Jazz Progs 12 & 14 May 2012 on Radio 3

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

er Geoffrey Smith's production team have nothing to tell us some ten hours ahead of the programme ... we trust all is well

ulian Joseph presents an interview with American vocal sensation Gregory Porter. Plus Kevin Le Gendre profiles the Jazz Sous Les Pommiers Festival which takes place in Coutance, Normandy and gives an insight into this community festival now in its 31st year. Gregory Porter was born in Los Angeles, raised in Bakersfield, and currently lives in Brooklyn, which he has made his musical home, he is a regular guest performer with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and has collaborated on the Nicola Conte album. Jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis has described Grammy nominee Gregory Porter as "a fantastic young singer", and jazz fans may remember Porter's memorable performance at last year's opening 'Jazz Voice' concert as part of the London Jazz Festival.

gregory p attracted some favourable comment here a while ago .... JLU

John Taylor at the Cheltenham Festival, performing a new work specially commissioned by BBC Radio 3 to celebrate his 70th birthday. For this performance, Taylor has put together a new band that includes saxophonist Julian Arguelles, trumpeter Chris Batchelor, tuba player Oren Marshall, and Taylor's sons, Alex and Leo. He has been a leading figure of British jazz since the 1970s, playing with saxophonists John Surman and Alan Skidmore before going on to form trio Azimuth with Norma Winstone and Kenny Wheeler. Collaborations with Jan Garbarek, Enrico Rava and Lee Konitz in the 1980s established an international reputation for his lyricism, subtle harmonic disguise and classically refined technique, which recent trio combinations, including with drummer Martin France and bassist Palle Danielsson, have further cemented

Jez is some thin else innit

[Serial_Apologist]

er Geoffrey Smith's production team have nothing to tell us some ten hours ahead of the programme ... we trust all is well

I was under the impression GS's programme is intended as some sort of listener's blind date?

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

well last week was bent notes .... mebbe the fraud squad .....

[grippie]

[Old Grumpy]

It's no secret what's on in Geoffrey's programme - it's been in Radio Times since it was in the newsagents on Tuesday.

OG

[Oddball]

It's no secret what's on in Geoffrey's programme - it's been in Radio Times since it was in the newsagents on Tuesday.

OG

Great stuff Geoffrey - keep it coming!

But it really deserves a daytime/ early evening slot.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

still no playlist on R3 site

...was it merely ephemeral ... a personal whimsy to pass in the night in fact about Duke Ellington's singers if the RT can be believed though that page is erroneous in its allusion to JRR [pic of Alyn but a credit for Geoff]

is any one in mgt actually paying attention or trying to do something positive about jazz ... don't look like it to me ....

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

John Taylor at the Cheltenham Festival


We seem to have been marking special days a lot recently, what with the first International Jazz Day and last week's portraits programme. This week we're celebrating another landmark – the 70th birthday of pianist John Taylor. He's gathered family and friends around him in a one-off octet to give us a present (albeit one which Radio 3 commissioned!) – a brand new suite, performed for the first time at the Cheltenham Festival.

Taylor has chosen a short story by American writer Kurt Vonnegut as the loose basis for the piece, and the chapters move through a range of moods, from the laidback swagger of the opening section, Doozy, to the uneasy mystery of Deer on the Moon. Taylor's writing allows plenty of space for the likes of saxophonist Julian Argüelles and tuba player Oren Marshall to show their improv chops, with some beautiful lyricism from trumpeter Chris Batchelor and trombonist Henning Berg at times too, supported by a rhythm section that includes John's sons Alex (guitar and vocals) and Leo (drums). Taylor senior often feels more like bandleader than star turn, gently prompting from the piano rather than spending too much time under the spotlight, although when he does it's signature stuff.

There's another anniversary on the programme tonight, and it's a big one – this week it's 100 years since Gil Evans was born and we've picked out a gem of an excerpt from the Radio 3 archive, remembering Gil's under-represented 'electric' period in the 1970s, and hearing archive footage of Gil himself. There’s also a great story about one star performer Gil declined to work with in a novel way!

I'll also be playing a short taste of another gig I thoroughly enjoyed at Cheltenham last week – Bill Frisell and his Beautiful Dreamers trio, which you can hear at greater length on next week's programme.

Join me on Monday 14 May from 11pm, or listen online for seven days after broadcast.

Jez

jon3 newsletter

[Serial_Apologist]

That's decided it! I'm staying in, instead of going and for a tenner hearing Norman Lebrecht (who he?) pontificate on late Mahler as part of the (otherwise pretty excellent this year) Dulwich Festival.

[Alyn_Shipton]

It'll be interesting to know what it sounds like on the radio. In the dripping wetness of the Cheltenham tents, as the lovely Playhouse Theatre (one of the best places to hear music in the country) and Town Hall are now both things of the past on cost grounds, I was not impressed by either JT or Frisell's gigs, so wrote about other music in the Times round-up. A cracking performance by Abram Wilson with Peter King and Jean Toussaint, Helge Lien's trio, and a very impressive set by Lighthouse. (Oh and the festival headlining singer Paloma Faith who despite sterling support from Guy Barker's big band, could not sing jazz for love nor money.) I'm not sure JT's band had the best drummer for the job....it would have been interesting to hear someone like John Marshall in the lineup and perhaps not have King Kennytone's favourite tuba player either. And whereas Frisell's gig four years ago was a festival highlight, this time his mate on the viola playing basslines and their endless repetitions of melodies was stupendously dull...