The Jazz Podcast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=iePU0KXS610

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Malik Al Nasir is an author, performance poet and filmmaker from Liverpool. He has produced and appeared in several documentaries with artists such as Gil Scott-Heron, The Last Poets, Benjamin Zephaniah and Public Enemy, as well as footballer Mark Walters and many other luminaries. Malik started tracing his roots back through slavery over 15 years ago and his pioneering research has been recognised by Sir Hilary Beckles (Chair CARICOM Commission for slavery reparations), historian David Olusoga, and The University of Cambridge, where Malik is reading a PhD in history with a full scholarship in recognition of the significance of his research.

His band Malik & The O.G’s have performed exclusive UK shows of ‘The Revolution Will Be Live!’ – a 10th anniversary celebration of Gil’s musical influence – at Wilderness Festival, The Jazz Café, London, and Blues Kitchen, Manchester, in honour of Gil Scott-Heron’s memory and coinciding with the September release of Letters To Gil.

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Tara & Rob speak to soul singing/ pianist and composer Natalie Duncan. She has been compared to legendary and multifaceted global artists such as Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin. Her career has spanned many years performing her own music, including featuring in London Jazz Festival’s Jazz Voice Opener, Later with Jools Holland and vocalist for Drum and Bass legend, Goldie.

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Sarah Moule's 5th album, Stormy Emotions, explores the themes of Time and Love in an uplifting collection of songs written by her husband Simon Wallace and the late great jazz lyricist Fran Landesman. In the eighteen years spent working with Simon and Fran, Sarah developed a uniquely close relationship to their material. Born in New York in 1927, Landesman's lyrics have been sung by great artists including Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Barbra Streisand and with this collection, including ten previously unrecorded songs, Sarah will have introduced forty-five Landesman/Wallace songs to the world.

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Award winning saxophonist and composer Emma Johnson is a Leeds based musician and the bandleader of Emma Johnson’s Gravy Boat. Emma’s music has been played on BBC Radio 3 and her writing has been described as ‘a relaxed, melodic and distinctive style of contemporary jazz’. Today she's our guest on a wonderful show recorded at House of Koko in Leeds. 

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Rick is based in London playing a wide variety of music, and leads his own group playing original jazz music. Rick is a regular performer at Ronnie Scotts, the 606 Jazz Club, Pizza Express Dean Street, The Vortex, The Bull’s Head, and he has appeared at larger UK venues such as the Royal Festival Hall and the Purcell Room.

In 2008 Rick won a Yamaha Scholarship Prize for Outstanding Jazz Musicians. A recording of Rick’s band was put on the front cover of Jazzwise Magazine.

Since graduating from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2008 he has performed with musicians such as Christian Scott, Eric Harland, Joe Sanders, Michael Janisch, Ernesto Simpson, Martin Speake, Earl Burness Travis, Stan Sulzmann, Jeff Williams as well as younger musicians in London. Rick plays in the ensembles of Michael Janisch, Leo Richardson, Jay Phelps, Rory Simmons, Alice Leggett, Riley Stone-Lonergan, Andre Canniere, and Kristian Borring amongst others. 

Rick also teaches on the prestigious MEhr Clef courses alongside Stan Sulzmann, Steve Waterman, Alan Barnes, Malcolm Edmonstone Mark Hodgson, Lee Gibson, Ursula Malewski and Martin France. www.mehrclef.com

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Best known as an outstanding scat singer, Anita is also a skilled writer and performer of vocalese, and a sensitive interpreter of standards and jazz originals. She’s collected several awards, including a recent prize for Best Jazz Vocalist from the British Jazz Awards, and her artistry has inspired accolades from fellow singers like Mark Murphy, Roseanna Vitro and Kate McGarry. Yet, up until now, Wardell’s albums have only been available as high-priced imports, and she has made limited trips to the east and west coasts of the United States…

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Singer, songwriter, cellist Ayanna Witter-Johnson joins the show today. She is a rare exception to the rule that classical and alternative r&b music cannot successfully coexist.

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On the show today we welcome award-winning Dutch violinist Tim Kliphuis. Tim created a brand new style that embraces classical, gypsy jazz and folk. Hailed as a ‘current-day improvising Paganini’, his inclusive approach to music has united audiences and is influencing a new generation of string players.
The Jazz Podcast is sponsored by Presto Music. http://www.prestomusic.com/jazz

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Linn recording artist Claire Martin has to worldwide critical acclaim established herself as a tour de force on the UK jazz scene gaining many awards, including winning the British Jazz Awards eight times during her career which spans over three decades. In 2018 she was the proud recipient of the BASCA Gold Badge Award for her contribution to jazz. We talk to Claire about her music, life, career, new projects and plans as well as her time at BBC Radio 3 and the many amazing guests she's interviewed over the years. 

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