Too young at 47 to be an elder statesman, too old to be a young lion, trumpeter Wallace Roney is at the crossroads of his career with the choice to either look to the future or fall back on the past. With the band that he completed three nights at Ronnie's last night he attempts to do both. When dueting with brother Antoine on tenor saxophone you could close your eyes and find yourself back in the hard bop fat years of the 1960s. But then, as Roney plays a ballad toward the end of the evening, there's the post modern sampled voice of Martin Luther King seeping out of Steve Brown's turntables or over at Ottawan Ortez's keyboards there's the squelchy interruption by a player not at all keen to relocate to the distant past.
02.08.07

tBassist Walter Booker, bext known for his tenure in both the Cannonball Adderley and Nat Adderley bands, has died, aged 72. Originally from Texas he moved to New York in the 1960s and was hired by Donald Byrd before joining Stan Getz and in 1969, Cannonball Adderley. In the 1970s he worked extensively with Sarah Vaughan and then John Hicks before joining Nat Adderley who he worked with extensively. 30.11.06

The four days of concerts and workshops held across Cardiff in aid of the Jed Williams Memorial fund were brought to a climax with a concert featuring New York guitarist Wayne Krantz (pictured) and British guitarist John Etheridge. Playing mostly Krantz originals, three of which were specially written for this concert, the two guitarists were on form complementing each other’s styles with some excellent solos. Backed by Laurence Cottle and Jeremy Stacey on drums, Krantz and Etheridge, who had not played together, before left a lasting impression on the large audience. The evening opened with an intriguing duet set from Cardiff’s young piano star Dave Stapleton along with his quintet saxophonist Ben Waghorn. 13.11.07

The Wayne Shorter Quartet, Seu Jorge and AfroReggae with Gilles Peterson, Oregon, Cassandra Wilson and Abdullah Ibrahim are just some of the big concerts just announced for this year's London Jazz Festival. 01.08.06

Having been awarded the much coveted prize of being European capital of culture for 2008, Liverpool kicks off a year of events with a strong three-day jazz festival, called Fresh, headlined by Wayne Shorter’s superlative quartet in an exclusive collaboration with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Starting things with a bang early in the year, on 3, 4, and 5 January the edgy, predominantly UK-focused bill includes a handful of rising stars of recent years – including Abram Wilson, Zoe Rahman and Fraud – alongside more established names such as John Metcalfe, Chris Bowden, The Bays and the Heritage Orchestra.
29.11.07

Bassist Andy Cleyndert and drummer Steve Brown join pianist David Newton for a special concert at the Wigmore Hall in London on 2 February. Still relatively underused for jazz, the fine acoustics of the hall are a fitting setting for the trio, a champion of the classic sound of the acoustic jazz trio ever since its formation.   03.01.07

Just weeks away from the release of a new double CD live recording, the Wigmore Hall in London has announced that Brad Mehldau will be the concert hall’s jazz series artistic director for two years from 2009, curating four concerts for the 2009/10 season and the same again for 2010/11. 04.03.08

There's a rare chance to catch a fascinating project at the South Bank Centre's Queen Elizabeth Hall on 24 March. 07.03.06

Jazzwise has two pairs of tickets to give away to the Tower Music Festival in July. The festival, now in its second year, takes place against the backdrop of the historic Tower of London. 26.06.06

Just two days to go until Wynton Marsalis appears at Ronnie Scott’s. His Wednesday and Thursday appearances, remarkably, are his first at the famed Soho club as a leader.
31.07.06

Wynton raps? Well he did at Ronnie Scott's last night, rounding off a two night stay at the Frith street club, newly reopened after a major refurbishment. 04.08.06

A new album by Wynton Marsalis, From The Plantation To The Penitentiary, is expected on Blue Note in March. The album includes a version of the rap 'Where Y’All At' he performed at Ronnie Scott’s during his visit in the summer. Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra are due back in the UK for a concert at the Barbican on 23 July. 07.12.06