Two hundred saxophonists led by saxophonist Andy Sheppard are to take part in November's London Jazz Festival when Gillett Square, home to the nearby Vortex jazz club, is officially opened following major redevelopment. 22.09.06

It's a big day for the Vortex jazz club in north London today as a 200 strong "Saxophone massive" converges on the club to officially open Gillett Square and the London Jazz Festival. 10.11.06

A special Swedish jazz season gets underway next month in Scotland with 35 concerts by 12 groups from 8 February-19 March. Appearing in cities across Scotland including Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow and Edinburgh the visitors include Viktoria Tolstoy, Ulf Wakenius, Anders Bergcrantz and EST.
25.01.07

Breaking news returns on 2 January. But before that you may like to know that a new UK digital DAB radio station, thejazz, launches for test transmissions on Christmas Day at 9am. Jazzwise would like to wish all our readers a happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year. 22.12.06

Later this month on 25 August, Channel 4 TV is to broadcast a performance by Brazilian singer Seu Jorge. 09.08.06

An extensive Van Morrison deep catalogue mid-price reissue programme by Polydor is set to begin in January. Tupelo Honey, It’s Too Late To Stop Now, Wavelength, Into The Music, A Sense of Wonder, Avalon Sunset and Back on Top are the albums slated for release with a further 22 albums to follow over an extended period in three batches. 14.12.07

Composer and bandleader Mike Gibbs turned 70 earlier this week and this milestone will be marked by a major tour next month featuring a band that includes former Gibbs student Bill Frisell, bassist Steve Swallow, drummer Adam Nussbaum, saxophonists Chris Hunter, Stan Sulzmann, Julian Siegel, trumpeters Henry Lowther, Gerard Presencer, Klaus Stötter, Derek Watkins, John Barclay, trombonists Jeremy Price, Andy Wood, Sarah Williams and Pete Beachill, and French horn Jim Rattigan.
27.09.07

Guitarist Sid Peacock unveils his specially commissioned work A Cabaret Of Outsiders at the CBSO Centre in Birmingham on 24 November. 21.11.06

The Silent Truth, released on 7 April by the Specific label, is saxophonist Tony Kofi’s follow up to his dazzling debut All Is Know from four years ago. The post-bop specialist Kofi is joined on the record by drummer Winston Clifford, pianist Jonathan Gee and bassist Ben Hazleton. 28.03.08

Up and coming singer Brigitte Beraha is about to embark on a substantial tour in the company of trumpeter Joe Auckland and pianist Ivo Neame, one of the new lights coming up out of the London-based Loop ColIective. Brigitte says: “The material we will be performing is a new project of original music often described as melodic contemporary jazz with world and latin flavours, as well as jazz and latin standards with our own twists,” and the band will be recording a new album at the end of June after the tour. 30.03.07

Saxophonist Dewey Redman, the father of 1990s saxophone star Joshua Redman, died on 2 September aged 75, following a massive stroke. One of the most revered avant garde tenor saxophonists working in jazz in the 1960s and 1970s, Dewey Redman is best known for his work with school friend Ornette Coleman, as a member of his New York group from 1967-1974, and as a member of Keith Jarrett’s American quartet from 1971-1976. 04.09.06

22.10.07

In a coup for this year’s London Jazz Festival, which takes place in November, the organisers have announced that tenor saxophone great Sonny Rollins will perform at the Barbican on 24 November. Rollins restricts himself to only a small number of select performances round the world and last performed in the UK last May. 
27.04.07

A very rammed, very sticky Carling Academy in Islington last night gave the Derek Trucks Band quite a reception as the American band took to the London stage for just the second time. The band also welcomed surprise guest South African Vusi Mahlasela to the stage for a standout routine with singer Mike Mattison and an impromptu dance routine with percussionist Count M'Butu 12.10.07

John Dankworth and Cleo Laine’s Stables venue in Wavendon, Milton Keynes plays host to a variety of jazz, classical and rock concerts this summer. Jazz highlights in May and June include appearances by Soweto Kinch, Steve Howe’s trio and Claire Martin. The jazz dates are: Dankworth Big Band (1 May); Jazz Matters (6 May); Jazz Matters (13 May 11.30am); Clare Teal (13 May, 8pm); Soweto Kinch (17 May); Steve Howe Trio (18 May); Alec Dankworth (22 May); Jazz Matters (27 May); Claire Martin Quartet (31 May);
10.04.07

20.06.07

The City of Derry Jazz And Big Band Festival starts tomorrow with a final programme that includes Jools Holland, Soweto Kinch, Curtis Stigers and Jacqui Dankworth. The event, which is now in its fifth year, runs until Sunday at venues such as the Millennium Forum, Nerve Centre as well as at local hotels and restaurants. For more info go to www.cityofderryjazzfestival.com or phone (028) 7126 7284. 26.04.06

27.06.08

Not content with being one of the UK's most in-demand live jazz performers Soweto Kinch, is also involved with the grassroots Nu Century Arts organisation in his hometown Birmingham which has a dynamic series of events due to take place in the autumn. The Live Box, the name Kinch gives to this venture, takes place at The Drum in Aston and begins its new season with Soweto performing with special guests on 16 September. 06.08.07

Saxophonist Soweto Kinch is to play a full part in a new government initiative, My Music, developed with the intention of forging links between schools and industry to help teenagers broaden their musical horizons. 12.10.06

To mark its 30th anniversary Birmingham Jazz will host an awards ceremony at The Jam House on Wednesday 1 November. The event, which will be compered by Soweto Kinch and Jacqui Dankworth, celebrates the escalation of Birmingham Jazz from small independent organisation to major national and international promoter by paying tribute to musicians who have made important contributions to its work. 20.10.06

Dune records have announced details of award winning alto saxophonist Soweto Kinch's new album. 13.06.06

Alto saxophonist and MC Soweto Kinch won the best jazz act award at last night's MOBO awards after the category's reinstatement this year. This was his second award in a matter of days following his success at the British Jazz Awards the night before. 20.09.07

Since parting company with the Dune label last year saxophonist/MC Soweto Kinch, who has yet to release the second part of his Birmingham B19 project Basement Fables, or sign a new label deal, is keen to do his own thing, forging an identity as a rapper while still incorporating his original alto saxophone style into his overall concept. What that is will be further explored on 31 May at an event he’s promoting called The Flyover Show underneath the Hockley Flyover in Birmingham. 20.05.08

Groundwork, an afternoon jazz improvisation workshop at Camden’s The Roundhouse for singers and all instrumentalists, is to take place during the London Songwriters Week on 20 May. 13.05.08

There is growing uncertainty over the future of Ronnie Scott’s artistic director Leo Green, following a newspaper report at the weekend that Mr Green had a disagreement with owner Sally Greene. “The blazing row” referred to in The Sunday Telegraph is disputed by a club source however the report follows widespread criticism of recent bookings which have favoured soul, R&B and cabaret bookings over jazz. 21.11.07

Eclectic music venue the Spitz in London's Old Spitalfields Market comes to the end of the line tomorrow night when the club holds its final night on the premises prior to its closure. Billed as a Great Night In The Spitz, inspired by Art Kane's famous photograph 'A Great Day In Harlem', the club will gather together many of the musicians who have played there over the years including a great many jazz artists. 26.09.07

Singer Stacey Kent returns to tour in March as a song from her album Breakfast On The Morning Tram released last year, ‘The Ice Hotel’, co-written by Kazuo Ishiguro and Stacey’s husband Jim Tomlinson, is named as a finalist in the jazz category of the International Songwriting Competition. 19.02.08

Jazz In A Winter’s Weekend takes place in Southport from 2-4 February at the Royal Clifton Hotel. Opening at the Chatsworth Lounge with the Lucas Dodd Quartet, other performers include Elaine Delmar with Brian Dee, Jim Mullen and friends, the Bobby Wellins Quartet, SMJ Swingshift Big Band, Pete Oxley’s Curious Paradise, Stan Tracey Quartet, Andy Panayi Septet, Pete Churchill, Simon Spillett Quartet, John Donaldson and Mark Edwards and The Seven Ages of Jazz Suite.
21.12.06

The second Gateshead International Jazz Festival takes place at The Sage from 17-19 March. 13.01.06

The Peak District spa town of Buxton will be hosting its annual Four Four Two festival of live music at the Buxton Opera House from 17-26 February. 06.01.06

Legendary pianists Stan Tracey (pictured) and Keith Tippett will perform a piano duet at a special concert at London’s Barbican on 30 January 2008. This will be the first time in almost 30 years that the two have performed a duet together following their acclaimed appearances during the 1970s and a live recording from the Wigmore Hall in 1974. 03.12.07

31.05.07

The main programme of this year’s Hull Jazz Festival gets underway on 28 July with an African and Caribbean celebration courtesy of Sankofa Sunsplash. Changing tack, there’s a New Orelans programme outdoors in Queens Gardens on 29 July and also on 29 July The Melody Jazz Trio with Kevin Holbrough and a Tribute to Chet Baker at the Lamp venue as well as Gary Williams and the Metro Swing Band at the Truck. 18.05.07

After preview events by Abram Wilson in June and Monica Vasconcelos on 15 July the main programme of this year’s Hull Jazz Festival gets underway on 28 July with an African and Caribbean celebration courtesy of Sankofa Sunsplash. Changing tack, there’s a New Orelans programme outdoors in Queens Gardens on 29 July and also on 29 July The Melody Jazz Trio with Kevin Holbroigh and a Tribute to Chet Baker at the Lamp venue as well as Gary Williams and the Metro Swing Band at the Truck. The Stan Tracey Octet play the Truck on Monday 30 July with Ian Shaw and Guy Barker following Stan at the Truck on 31 July. Other highlights include Dennis Rollins Griots ’t Garage on 1 August at the Truck, Soweto Kinch, 2 August at the Truck and Jim Mullen on 5 August at the Pave venue. 
11.06.07

Pianist Stan Tracey may have turned 80 at the tail end of 2006 but he's not taking a breather just yet. Next month sees Stan on the road yet again, this time with his octet for a string of regional dates. The octet features Mark Nightingale (trombone); Simon Allen (tenor sax); Nigel Hitchcock (alto sax); Mornington Lockett (tenor sax); Guy Barker (trumpet); Clark Tracey (drums); and Andy Cleyndert (bass) and appears at the CBSO, Birmingham on 10 Feb; The Queen's Theatre, Barnstaple, 16 Feb; Wilde Theatre, Bracknell, 18 Feb and The Crucible, Sheffield, 23 Feb.  12.01.07

The Stan Tracey Trio tops the bill of a strong line-up for the special night in memory of Mike Osborne at the 100 Club, on London’s Oxford Street on 3 April. The concert, in tribute to the brilliant but troubled alto saxophonist, who died on 19 September 2007, was originally to have been held earlier this year at the Red Rose club but was postponed when the venue was closed down. 
03.03.08

Tomasz Stanko, Bobby Watson, The Blessing and The Bad Plus have been added to the line-up for next month’s Glasgow International Jazz Festival, which runs from 20 to 29 June, joining the already announced Buddy Guy, Lee Konitz and Neil Cowley Trio concerts. 16.05.08

Italian pianist Stefano Bollani has become one of the most talked about performers on the European jazz scene in recent years and he's about to embark on his first UK tour. Formerly a member of Enrico Rava's quintet, he most recently released Piano Solo on ECM, praised in Jazzwise by Duncan Heining: “This is a beautifully balanced set and Bollani’s best record to date… These 16 tracks run the gamut emotionally and stylistically but there’s a coherence and consistency that goes beyond the clever and starts to touch upon the profound.” 06.02.07

Italian pianist Stefano Bollani has won this year’s European Jazz Prize, voted for by a jury made up of representatives from 23 European countries. He will be presented with his prize on 14 December at Vienna’s Porgy and Bess club. 05.10.07

The Jazz House, a new weekly radio programme on BBC Radio Scotland, launches on 5 April.

24.03.06

The Vortex Jazz Club presents a special concert this evening to celebrate the life of the great soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy who died in 2004. The line-up tonight includes three groups, all of which have been influenced by Lacy plus Evan Parker (pictured). Jazz vocalist Christine Tobin performs as part of a duo with pianist Liam Noble, and then there's a trio made up of musicians Hans Koller, Paul Clarvis and Percy Pursglove and the group Outhouse, which is made up of Mark Hanslip, Robin Fincker, Jonny Brierly and Dave Smith.
14.06.07

13.06.08

Saxophonist Bret Kean will play an aptly-named set, ‘Falling Into Autumn’, with his quartet and special guest Steve Waterman on Thursday 28 September, to open the autumn season of Jazz at Lauderdale House on Highgate Hill in London. 13.09.06

Sting played to a record breaking 35,000 audience at the Pori Jazz Festival in Finland on Saturday. He performed with guitarists Dominic Miller and Lyle Workman with Abe Laboriel Jr on drums and a guest unannounced percussionist on one number. 24.07.06

Never mind the colossal stage set, the greatest hits package and pyrotechnics finale over at Twickenham Stadium, the real Rolling Stones fireworks took place at Ronnie Scott’s last night (a tour rest day) with a knockout performance by Tim Ries, the band’s touring saxophonist since 1999. 22.08.06

The well-known jazz label Storyville Records has been acquired by the Music Sales Group, Europe’s biggest printed music publisher. 12.04.06

Brecon Jazz Festival director Jim Smith launched this year’s event by demonstrating his own abilities on the humble glockenspiel surrounded by pupils at the Cradoc CP School in Brecon while young Raiff Devlin (pictured) blew some welcoming notes on his sax in the town centre to herald the return of street performances as part of Brecon 2007. Aside from the more inclusive moves towards creating a ‘jazzy’ atmosphere in the town, this year’s program is extremely strong with something for every taste and age range. In another first for this year’s event Joe Lovano will be Artist In Residence whose two concerts will see him lead the BBC Big Band and with a specially commissioned quartet featuring pianist Gareth Williams, bassist Steve Watts and drummer Martin France, while he will spend time holding several special masterclasses during the weekend featuring some of Wales’ finest young jazz musicians.
01.06.07

This year’s Glastonbury Jazz Lounge line up is nothing short of a showcase for some of the best new jazz in Britain as newcomers and burgeoning bubbling under talent plays alongside established artists across the full range of styles within jazz. Kicking off with a strong programme for the Thursday night, Jon Thorne’s compelling groove-soaked Oedipus Complex headline the evening with support from host of West country bands that include Rebecca Nash Quartet, Michael Eavis favourites 12-piece funk-orchestra Groove-a-licious and great trumpeter Dolan Jones with his quartet.  15.06.07

The 2007 Glasgow International Jazz festival, that begins on 22 June until 1st July promises to be really special with a very strong lineup of some of today’s leading jazz artists with a strong UK presence alongside the big American names. Neil Cowley Trio, Robert Mitchell and Omar Puente, Empirical, Billy Jenkins, Cleveland Watkiss, Julian Arguelles and Jason Yarde new project B Trade all show the strength of the UK scene at present. 30.05.07

It was an auspicious beginning unlike that of any previous London Jazz festival. Getting the festival underway as well as officially opening Hackney’s Gillett Square, saxophonist Andy Sheppard’s joyous African-themed piece for his 100 plus-strong Sax Massive successfully braved the elements, and was immediately followed by an unannounced fireworks display on the roof of the Vortex jazz club. Similarly, sparks flew in an explosive climax to the festival on Sunday when ex-Prime Time, monster-funk electric bassist Jamaladeen Tacuma – playing in Austrian saxophonist Wolfgang Puschnig’s band – stole the show at Soho’s Pizza Express. This year’s festival involved more London club and concert venues than ever before. Earlier at the Cadogan Hall, a classical venue in Chelsea, bandleader Colin Towns and the German NDR Big Band along with vocalist Norma Winstone had given a colourful, dynamic performance. During the week all kinds of tastes were catered for: from the deaf metal electronics of Norwegian band Supersilent, saxophone legend Evan Parker’s ever-fascinating explorations of infinite sonic possibilities, extending to real-time processing of his notes by a Stockhausen-influenced laptop possé, through to a propulsive set from piano trio EST that gestured towards post-rock textures as much as jazz.
21.11.06

Saxophonist and bass clarinettist John Surman and Norwegian singer Karin Krog perform in duo at the Cambridge Junction on Friday 26 May.  22.05.06

The Basquiat Strings, a classical string quartet with the addition of jazz drummer Seb Rochford, has been nominated for the prestigious Mercury Prize shortlist announced earlier today. Rochford best known for his work with former Mercury nominees Polar Bear, collaborated with strings players Emma Smith, Vicky Fifield, Jenny May-Logan, Nell Catchpole, Richard Pryce and Ben Davis for the record titled Basquiat Strings With Seb Rochford released on the F-ire label. 17.07.07

The Swanage Jazz Festival is one of the first summer festivals to announce details of its programme.
06.03.06