Watford Jazz Junction

In this fantastic episode, singer-songwriter and guitarist Jelly Cleaver talks about jazz and her musical junctions.

A rising star on the London-scene, Jelly plays & writes with pared-back precision and beauty. We chat about her route into music, social activism and DIY punk (of course!).

Jelly's album choices include:

• Lady Sings the Blues by Billie Holiday (1956) on Verve

• Crescent by John Coltrane (1964) released on Impulse!

• Live at Sin-E by Jeff Buckley (1993) released on Columbia

Support

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Presenter: Chris Newstead, www.watfordjazzjunction.com

Theme: by SoundWorkLab, licensed through AudioJungle.

Recorded March 2021.

In this fabulous episode, sax player and clarinetist Ben Castle talks about his jazz journey and all the junctions en route.

A fount of great stories, Ben shares tales from his exceptional musical journey including meeting Stevie Wonder in Buckingham Palace (as you do), playing with scores of wonderful musicians from the worlds of jazz, pop and rock, and reveals all about that sensational viral clip featuring his dad Roy Castle dancing alongside Buddy Rich and Sammy Davis Jnr.

Ben's album choices include:

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

• Mingus Ah Um by Charles Mingus (1959) released on Columbia

• Native Dancer by Wayne Shorter (1975) released 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, www.watfordjazzjunction.com

Theme: by SoundWorkLab, licensed through AudioJungle.

Recorded March 2021.

Photo of Ben by Alex Beldea

To launch Season 3, Chris is joined by saxophonist and MOBO-nominee Camilla George, to discuss her music, her journey into jazz, and her new 3rd album!

Camilla, who leads her own band, has also been an influential member of Tomorrow's Warriors, Jazz Jamaica, Venus Warriors and the Nu Civilisation Orchestra. She discusses her influences, helps Chris map out the current London jazz scene, and tells all about an infamous and traumatic recorder incident!

Camilla's album recommendations include:

• Songbook by Kenny Garrett (1997) released on Warner.

• Bar Talk (specifically Mr. JJ) by Jeff "Tain" Watts (2002) released on Sony.

• Sonny Side Up by Sonny Stitt (1957) released on UMG.

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.

Chris is joined by pianist James Pearson, to discuss his music and working life in the UK's most famous jazz club, with more famous name drops than the Jazz Junction has ever contended with!

In our series 2 finale, James, artistic director at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, recounts tales of jazz derring do including the appearances at the club of Lady Gaga, Kylie Minogue, Wynton Marsalis and the Rev Jesse Jackson. There's comparison of the geniuses of Erroll Garner, Thelonius Monk, Oscar Peterson and Bill Evans; celebration of the joy of 78 records; and great insights into recording jazz.

James's album recommendations include:

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

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

• Live at the Village Vanguard by Bill Evans (1961) released on Riverside.

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 February 2021.

Chris is joined by conductor Clark Rundell, to discuss his approach to music, working with many of the world's jazz greats and orchestras.

Clark, professor of conducting at the Royal Northern College of Music, is a versatile and globally-in-demand musician. Hear him talk about current projects with Esperanza Spalding & Wayne Shorter, what challenges a classical & jazz conductor faces, and what music makes him smile.

There's also a double-change to the house band!

Clark's album recommendations include:

• Joy Ryder by Wayne Shorter (1995) released on Columbia Records.

• Emily's D+Evolution by Ezperanza Spalding (2016) released on Concord Records.

• Finding Gabriel by Brad Mehldau (2017) released on Nonesuch.

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.

Closing music: South Rampart Street Parade performed by the Perennial Jazz Band, recorded live at the Royal Northern College of Music in 1992 as part of the Jazz in Education Festival; introduced by Clark Rundell. Line-up: Jonathan Lyons (trmb), Sam Taylor (alto), Matthew Beaumont (trmp), Chris Newstead (clr), Duncan Wyatt (drums), Clare Widdowson (bass), John Chapman (piano) and featuring Stan Barker.

Recorded February 2021.

Chris is joined by tenor sax player, composer and educator Dean Masser, to discuss his journey into jazz, reflections on improvisation, the influence of the great tenorists, really really listening to albums, and what it's like working on the UK scene.

Dean is one of the most in-demand tenor players in the UK and can be heard ('out of lockdown') in venues north and south of Watford! :-) He also teaches and supports the next generation of players.

Discover more about Dean, including how to book lessons and buy charts, at his website.

Dean's album recommendations include:

• The Cannonball Adderley Quintet in San Francisco (1959) released on Riverside

• Go! by Dexter Gordon (1962) released on Blue Note

• Newk's Time by Sonny Rollins (1959) released 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

Show info

Presenter: Chris Newstead, www.watfordjazzjunction.com

Theme: by SoundWorkLab, licensed through AudioJungle.

Recorded February 2021.

Chris is joined by musician and composer Eddie Parker, to discuss the creative & technical process in lock-down, musical influences, the role of the natural environment for wellness, Loose Tubes and all sorts of jazz en route.

Eddie's career as a flautist-extraordinaire has threaded a creative line between the classical and jazz worlds. He talks about collaboration, suggests not just one 'top-3 album list' but two(!), adds ukele to the house-band and solves a 30-year lyrical mystery for Chris.

Discover more of Eddie's music one Facebook and Bandcamp.

Eddie's album recommendations include:

List One:

• Gnu High by Kenny Wheeler (1975) released on ECM

• Out to Lunch by Eric Dolphy (1964) released on Blue Note

• Visions of the Emerald Beyond by the Mahavishnu Orchestra (1975) released on Columbia

List Two:

• Sinfonia by Luciano Berio (1969) released on Columbia Masterworks

• Red Bird by Trevor Wishart (1978) released on York Eletronic Studios

• Innervisions by Stevie Wonder (1973) released on Tamla

And Chris very much recommends:

• Open Letter by Loose Tubes (1988) released on EG

Presenter: Chris Newstead, www.watfordjazzjunction.com

Theme: by SoundWorkLab, licensed through AudioJungle.

Additional music: excerpts from "The Secret Life of Trees" (featuring Eddie Parker & Simon Limbrick); "Stacatto" (composed & performed Eddie Parker).

Recorded February 2021.

Chris is joined by his brother, musician and composer Jim Newstead, to discuss mental wellness, great albums and the importance of listening to music.

Jim's YouTube channel has racked up hundreds of thousands of views across the last 3 years. Across this time Jim has received countless recommendations for tracks to review, including Snarky Puppy, Hiromi and Tigran Hamasyan mixed in amongst more heavy metal, prog rock and fusion than you can shake a studded-leather wrist band at.

Jim also reviews our house band. You'll have to listen to find out if Kajagoogoo really can have helped to evict Jaco Pastorius!

Jim's album recommendations include:

• Pungent Effulgent by Ozric Tentacles (1989) released on Madfish Records

• We Like It Here by Snarky Puppy (2018) released on Groundup Records

• Tres Caballeros by The Aristocrats (2015) released on BOING Music LLC

And Chris very much recommends reading:

• But Beautiful: A Book About Jazz by Geoff Dyer (1991)

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

Theme: by SoundWorkLab, licensed through AudioJungle.

Recorded February 2021.

Chris is joined by jazz musician and composer, Faye MacCalman.

Faye shares her journey into jazz, explores free improvisation, explains her new compositions for BBC Sounds, rates the Lancaster Jazz Festival, chooses her 3 favourite albums of all time, and replaces a member of our house band! Wow!

Faye’s album listing includes:

• Clouds by Joni Mitchell (1969) on Reprise Records.

• Outward Bound by Eric Dolphy (196o) on New Jazz records.

• 12 Little Spells by Esperanza Spalding (2018) on Concord records.

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

Theme: by SoundWorkLab, licensed through AudioJungle.

Photo of Faye by Victoria Wai.

Music: 'The Only One' and 'Music Is A Safe Place' by Faye MacCalman and both produced,mixed and mastered by Graham Dowdall. Available on BBC Sounds later in 2021.

Recorded January 2021.

Chris reviews 5 gigs held in the second half of this year's EFG London Jazz Festival (13-22 November 2020). Most of the gigs reviewed should still have their streams available to watch for free, linked from the LJF website.

Using a exceptionally complex and subtle scoring structure(!) Chris reflects on performances from Yazz Ahmed, Kansas Smitty's, Istanbul Psychedelic, Jerry and the Pelican System, and Abel Selaocoe.

This is the last episode in the current series. A new series will return in early 2021.

Album recommendations:

• Polyhymnia Remixed by Yazz Ahmed (2020) - Released by Yazz Ahmed.

• Things Happened Here by Kansas Smitty's (2020) - Released on K7.

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.

Theme: by SoundWorkLab, licensed through AudioJungle.

Recorded 17 December 2020.