Tom Smith: ‘In this country we really do have some of the finest big band musicians in the world’ [Ollie Hayward]

THE big band is a key part of the jazz tradition, but keeping a large ensemble together, let alone making money from it, is a daunting prospect at any time, let alone during the current economic squeeze. Quincy Jones once had a nervous breakdown in Sweden trying to keep his expanded group on the road, such was the stress.

Still, jazz musicians are driven to rise to the challenge – recently Daniel Casimir, Callum Au, Emma Rawicz and the name-to-watch, Berlin-based Fabia Mantwill have all fronted their own big bands/orchestras, as well as playing in more intimate settings. But why?

Let’s ask sax man Tom Smith, whose eponymous Big Band plays at the Pizza Express at lunchtime on Sunday, October 5 (https://www.pizzaexpresslive.com/whats-on/the-tom-smith-big-band). This is a very classy ensemble of young but seasoned players and Tom is a talented arranger and composer who writes evocative themes and charts for his stellar soloists (which include Raye, Taylor Swift and Guy Barker’s saxophonist of choice, Graeme Blevins, and top trumpeters Freddie Gavita and Tom Walsh) to shine over. Check out Tom’s album A Year in the Life, a first-rate jazz ode to musical life in London, full of involving colours and textures and catchy riffs. Last time he brought the group together, I suggested to him that you had to be crazy to run a big band, given the logistical hurdles of pulling together so many in-demand players.

The Milk’s album Borderlands is a joy

“You’re right that it’s a huge job,” Tom told me, “but there is something absolutely mesmerising about watching a group of 18+ musicians working together in harmony. Anyone who’s seen a big band performing live will know this immensely, especially in London where you can get right up and close to the performers and feel every note in your bones. In this country we really do have some of the finest big band musicians in the world – musicians who’ve studied this music all their life inside and out, and know exactly what to do to elevate it to the highest level.”

You can read the whole of his Big Band Theory over on my blog: https://robtryan.com/

To get a sense of where smaller scale jazz in London is going, check out the Jazz Café’s Future Jazz Showcase on October 17 (https://thejazzcafe.com/event/future-jazz-showcase/?). It is a regular event that puts the best of the new, emerging jazz talent on stage, in this case with a triple-header of names tbc, but in the past, it has helped introduce Nubya Garcia, Shabaka Hutchins and Blue Lab Beats to a wider public.

Speaking of whom, the BLB boys are curating one of the Albert Hall’s Late-Night Jazz events, featuring trumpeter Poppy Daniels, who wowed everyone at the Love Supreme Festival. She is playing at the Royal Albert Hall (in the Elgin Room, not the main auditorium) appearing with endearing Geordie Jazz group Knats, another Love Supreme winner. For the entire schedule see: https://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/series/late-night-jazz – and BLB themselves appear at the Jazz Café with a full band on November 4, see: https://thejazzcafe.com/event/blue-lab-beats/?

If you like the current trend of looking back to the funk/soul/jazz of the late 60s and 70s for inspiration, you’ll definitely like the album Borderlands by The Milk. It is a joy – a fusion of soul/pop with jazz, funk, complete with punchy Kamasi Washington/Eddie Gale/Pearl & Dean choral. The horns sometimes remind me of the days when Chicago and Blood Sweat and Tears were pioneering jazz-rock bands, not pop botherers. Just listen to killer opening track I Need Your Love with its horn stabs and keening, soulful vocals or the brass riff on The Middle to see what I mean.

It might not be pure jazz – it veers into Richard Hawley territory at times, which is fine by me – but it is beautifully produced and I love it. Buy (don’t stream) it. Borderlands was launched a few days past at 229, a venue in Great Portland Street, which covers a broad spectrum of music, including jazz – the great trumpeter Keyon Harrold is there on October 21 and the legendary master percussionist and activist Kahil El’Zabar – always a banger live – on November 11 (https://229.london/whatson/).

If you are fleet of foot, you can still catch the annual Sounds of Denmark jazz fest at Pizza Express. Some fabulous artists are on this year, with atmospheric and melodic Nordic jazz from saxophonist Cecile Strange and jazz/trip-hop from Astral Cinema (September 25) and the bass giant who is Jasper Høiby with his piano trio (26). See https://www.pizzaexpresslive.com/whats-on for details and tickets.

Clara Sierra López plays Jazz Cafe Posk on October 3

There are two “Jazz Voice” events on the horizon. One is the opening gala of the London Jazz Festival on November 14 (https://efglondonjazzfestival.org.uk), of which more next time, and the other is, as mentioned last month, the re-opening after its summer break of Jazz Café Posk over in Hammersmith.

This is a venue that majors in Polish jazz, but not exclusively. The first night (October 3) features the intriguing Clara Serra López, whom I heard on BBC 3’s Round Midnight, and who is Catalan/Cuban, and Welsh-born Ian Shaw, one of our finest interpreters of a lyric and a terrific songwriter. Monica Lidke, who is also on the bill, is Polish-born, but it doesn’t matter where they are from – add classy vocalist Imogen Ryall to the mix and you have a quartet of great voices – four acts for £15. The same deal is on offered on the Saturday (October 4) with the remarkable violinist/vocalist Alice Zawadzki in a line-up that includes Vimala Rowe (often featured in these pages thanks to her duo with guitarist John Etheridge), smooth Freddie Benedict and another Polish-born violinist and singer, Agata Kubiak. Tickets: https://jazzcafeposk.org

A quick reminder that another Jazz in the House series starts at Lauderdale House in Highgate on October 9. As usual, a series of quality acts are involved, starting with the musically globe-trotting Oxley-Meier Guitar Project – for details of the whole run see https://www.lauderdalehouse.org.uk/whats-on/jazz-house

Outside that series, the unclassifiable Casimir Connection (try classical-jazz chamber music for starters), featuring the fabulous soprano sax of composer Diane McLoughlin, holds court on September 28 (https://www.lauderdalehouse.org.uk/whats-on/the-casimir-connection).

There’s an intriguing tribute to Miles Davis at Kings Place, part of a series curated by Michael Mwenso, former MC at Ronnie Scott’s before Wynton Marsalis stole him away. It will feature consummate trumpeter Jay Phelps, of Empirical fame, playing selections from the Miles canon, particularly Kind of Blue, and conversations between him, Michael and musician, poet/writer Ammar Kalia. Expect fresh insights into Miles and his music. Book on https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/contemporary/a-celebration-of-miles-davis-with-jay-phelps-and-ammar-kalia/