Baby it's cold outside.....

Dear Yorkshire Gig Guide… but February nights don’t have to be gloomy! Why not come and warm your cockles (and anything else you want) at our Seven Jazz gigs at Seven Arts Leeds? Two evening highlights to choose from this month – acclaimed pianist Zoe Rahman with her “Kindred Spirits” group on 2^nd February and guitarist Jim Mullen’s Reunion Band who will be visiting Seven Arts on 16^th February. Our Sunday afternoon gigs also offer you everything from seven piece Cuban Band “Yoruba”, top jazz vocalist Nikki Allen with her sextet, pianist Dave Evans and his mercurial Fruit Tree band and contemporary jazz from saxman Russell Van den Burgh and drummer Darren Altman’s and their band “Centreline”. But to start with this coming Sunday…

Sunday afternoon 29^th January: Corey Mwamba/Dave Kane/Alexander Hawkins

This is a free improvising acoustic trio on the cutting edge of British Jazz. The language they use mixes popular, folk and art music from all over the world. Corey Mwemba is a vibes player who as well as having made four electro-acoustic albums, is on two albums made by Quantic, one by Arun Ghosh and one by Ty. Dave Kane is a Leeds based double bass player and composer who had been feted for his work with pianist Matthew Bourne and Stephen Davis and has a fantastic duo with the trumpeter Alex Bonney which performed with Ken Vandermark in 2008. Alexander Hawkins is a pianist who mines a rich vein from the free jazz seam, mixing music from Steve Lacy, Roscoe Mitchell, Dudu Pukwana and Ornette Coleman with his own compositions.  "absorbing, intriguing and at times downright exhilarating music" ~ Vortex Jazz Reviews. Listen at http://trio.coreymwamba.co.uk/ £5/4 concessions, kids under 16 free, doors open at 1pm, music 1.30-4pm

Thursday evening 2^nd February 8pm – Zoe Rahman’s “Kindred Spirits”

Zoe Rahman piano, Idris Rahman clarinet, US drummer Gene Calderazzo and bassist Davide Mantovani (picture of Zoe at Seven Arts taken by Phil Songa). Our second evening concert of the season will be stunning – it features the popular and highly acclaimed pianist Zoe Rahman. Zoe shot to wider public awareness when her luminous album Melting Pot was nominated for the 2006 Mercury Music Prize. She returns to Seven with her fifth album Kindred Spirits, part of an extensive UK tour. Released on 23 January on her own Manushi label the music continues her vibrant exploration her English, Irish and Bengali heritage combined with her sparkling contemporary piano work and framed by her strong melodic composing style. Her brother Idris (best known for his own groove-heavy band Soothsayers) joins her on clarinet alongside her fine regular rhythm section of London-based US drummer Gene Calderazzo and bassist Davide Mantovani. Do book early -this will be popular. Tickets £15/12 concessions in advance from Seven Arts 0113 26 26 777 or on the door. Stand by tickets for full time students are £5 on the door only. Doors open 8pm for the concert, music is 8.30-11pm.

Sunday afternoon 5 February: The Nicki Allan Sextet

Nicki Allan Vocals, Joel Purnell Tenor Sax, Mark Chandler Flugel/Trumpet, Graham Hearn, Adrian Knowles Double Bass, Ronnie Bottomley Drums. Nicki Allan is back in Leeds at Seven Arts by popular demand for another round of hot arrangements from her legendary sextet. With a new album under her belt (You're gonna hear from me - 33 Records) she will sing some new songs, some original and standard favourites but always with the classic stamp of unique brass and syncopated jazz to flavour them.  £5/4 concessions, kids under 16 free, doors open at 1pm, music 1.30-4pm

Sunday afternoon 12 February: Yoruba


Greg Nichols trumpet, Ben Lowman alto sax, John Waugh tenor saxophone, Aron Kyne piano, Sam Vicary bass guitar, Ali Mac percussion, Tim Carter drums (photo taken at Seven Arts by Tom Swire). Pianist/composer Aron Kyne was been awarded Jazz Futures funding by Jazz Yorkshire to help him develop as a jazz musician here in Yorkshire. Anyone who saw Yoruba at Seven in June last year will understand how well deserved that award was. The jazz/salsa/fusion band are back united by their love for high-energy Salsa and Jazz. Yoruba are a powerful 8-piece band intent on producing a tight driving sound. Led by Aron and comprising of some of the hottest young talent from around the Leeds area this band draws together a diverse mix of influences. They have created their own fusion of Jazz-Salsa-Samba, blending beautiful harmonies with syncopated rhythms, killer solos with a massive horn section sound. £5/4 concessions, kids under 16 free, doors open at 1pm, music 1.30-4pm

Thursday evening 16 February 8pm – Jim Mullen’s Reunion Band

Jim Mullen guitar, Gareth Williams piano, Mick Hutton bass, Gary Husband drums. This, our third evening concert came about from a conversation between Seven Jazz, Sheffield Jazz and bassist Mick Hutton. The result was the reunion of a Quartet that was in existence for six years from 1996 and was one of the most powerful and exciting bands ever to appear on the UK Jazz Scene. It's members are amongst the most experienced jazz musicians in the country and  the group developed an extremely powerful musical identity. They recorded five cds: We Go Back (1996), Live In Glasgow (1997), Burns (2000), Animation (2001), Somewhere In The Hills (2002). Now reformed for this two-week tour the band will be playing a mixture of new music specially written for the tour and some of their older repertoire. Again do book early- this will be a popular gig. Tickets £15/12 concessions in advance from Seven Arts 0113 26 26 777 or on the door. Stand by tickets for full time students are £5 on the door only. Doors open 8pm for the concert, music is 8.30-11pm.

Sunday afternoon 19 February: The Fruit Tree Band

Dave Evans piano, Kenny Higgins bass, Alex Wibrew drums. Fruit Tree are favourites of the Seven Jazz audience led by the skilled and energetic pianist (and Garforth Festival organiser) Dave Evans. They take on grooves and at times semi-free excitement equally to create a thrilling array of sounds. Tart and sweet by turn, but never syrupy, you’re enticed to taste and enjoy. Real jazz original - all their tunes are composed by Dave Evans and arranged with the band. £5/4 concessions, kids under 16 free, doors open at 1pm, music 1.30-4pm

Sunday afternoon 26 February: Centreline

Darren Altman's Centreline with Russell van den Berg - sax, Jez Franks- guitar, John Harvey- electric basses. Centre-Line are a fresh, vibrant and creative jazz group that prides itself on the spontaneity, creativity and empathy among its musicians. The group is directed by drummer Darren Altman and Leeds LCM tutor Russell van den Berg on sax. £5/4 concessions, kids under 16 free, doors open at 1pm, music 1.30-4pm

The Jazz Workshops at Seven Arts continue in February on Saturday 4 February and Saturday 18 February, 2-30 to 4-30 pm. Learn to play jazz in convivial surroundings!   For further information & bookings contact Jean Watson by email at jeanwatsonlifeskills@hotmail.com or phone 0113 237 0700.  The workshops are at Seven Arts, 31 Harrogate Road, Leeds, LS7 3PD (0113 26 26 777) and cost  £10/£8 concessions.  

Dominic Moore also runs a jazz workshop/improvisation group at the Methodist Centre, Chapel Allerton on the following Friday dates (£5 per session) 7.30-10pm : 10 Feb and 24 Feb. Contact Dominic dominicgmoore@hotmail.com.

Jazz Yorkshire’s 2012 jazz awards will be held on March 19^th at Dean Clough. If you like Seven Jazz or any of the artists you have seen over the past year,  then please do take a little time to say so by adding your vote before 19 February… the link is http://www.jazzyorkshire.org/awards/

The categories for the awards are:
music and musicians
•        musician of the year
•        young musician of the year
•        vocalist of the year
•        band of the year
•        album of the year
•        big band of the year
•        youth big band of the year
•        composer/arranger of the year
where it happens
•        pub of the year
•        club of the year
•        venue of the year
•        festival of the year
•        promoter of the year
•        supporter of the year
education
•        educator of the year
media
•        website of the year
•        media award
fundraising / sponsorship
•        business supporter / sponsor of the year
•        fundraiser of the year
special award
•        lifetime achievement award

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 Facebook. Look forward to seeing you soon at Seven Arts, 31 Harrogate Road, Leeds LS3 3PD

Steve Crocker
Seven Jazz Leeds.
Seven Jazz is supported by Jazz Yorkshire and PRS

The multi award winning Stacey Kent to headline the 6th Burton Agnes Jazz and Blues Festival

The multi award winning Stacey Kent to headline the 6^th Burton Agnes Jazz and Blues Festival

 July 6^th, 7^th and 8^th 2012

www.burtonagnes.com

The Burton Agnes Jazz and Blues Festival returns for its sixth year set in the award winning grounds and Elizabethan Hall of Burton Agnes, East Yorkshire, YO25 4NB. Organised by the Hall’s sax-playing owner, Simon Cunliffe-Lister, the festival runs over three days showcasing some of the UK’s hottest jazz and blues acts in the most stunning and serene of surroundings.

“Possibly the most enjoyable jazz concert I've ever attended.” The Independent

Grammy nominated and multi award winning Stacey Kent, including the British Jazz Award and BBC Jazz Award for 'Best Vocalist', is a sublime singer, rightly famed for her peerless interpretations of the Great American Songbook, but equally adept singing in French or Portuguese. Her beautiful tone and wonderful phrasing bring a fresh beauty to everything she sings and she sings from the soul. She tells us her stories with faultless phrasing and a lucid, enchanting voice and it is her beautiful version of Hushabye Mountain that has bewitched TV viewers on the recent Dreams Bed campaign. After eight studio albums, her current album Dreamer In Concert is her first live album and the first album that captures her magical onstage persona.

Burton Agnes Jazz and Blues Festival are delighted to announce that Stacey will headline their festival on the main stage - Saturday 7^th July.

"Stacey Kent is a revelation. There is nobody singing today who can compare with her. She has the style of the greats, like Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. And she sings the words like Nat Cole - clean, clear and almost conversational with perfect phrasing. And that's as good as it gets." Three-time Oscar-winning songwriter, Jay Livingston

"Devastatingly stylish...a beauty in any circumstances" The Observer

"A delight" The Guardian

More artists are to be confirmed over the coming weeks.

Held over three days, with performances both inside the stately Elizabethan Hall and outside in the Hall’s beautiful grounds, the Burton Agnes Jazz & Blues festival presents a varied line up of funk, traditional jazz, hard blues, dreamy vocals and everything in between.

“Tis the musical equivalent of a Sunday stroll through the grounds of a stately home… you won't find more beautifully serene surroundings this side of Woodstock for such an experience” All Gigs - Festival review

The main stage on the lawn hosts the festival’s headline acts. With rolling fields behind and pristine woodland to the side, you couldn’t ask for a more stunning setting for some of the UK’s top Jazz and Blues artists to perform. Inside the Hall, intimate acoustic performances mix with original Elizabethan carvings and French Impressionist art to create an inimitable festival experience.

On Friday and Saturday evening the Wolds Top beer tent plays host to the Beverley Arts Trust’s late night sessions of folk, jazz and rhythm ‘n’ blues.

Local food and drink feature heavily at the festival. At the tea tent and food lawn, festivalgoers can indulge in home-baked treats, barbecued local meats, freshly prepared curries, and salads grown in the neighbouring walled garden. In the beer tent award winning Wold Top beer is on tap, brewed just five miles away from the festival site.

A campsite in the field adjacent to the Hall offers welcome hot showers and panoramic views of the Yorkshire Wolds for those wishing to pitch a tent for a night or the whole weekend.

Burton Agnes Jazz & Blues Festival welcomes families of all ages with its safe, easy-going vibe. There is plenty on offer for children including a Children’s Corner with play area, 15 acres of magical gardens to explore including a walled garden with maze, jungle garden and giant games and a woodland walk with forest creatures to find. Free face painting and balloon artistry caps off the entertainment.

Built between 1598 and 1610 by Sir Henry Griffith, Burton Agnes Hall is an Elizabethan stately home that has stayed within the Cunliffe-Lister family for more than four hundred years. Fifteen generations have filled the Hall with treasures, from magnificent carvings commissioned when the Hall was built to French impressionist paintings, contemporary furniture, tapestries and other modern artwork in recent years.

The charm of the house is that it is clearly a loved and lived in home and visitors are welcomed openly by the family in joining them to spend many enjoyable hours at Burton Agnes Hall.

‘Burton Agnes Hall ranks among the finest, and best presented, houses in England.  It is the perfect English house, embodying the climax of the final great age of domestic architecture’
Simon Jenkins, Chairman of the National Trust, journalist and author of England's Thousand Best Houses

2012 Festival Tickets info:

Weekend Advance Ticket

Friday 6pm – midnight, Saturday 11am – midnight, Sunday 11am – 6pm

£40 before 1^st June / £50 after 31^st May (Concessions £38 / £48)

Concessions: OAP’s, Season ticket holders, students, children 12-15 years

Children under 12: FREE with an adult

Day Ticket: Saturday 11am – midnight

£30 before 1^st June / £35 after 31^st May (Concessions £28 / £32)

Day Ticket: Sunday 11am – 6pm

£25 before 1^st June / £30 after 31^st May (Concessions £23 / £28)

Evening Ticket: Friday 6 pm – midnight or Saturday 6pm – midnight

£20 EACH DAY before 1^st June / £25 EACH DAY after 31^st May (Concessions £18 / £23)

Camping Voucher: Camping open Friday 3pm – Monday noon

£30 before 1^st July / £35 after 31^st May

Available online at www.burtonagnes.com and from the Festival Ticket Office Tel: 01262 490 324

Or Visit Burton Agnes Hall and its courtyard shops.

Centre Stage 2012 - Still time to register

Sarah an Michelle

The Centre Stage launch was held on the 24th November at the O2 Academy (Leeds). Sarah Smith, the organiser, welcomed us all and explained about the work they do for Martin House Children's Hospice. This years fund raising will be for the Team Lounge. This is set up as a place where very ill teenagers can be teenagers! She also said there is still time to register until February for any bands who wish to take part in this great competition. The heats to be held at The Wardrobe, Leeds from the 16th to the 19th April with the final being held at the O2 Academy on the 17th July. The successful band will go on to play at the Leeds and Reading Festivals at August bank holiday plus £1000 worth of musical equipment & other exiting experiences.
Traffic Wire then entertained us with their usual excellent performance.

On the main stage we were royally entertained by last years winners, the Mexanines who were supporting the headline band The Pigeon Detectives. The Mexanines Elliot Roper said of the competition " Entering Centre Stage 2011 and playing Leeds Festival was a massive thing for us- it opened so many doors for us to reach that next step. It's a brilliant cause and we  would urge every band to enter"
You can contact Sarah Smith - the Organiser at ssmith@martinhouse.org.uk or on 01937 844569 to sign up and at the same time support this very worthy cause.
Denis, Yorkshire Gig Guide

AUTISM SPECTRUM BAND SKILLS CLUB starting at Factory Street...

Hi Yorkshire Gig Guide, Following on from a successful pilot course we are pleased to be able to roll this out. Future programmes include school holiday courses and Saturday morning clubs.
AUTISM SPECTRUM BAND SKILLS CLUB
The group is for young people aged 8-16 with Aspergers, Autism or a social-emotional delay. Group members will form a band, learn to play an instrument and will have their song professionally recorded and copied onto a CD. Some broad aims for the group beyond the musical aspects are: increase confidence, find new ways to express emotions, be better able to understand other’s emotions and to increase social awareness and social skills. The CRB checked staff who run the group are all experienced both in running groups for young people as well as music professionals. Please share with anyone this may interest.
Further information and to register your interest please contact Amy on amy@factorystreet.co.uk
Best Wishes, From The Team
Factory Street Studios, 9 Factory Street, Bradford BD4 9NW 01274 682125 www.factorystreet.co.uk

Fantastic covers and groundbreaking original material is what you can expect from the immense lineup we have for you at the November Crown of Lights Band Night

Join our party!

Hello again YorkshireGigGuide!
Fantastic covers and groundbreaking original material is what you can expect from the immense lineup we have for you at the November Crown of Lights Band Night. We have two bands new to the Comrades (though with some familiar faces in and amongst), and the triumphant return of one of the best bands ever to grace our stage, and all of this is tied together by one of the most well known and loved acoustic artists the area has to offer. Here's the lineup.....
First up for the bands will be the debut performance of RAMSHANK. This 4 piece rock covers band from Huddersfield will mesmerise us with a set from the 70's to present day that could melt your face or warm your heart!
Next up will be the enigmatically named COSMIC BADGER. This young band from Wakefield are a relatively new outfit, but with some familiar faces to Crown of Lights regulars. Citing influences from Arctic Monkeys, The Beatles, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Oasis and The Libertines, they will deliver gives us an eclectic mix of covers from the 60's to the current charts, done in their own way.
Our very small part of the world is very lucky to have a crop of hugely talented and groundbreaking bands who stand out from the rest and have been dubbed 'superbands'. The likes of Commonside, The Dirty Vinyls, The Blister Factory and Britrocks all fall into that category. The last band performing for us tonight is one of the cream of that crop, the mighty LITTLE VEGAS LIES. With a new EP shortly to be released, the lads will showcase their own brand of Brit-rock, inspired by a strong heritage of British Rock bands like the Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppellin, The Stone Roses, Oasis and The Manic Street Preachers. Not to be missed!
Our acoustic artist for the night playing between bands is cut from the same stone, being the frontman for the awesome Commonside. Andy Cartwright will go solo for the night and bring us acoustic favourites from his band and more. Anything could happen!
So, a fantastic lineup which would not be out of place at much bigger events costing the earth to see. Yet, we bring you all of this for FREE!!!!. Yes, entry is free, the beer is cheap and the venue awesome and family friendly with a fantastic atmosphere. It's great night out, so I'll see you there :)
Pete
The Comrades Club
Regent Street
Heckmondwike
West Yorks WF16 0HD - 01924 403672 
Friday 18th NovemberDoors open 8pm  Free Entry!

Band Skills for children on the Autism Spectrum

Many young people with Apserger’s have difficulty expressing their emotions and understanding the emotions of others, sometimes young people with Apserger’s find it difficult to be in social situations. This group is specifically for young people with Asperger’s and it is our hope that the young people who attend will have more social confidence and will have new ways of expressing themselves.
This group will run for 3 days, the 26th, 27th and 28th October from 10am-5pm, by the end of which the young people will have formed a band, learned to play an instrument and will have their song professionally recorded and copied on to a CD.
The group will be a closed group for young people aged 8-16 with Asperger’s or young people with a social-emotional delay.
Some broad aims for the group beyond the musical aspects are: increase confidence, find new ways to express emotions, be better able to understand other’s emotions and to increase social awareness and social skills.
The staff who run the group are all experienced both in running groups for young people as well as music and are all CRB checked.
Young people need a basic level of interest in music and an ability to play or sing a bit, the more the better.
For more information contact Amy on 01274 682125

Crown of Lights BAND NIGHT will definitely be one you won't want to miss!

Join our party!

Hi there YorkshireGigGuide
The October BAND NIGHT will definitely be one you won't want to miss! There is something for everyone with an eclectic lineup of mighty bands and artists from near and far. Here's the details....

First up for the bands will be rising stars ALICE AT LAST from Wakefield. This four piece indie / rock outfit are currently wowing crowds around Yorkshire with their very catchy, finely crafted tunes and energetic live performances. Fronted by the massively talented Lucas Smith who has played our Acoustic Night previously, this band is without doubt one to watch.

The next band is a very special treat indeed. The enigmatic HEAD OF LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT will be travelling all the way from Teesside to be with us, and will feature on bass one of my bestest buddys from Music College all those years ago (well, not that many!!). John Taylor is part of North East Live who organise and promote gigs around the North East (so any band/artist fancying a trip up there could come and have a word in his shell like!). This very unique trio has been referred to as the New Avengers of left-field pop and can only be described as...well, indescribably entertaining!! Bring a change of underwear - anything could happen !!

Closing the night will be the magnificent dirty blues rock of THE BLIND DEAD MCJONES BAND. Blessed with limitless talent and moving effortlessly from down and dirty authentic blues, to hard hitting rock, this is genuinely one of the most entertaining bands you are likely to see.

Playing between the bands will be the very gifted SCOTT ANTHONY WAINWRIGHT. This incredible and very entertaining acoustic artist refuses to be pigeon-holed with his current work being a fusion of Blues, Hip Hop, Folk, Country and Gospel Styles all mashed together in an Avant Garde manner to present a sound that Scott titles ‘Rural Underground’.

So, altogether a night certainly not to be missed, all in the fantastic, friendly surroundings of the Comrades Club in the centre of Heckmondwike. We always have a great night so come on down and join the fun. The beer is cheap and entry is, as usual, FREE, yes FREE I tells yer!!

See you there.
Pete
The Comrades Club
Regent Street
Heckmondwike
West Yorks WF16 0HD - 01924 403672 
Friday 17th JuneDoors open 8pm  Free Entry!