September is the time for that friendliest of Leeds gatherings...

September is the time for that friendliest of Leeds gatherings, the Chapel Allerton Arts Festival weekend that starts on Friday 31 August and runs through to Sunday 2 September in Regent Street, Chapel Allerton, Leeds

The Jazz Sunday on 2nd September 12.30-5.30pm is programmed by Seven Jazz and showcases some of the best of up and coming bands from the Leeds area.

The line-up for the Jazz Sunday of the festival is as follows

12.30pm Garforth Jazz Rock Band: directed by Dave Evans: energy, enthusiasm, musicality, fun from this huge youth orchestra.

1.30 Kate Peters Septet: pure jazz entertainment from popular jazz vocalist Kate Peters, Matt Anderson on tenor sax, Ian Chalk on trumpet, Aubin Vanns on guitar, Martin Longhawn on piano, John Marley on bass and Sam Gardner on drums

2.30 New York Brass Band: jazz and pop classics reworked for jazz brass band by new (and not so new!) kids on the block - Chris Caulfield and Simon Dennis on trumpet, Andrew Cox on tenor sax, Charlie Lancaster and Tim Hurst on trombone, James Lancaster on tuba, Rod Macnamara on drums

3.30 Yoruba: award winning jazz/salsa fusion with Greg Nichols trumpet, Ben Lowman alto sax, John Waugh tenor saxophone, Aron Kyne piano, Sam Vicary bass guitar, Ali Mac percussion, Tim Carter drums

4.30 Love Society: a choir from South Africa with  Thandanani Gumede, Nobuhle Mhlongo, Bongi Gwala, Mzwandile Ngema, Khethukuthula Kheswa and Xolani Mbatha accompanied by a jazz sextet featuring the piano of Dave Evans, bass Barry Ricarby, drums Alex Wibrew, trumpet James Hamilton, sax Sam Thornton and trombone Ric Colley

All this for the price of a £3 contribution to the Chapel Allerton Festival buckets!

Also there is lots of jazz or jazz related music elsewhere in the festival too this year - watch out on Friday for Seven Jazz favourite James Hamilton in Hope and Social and on Saturday for a cappella female jazz vocal group Solaris, soul n blues from the Terry Shalatiel band, traditional jazz from White Eagles Jazzmen, Dudley Nesbitt with his student pan band, Joe Tatton with Rodina, the funky Haggis Horns and the East Park Reggae Collective featuring Jonny Tomlinson, Scott Devine, Anna Stott and more

Our Sunday afternoons start back again the following week at Seven Arts, 31 Harrogate Road, LS73PD as follows.

Sunday afternoon 9 September 1pm: Rafael Karlen Quintet

Rafael Karlen- tenor saxophone, Kim Macari- trumpet, Zezo Olimpio- piano, Georg Rüschenmeyer- bass, Dave Smyth- drums

Rafael Karlen is an Australian composer, arranger and jazz saxophonist currently based in York. He performs in a number of jazz and contemporary music ensembles, and has toured extensively, receiving attention as one of the most important musicians of his generation on the Australian Jazz scene. Drawing on influences ranging from the music of Keith Jarrett, Wayne Shorter, Kenny Wheeler, Ornette Coleman and Morton Feldman, all the quintet members collectively stretch and contribute. This will be one of the last chances of getting to hear Rafael before he returns down under. £5/4 concessions, kids under 16 free, doors open at 1pm, music 1.30-4pm

Sunday afternoon 16 September 1pm: Jenny Smith Quintet

Jenny Smith-vocals, Andy Cholerton- piano, Richard Hammond- bass, Paul Smith- drums, Al Morrison- guitar, Jim Corry- sax

Chapel Allerton’s own popular young jazz singer fronts a talented group playing arrangements of classic jazz standards, stylish soul ballads and funky blues tunes.

£5/4 concessions, kids under 16 free, doors open at 1pm, music 1.30-4pm

Sunday afternoon 23 September: Mikayo Jazz Quartet

Pete Lyons (tenor sax), Alex Baker (alto sax), Rich Keates (double bass), Johnny Hunter (drums)

New and exciting Sheffield-based jazz quartet formed to explore the flexible format of the chordless quartet. From Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker in the '50s, through to Ornette Coleman's '60s bands to Dave Holland and others in the '90s, the piano-less quartet has come a long way. "Miyako" have a contemporary take on this tradition with brand new compositions, drawing on many aspects of the modern jazz heritage. Good to see tenor saxman Pete Lyons at Seven at last too.

£5/4 concessions, kids under 16 free, doors open at 1pm, music 1.30-4pm

Thursday evening 27th September 8pm : Quentin Collins-Brandon Allen quartet

Quentin Collins- trumpet, Brandon Allen -tenor sax, Ros Stanley- organ and Enzo Zirilli- drums

The first of our evening international concerts of the autumn will be one to savour. Trumpeter Quentin Collins and tenor saxophonist Brandon Allen share inspiration in the glory days of hard bop and the music of Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Lee Morgan, Hank Mobley and its other great proponents. Interesting melodies and well-crafted solos played over a swinging organ-and-drums rhythm section. The band are due to top the bill at this year’s Scarborough jazz festival.

£15/12 concessions are available in advance from Seven Arts 0113 26 26 777, online from “We Got Tickets” http://www.wegottickets.com/event/178109 or on the door. Stand by tickets for full time students are £5 on the door only (we usually squeeze people in!). Doors open 8pm for the concert- music is 8.30-11pm.

Sunday afternoon 30 September 1pm: European Union Quintet

  

Iman Spaargaren-sax, Dan Whieldon -piano,  Ulrich Elbracht - guitar, Gavin Barras- bass, Marek Dorcik drums

No jokes about the euro, please. We're doing our bit for euro-unity at Seven Jazz. Atmosphere and emotions are key words for this combination of a Dutch, a German, a Slovak and English jazz musicians that for the European Union Quintet. British bass player Gavin Barras and Dutch saxophonist Iman Spaargaren got inspired to work together and form a European band. They have been joined by Slovakian drummer Marek Dorcik and German guitar player Ulrich Elbracht joined the group. Dan Whieldon, a fine young English jazz pianist completes the group.

£5/4 concessions, kids under 16 free, doors open at 1pm, music 1.30-4pm

Jazz Workshops

Our Autumn 2012 series of tutored jazz workshops start on Saturday 8 September and continue on Saturday 22 September. These are held at Seven Arts, 31A Harrogate Road, Leeds, LS7 3PD 2-30 to 4-30 pm and cost £10/£8 concessions. We usually work towards playing two or three numbers as part of our ‘Jazz Café’ on Sunday afternoon 25 November. Workshop members need to have some experience of playing (say a couple of years), and an interest in jazz, though not necessarily in playing it – just a willingness to have a go!  Sight reading experience is useful but not essential. Contact Jean Watson by email at jeanwatsonlifeskills@hotmail.com or phone 0113 237 0700 or speak to us at our Sunday afternoon jazz or at any of our evening jazz concerts.

Dominic Moore runs our Seven jazz improvisation group at the Methodist Centre, Chapel Allerton for more experienced players. Dom brings charts for the group to play through. The dates in September are Friday 14^th and 28^th £5 per session, 7.30-10pm. Some facility at jazz reading and improvisation is helpful. Contact Dominic Moore: dominicgmoore@hotmail.com

For all details of all our events and latest news updates see us on www.sevenjazz.co.uk, follow us on Twitter or befriend us on our Seven Jazz facebook page.

Look forward to seeing you soon at Seven Arts, Chapel Allerton, 31 Harrogate Road, Leeds LS3 3PD!

Steve Crocker

Seven Jazz Leeds- Jazz Yorkshire club of the year 2012