Is Low (1939) is a song based on Ravel’s Pavanne (Pavane pour une infante défunte (Pavane for a Dead Princess) written for solo piano by the French composer Maurice Ravel in 1899 when he was studying composition at the Conservatoire de Paris). Consequently the credits include music by Peter De Rose, Maurice Joseph Ravel and Bert A Shefter with lyrics from Mitchell Parish. Larraine sang this notable version at a an medium- tempo rate with solos from Simon Brown and Steve Cook
2. A Long Way To Go  is a vocal version of John Coltrane’s Equinox with lyrics by Karrin Allyson. A lovely slow swinging version which was a great interpretation with driving support from Roger with the mallets
3. I Only Have Eyes for You (1934) with Music from Harry Warren and Lyrics by Al Dubin was a contrasting up-tempo version showing Larraie’s great versatility.
4. The ballad from Rodgers and Hart’s It Never Entered My Mind from 1940 followed leading to
5. The 1936 Where Are You by Jimmy McHugh and Harold Adamson was sung at a medium tempo to provide a lovely finale to Larraine’s set.

Hannah Horton opened her first set with some great tunes which included:
Sugar which is an album by jazz saxophonist Stanley Turrentine. The album is one of Turrentine’s best received and was greeted with universal acclaim on release and on subsequent reissues consequently the number has become a jazz classic. A bluesy version from Hannah on the baritone saxophone
Sam River’s Beatrice from the album Fuchsia Swing Song has become an important jazz standard, particularly for tenor saxophonists consequently Hannah switched to the tenor for this number but was unusually played with a Latin rhythm at a medium tempo.
Charlie Parker’s 1951 My Little Suede Shoes was a very refreshing and interesting version in that it was  played at a medium tempo calypso rhythm
Someday My Prince Will Come (1937) Music by Frank E. Churchill ans Lyrics from Larry More. In 1937 Walt Disney presented his first feature-length, animated film, It score, written by Leigh Harline, Frank Churchill, and Paul J. Smith and was nominated for an Oscar in 1938. Interesting that a Walt Disney film should inspire a jazz classic. Although Miles Davis is usually given credit for introducing this Disney movie piece into the jazz repertoire, Donald Byrd, was one of the first to record it in 1957. Hannah played this on the baritone and on a personal note not enough 3/4 time numbers are played today
Wave (1967) by Antonio Carlos Jobim. Jobim’s tune caught the public’s fancy when it appeared in the early-1960s, but it didn’t take off with jazz players until later in the decade. One of the first jazz recordings was by pianist Oscar Peterson in 1969 with a large ensemble consisting of his rhythm section plus a contingent of German musicians. That same year tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine did an especially engaging version for Blue Note. Hannah played a superb medium tempo version in the prescribed Bossa Nova rhythm. Hannah’s first class performance brought her first set to an end.

Following the Jazznights raffle of 3 jazz cd’s and a bottle of wine 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 Following the Jazznights raffle of 3 jazz cd’s and a bottle of wine 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 Terry Reed on the keys with a jazz version of My Heart Will Go On from Titanic and Geoff Harriman  with his harmonica and All of Me

Hannah Horton then came back for her welcome second set and played, amongst others:
Tenor Madness is a jazz album by Sonny Rollins. It is most notable for its title track, the only known recording featuring both Rollins and John Coltrane.  It was originally a twelve-minute duet between Rollins and Coltrane! Hannah though did not play her tenor but switched to baritone and unfortunately it was not 12 minutes long.
Forget Me Not was the title number of her debut album performing alongside John Crawford on piano, Nic France on drums and Rob Statham on bass. A quality and funky version on the baritone and of course superb support from the drummer who knows all about jazz funk!
The Peacocks written by Jimmy Rowles and featured on the But Beautiful  album in 1996 with The Bill Evans Trio Featuring Stan Getz. A great illustration of the dexterity that Hannah Horton has on the tenor saxophone.
Kazamidori written by Hannah, it was originally entitled @Surfing The Thermals’ but because of the possible undertones it was re-named Kazamidori which means Weathercock in Japanese. This was a grand  number which although an original number gelled with the band very ably supported by Roger and with 4 bar trades between Hannah and Simon Brown.
Thad Jones’s A Child Is Born gave us another opportunity for a gentle waltz tune with Hannah playing baritone – another number featured on Hannah’s new album Forget Me Not
On the Sunny Side of the Street (1930) is a song with music composed by Jimmy McHugh and lyrics by Dorothy Fields, which was introduced in the Broadway musical Lew Leslie’s International Revue, starring Harry Richman and Gertrude Lawrence. (Jimmy McHugh is the published composer of “On the Sunny Side of the Street,” but there is at least a little doubt as to the song’s pre-publication origin. There are rumours that “On the Sunny Side of the Street,” “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love,” and “If I Had You” were originally Fats Waller compositions, ones he had composed and then sold the rights to for quick cash.)
Sorry about the rambling notes but this was a superb finale to a lovely evening with Hannah Horton and the Jazznights Trio. We suspect that she will be at Jazznights in the future.

On Sunday 17th Feb we have NIGEL PRICE (gtr). Undoubtedly the new star among the UK’s jazz guitarist with a no-nonsense, straight-ahead style that focuses on hard swing with funky overtones. “Clear, clean and concise coupled with a towering technique. This guy’s got the lot!” Blues & Soul. “Bluesy lyricism and breezy swing” John Fordham.

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.

For further information go to www.jazz-nights.com

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Gilad Atzmon’s gig at Jazznights tonight has been cancelled due to snow

Tonight’s gig at The Cherry Tree with Gilad Atzmon has been cancelled due to snow. Very sorry. Gilad re-booked for Sunday 7th July.

GILAD ATZMON (Saxes) at Jazznights – The Cherry Tree on Sunday 20th January 2013

Never a dull moment when Gilad is around!  A monster musician on both saxophone and clarinet, his previous performances at Jazznights have always been among the highlights of the year. His busy schedule includes international touring with the Orient House Ensemble and his “Charlie Parker with Strings project”

“A formidable improvisational array…a local jazz giant steadily drawing himself up to his full height…”-John Fordham, The Guardian

“…Atzmon is an astonishing musician.”
John Lewis, Metro, September 07

“Atzmon is surely the hardest-gigging man in British jazz…” The Times

“Atzmon is a loose cannon: a larger than life figure with an almost overpowering musical personality… it’s as perfect a jazz marriage as you could wish for” Phil Jonson, Independent on Sunday

“A revelation, a multi-reed man of enormous talent.”-Tony Richards Musician Magazine

“Atzmon sends his soprano sax and clarinet soaring over complex rhythms from all points of the globe with a poetry that never forfeits control.”- Nina Caplan, Metro

“Audiences are clearly bowled over with Atzmon’s whirlwind approach … dynamic, charismatic and … exasperating!”-Brian Blain, Jazz UK

“His flow of ideas and coherent marshalling of them makes for solos that are as exhilarating as they are impassioned  fantastiK” The Herald Sunday Tribune

Gilad Atzmon was born in Israel in 1963 and had his musical training at the Rubin Academy of Music, Jerusalem (Composition and Jazz). As a multi-instrumentalist he plays Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Baritone Saxes, Clarinet and Flutes. His album Exile was the BBC jazz album of the year in 2003. He has been described by John Lewis on the Guardian as the “hardest-gigging man in British jazz”. His albums, of which he has recorded nine to date, often explores political themes and the music of the Middle East.

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.

For further information go to www.jazz-nights.com

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REBOP at The Cherry Tree Jazznights on Sunday 6th January 2013–Blog & Pictures

(Click on images for larger pictures)

With a repertoire stretching from the be-bop era through to the classic Blue Note period Rebop always prove a popular draw throughout the region. The front line of Paul Higgs, Kevin Flanagan & Colin Watling generates a powerful sound whilst the rhythm section led by Chris Ingham keeps the heat on. What a night to remember – loud applause after every tune.

Rebop is a jazz repertory aggregation specialising in the arcane art of bebop and related music. Formed originally as a quintet to examine the repertoire of the modern jazz explosion circa 1944-1949, featuring a faithful homage to the Miles Davis With Kevin Flanagan – alto saxophone; Colin Watling – tenor saxophone; Chris Ingham – piano; Andrew J. Brown – bass; Roger Odell – drums
Influences: Bird, Dizzy, Miles, Fats, Tadd, Bud, Monk, Bill, Red, Philly Joe, Paul C, Jimmy C, Wynton, Cannonball & Trane.

Rebop are:

CHRIS INGHAM  Piano.
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, Cambridge and can be heard with the bebop repertory quintet Rebop.
As an erstwhile music journalist he has contributed to Mojo magazine since 1996 and has published three books; Billie Holiday, Rough Guide to the Beatles, and Rough Guide to Frank Sinatra.
As a music producer he records regularly for Union Square Music and recently produced the Latin lounge album “The Day Is Done” for Dutch bossa nova diva Saskia, and provided the solo piano soundtrack for the DVD Under Review: Lennon & McCartney.
He lives in Suffolk with his family and a Yamaha G5 grand piano

KEVIN FLANAGAN Saxophone

Kevin comes from Lowell, Mass., USA. He initially studied music and philosophy at the University of New Hampshire, and was part of Antares, a free improvisatory group that toured the New England through the mid-70s to early 80s. During this period he was also involved in jazz, blues, and popular music, both recording and performing. He settled in the UK in the mid-80s, and worked on the London jazz and pop scene, playing and recording with members of Pink Floyd, Ben E. King, the Sex Pistols, Jools Holland, Led Zeppelin, B.B. King, Portishead, and many others. By the late 1980s he was primarily involved with jazz, playing with his own group or with musicians such as Dick Morrissey, Alan Barnes, Dave Newton, Gerard Precenser, Don Weller, Dave Cliff, Mark Edwards, Adrian Utley, and the Tommy Chase quartet around the festivals of the UK and Europe, such as Brecon, Edinburgh, Soho, and Bath in this country; and festivals in Milan, Paris, the North Sea festival, Poland, Portugal, Sweden and others. He has put out two successful CDs with Chris Ingham as the Flanagan-Ingham Quartet, and is presently collaborating with Dave Gordon in a series of poetry settings of the Pulitzer-prize winning Beat poet Gary Snyder.
As a graduate of Goldsmith’s University, he specialized in analysis and post-1945 music. This was followed by an MA in composition at Anglia Ruskin University with Richard Hoadley, which resulted in the first SPNM commissioned performance of Like Miles by the London Metropolitan Orchestra. The most recent commission was Mode for Joe II, was performed at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. His PhD in composition was with the composer Martin Butler at Sussex University, and is collaborating with composer/pianist Dave Gordon and poet Maolcolm Guite in the Riprap spoken text series with series of UK poets; Ruth Padel, Grevel Lindop, and Gwnyeth Lewis.

COLIN WATLING Saxophone

Colin specialises in tenor sax and offers the full gamut of musical styles in his performances from soft and mellow, through to boppy and brassy….. and always in great humour. Colin is rated by many as one of the most exciting tenor saxophonists on the circuit with his melodic, swinging sound.

PAUL HIGGS Trumpet
 
Paul has an extensive music career in many fields including performing, composing for film and TV, musical directing for companies such as the Royal National Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company, and arranging music for film and TV.  He is particularly sought after as a brass arranger within all mediums and genres of music.
He is most renowned as one of the UK’s leading trumpet players and works both as a performer and session musician.  He has performed for luminaries including Sir Peter Maxwell Davis, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Lulu, Tony Hatch, John Williams, Vic Damone, Nancy Wilson, Brook Benton, Jackie Trent, Al Martino, The Foundations, Danny Williams, Rolf Harris, Johnny Dankworth and Shorty Rodgers. 

BERNIE HODGKINS Double Bass

Bernie was tonight depping for the Reverend ANDREW JAMES BROWN on 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.

ROGER ODELL Drums

As one of the founder members and drummer with the jazz-funk group Shakatak,Roger has toured internationally and recorded numerous CDs, which he continues to do on a regular basis to this day. Musically, his first love was always straight-ahead contemporary jazz, and in the past he has played with many of the great names on the UK scene including Don Rendell, Barbara Thompson, Dick Morrissey, Terry Smith, Joe Harriott and countless others. He produced his own CD “The Blue Window” by Beatifik, which featured top UK saxophonist Mornington Locket, and was released to great critical acclaim. Roger is the author of three technical articles which appeared in the international magazine Modern Drummer, and is an Endorsee Artist for Sabian Cymbals, Remo Drums, Vic Firth Sticks and Hardcases.

What a great play list we had tonight:
1. Jeannine by Duke Pearson (who was nicknamed by an uncle who admired Duke Ellington’s music). Personal memories of this tune come from the 1960 Riverside album of The Cannonball Adderley Quintet – Them Dirty Blues. An up-tempo number which was imaginatively played by Rebop.
2. Milestones written by John Lewis came to fame on the album of the same name recorded in February and March 1958 with the famous line up of Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderley, John Coltrane, Red Garland, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones. A perfect foil for the Rebop sextet who of course specialise in music of that period and was played at a medium tempo in a fantastic West Coast Cool Jazz style.
3. Ghana by Donald Byrd. A great example of the classic Blue Note hard bop sound, Played tonight with a Cuban Rhythm accentuated by Roger Odell’s powerful back beat with a superb solo from Chris Ingham as well as the front line.
4. Parisian Thoroughfare – Bud Powell’s composition from 1958. The up and down scales which are quite dominant in this number gave us an exciting and very different rendition which seemed to echo the horns tooting from the heavy Paris traffic jams – beautifully simulated by Paul Higgs on the trumpet. Even the smell of Garlic was there! Great 4 bar trades between Roger on the drums and each of the horns.
5. Speak No Evil which is also is an album by Wayne Shorter, recorded on 24 December 1964 and released on Blue Note in 1965. The music combines elements of both hard bop and and modal jazz played aty a medium tempo.
6. Mamacita the 1963 composition by the tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson which evoked the feeling of the American clubs of that era where they encouraged dancing to the jazz performances. Highlight was Paul Higgs on the muted trumpet within the overall Rebop sound played up-tempo. A tremendous finish to the first set.

Following the Jazznights raffle of 3 jazz cd’s and a bottle of wine. the Rebop’s second set commenced with:
7. The American hard bop jazz pianist Cedar Walton’s Bolivia is perhaps Walton’s best known composition. Ethan Iverson the pianist, composer, and critic once quoted ““Man, who’s going to go up and play ‘Bolivia’ for Cedar with me?” They said, “No way.” They’re not going to embarrass themselves. And I said, “Man, you think Cedar hasn’t heard 1,000 mediocre versions of ‘Bolivia’? He won’t give a shit if we go up there and play ‘Bolivia’ badly, he’ll just enjoy the tribute.” He really would have appreciated this fine performance from Rebop.
8. Barbados is a jazz tune composed by Charlie Parker. It is a twelve-bar blues set to a mambo rhythm. Parker first recorded it on 29 August, 1948, with Miles Davis (trumpet), John Lewis (piano), Curly Russell (bass) and Max Roach (drums). Again the Latin influence was accentuated by Roger and with Kevin Flanagan doing the Bird thing on Alto.
9. A personal favourite On Green Dolphin Street (originally entitled “Green Dolphin Street”) was a 1947 popular song composed by Bronislau Kaper. The song, composed for the film Green Dolphin Street(which was based on a 1944 novel of the same name by Elizabeth Goudge, went on to become a jazz standard after being recorded by Miles Davis on muted trumpet, John Coltrane on sax, and Bill Evans at the piano. Played at the original medium tempo.
10. Milestones – take 2. Played with less chords but at a rapid tempo somewhere between 250 and 300bpm I would have thought!
11. Blue in Green is the third track on Miles Davis’ 1959 album, Kind of Blue. One of two ballads on the LP (the other being “Flamenco Sketches”). It has long been speculated that pianist Bill Evans wrote “Blue in Green”, even though the LP and most jazz fake books credit only Davis with its composition. In his autobiography, Davis maintains that he alone composed the songs on Kind of Blue. The version on Evans’ trio album Portrait in Jazz, recorded in 1959, credits the tune to ‘Davis-Evans’.
12. Anthropology (1946) Written by Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie (which as we all know of course is the academic study of humanity apart from of course this fine composition! The speed that this number was played at was EXTREME. The front line doing battle with each other but there was no outright winner – a glorious tie. A fantastic finale. Encores echoed so they had to go for one more – an unusual but great choice:
13. The Peanut Vendor (original title: El Manisero) is a Cuban song based on a street-seller’s cry, and known as a pregón. It is possibly the most famous piece of music created by a Cuban musician. The Peanut Vendor has been recorded more than 160 times, sold over a million copies of the sheet music, and was the first million-selling 78rpm of Cuban music.

A superb gig very sadly came to an end.

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.

For further information go to www.jazz-nights.com

The following gig is on:
Sunday 20th Jan – GILAD ATZMON (saxes)
Never a dull moment when Gilad is around!  A monster musician on both saxophone and clarinet, his previous performances at Jazznights have always been among the highlights of the year. His busy schedule includes international touring with the Orient House Ensemble and his “Charlie Parker with Strings project”.

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