Check out our tips for the London Jazz Festival 2011
It’s been said before, but I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with all things jazz. When it’s at its best, the genre gives you some of the most forward-thinking, groovy, mind-expanding and surprising music you can possibly get. But when it’s at its worst, it just feels like some guy going ‘piddle-di-di-deee, biddle-be-bop-skee’ in the corner of a room whilst demanding that everybody gives it their undivided attention.
If that sounds like I’ve got some sort of axe to grind, then you’re probably right. The other thing that pisses me off about jazz is that for some reason you’re not allowed to dislike it. Just because you don’t get atonal sax solos, it’s suddenly like you’re some cave-dweller who’s missing out on a cosmic secret that opens up some deep corner of the universe. Please. Brilliance exists on a knife-edge in jazz as much as it does in any other type of music, with pretentious waffle on one side, and widdley nonsense on the other.
That’s why the London Jazz Festival is such a great institution. Whilst many forms of jazz exist in London, the festival is the one time of the year where the cream rises to the top, so to speak. Taking over some of London’s bigger venues every November, it sees some of the best jazz musicians in the world and their acolytes gather in London for a couple of weeks of blues, swing, post bop, be bop, soul and every imaginable form of jam session.
With literally hundreds of events taking place over nine days, both the light and dark sides are represented to various degrees. One of the nicest things about the 2011 event is that where in previous years the more experimental stuff was pretty much confined to the Barbican, The Roundhouse and the Southbank Centre, this year is a lot more diverse, with a wide range of events taking over some pretty surprising places. It’s also cool to see that some of East London’s newer venues like CAMP and XOYO, who, it must be said, don’t have a history of putting on jazz, are getting in on the act.
Anyway, to help you avoid the worst excesses of the genre this month, here's my picks of what to see at the London Jazz Festival. But if it all turns out to be weird improv stuff, then I’m sorry, but I did try to warn you...
Friday 11th November
Michael Janisch @ Pizza Express Jazz Club
Bucking the trend of British musicians moving to the US to make it big, Michael Janisch was born in Wisconsin but moved to London. Known for his powerful sense of rhythm and bullish approach to improvisation, he’s one of London’s more accessible jazz musicians. As well as teaming up with alto sax icon Greg Osby, he's also joined by Cuban keyboardist Aruán Ortiz, whose organic combination of synth washes, choppy organ and Hancock-like clarinet has received great acclaim.
Saturday 12th November
Leafcutter John @ Vortex Jazz Bar
The alter-ego of musician and artist John Burton, Leafcutter John has spent the last few years cutting his teeth on London’s improvised scene, where his down-to-earth yet haunting blend of ambient noise, electronica and traditional instrumentation has won him fans within both the folk and jazz communities. For his show at the Vortex, he’s joined by renowned ‘live’ painter Gina Southgate and visceral pianist Dave Morecroft for what promises to be a feast for all the senses.
Sunday 13th November
Scene France @ The Clore Ballroom
A real eye-opener, Scene France brings together playful piano/drum duo Donkey Monkey and the punky Balkan-style accordion mayhem of Melosolex for a night spent exploring the zany outer limits of jazz improv.
Thursday 17th November
Magnus Ostrom @ City Arts and Music Project
Renowned as the lynchpin in the hugely influential EST, drummer Magnus Öström has emerged as a distinctive solo artist in the wake of Esbjörn Svensson’s untimely passing. Lashing together sheets of guitar, driving bass and his relentlessly propulsive broken beat drum style, he leads his outstanding new band through songs from his brooding new album 'Thread of Life'.
Friday 18th November
Poogie Bell Band @ Charlie Wrights
You may not know it, but you're almost definitely acquainted with Poogie Bell's music. One of the finest percussionists to ever have worked in jazz and soul, you've heard his work whenever you listen to Chaka Khan, Marcus Miller, Stanley Clarke, Roberta Flack, Erykah Badu, David Bowie, John Scofield, Al Jarreau, Vanessa Williams, Stanley Turrentine, Victor Wooten, and Randy Crawford. Amazingly, the London Jazz festival is only his second UK show this year.
The London Jazz Festival takes over various London clubs from November 11th.
www.londonjazzfestival.org.uk
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