DEE BYRNE LAUNCHES NEW SOLO ALBUM LIVE AT CAFE OTO   Dee Byrne launches her first solo album ‘Live At Cafe Oto’, recorded on 11th June, performing and sharing the stage as support for Washington D.C. duo Model Home. ​ The result of her exciting new work is a diverse range of textures, moods, wild […]

OPEN CONVERSATIONS WITH PHILIP VENABLES EP2 PT. 2   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZe7k01w9MQ Welcome back to Open Conversations!   Here is part 2 of conversation with composer Philip Venables, if you missed part 1 then you can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JqmmSUcrqY    Philip Venables has been described as a “composer of ferocious dramatic instincts” and “an arrestingly original […]

OPEN CONVERSATIONS WITH PHILIP VENABLES EP2 PT.1   https://youtu.be/9JqmmSUcrqY We’re excited to once again feature Will Davenports Open Conversations. This time he checks in with the incredible Philip Venables.    Philip Venables has been described as a ”composer of ferocious dramatic instincts” and ”an arrestingly original musical personality” by Alex Ross in The New Yorker […]

BLACK VOICES UK ConnectsMusic drops back in to hear more from Richard Loftus of Birminghams’ THSH catching up with Shereece Storrod and Carol Pemberton MBE of Black Voices UK – Europe’s finest female a cappella quintet, about what’s coming up soon, and their recent performance at Buckingham Palace.   For over three decades the ensemble […]

THE JAZZ CENTRE UK The Jazz Centre (UK), also referred to as The Jazz Centre UK or TJCUK, situated in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, celebrates jazz music’s heritage, and actively supports and promotes contemporary performance and education. It was founded in 2016 by musician, broadcaster and writer Digby Fairweather. The organisation’s mission stated on the Charity Commission […]

  FUNDING TOP TIPS   Ruth Kilpatrick has held various roles within the music industry over the last decade or so, from Live Events through to Radio and Content Production, Artist Liaison, Press, Industry Funding and more. Now a Music Manager and Freelance Consultant, we caught up with Ruth during the latest lockdown to ask […]

PREVIEW – Chrissie Hynde, Blue Note tributes and Whirlwind Jazz Orchestra for EFG London Jazz Festival   This story is posted in partnership with Jazzwise   Some sizable names have been added to the EFG London Jazz Festival, which runs from 15 to 24 November, at stages across the capital. Among these is a performance […]

Countdown to Love Supreme Jazz Festival   This story is posted in partnership with Jazzwise   The Love Supreme Jazz Festival is set to run from 3 to 5 July 2020. Joining the already announced Anita Baker, The Isley Brother & TLC are Sunday headliners The Roots and a brand new project from Tom Misch […]

  The X-Man Cometh– Xhosa Cole –   This story is posted in partnership with Jazzwise   Since prodigious new-gen jazz star Xhosa Cole won last year’s high-profile BBC Jazz Award, he’s been only looking forward. The headstrong young saxophonist speaks to Selwyn Harris about the inspiration of his native Birmingham on his development and how […]

ConnectsVideo – Aaron & The Argonauts  –  To celebrate and promote their triumphant return to the Orleans Bar on Thurs June 20th, Aaron and the Argonauts went into the garden and did a little video – enjoy! After a great show in May and due to popular demand the Argonauts are returning to Orleans Bar. […]

ConnectsPlaylist – 100 years of Jazz in the UK  –  Celebrating 100 Years of Jazz in Britain in 2019, in particular the music of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band and the Southern Syncopated Orchestra. Reminiscing in 1934, British trombonist Lew Davis recalled that from the first note, the sound of the ODJB made him feel […]

ConnectsVideo – PizzaExpressLive  –  What does 3 beautiful Steinway Pianos, 264 keys, 6 hands sound like?  Check out this masterpiece exclusively written and performed by Gwilym Simcock, on 3 pianos across 3 different London PizzaExpress Live venues. about Pizza Express Live PizzaExpress Live presents more than 2000 shows each year across a number of venues, […]

Behind The Sounds – Jason Yarde –  Jason talks about playing, writings, Windrush, collaborations & the Acoutastic Bombastic project. You’re known as an outstanding saxophonist, plus alongside this is your prolific work as composer, arranger & producer. How would you describe yourself in a nutshell? Musical dogsbody and traveling father. That might sound harsh but I’ll […]

Behind the sounds – Cleveland Watkiss MBE –  You’ve had an amazing career as a vocalist, what was the first moment you knew this was what you wanted to do in life? Even as a little boy; singing and performing has always been apart of my life… as the cliché goes-music choose me. As we all know, […]