Robert Mitchell 3io

Album Première

Brecon Jazz 2011 opens with the première of Robert Mitchell 3io’s second album due for release this September. Robert Mitchell 3io have marked out a singular territory and sound in the trio format, honing their mix of influences of song, odd metre, freeform jazz, broken beat, hip-hop and folk with both older and more modern jazz. The new album promises all the beauty, virtuosity and distinction that marked 3io's debut album The Greater Good, which won the Gilles Peterson Worldwide Award for Best Jazz Album 2009. 

Blues Sans Frontières

Same Crossroads – Different Destinations

Blues Sans Frontières is a collaboration between guitarist/vocalist Robert Hokum, drummer/percussionist Sam Kelly and sitarist Mehoob Nadeem, exploring alternative approaches to the blues. They see it as not so much a ‘fusion’ as a musical ‘what if’. The combination of sitar set against traditional blues grooves is so natural and serves to reinforce why the blues has such an appeal to people from so many different cultures. Top percussionist Paul Clarvis on tablas joins them for this performance. 

The Outlaw Collective

Brecon Exclusive

Brecon Jazz is pleased to present the European debut performance of The Outlaw Collective. Founded in September 2007 at the Berklee College of Music, now based in New York City, The Outlaw Collective comprises five of the school’s finest young graduate musicians. Drummer and group leader Cameron Outlaw, a native of Northern Virginia, has studied and performed with Kendrick Scott, Greg Osby, Ralph Peterson, George Garzone, Mark Turner, Terri Lyne Carrington and Gary Grainger. The Outlaw Collective represent a new generation of jazz musicians, raised on a mix of musical genres, all naturally blended by jazz into their music. 

Clare Teal

Hey Ho

Clare Teal makes a welcome return to Brecon with her tenth album, a celebration of The Great British Songbook spanning a period of almost 120 years, entitled Hey Ho. Although rooted in the jazz traditions of the 1930s and 40s, it covers a huge spectrum of sounds and genres, but focuses simply on highlighting the beauty of well-written songs using honest, open soundscapes and textures. Hey Ho is reflective and mature, yet confident and self-assured and shows a new depth to Clare’s work. 

Pascal Schumacher Quartet

Pascal Schumacher is one of the most respected vibraphonists on the modern jazz circuit. Highly sought-after as a recording artist and live performer, the music of the Pascal Schumacher Quartet does not stick to the conventional structural form of jazz. With their clear melodic motifs, rich in imagination and expression, filled with altering emotions, going from soothing to violent, always with passion, the Quartet are quickly conquering the international jazz scene. 

Sponsored by Bureau Export

Matthew Herbert Big Band

There’s Me And There’s You

Having been conceived almost by accident as a result of a film score he was writing, the Matthew Herbert Big Band now has two acclaimed albums and a string of prestigious international performances under its belt. From the Sydney Opera House and Montreaux Jazz Festival to London’s Royal Festival and Barbican Halls, Herbert’s band has thrilled audiences across the globe with its theatrical and visually stunning shows. 

John Surman

The Spaces In Between

One of Europe’s most adventurous and inventive musicians. John Surman’s The Spaces In Between is a continuation of the ensemble and the works created for the highly acclaimed ECM album Coruscating and represents the way in which the music has developed since its debut recording. Full of signature uplifting melodies, it’s centred on the title track, which is a piece for solo violin especially written for, and performed by, the leader of the string quartet, Rita Manning. 

Stéphane Kerecki Trio

Nominated for the Victoire de la musique Jazz 2009 in France, this French trio explores every sonic combination offered by saxophonist Matthieu Donarier and his rhythm section. The result is gorgeously uplifting, fusing modern jazz with African dance. 

Sponsored by Bureau Export and supported by Spedidam, Adami and Institut Français

The Core

The Core is, quite simply, one of Norway’s most energetic jazz bands. Their music is rooted in acoustic post-bop jazz from the 1960s, influenced by the music of Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shepp, Albert Ayler and John Coltrane, and combined with more contemporary grooves rooted in funk and rock. Their live performances showcase the band’s energy, stamina and grit, which have rightly earned them rave reviews from the international media. Not to be missed. 

Alice Russell

What can you say about Alice Russell, other than: if you have never seen this gal live, then now is your chance and you will not be disappointed. Blessed with a lavishly soulful voice, she has been compared to some of the past soul greats. Her live performances are truly unique, capable of captivating an audience and tugging at individual heartstrings. Her smoldering blues-inflected lament is constantly evolving in her new solo material, which encompasses a soulful explosion of everything from funk, gospel and jazz to northern soul and beyond.

Fringe Magnetic

Left-field trumpeter Rory Simmons leads his tricksy, brilliant, ten-piece Fringe Magnetic, featuring musicians from the innovative LOOP collective, as well as those from classical and folk traditions. Bringing together gritty, rhythmic counterpoint of chamber, orchestral palettes and shapes, with the vibrant energy of cutting-edge jazz and improvised music, all fused with the mesmerizing vocals of Norwegian vocalist Elisabeth Nygaard. Their sound exhibits influences of Django Bates and the NY down-town scene in the process, but the results are all their own. We think you’ll agree Fringe Magnetic’s line-up speaks for itself.

Rock Riffs Guitar Workshop

Music Workshop

Find out how to wield your axe like the best stadium-fillers.

Sponsored by Cool Fossil Music, Roland and Roland Systems Group

Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama & Paula Gardiner Trio

Double Bill

Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama (duration 45 mins)

Partikel

Since releasing their debut album in 2010, Partikel have established themselves as a fresh new voice on the British contemporary jazz scene. Fusing together lyrical melodies, creative improvisations, North and West African and Latin American rhythms, the trio has been captivating audiences up and down the UK with their high energy and fiercely interactive music. 

Milestones: Tribute to Miles Davis

An exciting show celebrating the music of Miles Davis, including a reprise of the landmark Kind of Blue album. The performance pays due respect to the original while allowing the musicians to express themselves. 

The Gentle Good

Something of a folk genius, Cardiff-based Gareth Bonello has a penchant for reworking traditional songs as well as writing new ones. Bonello has a gentle yet confident finger-picking guitar style influenced by the likes of Nick Drake and Bert Jansch, and he also plays cello, piano, mandolin and banjo. His songwriting is laced with traditional Welsh melodies and words. His albums Tethered for the Storm and While You Slept I Went Out Walking have seen comparisons with the music of Martin Carthy, John Renbourn, John Martyn and Donovan.

Bass and ‘Boss’

Music Workshop

How to use effects, flanging the fretless and tuning trickery with guest bassist Pedro Kirk.

Sponsored by Cool Fossil Music, Roland and Roland Systems Group

Sax Appeal

Celebrating thirty years as leader of Sax Appeal, composer/arranger Derek Nash (star saxophonist with the Jools Holland Rhythm & Blues Orchestra) has always showcased the very finest UK sax players and the current band is no exception. Adding a smart funky rhythm section and a clutch of winning arrangements, this eight-piece jazz ensemble mix driving swing, haunting ballads and danceable Latin/funk to create a unique sound that has won several British Jazz Awards.

Courtney Pine & Zoe Rahman

Double Bill

Zoe Rahman

Rocking Chair

Rocking Chair occupy the free range between jazz and rock. Every band member contributes zealously to the creative process, combining the lyricism of Radiohead with the creative energy of Jim Black’s Alas No Axis. They’re one of the most exciting bands on the contemporary French scene, and their sound – enormous! 

Sponsored by Bureau Export and supported by Spedidam, Adami and Institut Français