Michael Janisch Residency
Wednesday 16th & Thursday 17th June 2010
Michael Janisch Presents: Graeme Blevins Quintet featuring Grammy Nominated Trumpeter Till Brönner
£15 / £10 (Students)
An exciting collaboration featuring guiding lights of contemporary jazz and fusion led by Australian Saxophonist Graeme Blevins (Kyle Eastwood, Kylie Minogue, Mark Turner, Guy Barker), featuring 2 time Grammy-Nominated German Trumpeter Till Bronner. Also featured is first call UK guitar ace, the enormously versatile and virtuosic Mike Outram, and one of the jazz world's prominent new voices, Luxembourg native Paul Wiltgen, on drumset and percussion, who has worked with Dave Binney, Aaron Goldberg and Kurt Rosenwinkel. The music will blend across jazz's borders mixing bebop with fusion, rock, groove, and a delicate balance of complexity and melody.
London-based Australian Saxophonist Graeme Blevins is one of the most in demand musicians in the UK, performing across genres from Jazz to Rock to Pop and R 'n B. A studied and soulful improvisor, he has performed with Guy Barker, Manu Katche, Geoff Gascoyne, Joel Frahm, Mark Turner, and currently holds the sax chair in world famous Kyle Eastwood's band (son of Clint Eastwood). A hugely in-demand pop and session musician, he has recently performed world wide with Kylie Minogue, and just recorded an album with the legendary Phil Collins. His compositions blend a perfect mix of melody and complexity, largely drawing on influences from the NY downtown scene, and his playing features a phenomenal technique that has been influenced by a hybrid of the playing styles of Chris Potter and Mark Turner, with a strong foot in jazz's rich tradition.
The special guest on these two dates include the largest selling jazz musician in German history, 2-time Grammy-Nominated trumpeter, composer, and producer, Till Bronner. Born in Germany and raised in Rome, Italy, Bronner was first hugely influenced by Charlie Parker and Louis Armstrong. His unique jazz approach is a hybrid of bebop and fusion jazz, but also modern pop music, movie soundtracks (especially old German movies), and modern German Pop Songs. His trumpet playing has been compared to Freddie Hubbard, Dizzy Gillespie, and Chet Baker. In 2009, his solo with Take 6 was nominated for a Grammy for "Best Jazz Solo" and he has also performed with Annie Lennox, Milton Nascimento, and Aimee Mann.
Graeme Blevins (Saxophones), Till Bronner (Trumpet), Mike Outram (Guitars), Michael Janisch (Basses), Paul Wiltgen (Drums)
Wednesday 21st July 2010
Michael Janisch Presents: Jim Hart Trio featuring US Trumpeter Ralph Alessi
£15 (£10 Students)
Vibraphonist Jim Hart has established himself as one of the premier creative jazz musicians of his generation in the UK. He is first call as a multi-instrumentalist, playing drums, piano, and vibraphone, and his creative output has been heralded in the international jazz press as being unique and forward thinking, while holding a firm foot in many of jazz's great traditions, from both the American and European schools.
He has performed with Stan Sulzmann, Alan Barnes, the Loop Collective, and was in Sir John Dankworth's band for a number years. He also founded and co-runs the much acclaimed Loop Collective. Tonight he presents a new project featuring his regular sparring partner Dave Smith on drums, and US born, London resident Michael Janisch on bass, and one of the most all-encompassing modern trumpeters on the planet, Ralph Alessi, currently a resident and first call improvising musician of New York's greatly diverse jazz scene, performing with artists such as Steve Coleman, Ravi Coltrane, Uri Caine and Jason Moran. As a unit they will also feature some compositions by special guest Alessi, and present sounds that are heavily influenced by the current jazz trends in both London and New York, for an outstanding Anglo-American project not to be missed. This will also be the only London date of an extensive UK wide tour.
Jim Hart (Vibraphone), Ralph Alessi (Trumpet), David Smith (Drums) and Michael Janisch (Bass)