Veteran fans of British bop will be saddened to hear of the death of John Ferguson, the popular Glaswegian double-bassist involved for over 20 years with small groups around London, many featuring the late pianist Iggy Quayle and drummers Laurie Morgan or Lennie Breslaw.
With Scotland mulling a path towards possible independence and the possible dismantling of the United Kingdom, a smaller and much more ceremonial land, this time the ancient Kingdom of Fife, a “Pictish realm” with the Firth of Tay to the north and the Firth of Forth to the south, holds its annual Fife Jazz Festival next month from 3-5 February.
James Hunter has one of those voices that can stop you dead in your tracks.
The fox as most city dwellers know is a pretty common sight, rooting around gardens and alleyways at all times of the day and night, skulking for tasty scraps and terrorising domestic pets as well as unsuspecting humans.
The rising Birmingham and London creative jazz scenes are coming together for a special season, which gets underway later this month at Harringay pub the Salisbury.
Chick Corea is set for a whirlwind year as a raft of major releases are on track for release.
Some traditions die hard.
Who to look out for in 2012 is put under the microscope by a range of leading tastemakers in the current issue of Jazzwise.
The Brit-Jazz scene was in constant flux this year with established bands such as Troyka, Neil Cowley Trio, Get the Blessing, and trioVD preparing for new studio albums, so the field lay wide open for more attention to be given to new bands often playing individual jazz clubs or festivals and making a buzz.
Doyen of the New York jazz avant garde in the 1970s saxophonist, flautist, composer and loft scene motivator Sam Rivers passed away yesterday at the age of 88, according to reports.
