Josh Kyle
Josh Kyle - Possibilities

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD ONLY FROM ITUNES FROM 20th OCT

Kyle came to the UK just two years and soon got the backing of Claire Martin and Ian Shaw and began to work with renowned bassist Geoff Gascoyne, who was influential in Jamie Cullum’s early success.
After a year of careful preparation Possibilities is the result and it’s set to be released on Jazzizit records in the autumn with a launch at Pizza Express Jazz Club on 20 October followed by a further London date at Lauderdale House on 17 November. Kyle has a high, almost falsetto alto voice slightly reminiscent of a Michael Franks or Jimmy Scott, even Chet Baker on ‘The Thrill is Gone’, but he is clearly no copyist.
Standouts include ‘Proof’ (a fine version of Herbie Hancock’s ‘Actual Proof’ from the influential Thrust album) and aside from the totally believable nature of Kyle’s vocal delivery the band accompanying him has a very hip feel to it, with none of the retro swing mannerisms that could have erected a barrier between performer and listener. Tom Cawley’s Fender Rhodes sets the mood for the most part but Gascoyne, especially when he plays electric bass, really keeps the momentum up providing formidable support for Kyle while Ralph Salmins is as dependable as you’d expect from a top jazz and session drummer
Trudy Kerr
Trudy Kerr - Reunion

REUNION
TRUDY KERR AND INGRID JAMES

 

Musicians
Geoff Gascoyne – acoustic bass
Tom Cawley – piano
Seb de Krom – drums
                
‘A CD you’ll want to revisit again and again.  I love it!” - Anita Wardell

 

Trudy Kerr’s ninth album, ‘Reunion’ on the Jazzizit label, sees her teaming up with her long-time friend, the Australian jazz chanteuse, Ingrid James. Between them, they deliver an eclectic selection of jazz, latin and folk songs by composers such as Chick Corea, Bob Dorough, Baden Powell and Carole King.  Trudy and Ingrid laid down the album’s thirteen tracks at the Clowns Pocket Studios in Kent. Song titles include a swinging version of ‘This Could Be the Start of Something Big’ inspired by Jon Hendricks; ‘Dancing on the Ceiling’ with a vocalese penned by Georgie Fame; ‘Cry No More’ by Baden Powell and ‘Soft Shoe’ based on the original Gerry Mulligan Quartet arrangement. Trudy and Ingrid provided the words for the vocalese on ‘Soft Shoe’ and the complete lyrics for Bud Powell’s ‘A Little Crazy’ aka Un Poco Loco.

The story behind the new album
“When Trudy first asked me if I'd like to record an album with her during a recent visit to London, it felt like the most natural thing to do, “ says Ingrid, talking about how the album came about. Both singers had sung together in Australia 20 years ago and, says Ingrid, “I was excited at the prospect of revisiting that wonderful time when our voices would meld so freely and so effortlessly.”

From opposite sides of the planet, rehearsing was no problem thanks to the latest Skype technology and once repertoire and arrangements were complete, REUNION was recorded in London over two very intensive days in July 2009. ”Jazz has always been at the heart of Ingrid’s and my friendship,” says Trudy, “ so making repertoire choices was quite easy - even though we are two very different singers, our influences over the years have been similar.”

Over the last decade in particular, Trudy and Ingrid have led parallel musical lives in jazz performance and voice education. They have been able to observe each other from a great distance, and watch each other grow as individuals. ‘Reunion’ represents a coming together of these two great jazz singers on opposite sides of the world, showing the musical empathy which they both share.

Geoff Gascoyne
Geoff Gascoyne - Pop Bop

After six years touring and recording with Jamie Cullum, Geoff returns with a new quartet and this fabulous new album. POP BOP is a journey through Geoff's favourite pop songs from the last 30 years, newly arranged and featuring the legendary Jim Mullen - guitar, Graeme Blevins - alto sax and his fellow Jamie Cullum partner Seb de Krom - drums as well as a guest vocal from Trudy Kerr.

Derek Nash
Derek Nash - Snapshot
Snapshot is Derek Nash's second solo album (see also Sax Appeal) which features nine diverse tunes.Derek is a full-time member of the Jools Holland Rhythm and Blues Orchestra, as well as running Sax Appeal and Protect the Beat. Here he records a straight ahead, swinging album in Blue Note style, mixing standards with acoustic interpretations of modern tunes. Derek is featured on all four saxes and is joined by Jan Lundgren - piano, Geoff Gascoyne - bass, Steve Brown Drums. Last year, he was voted one of the top three alto players at the British Jazz Awards, the latest in a long line of accolades he’s received throughout his career. Snapshot includes Grover Washington Jnr and Pat Metheny compositions, each given the acoustic treatment; an obscure Ellington number, some straight-ahead swing, classic ballads and a Gerry Mulligan with counterpoint, courtesy of a Dave Grusin arrangement that Derek has loved for years.

The session, however, was totally unplanned, as Derek explains: I was recording Trudy Kerr’s album, Déjà Vu, as engineer but she and the band were so well rehearsed that they were finished by lunchtime on the second day. Given that Jan (Lundgren - piano) was over from Sweden, and his flight back wasn’t until the next morning, I took advantage of an empty studio, an all-star band that was warmed up, and microphones that were all in place. I pulled out charts that I’d been playing on my ‘guest with the house band’ circuit, and off we went. It really was like an old Blue Note session. We didn’t rehearse, yet amazing jazz appeared from a band that was already running like a hot, well-oiled machine. Three hours later, we had an album. I’ve never done an album of standards before, yet it was surprisingly easy, due to the amazing rhythm section and my 30 years of house band guest spots. It was the best gig I’ve done in years!