Jazz notes (From York Press)

Jazz notes

11:16am Friday 9th March 2007

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DRAW lots for a designated driver and smash the piggy bank for a busy week ahead across the region.

Pianist Tom Cawley has supported singers Trudy Kerr and Gwyneth Herbert, played with Dave O'Higgins and Geoff Gascoyne and was last seen at Fibbers in York with the punkjazzers Acoustic Ladyland.

Widening his experience, he served with the BBC Big Band. His new CD, Hidden, by Tom Cawley's Curios (Jazzizit Records) has been lavished with praise from mainstream journals and specialist jazz publications alike.

Curios is a piano trio of the noughties, taking America's The Bad Plus and Scandinavia's EST as its starting points. Like these, the trio is truly democratic, Cawley giving Sam Burgess (bass) and Joshua Blackmore (drums) plenty of room to manoeuvre melodically as well as rhythmically.

Curios is far from being free jazz.

Instead, it is tightly-structured and requires great understanding between the musicians. The Chosen One demonstrates this. A slow, elegiac piano line moves into a softly loping tempo, then an urgent run, before returning to its original tempo to close.

Very Loved is a reverent melody reminiscent of MJQ's Django, while Longing has the stately progress of a spiritual. Not exactly tunes you can whistle, but totally compelling. Sounds intriguing?

You have two opportunities to hear for yourself.

Tonight, Curios plays Wakefield Jazz (01977 680542) and tomorrow night The Shed, at Hovingham village hall (01653 668494).

Live jazz at the Jacobean Lodge, Plainville Lane, Wigginton, tonight continues to feature a moveable feast of York's finest pianists (01904 762749).

Clarinettist/saxophonist Mark Crooks was taught at Tadcaster Grammar School by York's Martin Boyd. Mark then took his degree in musical performance from the Royal Scottish Academy, before moving to London for post-graduate studies at the Guildhall. On the way, he also won Young Jazz Player Of The Year award and was featured clarinet soloist on a recent gala tribute to Artie Shaw at Dublin's National Concert Hall.

Much in demand, Mark returns to his home patch tomorrow night with his own hot, swinging quintet at Howden Live (01430 431535).

Also tomorrow night, there is trad with the Dave Donohoe Jazz band at Jazz In The Spa (01937 842544). The good news is Frank Brooker on reeds and the venue is the Trustees Hall, High Street, Boston Spa.

There is more trad at the Ryedale Jazz Club, The White Horse, Kirkbymoorside, on Wednesday (01723 859495).

Bringing a hectic celebrity weekend to a close, Hull J-Night will present Snake Davis with vocalist Helen Watson on Sunday night.

Crossing jazz, blues and soul, this Burden of Paradise package starts at 7.30pm at Hull Truck Theatre (01482 323638).

Scarborough Jazz welcomes saxophone virtuoso Stuart MacDonald to Scholars Bar on Tuesday. Stuart plays soprano, tenor and baritone sax and his preferred mode is swinging bop and lyrical jazz standards; details from 01723 379818.

Also on Tuesday, Karl Mullen and Nina Zagorski alternate each week at the Last Drop Inn, Colliergate, York (01904 621951).

Wednesday night in York is celebrated jam session night at the Black Swan, Peasholme Green.

Also on Wednesday, York favourite Rob Lavers takes his quartet to Hulljazz. Matching Rob's saxophone virtuosity is Terry Collie (piano), John Perry (drums) and Zoltan Dekeney (double bass). Details from 01482 346239.

Early warning: York's National Centre For Early Music's jazz weekend runs from Friday May 4 to Sunday May 6. Featured artists will be Perfect Houseplants (May4), the Snake Davis Band (May 5, selling fast) and pianist John Taylor (May 6). Snake will be running the popular late learners' workshop and there is a season ticket available for the whole weekend. This bargain offer includes free interval drinks and a discount voucher for Melton's Too restaurant. Phone now on 01904 658338.

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