July 2020 A brand-new podcast about Brighton’s vibrant jazz scene Listen now on any podcast app or visit brightonjazzsafari.com 4 Pat Pascal: The Purpose of Jazz 22 Lockdown Diaries: Tim Lea Young (M3ON) 7 Jazz News 24 Interview: James Copus 8 Simon Spillett: Birth of a Collector 28 Lockdown Diaries: 13 Jazz Essentials Abiola Otusanya (GiwHa) 14 Gina Southgate: Five Questions 30 Big Band Scene with John Russell 32 Live Stream Review 34 Album Reviews 43 Live Stream Listings 44 Pete Recommends... Click on the blue SJM logo at the bottom of each page to return to the contents page. Cover: Isobella Burnham by Pat Pascal This Page: James Copus by Lisa Wormsley Pat Pascal The Purpose of Jazz Jazz beginnings are deeply rooted in are free and all can connect. the self-expression of inequality and discrimination of black people. From I passionately believe that the the spirituals, blues, ragtime to West universality of jazz can potentially Africa folk, jazz has evolved so much serve as a bridge to achieve unity over the years into the musical form and mutual understanding, but we we know today. can only fulfil this higher purpose in a truly balanced and inclusive scene. For me, the authenticity of jazz lies Just like in life, until we are all free to in the idea that anyone can, in real- express ourselves, and treated time, create a musical piece that equally, no togetherness or real unity represents a unique impression of will be accomplished. personal experiences. Although we are all equal in our humanity, we all All the equality and diversity policies have lived very different can't save us if we as individuals circumstances and indeed are born aren’t personally invested in creating with different fingerprints. At its best, a more diverse and fair world. jazz is a channel to express human Policies alone are not enough to spirituality and emotion. At its worst, change behaviours, prejudice and is exploited for pure self-promotion stereotypes. We need to be the and exhibitionism, creating an example, with more action and less environment of unhealthy talk. competition and segregation. As the biggest self-expression platform ever In some European countries finding a created, jazz has been a reflection of jazz musician of colour is still like all the different sides of humanity finding a needle in a haystack. Why? throughout times. A place where all Non-white musicians don’t play jazz 4 SJM July 2020 because they don’t see themselves to advocate for more performing represented. Expressing their cultural opportunities for young non-white background through jazz is not musicians, in the early stages of their always welcomed or accepted as a careers. Promoters need to take valid jazz form. We seem to forget advantage of the UK´s strong the mixed origin of jazz. educational jazz network to increase collaborations and nurture youth jazz This lack of diversity and unbalanced talent, always prioritising inclusivity. representation over the decades has With Brexit on the way, cultural been the biggest obstacle to create diversity may be the only hope in more diverse scenes and that is also changing mentalities, educating a mirror of our society. We need all people and creating opportunities for voices to be heard. real learning and healing experiences. Presently, the UK seems to be living a grace period of mind openness that Here are some fresh black voices, we haven't seen in a long time. Now, under 24, already performing their more than ever, all working in the original music, to follow and support: jazz spectrum have the opportunity and the responsibility to Trumpet player Ife Ogunjobi counterbalance representation. We performing at Sofar London here. need to actively build more inclusive programmes and those who don't Guitarist Mansur Brown (above) should not be working in the jazz performing live for NTS here. industry, simply because they are disrespecting what jazz stands for. Singer and pianist Kianja performing at One Eyed Jack’s here. There is a lot of work to be done also to balance gender equality. It is Nihilism performing in this video at part of Jazznewblood.org’s purpose Jazz:Refreshed here. SJM July 2020 5 Pianist Sultan Stevenson just released Pianist Roella Oloro performing live at his debut single here. Ghostnotes here. Saxophonist Xhosa Cole performing his Greek Suite here. Music talent runs in this family, discover singer Akin here and brother Xvngo saxophonist here. Saxophonist Donovan Hafner and singer and bass player Isobella Burnham (below) performing as part of our #jazznewbloodALIVE2019 Compilation here. Saxophonist and singer, Kaidi Akinnibi featured in this song with his band Invariance here. Singer and trombone player Richie Seivwright performing at Jazz:Refreshed here. Other names to keep an eye on: Deschanel Gordon (piano), Manny Alexandra (vocals), Elias Jordan (trumpet), Cara Crosby (vocals) and Daniel Higham (trombone). All photos by Pat Pascal. 6 SJM July 2020 Jazz News Music Venue Trust’s Open Letter Jazz South Commissions The Music Venue Trust, the charitable Jazz South have launched two open call organisation that aims to help improve, initiatives, Jazz South Radar Commissions maintain, and organise music venues in the and Jazz South Breakthrough UK, have sent an open letter to the UK Commissions, to support 14 jazz government asking for a £50 million composers “at different career stages to financial support package and a reduction create new work”. Online applications are on the VAT on future ticket sales. The letter now open with the deadline at 5pm on has been signed by the owners and Friday 31st July 2020. More information operators of the UK’s grassroots music can be found here. venues including The Brunswick, Latest Bar and The Verdict. Read the letter here. Jazz Education Changes New Generation Jazz TV Set To Launch The long running Chichester jazz course is Brighton’s New Generation Jazz are set to set to close this year, along with the entire launch a TV channel. In a statement they music department at Chichester College. said: “While live events remain impossible The jazz course has run for the past 39 we will be moving our operations online to years and in the past has been headed by our New Generation Jazz TV multi-platform Chris McDonald, Adrian Kendon, Simon de format to bring you a spread of high Souza and Julian Nicholas. quality livestreams, educational videos, Meanwhile, Buster Birch’s Original UK Jazz interactive events and exclusive online Summer School is running an alternative 3- content from the very best emerging day live, online jazz course from Tuesday talent.” More details will be available via 4th to Thursday 6th August, 2020. More their website and Facebook page. details here. SJM July 2020 7 Simon Spillett Birth of a Collector Writer and musician Simon Spillett introduces an extract from his forthcoming book Upward, Backwards and Free: A that when it comes to an idiom as Journey Into Jazz was written over a broad and diverse as jazz there really couple of weeks during the Covid-19 is no 'right' way in. I also sincerely pandemic-enforced 'Lockdown'. hope it inspires others to check out I lost my Dad following an the music I discuss in its pages, which eighteen month battle with cancer on covers everything from swing to the April 4th and thinking back to how it avant-garde, and takes in profiles of was he who'd been my first real figures as diverse as Albert Ayler and inspiration as a jazz musician (and Benny Carter. fan), I began to wonder how I might commemorate his passing. At the Birth of a Collector same time as this, Facebook was awash with people posting their There comes a time when even a favourite albums, the protocol for respectful, well-behaved, historically which being that you could only use aware, slightly nerdy teenager has to the cover image and not discuss the rebel against his parents. Well, if not music. These two quite separate exactly rebel then at least deviate things combined to inspire me to write somewhat. In my case this moment the new book, which outlines my was all rather ‘blink and you’ll miss it’, journey as a new jazz listener (and so mild and imperceptible as to go wanna-be musician) in my early days, unnoticed by anyone but me. It tracing the albums I was exploring, the happened in March 1989 and the music I was trying to make (and only reason I have the month fixed in understand) and, throughout, the key my mind is that it was sometime role my Dad played in inspiring me to during the spring half-term break of dig further into the history and magic my second year in secondary of the jazz idiom. education. I was fourteen and growing Although it's written from an up fast; it seemed the right time to autobiographical standpoint I wanted strike a blow for my independence, the rather skewed way I came to the even if it was one delivered in a rather music to inspire others and to show unaggressive fashion. 8 SJM July 2020 I’d already mystified my class can still vividly recall the veto my mates – then enraptured by Kylie mates put on my suggestion that we Minogue, Bros and the like – through dress like the Lighthouse All-Stars my love of jazz. To be honest it was circa. 1953. I’d already got my shirt – hardly worth bringing up the subject the loudest, proudest piece of tacky in their company as any mention of cod-Hawaiian tat you’ve ever seen and the word jazz would prompt a slew of somewhere there exists a photo of me wearing it, stood by an exotic tree in our front garden, while holding an alto saxophone.