Watford Jazz Junction

Chris chats with sitar supremo and composer Jasdeep Singh Degun about all his musical junctions across Indian classical music, classical music, rock and, of course, jazz.

Jasdeep talks about the complexities of collaboration, the heritage of the sitar and its place in the Indian classical music canon, the role of philosophy in his musical approach, and explains more about his current compositions.

We also undertake our inaugural 'Ravi or Not Hear I Strum' mega quiz challenge. Of course.

His album recommendations include:

Pure by Kaushiki Chakrabarty (2004) on Sense World Music

Rise by Anoushka Shankar (2005) on Angel Records

Immigrants Nitin Sawhney (2021) on Masterworks

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Presenter: Chris Newstead

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Recorded May 2021.

Chris chats with virtuoso jazz clarinetist Adrian Cox about all his many jazz and musical junctions.

Adrian talks about his early influences including the Pasadena Roof Orchestra through to his admiration of Edmond Hall. We also undertake our inaugural live clarinet Q&A!

Adrian is full of energy and great tales of jazz derring-do, the rights & wrongs of Spotify and why we should all be listening to trumpeter Tom Harold.

His album recommendations include:

• Jazz at Vespers by George Lewis (1954) on Fantasy

• Rumpus on Rampart Street by Edmond Hall (1959) on RAE Cox

• Ambassador Satch by Louis Armstrong and his All Stars (1956) on Columbia

Support

You can help support the podcast and keep us ad free. Especially useful if you’d like to support the podcast and want to keep it ad free. Plus it makes Chris feel very happy indeed! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/ChrisNewstead

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Presenter: Chris Newstead

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Recorded May 2021.

Chris is joined by free jazz improviser and bass player, John Pope.

We chat about John's influences from Ornette Coleman to the natural world, from Rage Against the Machine to The Blues Brothers. We get the inside track on the Newcastle and northern jazz scene and play an astonishing round of our new 'Bass Deluxe Fretted Finger Bamboozling Brain Buster' quiz challenge.

John edits our ever fantastic house-band and selects his top 3 albums of all time:

• Mingus at Antibes by Charles Mingus (1960) on Atlantic

• O'Neal's Porch by William Parker (2001) on AUM Fidelity

• The Shape of Jazz to Come by Ornette Coleman (1959) on Atlantic

There's also some chat about fabulous American author Don DeLillo. Chris recommends reading 'Silence' (2020).

Support

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Presenter: Chris Newstead

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Recorded April 2021.

This week Chris is joined once again by his brother Jim Newstead.

It all gets quite deep(!) as we get embroiled around the edges of chaos theory, lose our way around Talking Heads and think more about the relationship of the composer and the musician with their audience.

As always there's plenty of jazz talk and discovery of new musical junctions.

Check out Jim Newstead on YouTube.

Support

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Presenter: Chris Newstead

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Recorded April 2021.

In this bumper episode we chat with the legendary saxophonist & composer Tim Garland.

Grammy-winning and feted for his huge musical range, Tim has been a significant figure in world-wide jazz for many years.

We talk about his albums, his 2 decades of working with the late great Chick Corea, what it was like starting off his career playing alongside Ronnie Scott, and what his junctions have been in developing his own sounds and approach to jazz and music.

It's a rich and fascinating insight into the highs, and sometimes lows, of being a professional musician on the global scene.

Tim's album recommendations include:

• Native Sense - The New Duets by Chick Corea and Gary Burton (1997) on Concord

• From the Soul by Joe Lovano (1992) on Blue Note

• Coltrane's Sound by John Coltrane (1964) on Atlantic

And check out www.timgarland.com for more information about Tim and his Encounters Series of collaborative jazz performances.

Support

You can help support the podcast and keep us ad free. Especially useful if you’d like to support the podcast and want to keep it ad free. Plus it makes Chris feel very happy indeed! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/ChrisNewstead

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Presenter: Chris Newstead

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Additional sax: by Chris Newstead

Recorded April 2021 at the Oak Gable Studios, Herts

We continue season 4 with a hugely enjoyable chat in conversation with saxophonist Denys Baptiste.

A giant of the London jazz scene, Denys's sound is instantly recognised, along with his fantastic back catalogue of stellar albums.

We chat about musical progress and coming out of lockdown, saxes and bass clarinets, and his many junctions and influences. Plus(!), Denys boldly takes on our brand new St Lucia quiz mega challenge! If you don't know the delights of green figs and salt fish listen on...

Denys's album recommendations include:

• Way out West by Sonny Rollins (1957) on Contemporary

• A Love Supreme by John Coltrane (1965) on Impulse

• Maiden Voyage by Herbie Hancock (1965) on Blue Note

Support

You can help support the podcast and keep us ad free. Especially useful if you’d like to support the podcast and want to keep it ad free. Plus it makes Chris feel very happy indeed! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/ChrisNewstead

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Presenter: Chris Newstead

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Recorded April 2021

We start season 4 chatting with the very funny, talented and knowledgeable Anne Frankenstein.

Anne is a familiar voice on Jazz FM and a very popular live DJ, playing around London, the UK and worldwide.

We chat about the pressures and joys of presenting jazz to the world, tackle our exciting new '10 questions in 2 minutes' super feature(!), and as always discuss some fabulous music.

Anne's album recommendations include:

• Piano Solo: Melodies Africaines, Volume 2 by Manu Dibango (1984) on AfroVision Records

• Graceland by Paul Simon (1986) on Warner Bros.

• Small Change by Tom Waits (1976) on Asylum

Support

You can help support the podcast and keep us ad free. Especially useful if you’d like to support the podcast and want to keep it ad free. Plus it makes Chris feel very happy indeed! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/ChrisNewstead

Show info

Presenter: Chris Newstead, www.watfordjazzjunction.com

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Recorded April 2021

The hugely talented and funny James Morrison joins us for our Season 3 finale.

A musical polymath and multi instrumentalist, James is well known to many from opening the 2000 Olympic Games, playing in the world's finest venues and hosting Top Gear Australia.

This hugely enjoyable conversation ranges from what is was like playing alongside Dizzy Gillespie to being a jazz nut in a fast car. We also ask the really important questions including what is the definite jazz ride and why he has yet to play at the Rifle Volunteer pub in Watford?!

ENJOY!

James's album recommendations include:

• Concert by the Sea by Erroll Garner (1955) released on Columbia

• Night Train by Oscar Peterson (1963) released on Verve

• The Greatest Trumpeter of Them All by Dizzy Gillespie (1958) released on Verve

Support

You can help support the podcast and keep us ad free. Especially useful if you’d like to support the podcast and want to keep it ad free. Plus it makes Chris feel very happy indeed! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/ChrisNewstead

Show info

Presenter: Chris Newstead, www.watfordjazzjunction.com

Theme: by SoundWorkLab, licensed through AudioJungle.

Recorded March 2021.

This week Chris is joined by the wonderful Daniel Casimir: bassist, composer, producer and all round lovely person. There's a reason every one wants him in their band!

We chat about his journey, his latest compositions (watch out for the new album later in 2021) and working with the current cream of the crop across the London jazz scene.

He plays a blinder in adding a surprise musician to our ever dreamy house band, and doubles down on Wayne Shorter album recommendations:

• The Soothsayer by Wayne Shorter (1965) released on Blue Note

• JuJu by Wayne Shorter (1999) released on EMI

• Notes with Attachment by Pino Palladino and Blake Mills (2021) released on Blake Mills Label JV

Support

You can help support the podcast and keep us ad free. Especially useful if you’d like to support the podcast and want to keep it ad free. Plus it makes Chris feel very happy indeed! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/ChrisNewstead

Show info

Presenter: Chris Newstead, www.watfordjazzjunction.com

Theme: by SoundWorkLab, licensed through AudioJungle.

Recorded March 2021.

In this genre-busting mid-season special, Chris is joined by his charming siblings: YouTube reviewer & musician Jim Newstead and classical soprano Charlotte Newstead.

They discuss the importance and relevance of musical genres, get to grips with the evolution of Western modern music, and compare and contrast opinions across their own specialist styles of rock, classical and jazz.

There's all sorts in this rather enjoyable musical natter!

More about Jim

More about Charlotte

Support

You can help support the podcast and keep us ad free. Especially useful if you’d like to support the podcast and want to keep it ad free. Plus it makes Chris feel very happy indeed! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/ChrisNewstead

Show info

Presenter: Chris Newstead, www.watfordjazzjunction.com

Theme: by SoundWorkLab, licensed through AudioJungle.

Recorded March 2021.