Jazz notes (From York Press)

Jazz notes

12:40pm Friday 10th September 2010 in

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BIG congratulations to the organisers of last Sunday’s Peace Festival in Rowntree Park. The sun added a continental feel and the planning was impeccable, with many of York’s talented musicians showcased over the day.

Over on the east coast, the Scarborough Jazz Festival (September 24 to 26) has sold out of weekend tickets, with a few remaining for the separate sessions. The organisers have ensured that some of the UK’s finest female instrumentalists will be appearing, although women jazz performers are very much in the minority. A report by Jazz Services in 2006 showed that only as jazz vocalists were women in a majority. At Scarborough this year, women are among the weekend’s leading lights.

Tomorrow afternoon, the brilliant pianist and composer Andrea Vicari leads a group of outstanding European musicians, ExTempore.

Saxophonist Karen Sharp leads a quartet that includes leading pianist Nikki Iles and Alison Burns will be singing with the reformed Martin Taylor’s Spirit of Django.

Another female saxophonist kicks off Sunday afternoon with her quartet. Alison Neale’s phrasing and tone evoke memories of Paul Desmond, but she has her own individual style. Later that afternoon vocalist Anita Wardell leads a top-line quartet. “Anita is just about my favourite singer,” said festival director Mike Gordon.

In the Sun Court during Sunday afternoon, the Nicki Allen Gospel Singers will give a free performance. The Eastern Area Schools Youth Jazz Orchestra’s workshop on Saturday morning and their afternoon concert, both in the Sun Court, has many accomplished young women instrumentalists. The term stride piano is often applied to Fats Waller’s infectious piano style, but Fats’ teacher was a real master of Stride, James P Johnson. American pianist Jeff Barnhart follows the James P line and he has cornered the contemporary stride market.

A great favourite at Jazz In The Spa, Boston Spa, Jeff will be appearing tomorrow night (01937 842544) with Peter Frank’s Dixieland All Stars, featuring York’s own Martin Boyd on clarinet and saxophone.

Sunday jazz in York offers two of the most enjoyable gigs of the week, starting with the Zezo Olimpio Trio at Kennedys cafe Bar, Little Stonegate, at about 1pm (01904 620222).

At 8.30pm, the Ian Chalk Quartet swings into the Phoenix Inn, George Street, York, a Sunday night favourite rivalled by the regular Wednesday night jam session with James Lancaster and Chris Moore. Details from 01904 656401.

Jazz at the Old White Swan, Goodramgate, alternates between the Mardi Gras Band and Bejazzled with Mike Riley, with Mardi Gras night falling next week (01904 540911).

Back in May, pianist Robert Mitchell was at York’s National Centre for Early Music with Cuban violinist Omar Puente’s band.

The new album from his own band, Panacea, The Cusp (Edition Records) presents a more complex offering for those who remember his spirited work with Omar. In pursuit of his own musical muse, Mitchell embarks on a gloves-off, serious journey, part classical, part folk, occasionally jazz.

In addition to Mitchell’s piano and keys, Panacea has Deborah Jordan (vocals), bass, percussion, violin, cello and one of Britain’s finest drummers, Shaney Forbes. HKB Finn adds spoken words on various tracks.

From the first track, Essence, violin and cello paint a picture of serious intent , an impression deepened by a recurring minor key theme. Track two, Aura, has a repetitive string figure which evokes Steve Reich’s Different Trains.

The polyrhythmic percussion, angular melody and staccato vocal/instrumental counterpoint make the lyrics difficult to follow. Track four, Fortunately So, shares the problem, the oblique melody of piano and voice merging.

The tracks featuring only voice and piano are easier to follow, but the album is very BBC Radio 3 and requires a great deal of dedication.