Geoff Doncaster 1923 - April 2010

A passion for all things jazz

Much loved Yorkshire musician and promoter Geoff Doncaster passed away on Thursday 8th April 2010. He was well known in Grimsby and Cleethorpes and his main passion was all things jazz. Many of his friendships spanned well over fifty years - a tribute to his popularity. In the 1960s he played in the clubs and for dances with the Ron Winters Quartet. In the 1970's he sang and played at the Sands Club where he also developed his own distinctive style of compering. Most recently he sang with Gentle Jazz... Read the full tribute.

Award nominees for Yorkshire

The Jazz Services website www.jazzservices.org.uk has news of the nominations for the 2010 Parliamentary Jazz Awards and Yorkshire is represented in three catagories.

• JAZZ ENSEMBLE - Leeds band TrioVD
• JAZZ VENUE - Wakefield Jazz
• JAZZ EDUCATOR - Dr Kathy Dyson, Leeds College of Music

The All Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group (APPJAG) currently has over 100 members from the House of Commons and House of Lords across all political parties. Their aim is to encourage wider and deeper enjoyment of jazz, to increase Parliamentarians’ understanding of the jazz industry and issues surrounding it, to promote jazz as a musical form and to raise its profile inside and outside Parliament. The main sponsor of the awards is PPL. The winners will be announced at the awards which will take place at the House of Commons, Terrace Pavilion on 19th May.

April News eBulletin

Join our mailing list to receive our news bulletins. In the latest issue: Parliamentary Jazz Awards, Voluntary Promoter Awards, Cleethorpes Jazz Festival confirmed, Headingley Festival, Toby Greenwood CD, IDST UK Tour, The Sands DVD, PureSolo Competition. Read online version

Jazz Jamboree Awards

Young musicians take part in Jazz Jamboree workshop

140 young musicians from six Yorkshire schools recently took part in an all-day event organised by Jazz Yorkshire at Ripon Grammar School to develop their jazz skills.

Each school band gave a thirty minute performance adjudicated by John Ellis MBE (director of Doncaster Youth Jazz Association) and band leader Al Wood. The children also took part in workshops to improve their improvisatory skills with Bob Howard and Mark Chandler, members of the Al Wood Big Band.

The adjudicators paid tribute to the enthusiasm, musical skill and understanding of the jazz language shown by the musicians involved.

Thirsk School Jazz Band and Harrogate Youth Jazz Orchestra were awarded Bronze Certificates. St. Aidan's Jazz Ensemble (Harrogate), the youngest group, and Ryedale School Big Band were awarded Silver. Ripon Grammar School and Wakefield Grammar School Foundation's combined band earned Gold Awards.

Ryedale School were also granted the special award of the opportunity to be mentored by staff on the Jazz Faculty of Leeds College of Music. This will give them the opportunity to be coached in jazz improvisation and performance skills and record a CD.

There were also five further special awards for most promising improvisers and twenty-six more certificates. Those were awarded at Bronze, Silver and Gold levels to players of all jazz instruments represented and vocalists, and finally for the best sectional performances.

• Jazz Jamboree Awards List
• Jazz Jamboree Report
• About Jazz Jamboree

Sheffield Jazz secure charitable status

New website for Sheffield Jazz

In an article in Sheffield's Star newspaper the newly elected club chairman Dave Silver explains how Sheffield Jazz has secured charitable status. He says
"Charitable status now gives us the opportunity to raise additional funding and thereby organise more and better gigs; to work more with Sheffield Jazz Workshops to encourage and assist people to play jazz; and to broaden the audience for jazz by reaching new sections of the population."
Sheffield Jazz is supported by Jazz Yorkshire

Spring dates for: Simon Spillett Quartet 22 January, Alyn Cosker Trio with Seamus Blake 29 January, Empirical 19 February, Pete Churchill Trio 26 February, Anita Wardell Quartet 26 March.

www.sheffieldjazz.org.uk
Full article at www.thestar.co.uk/...Jazz-what-we-needed

Yamaha Jazz Experience ensemble competition

There is still time to register to enter the Yamaha Jazz Experience ensemble competition for 11-18 year olds. According to the Yamaha Jazz experience blog around 30 ensembles have registered, with many more already working hard on their pieces. To help shortlist process ensembles will be submitting a video to be viewed by the judges.

For more details go to the Yamaha Jazz Experience Website www.yamahamusiceducation.co.uk/../jazzexpcomp.html

James Hamilton Orchestra

James Hamilton Orchestra premiere new suite

The James Hamilton Jazz Orchestra premiere a new suite at Leeds College of Music on 3 December 2009. JHO was set up to play original compositions by award winning Leeds based composer James Hamilton. It started with a one off recording date in June 2007, the following summer they performed at 7 Arts in support of the Sleaze Orchestra. Musicians are drawn from the Yorkshire area and many are LCM alumi. www.myspace.com/jameshamiltonjazzorchestra

pictured clockwise from top left: Henry Grimes (by Joan Cortes), Myra Melford, Joel Harrison and Charlie Hunter.

Last chance to support Leeds Jazz

Following on from the success of the sell-out appearance of Trio VD and their debut CD launch, Leeds Jazz have four more special concerts this season which are the culmination of their final 25th Anniversary Season.

Dave Hatfield says "The best way that you could possibly help would be to buy tickets and be sure to catch our final four concerts before we bow out. November is London Jazz Festival month and in the next 2 weeks we have managed to persuade a range of international artists to add Leeds Jazz to their itinerary. Two of the finest current US guitarists kick things off followed by two superb trios which represent the intensity and power of improvised music at its best".

www.leedsjazz.org.uk

Pete King Quartet 50th anniversary tour

British alto sax star Pete King is celebrating his 50th year as a jazz musician. He has recently completed a new and extensive autobiography due for publication soon and has just come back from a highly successful appearance at the Rochester Jazz Festival in New York.

Pete is a major influence on the British Jazz scene ever since he played (at the age of eighteen) the opening of Ronnie Scott's Club.

The Pete King Quartet 50th anniversary tour makes two appearences in our region:
Thurs 29 Oct Seven Jazz, Leeds
Fri 30 Oct Sheffield Jazz.

www.peterkingjazz.com

Huddersfield's Ruby Wood at Marsden and JATP

October newsletter

In the latest issue: Marsden Jazz Festival, Leeds Jazz Celebrations, JATP seek new home, Pubs + Clubs feature >> PAVE and Undercliffe Cricket Club, Asif Sirkis, Dankworth Prize details plus details for nearly 60 gigs in region.

If you're not yet a subscriber read the online version here.

History of Leeds Jazz etched in the glass at Leeds Media Centre

Leeds Jazz 25th Anniversary Celebrations

On Saturday 20 October, 1984, Leeds Jazz presented their very first concert at the Leeds Trades Club in Savile Mount (now Leeds Media Centre). Since then they have brought about three hundred and fifty bands to Leeds always representing the very best in contemporary international jazz (all recorded in their online archive). This October they are presenting a special Anniversary season of events at Seven Jazz. Line-up includes: Outhouse Ruhabi, Speeq, Omnivore, Christine Tobin / Phil Robson, Jan Kopinski, Billy Jenkins and Hermeto+.

A special all-in ticket covering the whole 25th Anniversary weekend, Thursday 22nd to Monday 26th of four special concerts and the film show is available for £40/35. They would also like to hear from you if you have a story about your favourite gig, amusing stories, disasters, life-changing events, etc. inspired by attending a Leeds Jazz gig.

www.leedsjazz.org.uk | twitter.com/leedsjazz

Read interview with Dennis Rollins in Anna Lacy's YJS 3

York Jazz Scene Magazine No. 3

Third issue of Anna Lacy's YJS is now available to read online at issuu.com. Yet another bumber issue packed full of interviews, gig reviews, listings, in fact everything you need to know about the York Jazz Scene. issuu.com/...yjs_official_issue_3

Never Ending Song visits Leeds

Saturday 12 September, VENUE:Seven Jazz LS7
Jazz musicians are currently taking part in a 'never ending song' performed non-stop, 24 hours a day for a week across Britain. The show arrives in Leeds on Saturday 12 September visiting Seven Arts 31 Harrogate Road Chapel Allerton Leeds LS7 3PN from 1.30-3.30pm and also Pizza Express on Crown Street LS2 0113 246 5207.

The tour was launched live on BBC R4 on Monday 7 Sept. You can listen to the session at news.bbc.co.uk ...8241367.stm

neverendingsong.co.uk| sevenjazz.co.uk

Tina May for Richmond Jazz Festival

September newsletter

In the latest issue: Save money with Jazz Season Tickets, Richmond Jazz Festival, Chapel Allerton Arts Festival, Leeds, Scarborough Jazz Festival, Yamaha announce National UK Jazz Competition for young people, Effective Jazz Guitar Workshop, Pub Jazz Update.

If you're not yet a subscriber read the online version here.

Autumn Jazz Festivals

Festivals this Autumn from the Yorkshire and Humber area

• Chapel Allerton Festival (Leeds) on Sunday 6 Sept
• Scarborough Jazz Festival starts Friday 18 Sept
• Richmond Jazz Festival starts Friday 18 Sept
• Leeds Jazz 25th Anniversary Celebrations start Thursday 22 October
• NCEM Jazz Weekend (York) starts Friday 20 November
• Marsden Jazz Festival starts Friday 9 Oct

Could you play a part in developing
jazz in this region?

The board of Jazz Yorkshire is looking to appoint a small number of directors to contribute to the formulation and implementation of Jazz Yorkshire's vision. This will be achieved by the board members applying their experience and understanding of jazz read more

Jacqui Dankworth plays Leeds

Big City Jazz, Leeds
21 - 23 August

This is the third year for the jazz festival right in the heart of Leeds. The Main Event will be the Festival Marquee on Millennium Square Friday 21, Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 August. Artists include: Alex Wilson and his 12-piece Salsa Con Soul Orchestra, Blue Note Records Tribute featuring Christine Tobin and specially commissioned work just for Big City Jazz. The Temperance Seven, Ragtimers Jazz Band, Jacqui Dankworth.

www.bigcityjazz.co.uk

Courtney Pine plays Hull

Hull International Jazz Festival
23 - 30 August

Hull's "strengthening jazz festival" (Jazzwise) is among the highlights of the UK jazz summer and the headline stars announced for 2009 include Ray Gelato and the Giants, Omar Puente's Cuba 50, Empirical, Iain Dixon, Alex Wilson, Courtney Pine and Carol Kidd, plus a host of local and regional artists.

www.hulljazzfestival.co.uk