Chris Hodgkins & His Band at Ealing Jazz Festival August 1st 2015. Charlotte Glasson (alto), Alison Rayner (bass), Chris Hodgkins, Cheryl Alleyne (drums), Diane McLaughlin (sax) and Max Brittain (guitar).

This news letter contains details of forthcoming gigs; information on Jazz London Radio, their first news letter, how to contact them to get gigs mentioned and music played. Chris’s response to the BBC Charter Review with his conclusions and links to the full response. Plus details of Jazz Services re-branding as JazzUK.

For details on Chris’s recordings, reviews and sales, projects, biography, blog, media and music business education, please visit http://www.chrishodgkins.co.uk/

November Dates
Monday 2nd
Remembering Vic Parker
Chris Hodgkins Quartet, Patti Flynn and Humie Webbe
7 pm: Butetown Community Centre, Loudoun Square, Cardiff CF10 5UZ. Door opens 6.30 pm. For more information contact Humie Webbe on [email protected] or mobile 07828978345.

Wednesday 4th
Back In Your Own Backyard
Chris Hodgkins/Dave Price/Ashley John Long
8pm: Queens Head, St James Street, Monmouth, NP25 3DL
01633 440739

Thursday 5th
Back In Your Own Backyard
Chris Hodgkins/Dave Price/Erika Lyons
8pm: The Angel, Grosmont, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, NP7 8EP
01981 240646

Sunday 7th
Back In Your Own Backyard
Chris Hodgkins/Dave Price
1.15 to 3.15pm: The Hen and Chickens,Flannel Street, Abergavenny, NP7 5EG
01873 853613

The first gig on the 2nd November is the first part  of the Vic Parker project. Please visit http://www.chrishodgkins.co.uk/projects/

Remembering Victor Parker takes place on Monday 2nd November 2015, 7 pm at Butetown Community Centre, Loudoun Square, Cardiff CF10 5UZ.
Door opens 6.30 pm.
For more information contact Humie Webbe on [email protected] or mobile 07828978345.

Please see http://www.chrishodgkins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Remembering-Vic-Parker.-Press-Release.pdf for further information

Remembering Victor Parker celebrates the music of this much loved guitarist and singer through the recollections of two of his protégés. The event is organised as part of the Black History Month Wales programme, with funding from Arts Council Wales and also marks the occasion of the jazz guitarist’s birthday who would have been 105 on 5th November, 2015.

Renowned Tiger Bay jazz singer Patti Flynn and  jazz trumpeter Chris Hodgkins will treat the audience to stories of their experiences as budding performers where they honed their craft by singing and playing alongside their mentor Victor Parker when he played in the clubs and pubs of Tiger Bay in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Jazz singer and Radio Cardiff presenter Humie Webbe will host the evening which will feature some of Vic Parker’s best loved tunes performed by Patti and Chris.There will be performances of  three new compositions by Chris, arranged by Diane McLoughlin, from the forthcoming album Cut Down Like The Flowers dedicated to Vic Parker. Humie says ‘Patti and Chris are established performers and great raconteurs so the audience are in for a great fun evening!’

With Chris are Alison Rayner (bass), Max Brittain (guitar) and Diane McLoughlin (saxes).

Jazz London Radio News
Chris is coming up to his 50th programme of “Jazz Then And Now” http://www.jazzlondonradio.com.
Chris can be contacted at [email protected] if you have bands on tour.

If you are one of the many jazz youth orchestras who would like to get their music played contact Chris at [email protected]

To see the play lists of previous programmes please visit https://chrishodgkins3.wordpress.com/

Chris’s programme on week beginning 2nd November will carry a feature on the National Jazz Archive.

Jazz London Radio has published their first newsletter and it is available at: http://www.jazzlondonradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Jazz-London-Radio-newsletter.pdf

Jazz London Radio is committed to promoting all the talent coming out of Britain. They invite promoters, from the small jazz gig to the major concert hall and promoting musicians to send them details of their gigs. They will endeavour to mention them in their programmes. Promoters will need to send details of their events with a couple of tracks to [email protected]

All MP3s/ M4a files should be properly encoded with title of tracks, composer, album art. Press releases are also required plus any forthcoming gig information. Agents, managers and bands are also welcome to send details of tour dates and their music. You can mail Jazz London Radio at [email protected] for more details.

You can also contact their presenters for information about tracks played or requests at [email protected]

Jazz London Radio is at  http://www.jazzlondonradio.com/listen/

Response to the BBC Charter Review Consultation
“A plague on both your houses”

The current BBC charter is set to expire at the end of 2016 and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport  is carrying out a fundamental review of the BBC. To assist this review the Department for Culture Media and Sport  has published BBC Charter Review – Public Consultation. The BBC has responded with the first in a series of four publications, British Bold Creative. The second paper sets out their proposals on the future of BBC production and Worldwide. The third, which will be published in early October, will be the BBC’s direct response to the Government’s questions set out in their Green Paper and the fourth paper later in the year, will set out the BBC’s money saving proposals.

The conclusions of Chris’s response are: “The BBC is a world class organisation and a unique British institution. It clearly has its problems. Its organisational culture, its ingrained arrogance and its strategic planning is bounded by the rationality of the past. British Bold Creative appears to be a knee jerk response rather than a carefully researched plan that answers the two crucial questions: (1) Where are we now? (2) Where do we want to be? And allocates resources accordingly. Instead of one document we are going to get four. However the BBC for all its faults does not warrant the hatchet job currently being perpetrated by the present Government with a review panel awash with conflicts of interests. To ensure objectivity there needs to be a public enquiry to take the entire matter out of the hand of politicians and the BBC so that the British public get a BBC that serves their needs”.

Please see full response: “BBC Charter Review Consultation Response 6th October 2015”
http://www.complaintsinwonderland.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/BBC-Charter-Review-Consultation-Response-6th-October-2015.pdf

JazzUK
Jazz Services has re-branded as JazzUK and with a new website has hit the ground running. JazzUK is leading on the UK presence at jazzahead! 2016, and has already drawn together a growing consortium to capitalise on the European and international opportunities for 2017 and beyond. The 2016 jazzahead! has been announced, and deadlines for showcase opportunities and early-bird tickets are imminent.  JazzUK has put together full information for anyone considering a presence on the British Isles stand, whether in person, or through virtual means. You can take part for as little as £50. Join the British Isles Jazz Stand at jazzahead! 2016 and enjoy specially reduced rates and new opportunities.  Please clink on the link for all the necessary information http://jazzuk.org.uk/

JazzUK has also launched a jazz festival, #4 Jazz Festival, in Coventry that takes place on the weekend of 27th and 28th November 2015. Full details are available at http://jazzuk.org.uk/

Martin Bennett and His Old Green River Band pay a brave tribute to his son Russ at Lemsford Jazz Club on Sunday, 25th October.

Please visit “Russell Bennett – A Jazz Legend in His Lifetime”

Martin has emailed details of Russell’s funeral – “The funeral service will be held at St Michael’s Church, Bude, Cornwall, on Friday 30 October at 3pm followed by a musical celebration of Russell’s life at The Carriers Inn, Bude. The funeral will take place the following day at 1 pm at Landscove Church, S Devon – more of a family function”.

“Every year when Yoshio and Keiko Toyama visit New Orleans to perform at Satchmo Summerfest, they arrive with Yoshio’s traditional jazz band, several members of their foundation, and gifts. This year was no different. As I waited for the presentation to begin in the band room at Landry-Walker High School, I checked out the horns and the banjo
on the table.

Keiko and Yoshio

“Each one had the same message: ‘This instrument is donated by Wonderful World Jazz Foundation, Tokyo, Japan. A present to the children of New Orleans from jazz fans in Japan. To express our thanks for jazz, which New Orleans, Satchmo and your country have given us.’ That pretty much sums up what the Toyamas are all about.”

Extract courtesy of Sheila Stroup: Link to Times-Picayune Article, August 8th, 2015.

“Japan’s Yoshio Toyama is much more than a Louis Armstrong impersonator – although he is skilled in that regard. His depth of knowledge, technical ability and obvious love for the music, and the city that initially inspired it, enables him to transcend mere mimicry to deliver lively, spry and joyous sets. He’s become a favourite every year at Satchmo Summerfest.”

Celebrating Satchmo’s Birthday in New York City

                                                                                                                                                                  Here is a selection of YouTubes of Yoshio playing with Vince Giordano & the Nighthawks, in New York’s Iguana Restaurant and Dance Lounge on 4th August, Louis Armstrong’s Birthday.

My thanks to Yoshio and Keiko for the privilege of featuring their August Satchmo visits to New Orleans and New York on Jazz&Jazz.

Peter M Butler
Editor & Proprietor Jazz&Jazz