Jazz&Jazz is privileged to share The National Jazz Archive’s March 2017 Newsletter

Putting Jazz and Memories into Print

Join Ann Cotterrell from Northway Books as she shares insights and anecdotes to
illustrate the joys and pitfalls of publishing. The talk will focus on Northway’s
experience as a small publisher, including advice for authors on approaching a
publisher and self-publishing, linked to jazz but not exclusively on a jazz theme.

The talk is at 2.30 on Saturday, 11th March, in the Archive in Loughton Library,
and forms part of the Essex Book Festival. Tickets cost £7, £5 (27yrs and under),
and are available from the Festival box office, Mercury Theatre 01206 573948,
online or on the door.

The Essex Book Festival runs throughout March, with 90 events, in 45 venues,
with more than 200 writers and artists. Find out more HERE.

Simon Spillett Quartet
Plays to a Full House

A great afternoon of jazz from Simon Spillett, John Critchinson, Alec Dankworth
and Clark Tracey delighted a near capacity crowd in a fundraising concert for the
Archive at Loughton Methodist Church on 11 February. Simon’s dazzling sax playing
was complimented beautifully by John’s wonderfully flexible and rich piano,
underpinned by the mastery of Alec and Clark.

Thanks to the group for playing for the Archive and to all our supporters who came.
As well as the raffle, expertly run by Jane Hunter-Randall, other attractions were a
display of Brian O’Connor’s photos from his newly published book, and jazz books
and CDs for sale.

Thanks to Brian for his photos of the concert, some of which are HERE.

Say it with Music 

Young Jazz comes to Essex

Three jazz clubs in Essex welcomed two terrific young bands in February.
The Essex Youth Jazz Orchestra, led by Martin Hathaway, played at Colchester
and Hornchurch Jazz Clubs, delighting listeners and dancers alike, with
swinging performances of Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller
and Benny Goodman tunes.

The EYJO led by Martin Hathaway at Hornchurch Jazz Club – more photos HERE.

At Southend, a group from the National Youth Jazz Collective featuring Alex Ridout,
winner of the BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year 2016, presented a wide ranging
mix of originals, ballads and standards, played with wonderful confidence.

The National Youth Jazz Collective at Southend Jazz Club – more photos HERE.

In parallel with the music, display material from the
Intergenerational Jazz Reminiscence Project
was shared, and interviews held with some of the musicians and audience.

Truly intergenerational occasions!

Reminiscing in Lambeth

An intergenerational reminiscence session was held at the Vida Walsh Age UK Centre
in Lambeth at the end of February. Rising star saxophonist Camilla George provided
music as a preamble to discussions and reminiscences about music between the
youth team, and regular visitors to the centre.

As well as photos of the interactions, interviews recorded will form part of the
oral history that the Archive is building up throughout the 18-month HLF project.

An exhibition to celebrate the project – Say it with Music – is planned for the
Forum Space in the centre of Southend-on-Sea throughout May.
More details next month.

Gems from the Archive
Gerry Mulligan

This month we feature Gerry Mulligan, best known as one of the leading baritone
jazz saxophonists, but also a fine clarinettist, composer and arranger.

Over 20 years from 1969 Gerry was interviewed by Les Tomkins for Crescendo
magazine several times, when they discussed his music and career.
The interviews are available on the Archive website HERE.

Gerry Mulligan’s first notable recorded work on baritone was with Miles Davis’
Birth of the Cool nonet (1948-50) which contains two of his arrangements (‘Godchild’,
‘Darn That Dream’) and three of his originals (‘Jeru’, ‘Rocker’ and ‘Venus de Milo’).
He then spent some time writing, arranging and playing in various saxophone
sections, but it was in 1951 that he began to get attention for his work on baritone.

Around this time Mulligan realized that he enjoyed the extra freedom of soloing
without a pianist. He jammed with trumpeter Chet Baker and soon their rapport
was featured in his piano-less quartet.

The group’s recordings from 1952 made bothMulligan and Baker into stars
and it was this group that brought Mulligan to most jazz fans’ attention.

The piano-less quartet featured in this ‘souvenir photograph’ in Jazz News in
January 1961. From left: Chet Baker, Chico Hamilton, Mulligan and Carson Smith.
Read the whole issue here.

For the next 40 years, Mulligan appeared and recorded with all the great
US jazz performers – including Bob Brookmeyer, the Duke Ellington Orchestra,
Thelonious Monk, Paul Desmond, Stan Getz, Ben Webster and Johnny Hodges.

Mulligan regularly topped the polls in jazz magazines. This advert from
Crescendo magazine in October 1964 features him alongside Stan Getz
and Paul Desmond. Read the whole issue here.

Among Mulligan’s compositions are ‘Walkin’ Shoes’, ‘Line for Lyons’,
‘Bark for Barksdale’, ‘Utter Chaos’, ‘Soft Shoe’, ‘Blueport’, ‘Song for Strayhorn’,
‘Song for an Unfinished Woman’. From the original piano-less quartet
recording HERE are ‘Nights at the Turntable’ and ‘Frenesi’

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