Jazzwise 10th Birthday Festival

We here at Jazzwise are celebrating our 10th birthday in style with a very special, week-long festival, Jazzwise To The Power of Ten, featuring some of the giants of British jazz from the past four decades. See video highlights of the festival here

The festival, produced by Serious, takes place at London’s Pizza Express Jazz Club from 26-31 March and presents a fantastic opportunity to see major names such as Stan Tracey, Courtney Pine, Polar Bear and a Nucleus reunion in the kind of close-up intimate club setting they rarely perform in nowadays. Each night will also feature up-and-coming new artists as support, echoing our commitment to the extraordinary young jazz talent currently emerging in the UK and Europe.

The amazing line-up for the week so far includes Stan Tracey Octet plus support (26 March); Polar Bear plus [em] a.k.a. the Michael Wollny Trio (27 March); Courtney Pine Band plus Empirical (28 March); Claire Martin and Ian Shaw with an All Star Band plus support (29 March); Nucleus Revisited plus support (30 March); Gary Crosby’s Nu Troop with Abram Wilson and Denys Baptiste plus the new Tomorrow’s Warriors (31 March). In addition BBC Radio 3 Jazz Line-up will broadcast live from the festival on 31 March.

Also part of Jazzwise’s 10th birthday celebrations, which are sponsored by Yamaha-Kemble Music Ltd, St Ives PLC, iwantdesign and Dekkor, is the Esbjörn Svensson Trio UK tour in March with Chris Bowden as support, and the Stefano Bollani concert at the Purcell Room on 31 March. Jazzwise will have a special cover-mount CD from Babel Records on the April issue showcasing hot new UK talent including Polar Bear, Fraud, Acoustic Ladyland, Led Bib and others.

Jazzwise To The Power Of Ten - 10th Birthday week - Line Up So Far Announced:

March 26
Stan Tracey Octet

The godfather of British jazz is still playing at the very height of his very considerable powers. Renowned worldwide since the 60s as a brilliant and original composer and pianist, Stan launches the week with rare London performance by his supercharged eight piece, featuring Guy Barker, Mark Nightingale, Mornington Lockett, Nigel Hitchcock and Simon Allen. Special opening act to be announced. Book tickets here.

March 27
Polar Bear + [em]

Follow the Bear....drummer Seb Rochford's distinctively quirky quintet has taken the scene by storm in recent years. Serial award-winners, and with their second CD nominated for a Mercury, this is the band of the moment. Berlin pianist Michael Wollny's trio make their UK debut specially for the Jazzwise week, following terrfific reviews for their first ACT recording, and representing an explosion of energy and imagination from a fast-moving European scene. Book tickets here.

March 28
Courtney Pine Band + Empirical

A really special occasion - Courtney's first ever Dean Street performance provides a unique opportunity to catch a master saxophonist - and a committed champion of jazz in Britain - at very close quarters. Courtney's committment to the evolution of the scene here is reflected by Empirical, the hot new band led by trumpeter Jay Phelps and saxophonist Nathaniel Facey, and signed to the man's own label. Book fast! Book tickets here.

March 29
Claire Martin and Ian Shaw + guests

The UK's foremost jazz singers are perennial favourites around town....terrific performers in their own right, they are also a great double act. Tonight's set features new music from both - including Claire's own tribute to Shirley Horn - as well as joining forces in what's guaranteed to be a night of vocal jazz at the very highest level. Special opening act to be announced. Book tickets here.

March 30
Nucleus Revisited - tribute to Ian Carr

From the ground-breaking Rendell-Carr Quintet and the New Jazz Orchestra and the heady days of the powerhouse electric jazz of Nucleus, trumpeter Ian Carr has been a positive force in British jazz since the 60s - he's also a composer of real substance, an inspiring teacher, and thwe author of landmark biographies of Keith Jarrett and Miles Davis. Now unable to perform, his music and spirit are revisited in a re-formed Nucleus, featuring Geoff Castle, Tim Whitehead, Mark Wood and a fine trumpeter from a younger generation, Chris Batchelor. Special opening act to be announced. Book tickets here.

March 31
A Night with Dune - Gary Crosby's Nu Troop and guests

The impact made by the artists and activities that gravitate around Dune
Records and the musical directorship of Gary Crosby has been an essential element in the continuing evolution of jazz in the UK. The proof? Jazz Jamaica and Nu Troop, an education programme that has seen successive editions of Tomorrows Warriors produce musicians of star quality (Denys Baptiste, Jason Yarde, Soweto Kinch), and a string of key recordings. Tonight's show combines Dune artists old and new - expect special guests and a rousing finale to a terrific week of British jazz. Book tickets here.

Browse the Jazzwise archive

Indo-Jazzwise - Celebrating the New Wave of Indo-Jazz

At Pizza Express Jazz Club, Dean Street, London - May 30-31 2008

Jazzwise magazine and Serious present Indo-Jazzwise, a special two night season at London's Pizza Express Jazz Club that celebrates the new wave of Indo-jazz emerging on the UK scene. Inspired by past and present connections between Indian music and jazz, Indo-Jazzwise coincides with Ravi Shankar's farewell concerts at the Barbican that will see Indian music enjoy a high profile in the UK.

London Jazz Festival 2007

Sonny Rollins, Jan Garbarek and Chick Corea top 2007 London Jazz Festival

With the welcome news that BBC Radio 3 has renewed its sponsorship of the London Jazz Festival until 2012 still ringing in the organiser’s ears they’ve now announced the final line-up of this year’s event, which kicks off on Friday 16 November and runs until Sunday 25 November.

In what is easily its most extensive programme yet the festival, now in its 15th year and also sponsored by Jazzwise, presents a mind boggling 192 events in 41 venues across the capitol, from concert halls, theatres and museums to clubs, pubs and restaurants, as well as a vibrant free-of-charge gig programme at the RFH Ballroom, QEH Front Room, Royal Albert Hall Café Consort, Barbican Freestage and Ray’s Jazz at Foyles and an After Hours Jam at Charlie Wright’s International Bar every night.

TheJazz, Yamaha and Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group Scholarships for new Jazz talent!

The words 'Jazz' and 'Scholars' may seem unusual bedfellows but the exciting new scheme announced by Yamaha and theJazz promise not only a great financial boost for Jazz students but more importantly a unique way to get new talent noticed by the great and the good of the Jazz industry at a gala event at the Palace of Westminster in July.

A new scholarship scheme for outstanding jazz students has been announced by theJazz, the UK’s new jazz radio station and Yamaha. Initially, the awards will endow £9000 over three years to Nine students.