Jazz notes (From York Press)

Jazz notes

11:17am Friday 17th February 2012 in Music news and reviews By Ron Burnett

PIANIST Frank Harrison is known primarily from the Gilad Atzmon Orient House Ensemble, but has run his own trio since 2006.

He brings the trio to Wakefield Jazz tonight, with Chris Hill (from Jamie Cullum’s band) and drummer Stephen Keogh, who is more usually with Brad Mehldau’s band (01977 680542).

There will be no music at Jazz In The Spa tomorrow night, due to the Boston Spa Real Ale Festival taking over the hall from noon until 7pm.

Sunday jazz in York begins with a lunchtime session at Kennedy’s Café Bar, Little Stonegate, with the Zezo Olimpio Trio at 1pm (01904 620222) and continues with the Ian Chalk Quartet at the Phoenix Inn, George Street. The Wednesday night jam session at the Phoenix always packs ’em in, so an early arrival is recommended. Check all Phoenix jazz on 01904 656401 and phoenixinn@live.co.uk

For young players of Grade 5 standard or higher, there will be Funk Workshops at Pickering Memorial Hall on tomorrow and Sunday from 11.30am to 3.30pm. Led by Three Jazz, the workshops are free, supported by Arts Council England, Ryedale District Council and piedpiper.org Contact Pied Piper to check for places.

York’s newest jazz joint is the Shoulder of Mutton Hotel, Heworth, which offers a programme of three bands alternating every Tuesday – Kete Peters Band, Martin Boyd Trio and Bejazzled. Next Tuesday is Bejazzled night. More info from 01904 424783 but the number does appear to be permanently engaged.

Scarborough Jazz runs every Wednesday at the Cask, Cambridge Terrace (01723 500570) and next week’s guest will be Frank Brooker on saxophone, clarinet and vocals.

The Old White Swan, Goodramgate, has been running live jazz every Thursday for more than 16 years, with Bejazzled and Mike Riley and the Mardi Gras Band alternating. Next Thursday will be Bejazzled night, with guitarist Mike Riley fronting alongside saxophonist/flautist Tim New. We are lucky that guitarist Mike retired after many years touring with the Syd Lawrence Orchestra. A particular mileage calculation did us the favour, when Mike clocked up 90,000 miles in one year and decided to stay in Leeds to play locally. We have no news as to whether the car was also retired.

REVIEW

Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra, Emergence (Spartacus Records)

The teenaged Tommy Smith studied at Berklee music college in the USA, funded by his local community in Wester Hales, Scotland, fees raised via car boot and jumble sales. Subsequently achieving world-class acclaim, aged 18 he joined the Gary Burton Quintet, he has paid back the debt in spades. In recent decades Smith has developed new career paths for young musicians with the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra (SNJO). Ten years ago he established this Youth Jazz Orchestra (TSYJO) and the big surprise here is the word Youth.

Listen blind and you will rate the band alongside many international big bands in its fluency and expertise, tackling such Ellington favourites as In A Mellow Tone and Mood Indigo and Strayhorn’s Take The A Train. The ruminative double bass of Andrew Robb introduces Miles Davis’ Joshua before the ensemble enters at an up-tempo with a fluent alto saxophone solo by Adam Jackson. Steely Dan’s Black Friday is given a stirringly dissonant brass voicing and a driving rock beat, which features an imaginative drum solo from John Lowrie.

On this evidence, it is no surprise that musicians from TSYJO have regularly progressed to the SNJO, which has earned the accolade of Europe’s leading large-scale jazz ensemble.