Sonny Rollins’ tribute is just one of many heartfelt dedications to the Scottish saxophonist Bobby Wellins collected by London Jazz News and published earlier today. Their depth of feeling and respect for this modest, witty and characterful player who died last… Read More ›
london jazz news
The website that flies the Women’s Day jazz flag
For a few years now London Jazz News has been a shining beacon on International Women’s Day. Today they shine even brighter: the LJN team and contributors have posted seven apposite features, and it’s not even noon. They include a Q &A… Read More ›
There’s a bit going on down South
You might have noticed but there is quite a lot of jazz in London at the moment. Something to do with the EFG London Jazz Festival, I’m guessing. Because there is also quite a lot going on in the West… Read More ›
Listen to an audio snapshot of Birmingham’s jazz scene
BBC Radio 3’s Jazz Line-Up is the show to listen to on Saturday (31 Oct) from 5pm. London Jazz News‘ editor Sebastian Scotney has been doing a few things for the radio programme and his latest involved a trip to… Read More ›
The Impossible Gentlemen’s tribute to John Taylor
There must have been countless jazz gigs over the last seven days which have included a tribute to the late, great and painfully-missed John Taylor. Here is a particularly lovely one, complete with a poem from Mike Walker: There is also… Read More ›
How clean is your musical house? Why not Monk it!
“With Monk you have to start all over again, almost every day, re-learning to place, re-place, and shift and re-shift each note like a physical object in space and time. That’s why trying to learn his tunes can feel like… Read More ›
When the thrill of being in the audience goes deeper
I was in the audience at The Vortex Jazz Club in Dalston, London, on Thursday evening – in fact it was a rare full nuclear family affair. So, there was the satisfaction of that, and there was the natural excitement… Read More ›
A night when all the right people get into Parliament
Yep, the jazz people. They’re the nominees for the PPL 2014 Parliamentary Jazz Awards, instigated by the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group, and the awards ceremony is on Tuesday 13 May in the Terrace Pavilion at the House of… Read More ›
Jim Hall 1930-2013 R.I.P.
Very sad to hear that the great guitarist Jim Hall has died. Hall had such a glorious natural style of playing. From Sonny Rollins’ The Bridge in 1962 right up to Hemispheres, his duo/quartet collaboration with Bill Frisell in 2008,… Read More ›
Stan Tracey 1926-2013 R.I.P.
This, just in from London Jazz News: Sad to report the death earlier today from cancer of Stan Tracey CBE. Clark Tracey posted this afternon: \”Stanley William Tracey passed away peacefully this afternoon. Finally the pain has gone and he… Read More ›
BBC Big Band cut – a black and white issue?
As I understand it the axing of Big Band Special, the BBC Big Band’s regular radio slot came to public attention via a few tweets picked up by London Jazz News and published here on 4 September, with subsequent updates,… Read More ›
Stolen saxophone story has a happy ending
The London Jazz News blog has been covering the story of Soweto Kinch’s stolen Selmer alto in exemplary fashion. It all ends in smiles here.
For those who weren’t at the Keith Jarrett solo concert
The sheer variety of mood, the things tried and moved on from, the influences summoned from thin air were what stay in the mind. The first improvisation of the second half seemed to start in Debussy territory, become more modal… Read More ›