Josh Kemp is an acclaimed jazz saxophonist and composer known for his melodic inventiveness, warm tone and a heartfelt and lyrical approach to improvisation.
Josh has a sound that is lyrical and melodic, whether playing standards or more contemporary material. “…a lovely round sound….really a player to watch….he will grow into a musician of great individuality.” Alan Barnes. “mature, fully realized jazz of a high order, and a pleasure to hear.” Ian Carr.
“wonderfully rich toned tenorist Josh Kemp with a laconic, subtle, highly nuanced and original sound” – Time out
“Josh’s lyrical and melodic saxophone style reflects a wide knowledge of jazz from the tender tone of Ben Webster and Stan Getz to the probing thoughtfulness of John Coltrane and Wayne Shorter”
Josh has performed at jazz venues around the UK, including Peterborough Jazz Club, Cambridge Modern Jazz Club, The Bull’s Head, Barnes, Jazz in the Round, The National Portrait Gallery and National Theatre Foyer, the 606 club, Ronnie Scotts in London and at Jazznights. He has played with NYJO, and the Combustible Alarms big band, and was chosen by making Music and the Arts Council Developing Young Artist Programme 2006. Josh is also active in jazz education, directing the Cambridge Youth Jazz Orchestra and coaching at workshops and courses.
Josh was playing with the Jazznights Trio who were:
Peter Lemer – Keyboards
is an English jazz musician. He has worked with the Pete Lemer Quintet, Spontaneous Music Ensemble, Annette Peacock, Harry Beckett, Gilgamesh, Baker Gurvitz Army, Seventh Wave,Harry Beckett’s Joy Unlimited, Pierre Jazznights Emily Dankworth 020314 (114)Moerlen’s Gong, Mike Oldfield Group, In Cahoots, Miller/Baker/Lemer. He currently works with In Cahoots, Peter Lemer Trio/Quartet, Barbara Thompson’s Paraphernalia, and the Peter Lemer-Billy Thompson Quartet and Duo. Peter made his recording debut as a leader (Local 
Colour) in 1996, the band by then including Jon Hiseman, John Surman, George Khan and Tony Reeves. A year in New York followed, which included extensive jamming, gigging and study. Coaches included famed jazz pianists Jaki Byard and Paul Bley and Double Bass guru David Walters. He also studied at the Royal Academy of Music and included Tommy Rajnaand Sven Weber among his classical coaches. In 1969, he worked with the Spontaneous Music Ensemble. In the last few years, Lemer has remained a fixture of In Cahoots – he can be heard on Parallel (1996), Out Of The Blue (2001), All That (2003) and Conspiracy Theories (2006), most of which also feature his writing – as well as playing one-off gigs with old friends Steve Cook (bass) and Roger Odell (drums), recording an album with them in Israel.
Bernie Hodgkins – Double Bass
Inspired by an uncle, who played and recorded with Django Reinhart and Stephane Grappelli 
and 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.
Touring in Europe and further afield with a wide variety of artists honed his skills and added to his prodigious repertoire. Supports to players like John Scofield, and singers such as Annie Ross always proved inspirational and served to reinforce his enduring love affair with jazz.
Spending much of his time in the recording studios, he is equally at home and in demand as an enthusiastic “live” rhythm section player, as is testified by his work with Don Rendell, Jack Parnell, George Chisholm, Pete Jacobson, John Etheridge, Kenny Baker, Allan Skidmore, Dave O’Higgins and many others.
Marek Dorcik – Drums
Marek started playing drums at the age of 13 and a year later was accepted to a classical 
conservatoire in his home town of Zilina, Slovakia, where he studied drums and percussion. After graduating with distinction, having gained experience in jazz, rock, pop and classical groups, he worked as a professional drummer on luxury cruise ships.Marek moved to Manchester in 2006 and immediately found his place on the North West music scene.
Marek recently performed at the Taipei International Jazz Festival in Taiwan with Dan Whieldon, winner of the 2009 Nottingham solo jazz piano competition. He also plays with the European Union Trio, The Brownfield Byrne Quintet and the Moss Projrct as wewll as leading his own quartet – The Marek Dorcik Quartet and Quintet.
In addition to his busy performing schedule, Marek continues to teach throughout Manchester and Cheshire.
With additional vocals from
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.” She has since appeared at Ronnie Scott’s Club as a member of the group Jimpster, at the Boxford Fleece with pianist Steve Lodder, most of the other jazz clubs in the region, and at the Aldeburgh, Layer Marney and Southwold Jazz Festivals.
Larraine Odell opened the first set with some great versions of:
Beautiful Love (1931) A popular jazz waltz with Music composed by Wayne King, Egbert Van Alstyne and Victor Young with Lyrics by Haven Gillespie.
The Bossa Nova The Gentle Rain by Luiz Bonfa which has previously been recorded by 
Astrud Gilberto, Diana Krall, Barbara Streisand to name but a few.
I Could Write a Book is a show tune from the 1940 Rodgers and Hart musical Pal Joey (1940), where it was introduced by Gene Kelly and Leila Ernst.
I Don’t Stand a Ghost of a Chance With You is a 1932 song recorded by Bing Crosby. The music, which has become a jazz standard was composed by Victor Young, with lyrics written by Ned Washington and Bing Crosby. The song is a jazz and pop standard recorded by many different artists.
Josh Kemp then joined the Jazznights to conclude the first set playing:
Things Ain’t What They Used to Be is a 1942 jazz standard with music by Mercer Ellington and lyrics by Ted Persons. (In 1941 there was a strike against the American Society 
of Composers, Authors and Publishers, of which Duke Ellington was a member. Because of the strike he could not air his songs on the radio. Instead, he used songs written by his son Mercer and pianist Billy Strayhorn.)
Triste is a bossa nova written by the great Brazilian musician and composer Antonio Carlos Jobim. Triste which means “sad” in English.
Blame It on My Youth is a jazz standard written by Oscar Levant and Edward Heyman in 1934. Oscar Levant once characterized his composition as a minor standard.
Shaken not Stirred a tune which Josh wrote this afternoon! It combined the themes of Sweet Georgia Brown and Thelonius Monk’s Straight No Chaser hence the title. The combination was great and all the band thoroughly enjoyed playing this incorporating their own improvisations.
Following the interval and the Jazznights raffle of 3 jazz cd’s and bottle of wine Josh Kemp returned for the second set to play extended versions of:
Angel Of The North another self penned composition by Josh.
You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To (1942) by Cole Porter. The influential pianist Bud Powell’s 1953 performance of Cole Porter’s tune is a languid, slow ballad rendition. That same year, vocalist Helen Merrill, accompanied by stellar trumpeter Clifford Brown, did the tune at a swinging medium tempo, which seems to have set the pace for the tune on subsequent renditions.
The 1953 My One and Only Love by Guy Wood and Robert Mellin. Tenor saxophonist Charlie Ventura came to prominence with Gene Krupa’s Orchestra. His 1953 recording of this seems to be the first recording with instrumental jazz treatment.
Salt Peanuts is a bebop tune reportedly composed by Dizzy Gillespie in 1943, credited 
“with the collaboration of” bebop drummer Kenny Clarke. It is also cited as Charlie Parker’s. was most famously recorded by Dizzy Gillespie and His All-Stars on May 11, 1945.
All or Nothing at All is a song composed in 1939 by Arthur Altman, with lyrics by Jack Lawrence.
Frank Sinatra’s 1939 recording of the song became a huge hit in 1943,
The More I See You is a popular song written by Harry Warren, with lyrics by Mack Gordon. Many have recorded this but a personal favourite has always been Chet Baker
Another great jazz gig from Larraine & Roger Odell for Jazznights. This was Josh’s third visit and we look forward to his fourth Jazznights visit.
JANET SEIDEL (voc) will be at Jazznights on Sunday 28th September 2014
“With her intimate style and great feel for the lyrics, Seidel is one of those vocalists who is as much a story teller as she is a singer. The way she goes about handling the music comes off as a blend of Blossom Dearie and Doris Day with a nod to Julie London, although she is somewhat jazzier than the latter two. David Nathan – All About Jazz
THE BEST IN BRITISH MODERN JAZZ is at Jazznights, The Cock Inn, 3, Callis Street, Clare, Suffolk, CO10 8PX
Admission £10. Doors open 7.30pm. Music 8.00-10.30pm.
Reserve seating on 01787 237653 or email info@jazz-nights.com
Pay on the night.
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For further information on future gigs which will feature Ben Cox (vocals), Simon Spillett (sax) and Juliet Kelly (vocals) – live BBC recording and Karen Sharp (saxes) go to www.jazz-nights.com
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