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Creative ‘Cakewalk’ Sequencing
Music Workshop
Event 56 • • Venue: School Room, Christ College
Get to grips with drum loops, editing and using software instruments.
Roland & Cool Fossil Music: Music workshops for teens, by teens
These workshops are hands-on sessions for 11 to 17-year-olds, where everybody can have a go.
The RSG systems and Roland equipment will be available to all for hands-on demonstrations between workshops, time permitting.
This event has taken place
Sponsored by Cool Fossil Music, Roland and Roland Systems Group
Emily Wright Project
Event 34 • • Venue: Pembertons Stage, Christ College
A fast-rising star on the jazz scene, vocalist Emily Wright studied jazz performance at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama with Paula Gardiner, Nia Lynn, Huw Warren and Keith Tippett, and has since performed at the Glastonbury Festival Jazz Lounge, London's Spice of Life and the City Pipe, the Bebop Club, Colston Hall and Wales Millennium Centre. She leads Moonlight Saving Time, playing arrangements of standards as well as contemporary compositions, featuring Nick Malcolm (trumpet) and Jon Hyde (guitar).
'The results were richly intelligent and original…offering courageously uncompromising jazz that delighted the capacity audience throughout.' Tony Benjamin, Venue Magazine
Emily Wright vocals
Nick Malcolm trumpet
Jon Hyde guitar
Will Harris double bass
Mark Whitlam drums
Duration 60 mins.
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World Service Project
Event 35 • • Venue: Christ College Stage
Recent winners of the Peter Whittingham Jazz Award 2010, WSP have quickly laid down impressive live credentials at a variety of top venues and festivals across the UK. Described as ‘infectiously enthusiastic music’ (Chris Parker), the group’s sound is drawn from a wealth of experience in jazz, funk, free-improvisation, punk and contemporary classical music that centres around the compositional eccentricity of Dave Morecroft. Combining lyricism with a burning intensity, unruly progressions and flowing melodic phrases, WSP create edgy and experimental music with a smile on its face.
‘WSP blend tricksy modern themes with biting funk, high energy and virtuosic soloing on top.’ Time Out, London
Dave Morecroft piano/keyboards
Tim Ower saxophones
Raphael Clarkson trombone
Conor Chaplin bass
Neil Blandford drums
Duration 75 mins.
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Aquarium
Event 36 • • Venue: Roland Stage, Christ College
The self-titled debut release from London jazz ensemble Aquarium, led by pianist and composer Sam Leak, has been described in Jazzwise Magazine as ‘a mature and often sumptuous statement of intent’, and by internationally-renowned pianist John Taylor as featuring ‘a set of absorbing compositions from Sam Leak. Excellent playing and interaction in the band – with intelligent use of space, colour and dynamics. A fine achievement.’
‘This is another great young talent who looks more than capable of helping to keep the Brit Jazz flag proudly flying well into 2011 and beyond.’ Thomas Gray, London Jazz Blog
Duration 75 mins.
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Keith Waithe’s Macusi Players
Event 37 • • Venue: Market Hall
Essequibo Music Artists come from a wide range of backgrounds, combining the influence of multicultural Britain with the Caribbean, Ghana, South America and Asia. Band leader Keith Waithe brings a collage of soulful jazz and Caribbean folk pieces infused with Waithe’s uplifting flute melodies along with Helen McDonald’s stunning vocals to Brecon.
‘Simply one of the most exciting improvising musicians this country has.’ Kevin Le Gendre
Duration 75 mins.
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Creative ‘Cakewalk’ Audio Recording
Music Workshop
Event 57 • • Venue: School Room, Christ College
Sound like the stars; how to make the most of your vocal and instrumental skills. Learn how to turn your bedroom into a studio. Whether your thing is vocals or instrumental, put down a track in this hands-on session.
Roland & Cool Fossil Music: Music workshops for teens, by teens
These workshops are hands-on sessions for 11 to 17-year-olds, where everybody can have a go.
The RSG systems and Roland equipment will be available to all for hands-on demonstrations between workshops, time permitting.
This event has taken place
Sponsored by Cool Fossil Music, Roland and Roland Systems Group
The Sam Crowe Group
Event 38 • • Venue: Christ College Stage
Formed in 2008, The Sam Crowe Group is widely recognized as an exciting new arrival on the UK jazz scene. Crowe’s compositions reflect his range of influences as a composer and improvisor, from Debussy to Keith Jarrett and Kurt Rosenwinkel, through to his Bristol roots with Roni Size and Massive Attack. His music is a combo of some of the most distinctive individual voices on the UK creative music scene, who have also received recent praise from the press as being among the most cutting edge and fresh sounding new talent in this country.
‘An extremely impressive debut by the young pianist-composer…As promising a start to a solo career as you’ll see all year.’ Jazzwise Magazine
Sam Crowe piano
Jasper Høiby bass
Dave Smith drums
Will Davies guitar
Adam Waldmann saxophones
Duration 60 mins.
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Meadow
Event 39 • • Venue: Brecon Cathedral
Meadow comprises three of Europe’s finest and most sensitive players, the UK’s John Taylor on piano and Norwegians Thomas Stronen on drums and Tore Brunborg on saxes. Their recent release Blissful Ignorance is an impressive album; released on the Welsh label Edition, it has received much critical acclaim, confidently predicting the album as a modern classic. Minimalist and hypnotic, their music has the wisdom, honesty and vigour that is born only of experience. Blissful Ignorance – these guys have it sussed!
‘This remarkable trio has produced one of 2011’s likely jazz triumphs.’ John Fordham, The Guardian
Tore Brunborg tenor & soprano saxes
Thomas Stronen drums
John Taylor piano
Duration 75 mins.
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Tommaso Starace
Event 40 • • Venue: Pembertons Stage, Christ College
Following a sold-out performance at the Blue Note, Milano alto saxophonist Tommaso Starace visits Brecon Jazz with an exciting new line-up, promoting his latest album Tommaso Starace Quartet – Blood & Champagne. Inspired by musicians such as Maurice Ravel and Cannonball Adderley to Ennio Morricone, Joshua Redman and Stevie Wonder, Starace is always exploring and pushing the boundaries of his own writing, trying to create different moods by combining traditional and more contemporary harmony and focusing on a strong use of melody and groove with the additional use of odd time signatures.
‘A distinctive new artist.’ John Fordham, Jazz UK
Tommaso Starace alto and soprano saxes
Frank Harrison piano
Laurence Cottle electric bass
Chris Nickolls drums
Duration 75 mins.
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Electric Drumming and Percussion Workshop
Music Workshop
Event 58 • • Venue: School Room, Christ College
Join this session and start your journey to become a world-class drum-hero. Discover the power of percussion with HandSonic.
Roland & Cool Fossil Music: Music workshops for teens, by teens
These workshops are hands-on sessions for 11 to 17-year-olds, where everybody can have a go.
The RSG systems and Roland equipment will be available to all for hands-on demonstrations between workshops, time permitting.
This event has taken place
Sponsored by Cool Fossil Music, Roland and Roland Systems Group
Nostalgia 77 featuring Josa Peit
Event 42 • • Venue: Roland Stage, Christ College
Nostalgia 77, aka Ben Lamdin, first burst onto the scene with his heavy, new funk-based sound in 2002. Lamdin’s gifted writing talent and dedication to his music contributed towards him winning Jazz Album of the Year at the Gilles Peterson BBC Worldwide Awards in 2006.
Signed to Tru Thoughts and performing their long-awaited fourth studio album The Sleepwalking Society with German singer Josa Peit taking centre stage, they provide heartfelt vocals alongside a rich fusion of jazz, blues and folk.
‘Absolutely perfect music from Nostalgia 77. This new one’s great.’ Jamie Cullum, BBC Radio 2
Ben Lamdin guitar
Ross Stanley piano
James Allsopp reeds
Fulvio Sigurta trumpet
Tim Giles drums
Riaan Vosloo bass
Josa Peit voice
Duration 75 mins.
This event has taken place
Led Bib
Event 43 • • Venue: Christ College Stage
One of the original torch-bearers for the revitalized young British jazz scene, Led Bib released their fifth album in February this year. Nominated for the 2009 Barclaycard Mercury Prize and described as a modern classic by the press (‘a hands-down triumph’, The Independent), this five-piece pride themselves on side-stepping convention with incendiary results, tearing apart the jazz world with their avant-jazz-euphoric-rock explosions of improvisation.
‘A mix of darting Zappa-jazz hooks, sinister electronics, Ornette Colemanesque sax and hefty rock drumming...if Bring Your Own was intended to summarise where this energetic group has been and might still go, it succeeds admirably.’ The Guardian
Mark Holub drums
Liran Donin bass
Toby McLaren keyboards
Chris Williams saxophone
Pete Grogan saxophone
Duration 75 mins.
This event has taken place
Rock Riffs Guitar Workshop
Music Workshop
Event 59 • • Venue: School Room, Christ College
Find out how to wield your axe like the best stadium-fillers.
Roland & Cool Fossil Music: Music workshops for teens, by teens
These workshops are hands-on sessions for 11 to 17-year-olds, where everybody can have a go.
The RSG systems and Roland equipment will be available to all for hands-on demonstrations between workshops, time permitting.
This event has taken place
Sponsored by Cool Fossil Music, Roland and Roland Systems Group
The BBC Big Band Special featuring Maceo Parker
Event 44 • • Venue: The Big Tent, Christ College
Maceo Parker is a funk/jazz titan. His name is synonymous with funk music, his pedigree impeccable. His body of work is as important to the genre as those belonging to James Brown, George Clinton and Bootsy Collins, all of whom have collaborated with Parker. Quite simply, there is no better living showman than Maceo, and he’s regarded as one of the all-time great saxophonists. Maceo’s last album, the critically acclaimed Roots and Grooves, is a Big Band outing, paying tribute to Ray Charles and showcasing Maceo’s own music Big Band style. In an exclusive collaboration with The BBC Big Band, bringing this music to a one-off show at Brecon Jazz, you can expect a funky good time!
Duration 90 mins.
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Matthew Halsall Gondwana Orchestra
Event 45 • • Venue: Brecon Cathedral
Matthew’s latest album On The Go (Gondwana Records) demonstrates his love affair with jazz of the late ’50s and early ’60s, drawing on the evocative sounds of Miles Davis’ legendary soundtrack to the Louis Malle film Lift To The Scaffold and the soulful hard bop recordings of Art Blakey and Max Roach. But while imbued with a sense of history, the young trumpeter and DJ’s music nevertheless brings a contemporary bounce to his repertoire.
Here, in a Brecon Jazz exclusive, Halsall unveils his latest, ambitious project, the Gondwana Orchestra, drawing heavily on the sounds of the ’60s, modal and deep spiritual jazz. Expect languid, beautiful, soulful jazz of the highest order.
Matthew Halsall trumpet
Nat Birchall saxophone & tenor sax
Lisa Mallett flutes
Rachael Gladwin kora & harp
Holly Simpson violin
Davinder Singh violin
Alliz Nicholas viola
Gavin Barras double bass
Chris Davies percussion
Holly Simpson violin
Adrianne Wininsky cello
Luke Flowers drums
Duration 75 mins.
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Michael Janisch Quintet
Purpose Built
Event 46 • • Venue: Pembertons Stage, Christ College
Purpose Built is a dynamic and ambitious debut, showcasing music that cuts from a wide swathe of the broad stylistic continuum of jazz history, and representing the diverse range of the bassist’s musical influences outside the improvised realm, exhibiting a fresh take on the current trends in modern jazz with a strong focus on melody. Janisch has called on some of the jazz world’s most prominent younger generation musicians, from his native US and the UK, to bring his music to life.
‘Purpose Built establishes Janisch as much more than a virtuosic bassist, but the arrival of a fine composer, arranger, and creative force who leads the band from the bottom up.’ All Music Guide
Michael Janisch acoustic and electric basses
Phil Robson guitar (Parliamentary Jazz Musician of the Year)
Jay Phelps trumpet
Paul Booth saxophones
Andrew Bain drums
Duration 75 mins.
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Robert Glasper Experiment
Event 47 • • Venue: Market Hall
Signed to Blue Note, Robert Glasper has made waves throughout the music world as leader of both the acoustic Robert Glasper Trio and the electric, hip-hop-oriented Robert Glasper Experiment. Crossing music boundaries comes naturally to him, and he regularly works alongside hip-hop artists such as Q-Tip, Mos Def and The Roots. The Houston native further develops all these elements and pulls them together in a new synthesis, continuing his ascent to the top ranks of modern jazz artistry.
‘One of the most promising jazz pianists of his generation.’ John Eyles, BBC Music Review
Derrick Hodge bass
Chris Dave drums
Casey Benjamin sax/vocoder
Duration 90 mins.
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Stonephace Stabbins
Event 48 • • Venue: Roland Stage, Christ College
Inspired by the Spiritual/Soul Jazz movement and in particular by Alice Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders’ collaborations, Larry Stabbins’ new project features Mercury-nominated pianist Zoe Rahman and Crispin ‘Spry’ Robinson from ’90s jazz/rap band Galliano. This is essentially the acoustic rhythm section from Jerry Dammers’ Spatial AKA Orchestra, so expect a synthesis of exploratory jazz with groove, loads of percussion and eastern modes along with ‘transcendental euphoria’.
‘Supremely soulful…for 30 years Larry Stabbins has been the UK’s own Pharoah Sanders.’ Independent on Sunday
‘One of the most innovative saxophonists in Britain.’ The Wire
Larry Stabbins saxes and flutes
Zoe Rahman piano
Karl Rasheed Abel bass
Pat Illingworth drums
Crispin ‘Spry’ Robinson percussion
Duration 75 mins.
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Mina Agossi Trio
Event 49 • • Venue: Christ College Stage
Since she discovered jazz singing and began recording in the mid-90s, French-Beninese singer Mina Agossi has constantly captivated her audience with a jazz vocal tradition similar to that of Billie Holiday and Nina Simone. Mina’s maturity as a singer has enabled her to take her voice in the unique direction that makes her so distinguishable now, and her shows always leave you with a lasting memory.
‘Imagine a wasted Janis Joplin attacking jazz standards with sensuality and soul and you have an idea of her very individual approach.’ What’s On In London
Mina Agossi voice
Eric Jacot double bass
Ichiro Onoe drums
Duration 75 mins.
This event has taken place
Sponsored by Bureau Export
Art Themen & John Etheridge Quartet
Event 50 • • Venue: Brecon Cathedral
A consummate performer and one of the UK’s top jazz saxophonists, Art Themen plays in large and small venues throughout the UK and worldwide, and is a regular feature at many top jazz festivals. Themen is a player who is known for his originality and individual style. In this unique and special combination, Art is joined by John Etheridge on guitar, Paul Morgan on bass and Tristam Maillot on piano.
Art Themen saxophone
John Etheridge guitar
Alec Dankworth bass
Tristram Mailliot piano
Duration 75 mins.
This event has taken place
