ART THEMEN (sax) at Jazznights, The Cock Inn, Clare on Sunday 29th April 2015 with the Roger Odell Jazznights Trio and vocals from Larraine Odell. Blog, pictures and play list.

(Click on images for larger pictures)

What an amazing night from the one of the truly great saxophonists on the UK jazz scene. Art started playing with Stan Tracey in 1974 and he has since played with all of Tracey’s groups, touring with him all over the world as well as around the UK. He has also played and toured with musicians such as Nat Adderley, Ian Carr, George Coleman, and Al Haig.  He is famously an ex-orthopaedic surgeon!

What an amazing night from the one of the truly great saxophonists on the UK jazz scene. Art started playing with Stan Tracey in 1974 and he has since played with all of Tracey’s groups, touring with him all over the world as well as around the UK. He has also played and toured with musicians such as Nat Adderley, Ian Carr, George Coleman, and Al Haig.  He is famously an ex-orthopaedic surgeon!

In 1974 he entered on what was to be one of his central musical relationships when he started playing with Stan Tracey. He has played with all of Tracey’s groups, touring with him all over the world as well as around the UK. He has also played and toured with musicians such as Nat Adderley, Ian Carr, George Coleman, and Al Haig.

In 1995 he formed a quartet with pianist John Critchinson.
His style originally owed much to the influence of Dexter Gordon and Sonny Rollins, but later influences included such disparate saxophonists as Coleman Hawkins, Evan Parker,  and the “sheets of sound” John Coltrane.

Art has also played with US stars, including Al Haig. Simon Spillett calls Art “Doctor Jazz”, in a recent Jazz Journal. Now retired from his other career, as a consultant orthopaedic surgeon, he can please jazz audiences even more with consummate playing of tenor and soprano sax, flute and clarinet.

Art Themen was playing with the Jazznights Trio with Vocals 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.

Simon Brown – Piano
Simon is a highly respected and popular jazz pianist who is equally known for his arranging skills. His bands include the  quintet Beyond Cantaloupe featuring the music of Herbie Hancock, the Simon Brown Trio and Quartet.

                          

Bernie Hodgkins – 5 String Double Bass
Bernie grew up in a Jazz-oriented family and has toured in Europe and further afield with a wide variety of artists and  honed his skills and adding to his prodigious repertoire. Spending much of his time in the recording studios, he is equally at home and in demand as an enthusiastic “live” rhythm section player

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, Royal Festival Hall. Boxford Fleece & Ronnie Scott’s. 

                    

Larraine Odell opened the first set of the evening singing:

Burton Lane and Yip Harburg’s 1946 Old Devil Moon was a great opener for tonight’s gig.
That’s All is a 1952 song written by Alan Brandt and Bob Haymes. It has been covered by many jazz and blues artists including Larraine Odell.
Artie Shaw’s Moonray from 1936.
A Time for Love (1966) Music by Johnny Mandel and lyrics from Paul Francis Webster.
The Touch of Your Lips” is a romantic ballad written by Ray Noble in 1936. The original version of the song, which has become a standard, was by Al Bowlly.

Art Themen with his tenor sax then joined the Roger Odell Jazznights Trio to play:
Cole Porter’s 1941 Ev’rything I Love.
Quizás, quizás, quizás The English lyrics “Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps were written by Joe Davis and was a popular song by Doris Day. This was a great version played as a tango.
Funk in a deep freeze by Horace Silver but sometimes credited to Hank Mobley who also recorded it. Art played this on both the tenor and soprano sax (not at the same time!)

Following the Jazznights raffle of 2 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 Geoff Harriman on harmonica playing Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons’s 1931 All of Me.

Art Themen the joined the band for the second set which included:
The Groove Merchant (1968) Composed by Jerome Richardson and Thad Jones – played with a shuffle beat.
Baubles, Bangles and Beads (1953) Words and Music by Chet Forrest, Robert Craig Wright and Alexander Borodin
Little Sunflower is a tune written by the great trumpeter Freddie Hubbard off of his 1967 album “Backlash”.
Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most (1955) is a popular song with lyrics by Fran Landesman, set to music by Tommy Wolf. The title is a jazz rendition of the opening line  of T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land, “April is the cruellest month”
A blues in Eb, a great medium for the band Art to excel.
No Mo’ by Sonny Rollins with a leaning to I Got Rhythm! What a great finale and treat for the full house audience who thoroughly enjoyed and applauded Art and the band  the Jazznights Trio.

Sun 12 Apr – ALLISON NEALE (sax)

“…Allison is a young saxophonist of rare ability…she immediately demonstrates a touch  and understanding of jazz soloing…the performances simply carries you to a world of lightness and satisfaction” Melody Express Review. “…plays the alto saxophone with a tone so light and airy it positively melts at the edges” Dave Gelly – The Observer.

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.

You can join us at facebook, read reviews of previous performances on more opinions blog or tweet at twitter.com/jazznightsuk

For further information on future gigs go to www.jazz-nights.com

ART THEMEN (sax) will be at Jazznights, The Cock Inn, Clare on Sunday 29th April 2015 with the Roger Odell Jazznights Trio and vocals from Larraine Odell

One of the truly great saxophonists on the UK jazz scene. Art started playing with Stan Tracey in 1974 and he has since played with all of Tracey’s groups, touring with him all over the world as well as around the UK. He has also played and toured with musicians such as Nat Adderley, Ian Carr, George Coleman, and Al Haig.  He is famously an ex- orthopaedic surgeon!

Themen started playing jazz with the Cambridge University Jazz Group, and then in London playing with blues musicians Jack Bruce and Alexis Korner. In 1965 he played with the Peter Stuyvesant Jazz Orchestra in Zürich, going on to play with such English luminaries as Michael Garrick and Graham Collier’s Music.

During a particularly fruitful association with Stan Tracey Art also accompanied numerous visiting US jazzmen, including Al Haig, Red Rodney, George Coleman and Nat Adderley. That he has achieved his present high standing in the jazz world while at the same time pursuing his career as a consultant surgeon, is testimony to his remarkable gifts.

In 1974 he entered on what was to be one of his central musical relationships when he started playing with Stan Tracey. He has played with all of Tracey’s groups, touring with him all over the world as well as around the UK. He has also played and toured with musicians such as Nat Adderley, Ian Carr, George Coleman, and Al Haig.

In 1995 he formed a quartet with pianist John Critchinson.
His style originally owed much to the influence of Dexter Gordon and Sonny Rollins, but later influences included such disparate saxophonists as Coleman Hawkins, Evan Parker, and the “sheets of sound” John Coltrane.

Art has also played with US stars, including Al Haig. Simon Spillet calls Art “Doctor Jazz”, in a recent Jazz Journal. Now retired from his other career, as a consultant orthopaedic surgeon, he can please jazz audiences even more with consummate playing of tenor and soprano sax, flute and clarinet.

A busy and sought after musician who nowadays is most often seen on stage with many of the best of Britain’s top jazz players such as Alan Barnes, John Donaldson, John Critchinson, Dave Newton, Georgie Fame, Don Weller, Mornington Lockett, among many others.  Themen is a player who is known for his originality and individual style.

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.

You can join us at facebook, read reviews of previous performances on more opinions blog or tweet at twitter.com/jazznightsuk

For further information on future gigs go to www.jazz-nights.com

Edison Herbert’s brilliant gig at Jazznights at The Cock Inn, Clare with the Roger Odell Trio and Harry Greene as guest on the tenor sax 15th March 2015

(Click on pictures for larger images)

Edison Herbert is an international musician with an accessible style with flowing rhythm and melodic lines who has toured England, Ireland, Spain, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok and the USA. He is currently spending his time promoting his new album the ‘My favourite Tunes‘ project, performing, teaching and writing new work.

A rare find on today’s jazz scene, a fine soulful expressive guitarist Edison Herbert produces a very distinctive sound with stylish delivery. He is a masterful jazz improviser whose music falls between classical jazz, gospel, R&B and soulful and funk edged jazz. Born in Leeds Edison began playing the piano at an early age and furthered his classical piano studies at Yorkshire College of Music. Whilst doing so he began teaching himself to play the guitar and performed in various bands at church with small gospel groups and choirs both on piano and guitar. He studied at the Yorkshire College of Music and later was awarded a scholarship to study at The Guildhall School of music and Drama.
After being seen performing with the Guildhall Big Band alongside Randy Brecker at Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club Edison was asked to join the Jazz Warriors. He went on to MD and write arrangements for the Olivier Award nominated West End hot show “Unforgettable”.
He performed Motown hits in the musical ‘The Grapevine’ and has varied his experiences by composing music for the BBC Radio 4 drama ‘Spell Number Seven’ and performing on Top Of The Pops. He has TV and was part of the big band that performed ‘Clarke
Peters’ Snakeskips Johnson. Worked with Gwen Dickie

Edison is an international musician who has toured England, Ireland, Spain, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok and the USA. He is currently spending his time promoting his new album the ‘My favourite tunes‘ project, performing, teaching and writing new work.

Edison Herbert played 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.

Simon Brown – Piano
Simon is a highly respected and popular jazz pianist who is equally known for his arranging skills. His bands include the  quintet Beyond Cantaloupe featuring the music of Herbie Hancock, the Simon Brown Trio and Quartet.

Bernie Hodgkins – 5 String Double Bass
Bernie grew up in a Jazz-oriented family and has toured in Europe and further afield with a wide variety of artists and  honed his skills and adding to his prodigious repertoire. Spending much of his time in the recording studios, he is equally at home and in demand as an enthusiastic “live” rhythm section player.

Master of Ceremonies for the evening was the erudite Gareth Williams-James

As Edison was delayed on his journey the opening set featured the Roger Odell Jazznights trio to play:
I’m Old Fashioned (1942) Music by Jerome Kern.
Alice in Wonderland is the theme song composed by Sammy Fain for the Walt Disney 1951 animated film Alice in Wonderland.
My One and Only Love is a popular song with music written by Guy Wood and lyrics by Robert Mellin.
Harry Greene on his tenor sax then joined the band to play:
Hank Mobley’s Greasin’ Easy.

Edison Herbert then joined the trio to play:
Antonio Carlos Jobim’s 1967 Wave.
Duke Ellington’s 1935 In A Sentimental Mood.
Sonny Rollins 1954 Doxy. It first appeared on the 1957 Miles Davis album Bags’ Groove

Following the Jazznights raffle of 2 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 Harry Greene with his tenor sax.

Edison Herbert the returned to play the second set and invited Harry Greene to play the first and last number of the set. Tunes played included:
Sugar, also known as That Sugar Baby o’ Mine, is a popular jazz standard by Maceo Pinkard, his wife Edna Alexander and Sidney D. Mitchell.
There Is No Greater Love is a 1936 jazz standard composed by Isham Jones, with lyrics by Marty Symes. It was the last hit song for Jones’s orchestra before the bandleader turned the orchestra over to Woody Herman.
Softly As in a Morning Sunrise (1928) by Sigmund Romberg Artie Shaw’s 1938 recording of “Softly As In A Morning Sunrise” is the first noteworthy jazz version.
You Don’t Know What Love Is, a popular song of the Great American Songbook, written by Don Raye.
Fungii Mama from 1964. Composed by Blue Mitchell from the album The Thing To Do.
East Train written by Edison Herbet give a nod to Ellington’s Take The A Train from Edi8son Herbert’s al;bum My Favourite Tunes.
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. Edison Herbert invited Harry Greene with his tenor sax to join him and the band which provided a wonderful and powerful finale for this master class in guitar jazz.

ART THEMEN (sax) will be at Jazznights on Sunday 29th March 2015.
During a particularly fruitful association with Stan Tracey Art also accompanied numerous visiting US jazzmen, including Al Haig, Red Rodney, George Coleman and Nat Adderley. That he has achieved his present high standing in the jazz world while at the same time  pursuing his career as a consultant surgeon, is testimony to his remarkable gifts.

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.

You can join us at facebook, read reviews of previous performances on more opinions blog or tweet at twitter.com/jazznightsuk

For further information on future gigs go to www.jazz-nights.com

EDISON HERBERT (guitar) will be at Jazznights on Sunday 15th March 2015 to play with the Roger Odell Jazznights Trio

Edison is an international musician with an accessible style with flowing rhythm and melodic lines who has toured England, Ireland, Spain, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok and the USA. He is currently spending his time promoting his new album the ‘My favourite Tunes‘ project, performing, teaching and writing new work.

A rare find on today’s jazz scene, a fine soulful expressive guitarist Edison Herbert produces a very distinctive sound with stylish delivery. He is a masterful jazz improviser whose music falls between classical jazz, gospel, R&B and soulful and funk edged jazz. Born in Leeds Edison began playing the piano at an early age and furthered his classical piano studies at Yorkshire College of Music. Whilst doing so he began teaching himself to play the guitar and performed in various bands at church with small gospel groups and choirs both on piano and guitar. He studied at the Yorkshire College of Music and later was awarded a scholarship to study at The Guildhall School of music and Drama.
After being seen performing with the Guildhall Big Band alongside Randy Brecker at Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club Edison was asked to join the Jazz Warriors. He went on to MD and write arrangements for the Olivier Award nominated West End hot show “Unforgettable”.
He performed Motown hits in the musical ‘The Grapevine’ and has varied his experiences by composing music for the BBC Radio 4 drama ‘Spell Number Seven’ and performing on Top Of The Pops. He has TV and was part of the big band that performed ‘Clarke
Peters’ Snakeskips Johnson. Worked with Gwen Dickie

Edison is an international musician who has toured England, Ireland, Spain, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok and the USA. He is currently spending his time promoting his new album the ‘My favourite tunes‘ project, performing, teaching and writing new work.

Herbert is clearly an improviser at heart, and his desire to improvise yields pleasing results on ‘My Favourite Tunes’. Herbert favours a lyrical approach along the lines of Wes Montgomery and George Benson (two of his main influences). Herbert swings, but he does so in a melodic fashion – Alex Henderson-Jazz Times, Billboard
”A highly-skilled guitarist who has played at Ronnie Scotts and arranged music for West End Musical. His fluent style is a delight for the jazz aficionado and the casual listener” Keith Ames- The musician

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.

You can join us at facebook, read reviews of previous performances on more opinions blog or tweet at twitter.com/jazznightsuk

For further information on future gigs go to www.jazz-nights.com

Too Cool – Sue Richardson’s celebration of Chet Baker with the Roger Odell Jazznights Trio at The Cock Inn, Clare on Sunday 1st March 2015.

(Click on images for larger pictures)

A special show featuring Chet’s most famous standards, his own compositions and works inspired by his life. As well as performing some of the songs forever associated with Chet and his sublime solos Sue has uncovered great songs written by him. There is also new material, written by Sue, including works inspired by Chet Baker’s life away from music.

Weaving through the music are anecdotes about Chet, whose sweet music was such a contrast to his troubled life. Actress and theatre director Sylvia Syms helped Sue craft the narrative and is as important as the music and makes the music more accessible to all audiences. It always generates great interest and discussion between Chet fans and people new to the music. Sue takes them on a journey through Chet’s life highlighted by new numbers Sue has written.

It also focuses on lesser-known material composed by Chet himself whilst in prison in Italy (some of these have been translated from their original Italian into English by Georgia Mancio especially for this show). The narrative content has been developed following Sue’s research and discussions with people who Chet worked with (such as Archie Shepp) and also his biographers James Gavin and Matthew Ruddick.

The show sold out at Ronnie Scotts and Seven Arts in Leeds described the show as a ‘tour de force performance’
The SUNDAY TIMES listed Too Cool in their 100 Best Records of the Year 2013 (at no.8 in the jazz chart) – ‘brings the boy wonder back to life’.

FOUR STAR REVIEW in The Observer – ‘This polished tribute marks the 25th anniversary of Chet Baker’s death. Like Dorian Gray in reverse, the angel-faced Chet aged hideously while his music remained pristine until the end. Sue Richardson’s trumpet playing catches his combination of delicacy and strength, and her singing has something of his candid simplicity. She even writes the kind of tunes that he might have invented. Also included are some pieces he wrote while serving time in jail.

Jazzwise – Too Cool presents some of the music from the similarly named show Sue Richardson has written to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Chet Baker’s death. Taking a fascinating, multi perspective approach,alongside the trumpeter’s new Chet-inspired compositions we also get to hear some of Chet’s own songs plus one of the standards that he is most strongly associated with, ‘My Funny Valentine’. Featuring new English lyrics courtesy of Georgia Mancio, the Baker original ‘Chetty’s Lullaby’ is beautifully done, unfolding in one single, expressive arc. Of Richardson’s originals, ‘On A Moon Beam’ is a standout: understated, withwide-open spaces, and plugging straight into that singular melancholy that Baker made into an art. Heard earlier as an instrumental, the album’s bonus track, a delicately floating vocal version of Baker’s ‘So Che Ti Perdero (I Know I Will Lose You)’, rounds off this impressive, personal tribute

This is what the Jazznights audience at the Cock Inn, Clare enjoyed with Sue accompanied by 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.

Simon Brown – Piano
Simon is a highly respected and popular jazz pianist who is equally known for his arranging skills. His bands include the quintet Beyond Cantaloupe featuring the music of Herbie Hancock, the Simon Brown Trio and Quartet.

                 

Bernie Hodgkins – 5 String Double Bass
Bernie grew up in a Jazz-oriented family and has toured in Europe and further afield with a wide variety of artists and honed his skills and adding to his prodigious repertoire. Spending much of his time in the recording studios, he is equally at home and in demand as an enthusiastic “live” rhythm section player.

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, Royal Festival Hall. Boxford Fleece & Ronnie Scott’s.       

                 

Master of Ceremonies for the evening was the erudite Gareth Williams-James

Larraine Odell opened the first set singing:
Richard Rodgers 1945 It Might As Well Be Spring from the film State Fair.
I Got Lost in His Arms is a song from the 1946 musical Annie Get Your Gun, written by Irving Berlin. It was performed by Ethel Merman in the original production of the musical.
Speak Low (1943) is a popular jazz standard composed by Kurt Weill, with lyrics by Ogden Jazznights Larraine Odell 071242 (35)Nash and has been recorded by many jazz artists. This was performed by Larraine to a lovely Roger Odell arrangement.
Wild Is the Wind is a song written by Dimitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington. The track was originally recorded by Johnny Mathis for the 1957 film Wild Is the Wind.
Just in Time (1956) Music from Jule Styne and Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Once you’ve heard Frank Sinatra’s 1958 version of this Broadway show tune it’s hard to imagine it not swinging and Larraine and the Jazznights Trio did just that!

Sue Richardson then joined the band to play and sing:
A number written by Sue based on a solo by Bix Beiderbeck, an early influence of Chet Baker.
A medley of Chet’s Harry James favourites.
Too Cool written by Sue which was the album title number celebrating the life and story of Chet Baker.
Bernie’s Tune is a 1953 jazz standard. It was written by Bernie Miller, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.[1] It was popularised with a recording by the quartet of the American saxophonist and composer Gerry Mulligan, on the 1952 album of the same name, which also featured Chet Baker on trumpet.
Chetty’s Lullaby is a 1962 jazz song composed by Chet Baker which he wrote while incarcerated in Italy in memory of Chet’s son.
Anticipated Blues written by Chet and recorded by him many times.

Following the Jazznights raffle of 2 jazz cd’s and a bottle of wine Sue Richardson re-joined the Jazznights Trio to play and sing:

It Could Happen to You (1944) by Jimmy Van Heusen (he really did change his name to that of the shirt maker) and is a Chet Baker album of the same name.
I Remember You is a popular song. The music was written by Victor Schertzinger, the  lyrics by Johnny Mercer. The song was published in 1941 and recorded by Chet with Bud Shank in 1955.
So che ti perdero – I Know I will Lose You, written by Chet during the Italian prison period.
Let’s Get Lost (1988) is an American documentary film about the turbulent life and career of jazz trumpeter Chet Baker written and directed by Bruce Weber. The title is derived from a song by Jimmy McHugh and Frank Loesser from the 1943 film Happy Go Lucky which Baker recorded for Pacific Records.
Motivo su raggio di luna – Motif On A Moonbeam another number written by Chet from the Italian period.
All my tomorrows written by Paul Ryan
But Not for Me  is a popular song, composed by George Gershwin and featured Chet Baker, on the album Chet Baker Sings.
Time After Time is a jazz standard written by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne in 1947 which Chet made his own.
Sadly Sue’s last number could only be My Funny Valentine which is a show tune from the 1937 Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart musical Babes in Arms in which it was very famously recorded by Chet Baker and really is his signature tune.

EDISON HERBERT (gtr) will be at Jazznights on Sunday 15th March 2015
Edison is an international musician with an accessible style with flowing rhythm and  melodic lines who has toured England, Ireland, Spain, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok and the USA. He is currently spending his time promoting his new album the ‘My favourite Tunes‘ project, performing, teaching and writing new work.

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.

You can join us at facebook, read reviews of previous performances on more opinions blog or tweet at twitter.com/jazznightsuk

For further information on future gigs go to www.jazz-nights.com