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Jazz Society

username202682

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE JAZZ SOCIETY

Hello all

So it doesn't seem like there's a society for lovers of Jazz and its variants.
I thought it would be great if there could be somewhere we could discuss our favourite artists, songs, instruments and what not.

Also, it may be a good place to talk about events that we may be going to see :biggrin:

So how about it? Who's interested :h:

If you have spotify - Some playlists by our members

Please join in and make one too :woo:

(edited 11 years ago)

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Reply 1

username202682

Live Show Review section

Because many of our lovely members go to see live performances and its lovely for them to share with us from time to time :biggrin:

Reviewer: Eclectic Styles
Date of gig: 1st Aug 2010
Venue: Pizza Express Live, London
Artist: Tony Smith
Genre/Role: Smooth and Acid Jazz; Lead Guitarist
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Somewhere in London, in the streets off of Oxford Street and Court Road, winding through the outer parts of Soho and into an enclosed little street, is a little club for Jazz guys and girls alike that you wouldn’t have guessed was there unless a friend recommended it to you or you saw an ad for it in the paper. That is, until you see the neon lit sign off in the distance of a saxophonist and then the fact that there’s a staircase to the side leading down to a door with another sign on top of it proclaiming `On Air` proudly. Usually, you’d think a place like that would be dingy and sleazy – maybe even cheap? – but not this one, as I was about to find out.

We (my friend and I) got off the train, headed up to street level and made, what was originally supposed to be a five minute waltz to the club, turned into being a twenty minute pilgrimage instead. Eventually, though, we got there and entered the club. The place seemed a bit too restaurant-y (this was a Pizza Express, after all) but then we were directed to the club which was actually in the basement and well out of sight from would-be casuals and the like. So far, so Alice in Wonderland.

When we actually got down there, we received a warm response and were shown to our tables. Apparently, if you pre-booked – like I did -- you get front row seats – which we did – which was great little bonus to the night. The club itself was like something out of the movies: dimly lit, slimline and chic bar, slightly-worn stage ankle-height from the ground, tightly packed tables and chairs around the front and then huge booths to the back and smaller ones to the side; an intimate setting and quite laid-back, with some lite-Jazz playing in the background before the show, all of which added to a very pleasing atmosphere.

The club itself was one half of the main restaurant upstairs and as such, we were presented with the dinner menu for the evening. The food was decent, well-cooked and delicious. We both had the Sloppy Giuseppe (onions, green peppers and spiced beef) and for dessert I had the Chocolate Fudge Cake (served with vanilla ice cream) and my friend had the Cheesecake (strawberry with wild berries). Seeing as we were there for the music, we kept it light drinks-wise, but suffice to say a few SC and Coke weren’t amiss at out table. Our waitress was rather cold, however, so that was a bit of an off-note for the night. And for the guys, the women at the club provided some rather pleasant `pre-show entertainment` which was another great bonus, as well. Eye-candy for sure, but they’re Jazz chicks, so unless you’re up on your Davis and Coltrane, you ain’t gettin’ nowhere…

One of the best things about Jazz clubs is that the artists and regulars are generally schmoozing about the place before and after the show and this was very much welcome as the drummer was unfortunately held back by traffic and so at least everyone keeps busy before the main event. Once the drummer had arrived, however, then after a quick set-up and test, the music began. We were treated to quite a heavy opening, with a rich bass by bassist Harvey S, deft percussion by drummer Jamie Brown, subtle sidelines by supporting guitarist Steve B and a roaring lead guitar by Tony Smith himself! A special addition to the performance for the night was trumpeter Damon Brown, who I believe was playing with Smith and the band for the first time that week—a little nervous at the start but he turned out to be a real decent addition and you could see he was putting his hardest into the show that night and it paid off well.

After a rather rousing opening, we were treated to a song called `Do You?` which, like most of Smith’s choice of songs for the night, started off fairly slow either to some drumming or supporting guitar and then suddenly launched into a full-on funky frenzy of high-strung guitars, fast and heavy drumming and some rather powerful trumpeting from Damon B, leaving the song with a lot of funk and some peculiar undertones of soul underneath the obvious. A friendly, humorous little introduction to the band and the songs for the rest of the night from Smith complemented a rather promising beginning for the rest of the night.

Next up was a blues-y twist with the song `I Just Play` and this was a rather interesting turn for the night since the chatter and smiles from the audience that dominated the beginning became more peaceful, thoughtful gazes and the club became quieter as a result. The drumming for this song was again top-notch and Smith didn’t let us down on his side of things, either. The trumpeting and supporting guitar were played down a bit more than in the previous two songs here, which was a bit of a shame, but the definitive highlight of the song was Harvey S with his lightning-quick and strong-picked bass solo in the middle-- a taste of the improv direction for the songs to follow.

Picking up from the slower, more heartfelt pace was an improv variant on one of Smith’s most popular songs, titled `Renegade`. And no wonder it’s so popular, it was an incredible performance with that song! Personally, I thought the omission of the starting solo was a bit of a miss but I was more than proved wrong with the soul and energy put into the song. Arguably, the best piece of the night, everything about the song meshed together really well. Smith had changed his guitar to one he deemed more suitable for solo-heavy work and he was most certainly right about that! Excitable is putting it lightly as was the same for Jamie B on drums who drummed with such speed and power that the other band members found it a challenge to match his enthusiasm! Great chemistry between the bassist and drummer during the song prompted some impromptu stand-offs, challenging Smith to improvise well which he pulled off with skill—a key trait that Smith learnt during his years touring with Roy Ayers.

Towards the end of the night, the pacing and flavour of the songs remained defiantly funky but stayed true to their core Jazz feel, which was quite a feat of songcraft, considering the direction of many songs on Smith’s albums—in particular, Legacy. The trumpeter Damon B had done well through his entire performance with the band and while nerves struck at the start, he had very much mellowed out by the end as much as the rest of the band had—although the watchful eye of the bassist kept him in check rather sneakily, which produced a smile for me. Undoubtedly, Jamie B was the highlight of the show and remained the central focus of Smith’s direction from which the other band members followed, with Brown being able to drum out light, rapid beats just as well as hard and heavy smashes.

At the end of the night and after all was played and everyone worn out from such a smashing session of Jazz rhythms and Funk beats, the bans bowed and waved to the audience while Smith gave his thanks to them and the audience as a whole, to which all of them received highly deserved applause from the audience. After the bill was paid and drinks all finished, my friend and I were ready to leave but just before we did, I gave a quick shout out to Smith who was talking to a record-producing couple on the table next to us. He appreciated the gesture and thanked me back in kind, showing that he was just as friendly off the stage as he was on the stage. Smith had a few EPs on sale, 2 for £6, a right bargain, which I bought before I left—and fortunately, the barman was friendlier than our waitress, but anyway…

Leaving the club out the back way and up the staircase I noticed earlier, the soft, summer night air met my face and I felt refreshed with the music still playing in my ears -- yes, the music really was that loud! – and my friend and I headed back home. Overall, the night was excellent and even with the less than receptive service, the rest of the night was very much well worth it. Jazz might be well and great on CD, but nothing can compare to it when it’s experienced live, for sure.
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Pics:

Spoiler

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Scoring:

Venue:
Décor – 8/10
Atmosphere – 8/10
Service (if applicable) – 6/10
Food – 8/10

Music:
Performance – 8/10
Technical – 9/10
Enthusiasm – 9/10
Playlist – 9/10

Overall -- 8/10

Reply 2

Pheylan

i've got some miles davis on my ipod, haven't been able to get into it yet though

Reply 3

username202682

Pheylan

i've got some miles davis on my ipod, haven't been able to get into it yet though

Lol welcome.
What Miles Davis songs do you have :holmes:

Reply 4

Pheylan

Stricof

Lol welcome.
What Miles Davis songs do you have :holmes:

four albums:

kind of blue
sketches of spain
someday my prince will come
bitches brew

Reply 5

concubine

If you can't get into Kind Of Blue you probably don't have ears, just tumors stuck to the side of your head.

Reply 6

Liptease

Jazz wise I'm currently listening to Paul Bley's Solo albums "Open to Love", and his recent album "Solo in Mondesse". His solo work is slow-burning and airy, interspersed with silences. Achingly moving for Jazz piano lovers. <sigh>

Reply 7

Pheylan

concubine

If you can't get into Kind Of Blue you probably don't have ears, just tumors stuck to the side of your head.

i meant i haven't really been in the mood to listen to jazz

Reply 8

Devel

Kind Of Blue and Blue Train are my favourite Jazz albums.

I also think the Xpectation record by Prince is great.

subs

My favourite Miles Davis is the early work, esp. Birth of the Cool. Although some of his Michael Jackson covers (Human Nature) are rather good.

Does anyone else know Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers? Good stuff :yep:

Reply 11

jojospacemunky

does nu jazz come into this thread like the sounds of:

ive probably got a few others i could list but ill wait :biggrin:

Reply 12

AliciaJ703

I'm interested :biggrin:

the late Great Billie Holiday

Reply 13

AliciaJ703

This has to be everyone's favorite

Reply 14

veronica111

Personally, I'm not really into all that instrumental jazz, but I'm a SUCKER for the old female jazz singers, their voices are just incredible. Eg. Ella Fitzgerald, Julie London, Diana Krall, Nina Simone, Sarah Vaughan etc etc, but I've kind of gone through most of their stuff now... so I want to find a good modern jazz singer, anyone no any?

Reply 15

Norfolkadam

Probably one of the most recognisable pieces of jazz in the world but it's just fantastic, Hancock is (obviously) a genius.

Reply 16

AliciaJ703

veronica111

Aimee Mann

Reply 17

Eclectic Styles

The way this society is headed, it should be renamed the `Trad Jazz Society`...

Come on, where are the Contemporay lovers, the Acid freaksters, Smooth listeners, Crossover adaptators, Nu movers, Cool cats and so on?