JazzNews is edited by Karl Dallas, who has been writing about jazz since 1948, for publications like Melody Maker, Acoustic Music, and Jazz Music News. He has also had his own jazz show, "Swing with Karl Dallas", on British Forces Radio, and currently broadcasts his "Swing Easy" show on Bradford Community Broadcasting.

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Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Jamie Cullum blows up pianos

Jamie Cullum To Release New Single ‘Don’t Stop The Music’ On January 25th 2010 Through Decca/Terrified Recordings
08 Dec 09
“So we get stomping piano pop hits (I’m All Over It), supper-club R&B (a cover of Rihanna’s Don’t Stop The Music) and finger-clickin’ ruminations on the state of the planet (Wheels, If I Ruled The World). Proof the thrill is in the chase.” Q


“There’s a swaggering big-band reading of Just One Of Those Things and a clever soul-jazz recasting of Rihanna’s Don’t Stop The Music, but otherwise Cullum has morphed into a kind of Britpop Randy Newman, which suits him well on the excellent I’m All Over It.”-Uncut


“It takes genuine courage to revamp Soundheim’s Not While I’m Around with a flood-blooded piano-and-drums beat, and even if you are allergic to Rihanna, it is hard to resist the slinky cover of Don’t Stop the Music” - The Sunday Times

On January 25th 2010 Jamie Cullum will be releasing a new single taken from his recent album “The Pursuit”. “Don’t Stop The Music” will be instantly recognizable as a Rhianna track, but with the Cullum touch. It will be available as a download only. The track has a spectacular video which involved 4 grand piano’s being blown up in a warehouse in darkest Acton. Four replica Pianos were blown up in 4 x 3 second explosions, shot at 1000 frames per second or 40 times slower than real time. The amount of light used could have powered several tower blocks. Jamie himself detonated Piano number 3.



Talking about the track, Jamie says “There's a real science to choosing covers. Back when I did ‘High And Dry’ and ‘Frontin' it wasn't as common. But doing covers has always been part of my DNA as a Jazz musician. Often I'll think of a tune to do and someone else will get there first. I was going to do ‘Every Heartbeat’ by Robyn but Girls Aloud did it for Radio One! I thought ‘someone is really smart’. I did ‘Umbrella’ the day after it was released but soon enough, everyone was doing it. With ‘Don't Stop The Music’ it was the lyric that grabbed me. It is such a sexy lyric. And I was able to transform the song into something totally new sounding.”



Jamie has just announced a full UK tour, his first for 5 years, which includes two nights at London’s Palladium. The dates in full are:



May 2010


Friday 7th Glasgow, Royal Concert Hall

Saturday 8th Edinburgh, Usher Hall

Sunday 9th Dublin Olympia

Tuesday 11th Newcastle, City Hall

Wednesday 12th Ipswich Regent

Thursday 13th Birmingham, Symphony Hall

Friday 14th Liverpool, Philharmonic

Sunday 16th London Palladium

Monday 17th Manchester, Bridgewater Hall

Tuesday 18th Sheffield, City Hall

Thursday 20th Portsmouth, Guildhall

Friday 21st Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall

Saturday 22nd Bristol Colston Hall

Sunday 23rd London Palladium


For more info check out www.jamiecullum.com.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Gaza heart benefit, Nov 29

I am organising a benefit at the Bradford Playhouse (290 seats) on Nov 29 to raise funds for Palestine International Medical Aid to help buy a cardiac bypass machine for Gaza with the necessary pumps, tubing and oxygenators worth 160,000 Euros. An advanced payment of 64000 Euros has already been raised and paid. It is estimated that 300 cases of cardiothoracic surgery per year are needed in Gaza. Sending these patients abroad is not a viable option due to crossing closure, expenses, safety of transfer and family inconvenience and hardship. I wonder if you or anyone you are in contact with might be able and willing to perform at this benefit. If not 1. Could you donate autographed CDs, songbooks, DVDs etc to be auctioned at the event? 2. Do you know any other artists who might be willing to take part?
------------
Go well.
Karl Dallas
See the video of me singing my version of Willie Nelson's Peaceful Solution: http://willienelsonpri.com/peace/3624/a-peaceful-solution-karl-dallas.html

Monday, May 04, 2009

Mike Westbrook Glad Day - Covent Garden London - May Concert



If your software garbles this email please visit:
http://www.westbrookjazz.co.uk/emails/glad_day_covent09.html
Saint Pancras Parish Church London presents

LONDON FESTIVAL OF CONTEMPORARY CHURCH MUSIC 2009
Thursday 14th May 8 p.m.
Evening Concert
St. Paul's Church,
Covent Garden,
Bedford Street,
London WC2E 9ED

Blake House - Phil Minton, Mike Westbrook, Kate Westbrook
Mike Westbrook
GLAD DAY

Settings of the Poetry of
William Blake

texts arranged by Adrian Mitchell and Kate Westbrook
The Choral Version
featuring
Phil Minton
Kate Westbrook
St Pancras Church Choir
directed by Christopher Batchelor

a concert dedicated to the memory of Adrian Mitchell ( 1932 - 2008 )

Mike Westbrook's acclaimed settings of William Blake's poetry began with Adrian Mitchell's TYGER, staged by the National Theatre in 1971. The new choral version brings the distinctive voices of Phil Minton and Kate Westbrook together with this fine chamber choir and a highly original quartet of jazz instrumentalists, accordionist Karen Street, violinist
Billy Thompson,  Steve Berry
on double bass and Westbrook himself on piano.


"bold, optimistic and inspiring" The Independent

www.westbrookjazz.co.uk

 

Tickets: £15, £10 concessions, Tel: 020 7388 1461,
Email: lfccm2009@gmail.com

Information: Chessy Russill lfccm2009@gmail.com tel: 07958 907708

Download booking form from this page:
http://www.stpancraschurch.org/index.php?id=140


If you would rather not receive these emails, please send an e-mail
to
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If you have any queries please contact us on admin@westbrookjazz.co.uk

www.westbrookjazz.co.uk



Tuesday, May 20, 2008

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Monday, September 03, 2007

Floyd's Nick Mason with Michael Mantler at Berlin jazzfest

In a recreation of his guest appearance as part of Michael Mantler's band on May 11, 1984 in Cologne, and February 8th, 1987 in Frankfurt, Nick Mason journeys back to Germany for another Mantler concert on November 2 as part of the Berlin Jazz Festival.

With Nick again taking care of percussion in Michael's band, the event takes place at 7:30pm at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele. Tickets are now on sale here, and visit www.jazzfest-berlin.de for more info.

Sunday, September 02, 2007

Mike Westbrook's ON DUKE'S BIRTHDAY remastered and re-released

Dedicated to the memory of Duke Ellington, Mike Westbrook's ON DUKE'S
BIRTHDAY has been remastered and re-released on CD, hatOLOGY 635.

The album was recorded live on May 12th, 1984 at Le Grand Théâtre, Maison de
la Culture, Amiens.
Produced by Fiachra Trench.

Personnel:
Mike Westbrook - Piano;
Phil Minton - Trumpet, Voice;
Kate Westbrook - Tenor Horn,
Bamboo Flute, Piccolo, Voice;
Brian Godding - Guitar;
Dominique Pifarely - Violin;
Georgie Born - Cello;
Danilo Terenzi - Trombone;
Steve Cook - Bass Guitar;
Tony Marsh - Drums;
Chris Biscoe - Baritone, Alto, & Soprano Saxes, Alto Clarinet, Piccolo;
Stuart Brooks - Trumpet, Flugelhorn

distribution: harmonia mundi
album available online from www.jazzcds.co.uk
... all the Westbrook trademarks are there
- the dexterous arrangements with their attention to gripping instrumental
contrasts... and the cyclic progressions, embroidering the themes in
different ways. Westbrook strikes at the very heart of Ellington's method -
of setting the solos to manuscript - of integrating the individual and
collective... the results here make for an almost seamless whole... a
majestic pagentry of solos... sections of powerhouse swing, contrasting with
later, haunting stretches of dissonant activity... in short, magnificent.
David Ilic - City Limits 1985

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Chris Biscoe Gigs
HARRY BECKETT BAND
with Steve Lodder – piano; John Edwards – bass;
Mark Saunders - drums
August 30th 2007, 8pm
Spice of Life
6 Moor St, London W1
tel 020 7739 3025
www.spicejazz.co.uk
Admission £8, concs £6

GRAND UNION ORCHESTRA
September 2nd 2007- 18.30-20.00
‘Jazz in the Park’
Festival Pontypool
Pontypool Park

An extremely versatile and accomplished reeds player, Chris Biscoe has performed, toured and recorded with George Russell, Andy Sheppard, Harry Beckett, Henry Lowther, Pete Jacobsen, Mike Westbrook, Grand Union, The Blowpipes, Hermeto Pascoal, Orchestre National de Jazz & the New York Composers Orchestra amongst others.

His website is: www.chrisbiscoe.co.uk

Monday, December 01, 2003

New York Times: Beiderbecke Re-imagined, With an Eclectic Approach

Bix Beiderbecke

Slithering through the cracks that separate musical genres has long been a way of life for Geoff Muldaur. Over the years his albums have blended gospel and bluegrass, country blues and modern jazz, Tin Pan Alley and R&B. But however eclectic his approach, those who prefer their music in neatly labeled boxes have tended to agree that he belongs in the one marked "folk singer." His new album should put an end to that idea.

Mr. Muldaur has, at least temporarily, forsaken Leadbelly and Dock Boggs for a very different kind of roots music: the recordings and compositions of the cornet player Bix Beiderbecke, a son of the Midwestern middle class who in the 1920's brought a new degree of delicacy and lyricism to jazz, and who achieved his highest profile as a member of Paul Whiteman's high-toned dance band.
FULL REPORT

Listen to “Bless You! Sister,” performed by Geoff Muldaur's Futuristic Ensemble, Loudon Wainwright III and the Harmony Girls

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About Me

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I am posting here chapters from my unpublished 1989 novel about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, set in modern times. The Roman soldiers carry sub-machine guns, the birth takes place in a car park shed, and Judas is a terrorist. At the moment, chapters are displayed in the order they are posted, but in due course, they will appear in the order they appear in the book.