INTRODUCING ‘THE YAMAHA NEW JAZZ SESSIONS 2011’ SHOWCASE ALBUM LAUNCH – LIVE @ 606
On Wednesday 7th December, London’s award-winning 606 Jazz Club will host a not to be missed showcase evening presented by Yamaha in association with Jazz FM, featuring the very best of the UK’s hottest new Jazz talent to celebrate the launch of ‘THE YAMAHA NEW JAZZ SESSIONS 2011’ CD, first introduced in 2008 and with over 50,000 copies distributed since the series began is now highly regarded as one of the most significant contemporary jazz albums of the year.
Produced by Andy Ross at Astar Studios, ‘The ‘Yamaha New Jazz Sessions 2011’ CD will be cover mounted on the Christmas and New Year double-issue of Jazzwise Magazine and featured on Sunday 4th December as part of a special two edition of JAZZ FM’s YAMAHA SUNDAY JAZZ JAM, presented by award winning Jazz broadcaster Helen Mayhew.
The CD provides a unique insight into the musicians who will take UK Jazz forward in the future and is the result of Yamaha's unique partnership with Jazzwise magazine, the All-Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group, Duet Finance, Jazz FM and 606 Club, as part of a highly acclaimed scholarship programme now in its fifth year, offering financial support with performance and recording opportunities to a new generation of young jazz musicians.
Former Yamaha Jazz Scholars include Kit Downes and Calum Gourlay, members of the Kit Downes Trio, whose album ‘Golden’ recorded by ‘Yamaha New Jazz Sessions’ producer Andy Ross was shortlisted for the 2010 Mercury Prize.
‘THE YAMAHA NEW JAZZ SESSIONS 2011’ CD features six outstanding Jazz musicians nominated by the Heads of Jazz at six of the UK’s leading conservatoires, PLUS special guest tracks from renowned Yamaha Jazz artists GWILYM SIMCOCK AND ANDERS ÅSTRAND PLUS ARUN GHOSH.
The six featured Yamaha Jazz Scholars who will each perform a live 20 minute set at the 606 launch on Wednesday 7th December are: NICK COSTLEY-WHITE (Guitar), CHRIS ELDRED (Piano), CHRIS HYSON (Double Bass), JONATHAN SILK (Drums), RILEY STONE-LONERGAN (Tenor Sax) and JOSH ARCOLEO (Tenor Sax). (full details below)
Normal club entry rules will apply on the night with doors @ 7.30pm. Tickets and dinner reservations can be booked in advance directly through the 606 Club on 020 7352 5953. www.606club.co.uk
Michael Connarty MP, Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group stated, “Yamaha added another dimension to the Parliamentary Jazz Groups' efforts to promote jazz, with their wonderful Yamaha Jazz Scholarships, developing our events from appreciation and enjoyment of jazz to encouraging jazz education. I hope this showcase CD of the young talents we enjoy at our 'live' Yamaha jazz scholarship concerts in Parliament will open peoples' ears to the high quality of jazz music being created in the UK. Yamaha gets my Vote - of Thanks."
Yamaha's Managing Director Mike Ketley commented, "The Yamaha New Jazz Sessions’ cd and live launch at the 606 have added showcase and professional development opportunities to these innovative scholarships that have further extended our relationship with Jazzwise, the All-Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group, Jazz FM and 606 Club. This recording opportunity demonstrates our commitment to promote the playing of jazz music and complements our many other music education and student support initiatives."
THE YAMAHA NEW JAZZ SESSIONS CD 2011 (Track listing and Artist info)
1/ Josh Arcoleo
‘Yeah...Dean Road' (Arcoleo, Josh)
Josh Arcoleo (ts) Tom McCredie (db) Dave Hamblett (d)
Josh Arcoleo took up the saxophone at the age of 13, with the legendary Pee Wee Ellis as his mentor. He gained a place on the renowned Royal Academy of Music jazz course in 2007 and continued to tour Europe with Pee Wee's 'Assembly' and 'Still Black, Still Proud' bands. Josh has played at venues and festivals across Europe including Blue Note Milan, Copenhagen, the Pori and Glastonbury festivals, the Barbican and Royal Festival Hall. Musicians he has worked with include Jason Rebello, Tony Remy, Linley Marthe and Fred Wesley. In addition to performing with his own trio, he is a member of the Kit Downes Sextet. In December 2010 he was named as 'One to Watch in 2011' by Helen Mayhew, Jazzwise Magazine and he has just become the first recipient of the Royal Academy's 'Kenny Wheeler Prize'.
2/ Chris Eldred
‘Leonard's Lullaby’ (Eldred, Chris)
Chris Eldred (p) Laurence Garratt (eb) Dave Elliott (d) Max Johnson (as)
A graduate of Trinity College of Music, Chris Eldred began learning the piano aged 6 and an interest in Oscar Peterson and Herbie Hancock sparked his pursuit of jazz. Studying with Simon Purcell, Pete Churchill, Liam Noble, Jean Toussaint, Dave Wickins and Kirk Lightsey, Chris was the co-winner of the 2011 Gladys Puttick Prize for Improvisation and performs regularly with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra's small group counterpart, the NYJO Nonet, featuring past and present members of NYJO. Chris has been involved with projects with Django Bates, Mark Lockheart, the late John Dankworth and others, and has performed at venues including Ronnie Scott’s, the 606, the Albert Hall, the Bull’s Head, and Oliver’s jazz club. He has also performed with leading London jazz players such as Jean Toussaint (Art Blakey) and Malcolm Earle-Smith.
www.myspace.com/musicchriseldred
3/ Gwilym Simcock
‘These Are The Good Days’ (Simcock, Gwilym) © InAllSeriousness/Big Life
Gwilym Simcock
From the album ACT 9501-2 Good Days at Shloß Elmau – Gwilym Simcock.
℗ 2011 ACT Music+Vision GmbH+CO KG
The multi-award winning and 2011 Mercury Prize nominated pianist and composer, Gwilym Simcock is one of the most gifted pianists and imaginative composers on the British scene. Able to move effortlessly between jazz and classical music, he can, at times, inhabit both worlds and has been described as stylistically reminiscent of Keith Jarrett, complete with ‘harmonic sophistication and subtle dovetailing of musical traditions’ as well as being a pianist of ‘exceptional’, ‘brilliant’ and ‘dazzling’ ability. His music has been widely acclaimed as ‘engaging, exciting, often unexpected, melodically enthralling, complex and wonderfully optimistic’. Although principally a jazz artist, Gwilym is breaking new ground between genres and often uses classical reference points in his composed work. A long time Yamaha piano artist, Gwilym regularly conducts workshops and events on behalf of the company and featured on the inaugural 2008 Yamaha New Jazz Sessions CD.
4/ Jonathan Silk
‘Whirl’ (Silk, Jonathan)
Jonathan Silk (d) John Fleming (ts) Nick Rundle (ts) Nick Jurd (db)
Jonathan Silk is a Scottish drummer, composer and band leader who started playing drums aged 12 and recently completed his degree at Birmingham Conservatoire, studying with Jeff Williams, Tony Levin, Andrew Bain and visiting artist Dave Holland. A member of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra of Scotland and smaller nonet, the NYJOS Collective, Jonathan has worked with Jacqui Dankworth, Mark Lockheart, Malcolm Edmonstone, Duncan Lamont and Andrew Bain and has performed at prestigious venues such as Perth Concert Hall, Glasgow Concert Hall and The Sage, Gateshead. He has also participated in master classes under the direction of Jazz legends George Garzone, Dave Liebman, Eddie Henderson, Mike Gibbs, Cuong Vu and Fly Trio. Jonathan now resides in Birmingham where he has not only become a much in-demand player in the region, but also leads his own groups, the Jonathan Silk Quartet and the Jonathan Silk Big Band which comprises some of Birmingham's finest young players.
5/ Chris Hyson
‘Rainbow' (Hyson, Chris)
Chris Hyson (db) Sam Leak (p)
Chris Hyson took up the double bass around 5 years ago and recently graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. He has studied with Nick Weldon, Dudley Phillips, Paula Gardiner and Mick Hutton and in September 2011, he began his Masters in jazz at the Royal Academy of Music. Chris is a member of the band 'Little Fish' which has played in festivals around the UK and at the Rochester Jazz Festival in New York State. He has also performed with leading British musicians such as Geoff Simkins, Martin Speake, Dave Cliff, Jeff Williams, Dave Wickens and Mike Outram.
6/ Arun Ghosh
'Caliban's Revenge' (Ghosh, Arun) taken from the album 'Primal Odyssey' produced by Arun Ghosh/Tony Platt ℗ camoci records CAMOCI002.
Arun Ghosh (c) Idris Rahman (ts) Shabaka Hutchings (bc) Liran Donin (db) Pat Illingworth (d)
Arun Ghosh is a British-Asian clarinettist, composer and music educator. Conceived in Calcutta, bred in Bolton, matured in Manchester and now living in London, Arun Ghosh’s musical vocabulary and vision reflects his rich geographical heritage. Ghosh released his critically acclaimed debut album Northern Namaste in 2008, and his second album, Primal Odyssey in Autumn 2011, both on camoci records. In 2008, Ghosh was selected for Edition IV of the Jerwood/PRS Foundation 'Take Five' initiative for emerging jazz musicians and in 2009, he was invited to perform at the jazzahead! Festival in Bremen, Germany as part of the UK showcase presented by Jazz Services. In 2010, he was made an Associate Artist at The Albany Theatre, London and in April 2011, an Artist-in-Residence for the Southbank’s Alchemy Festival.
7/ Nick Costley-White
‘Spårvagn’ (Costley-White, Nick)
Nick Costley-White (g) Calum Gourlay (db) William Rixon (t) Daoud Merchant (d)
Passionate about music from an early age, Nick Costley-White started out as a cellist and chorister at the Temple church and it was not until his teens that his interest was drawn to the guitar. Nick’s first big influence on the instrument was Jimi Hendrix, whose progressive and spontaneous approach to music inspired an interest in Jazz and improvisation. Studying at both the Centre for Young Musicians and Junior Guildhall led to Nick being offered a place on the Guildhall jazz degree course where his tutors included John Parricelli, Phil Robson and Bob Brightmore. A talented composer and arranger, Nick leads his own quartet and has played in some of London’s best venues including the Vortex, the Barbican, LSO St. Luke’s and Pizza Express Jazz Club.
8/ Riley Stone-Lonergan
‘Pedalo' (Stone-Lonergan, Riley)
Riley Stone-Lonergan (ts) Kim Macari (t) Maxwell Sterling (db) Stephen Hanley (d)
Saxophonist and composer, Riley Stone-Lonergan was born in London and grew up in Co. Galway. He began playing classical music on clarinet and piano at a young age but realised his vocation when he picked up the tenor saxophone at the age of fifteen and discovered Jazz. Within a few years he was gigging professionally as the lead tenor and star soloist in the local big band, Black Magic. In 2009, Riley left Ireland and came to England to study jazz at Leeds College of Music where he became a mainstay of both the Big Band and LCM Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, attending workshops and performing with respected musicians such as Kenny Wheeler, Dave Liebman, George Garzone, Jerry Bergonzi, Mike Gibbs and Ian Shaw. Riley was the tenor player of choice for the 2010 UK ‘All Stars’ Conservatoires’ Jazz Orchestra led by Tommy Smith and plays regularly as a sideman in many different bands including the Kim Macari Quintet, and the Nick Browne Sextet.
www.myspace.com/rileystonelergan
9/ Anders Åstrand
‘Cancion Para D’ (Åstrand, Anders)
Anders Åstrand (v, x, m) Mikael Berglund (eb) Evaristo Aguilar (d)
Mallet artist, clinician and composer Anders Åstrand regularly tours and gives clinics worldwide with his percussion ensemble, Global Percussion Network. Åstrand who focuses on melodic and rhythmical improvisation has been commissioned to compose for brass quintets, saxophone quartet, choirs, and big band. His spectacular compositions have included works for fighter aircraft, tractors, and an entire building - all used as instruments and he has also composed music for multimedia performances including dance, video projections, ice instruments and fire sculptures. Anders Åstrand collaborates with Swedish as well as international musicians. A sought after percussion clinician, he has performed several times at PASIC (Percussive Arts Society International Convention).
10/ Mathis Picard
‘Bird Free' (Picard, Mathis)
Mathis Picard (p)
The recipient of the prestigious Yamaha Piano Scholarship at Chetham’s School of Music, 16 year old Mathis Picard is a French born musician who is already a much talked about young pianist and widely regarded as the most talented prospect to come out of Chethams since Gwilym Simcock. Mathis started piano at the Suzuki Piano School in Pittsburgh, America, where his classical training soon led him to discover jazz with Didier Lockwood in a conservatoire near Paris. At ages 10 and 13 he reached the semi finals of the Montreux Jazz Piano Competition and was also a finalist in the Nottingham International Jazz Piano Competition in 2010. Mathis who is sponsored by the Phil Collins organisation, 'Little Dreams Foundation' received the 'Outstanding Musicianship Award' from Berklee College of Music in both 2007 and 2008 and in 2009 he was asked to support Jamie Cullum at the Orleans Jazz Festival in France with his own band. He is currently working on auditions for British and American conservatoires
ENDS
Contact Peter Ross DJPR 0161 796 6636 / 07970 191668
Join us on Facebook at:
facebook.com/YamahaOrchestralInstruments