Cambridge Jazz Co-op

13/02/2025

Thanks to everyone who attended an excellent session with the peerless saxophonist, composer and teacher Alan Barnes, who was as affable, urbane and witty as ever. A great time was had by all, and a good turnout it was.
Next week, 22 February, we have the wonderful drummer, teacher and published author on jazz and improvisation Buster Birch. Buster is great: when he's not impersonating Buster Keaton (really) he runs some great courses, and writes some excellent books. His classes are always a delight.
This time, well this is what he's got planned for us:
"I am going to do "Close Your Eyes" this time, looking at the Gene Ammons recording. I've done a full arrangment and transcription. We can look at minor ii-Vs and also 2 feel vs 4 feel for the rhythm section. I've also transcribed his solo and there's some nice licks in there.
Here's the link to the original recording... https://youtu.be/RzwSyJ_CEac

If your'e on the Coop mailing list you'll get the link to the Google Drive folder with all the parts and handouts...
Please ask them to check out the parts, as its a transcription (with intro and ending) not the real book version! Ta."

https://geni.us/onlinejazzworkshopsRecorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studios on June 16, 1960Gene Ammons – tenor saxophoneTommy Flanagan – pianoDoug Watkins – bass...

27/01/2025

As usual, a big thank you to all the people who attended the session we had with trumpeter Steve Fishwick. A great turnout for a very good event.
Our next visiting tutor is the ever popular saxophonist/clarinetist, composer, arranger, wit and raconteur Alan Barnes.
Alan, who should need no introduction is always enthusiastic and full of positive encouragement for everyone. I always find that after a session with Alan I take away at least one inspirational nugget that I can work on for the next few months.
Anyway, on this occasion he's has chosen two interesting tunes to run through with us: Zootcase by Zoot Sims. Please be aware: This is a 32 bar AABA format tune, there are many other tunes on YouTube called Zootcase that are NOT the one we are studying.
The second tune is the famous jazz standard, 'When Lights are Low' by Benny Carter. But with a difference! Many 'Real Books' have a middle eight that Miles Davis came up with, NOT the original Benny Carter middle eight that we are going to be dealing with, which is a more interesting and more coherent set of ii-ViI's.
If you are a regular attender will send the music through to you in the next day or two.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNf1xggRaNM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPyQ_B855wQ

When Lights are Low Carter Benny 1985 Benny Carter in Copenhagen From a club concert in Copenhagen in 1985 we see a jam with Benny Carter alto sax, Red Norvo...

13/01/2025

First of all, a big thanks to everyone who came along to the first Jazz Coop of the year last Saturday with Sam Miles.

It was a great turn out and a very insightful couple of hours, looking at among many other things, ways to add rhythmic coherence and phrasing to solos, something we haven't really touched on much lately.

This Saturday, January 18, we have another opportunity to get more help from a great pro player, the top trumpeter Steve Fishwick, who is increasingly away in Europe. I'm glad we were able to get him along this season.

He wants to go through the Blues with us, focusing on two tunes, the simple folk-blues See See Rider, a basic 12 Bar in concert Bb. First recorded in the 1920's by Ma Rainey, it dates back to the beginnings of jazz before the dawn of the 20th century. Later made popular by the Animals and Elvis Presley, I have attached a version for you with Jimmy Witherspoon singing live alongside some jazz greats: Ben Webster, Jimmy Rowles and Gerry Mulligan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siF-mgUXfnU

C.C. Rider
Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises C.C. Rider · Mel Lewis · Leroy Vinnegar · John Tynan · Jimmy Rowles · Jimmy Witherspoon · Gerry Mulligan · Ben Webster Jimmy Witherspoon at the Renaissance ℗ 1988 © Originally Released 1960

For his second piece, Steve has supplied parts for a minor Blues in C minor by the hard bop pianist, Duke Pearson, Empathy. To spice it up further it's in 6/8 and has a solo form of AAB = 48 bars. So, something for us to get our teeth into there. The parts are attached for you to download and/or printout. With amazing solos from Freddie Hubbard and Joe Henderson on the original recording.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwnMbteqqeg

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music GroupEmpathy · Duke PearsonSweet Honey Bee℗ 1967 Blue Note RecordsReleased on: 1993-01-01Producer: Alfred LionComposer...

06/01/2025

Coop news, new season 2025 starts soon!

A very Happy New Year to everyone - I hope everybody has had a great holiday break and a chance to prepare for the delights of 2025.
At the Cambridge Jazz Coop we have a new programme starting next Saturday, January 11.
If you would like to see who we've got coming along to us, then head on over to:
https://cambridgejazzcoop.org.uk/wp/index.php/current-programme/ for a full list, and other details. The programme for this year contains some of the best UK jazz musicians around!
Our first guest tutor is the local saxophone star, Sam Miles, who's planning to guide us through two great standards, September in the Rain, and Stompin' at the Savoy.
Sam is a great jazz educator, kind and patient, with a gift for explaining what appears to be complicated in very simple terms. Don't miss this.
There will be more about the tunes when the parts are sent out, if you are on our mailing list.
See you there!

Current Programme Please always check this online schedule or our page before setting out in case any last-minute change of tutor occurs and check the other pages for further information regarding the Cambridge Jazz Coop if you haven’t been along before! Newcomers, guests and visitors wel...

06/12/2024

As usual, a big thanks to everyone who enjoyed the visit from the superb Buster Birch last Saturday. Doing Mack the Knife as a mambo was a master stroke as it kept the rhythm section busy and introduced the idea of the clave, while getting everyone playing a lot of the time. He also had us memorising the melody and the changes, too, which was quite an achievement!
For our last Coop of 2024 we have a visit from the virtuoso pianist Mike Gorman. Mike is a regular member in the bands of guitarists Jim Mullen and Nigel Price. He first came along to us over 20 years ago: I still remember his clear and amazingly helpful explanations of the harmony of 'Have you met Ms Jones?', so he's always been a favourite tutor of mine.
This time he wants us to consider the beautiful Jerome Kern piece: The Folks Who Live on the Hill, as either a samba or a bossa nova. That'll be fun, I'm sure.
There are many versions of this jazz standard, some very schmaltzy, on YouTube and Spotify with which you can acquaint yourself.
Mike is also suggesting a warm-up via a 'Blues with a bridge' which he's going to compose and send through the parts for later. I will of course forward them to you when they arrive.
Don't miss this last CJC before the Christmas bedlam takes over. We are resuming on Saturday 11 January 2025.
Merry Christmas to you all!

27/11/2024

First, a big thanks to everyone who made it along to the very interesting workshop given by Rob Luft as part of the Cambridge Jazz Festival (which was rather splendid, too).
Following swiftly on, this Saturday, 30 November, we have one of our favourite tutors (in fact Rob Luft name-checked Buster as having been a great motivator for him when he was starting out).
Buster Birch is a great drummer/percussionist but most of all a teacher. He has the gift of making the complicated simple and clear! He's also a published author with a series of very successful books available via Amazon. https://www.busterbirch.co.uk/biography will tell you more.
As a result of his busy schedule he's not very easy to get hold of, so this is a rare opportunity to meet him and get his pearls of wisdom concerning all aspects of jazz and improvisation.
On this visit he's planning to look at the jazz standard, Mack the Knife. This time with a twist; it's going to be in Mambo/Latin time

Here’s the YouTube link to the recording of Mack The Knife that we’ll be learning. It’s from an album I did with the latin jazz band “Heads South” featuring Steve Waterman on trumpet…
https://youtu.be/8vv0COjm2OE

Here’s the link to the google folder with all the sheet music, handouts and play-along tracks…
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1LJImA20SuQ4FwaaqlIjjXk58hf0FOJtI?usp=sharing

I’ve also got a new website, which I just launched last month. It’s all been rebranded. There's over 80hrs of video lessons, including 6 different musicianship courses. I now offer a 14-day free trial for anyone to sign up to, which gives you full access to everything on there… https://www.learn2playjazz.com

Award-winning musician, educator & author with 4 series of music tuition books published worldwide on Amazon, Kindle and Apple Books.

16/11/2024

PLEASE NOTE THE TIMING OF THIS WORKSHOP: 1pm - 3:30pm!
Our next Cambridge Jazz Coop is special in many ways, so PLEASE do read this carefully as quite a few things will be different! Just for this event, though, which is going to be quite remarkable.
We have TWO tutors for this session on SATURDAY WEEK, 23 NOVEMBER: Award-winning guitarist, composer/band leader Rob Luft and his sax/clarinetist Joe Wright.
THE VENUE IS DIFFERENT: It's going to take place at the Junction, Clifton Way Cambridge CB1 7GX. It's an easy walk from the railway station!
THE TIMING IS DIFFERENT: It's taking place from 1:00 - 3.30pm, NOT in the morning.
YOU WILL NEED TO BUY YOUR TICKET IN ADVANCE FROM THE JUNCTION BOX-OFFICE: 01223 511 511 / [email protected] (online is best)
It will only be £18, but, as well as getting your ticket in advance via the box-office, you will need to pay for parking: If you get your ticket validated by the box-office you will get a discount: https://cambridgeleisure.co.uk/daily-parking-tariff
The Junction website page below will tell you everything that you need to know about Rob. He is a (genuinely) award-winning, rising International star of Jazz (coming to us from Germany/Switzerland where he's been on tour). This event is unlikely to be repeatable and is entirely thanks to the Cambridge Jazz Festival !
https://www.junction.co.uk/events/workshop-jazz-improvisation-with-rob-luft-joe-wright/

Book tickets for Workshop: Jazz Improvisation with Rob Luft & Joe Wright at J2 at Cambridge Junction. Part of the 2024 Cambridge Jazz Festival Award winning jazz guitarist, Rob Luft and saxophonist & Clarinetist Joe Wright will be working on preselected standards and sharing their approaches and con...

31/10/2024

As a tie in with the Cambridge Jazz Festival, we’re welcoming top trumpeter Martin Shaw as our guest tutor on Saturday 9 November.
He’s playing in the Julian Bliss band in the evening at Saffron Hall, performing music related to Benny Goodman.
In the morning with us Martin is getting us to work on the famous jazz standard: ‘the way you look tonight’ by Jerome Kern.
I’ll send out the parts when I get them from Martin, although there are lots of versions available online.
See you there at the usual place and time, see the website for further details.

17/10/2024

This is the tune that we are playing and working on this Saturday, October 19, at the Cambridge Jazz Coop.
Hope to see you there!

Joe Henderson Quintet - Recorda-Me (1963)Personnel: Kenny Dorham (trumpet), Joe Henderson (tenor sax), McCoy Tyner (piano), Butch Warren (bass), Pete La Roca...

17/10/2024

Next tutor up, this Saturday 19 October, is the wonderful young saxophonist, composer and arranger Phil Meadows who is definitely worth checking out.
He is both enthusiastic and incredibly well-organised, as the details below show.
He's planning to look at the excellent Joe Henderson tune, Recorda Me.

I’ve got an idea I’m excited about —using Recorda Me to explore improvisation within a Bossa Nova groove. We’ll focus on developing rhythmic tension to shape solos, encouraging interaction with the rhythm section in a style where the groove is normally quote settled., while also taking a modal approach to the harmony. It’s adaptable for different ability levels, offering something for everyone. It also explores how we can play within and outside of the clave!

A Modal Approach to Recorda Me

Warm Up:
Establishing the Bossa Nova groove - a brief overview and explanation of how it all locks together.
Improvising on the clave - some call and response on a Bossa Nova vamp, followed by short solos from all.

Introducing the Tune:
Listen to Joe Henderson version to familiarise everyone with its structure and feel.
Break down the form and highlight it’s modal vs functional harmony structure: First 8 bars is very open before descending ii V I’s.
Review the harmony looking at the bigger modal picture - using pentatonics, full scales and for more advanced players looking at where chromaticism or other options might work.
Play a version!

BREAK

Improvisation Exercise:
Exploration of consonant and syncopated rhythmic ideas. Deliberate playing phrases that flow within the style, and adding rhythmic tension to break free.
Play a version where everyone gets to explore the feeling of both approaches.
Exploration of mixing the two to add shape to solos and encourage rhythm section interaction.

Closing Performance:
Final version - breaking free of the specifics covered in the session!
Any questions?

END

Phil Meadows BA (Hons), MMus
Arranger | Conductor | Composer | Saxophonist
Specialist in cross-genre orchestral collaboration
philmeadowsmusic.co.uk

Credits inc. Metropole Orkest, BBC Concert Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Engines Orchestra
‘Meadows has a formidable reputation as an innovative composer’

The home of Phil Meadows; saxophonist, conductor, composer, educator and DJ. Phil runs the Engines Orchestra and Online Jazz School; is a musical director with the NYJO Academy and lectures at the University of Kent's CMAT. Having worked with Ingrid Jensen, Phronesis, Femi Temowo and more, he's a re

25/09/2024

We had a very good, if poorly attended, session last Saturday with Martin Hathaway, as was the one with Alan Barnes.
It's a shame that turnout is currently so poor. We are not breaking even at the moment, and this obviously cannot continue indefinitely!
Hopefully in October things will have settled down and life will get back to normal after the summer break so numbers may rise.
I have managed to organize a tie-in with the Cambridge Jazz Festival so that we should gain from their publicity, by way of a visit from top trumpeter Martin Shaw, who is part of the Julian Bliss band playing at Saffron Hall the same day. https://www.saffronhall.com/whats-on/view/julian-bliss-2
Also, there is a visit from the highly regarded young internationally famous guitarist Rob Luft that the Coop is organizing for the Jazz Festival, though this is going to be in the afternoon at the Junction venue, where his band is playing in the evening https://www.junction.co.uk/events/rob-luft-quartet-with-the-amika-string-quartet/ on Saturday 23 November.
As an added bonus, Rob will be co-teaching with his saxophonist Joe Wright!
If you want more details, then head over to our website https://cambridgejazzcoop.org.uk/wp/index.php/current-programme/
Please notice that our other festival-connected session with Quentin Collins has sadly had to be cancelled. I'm hoping to rebook him in 2025.

Meanwhile next up, we have the ebullient and entertaining virtuosic French hornist, Jim Rattigan on October 5. He's told me he'd like to look at two great jazz standards/jam tunes: Tune Up and I'll Remember April.
Since both those tunes contain lots of ii-V-I's his insights should be very useful for when we next attend Chris and Dennis' Tram Depot jams, or for applying to lots of other Great American Song Book Standards! I will send out the charts & parts to those on my mailing list when I get them, though they are of course widely available in Real Books fake and legit and online.
Hope to see you there!

Current Programme Please always check this online schedule or our page before setting out in case any last-minute change of tutor occurs and check the other pages for further information regarding the Cambridge Jazz Coop if you haven’t been along before! Newcomers, guests and visitors wel...

12/09/2024

Next up at the Jazz Coop is top UK jazz educator and animator, Martin Hathaway.
He’s going to explore a John Surman tune, Hilltop Dancer off the ECM album Brewster’s Rooster.
If you want to hear it you’ll need to go to Spotify (it isn’t on YouTube) or some other streaming service, perhaps.
I’ll send out the sheet music parts shortly to those in the mailing list.
We’re meeting at 10:30 on Saturday 21 September!

12/09/2024

Thanks to everyone involved in Alan Barnes’ visit to us last Saturday. It was a great success, and a lot of fun was had. Here’s the video requested by Arthur of what to do to get a nice flowing line over a minor 251. Attributed to Barry Harris, according to Alan. Enjoy.

30/08/2024

Check out this tune: My Groove, Your Move by tenorist Hank Mobley, with an all-star band including Art Blakey on drums and Freddie Hubbard on trumpet! A bluesy/funky minor thing in a 12-bar form with an interesting turnaround.
This is what we're going to have fun with, under the guidance of ace clarinetist/saxophonist Alan Barnes on Saturday 7 September, when the Jazz Coop restarts for the autumn. (Usual start time at 10:30)
Alan shouldn't need any introduction as one of the UK's best musicians and teachers; he's also been to us a few times, in fact he's one of our most popular tutors.
He told me that he chose the Mobley tune, off the album Roll Call, because there are:
"Some nice figures to get the rhythm section to play, and a playable head for the horns."
The second piece we're going to look at is:
Higham Minor by Alan himself. "A tune written to show the difference between major and minor 11-V-1s. Can be played as a Bossa or a straight ahead swing", he says.
I couldn't find any recordings or performance of this tune on YouTube or Spotify. If you can track it down, let me know, please.
See you there!
If you would like to know what other treats are in store for us this autumn (or other details) then please visit the website: https://cambridgejazzcoop.org.uk/wp/index.php/current-programme/
We're tying in with the Cambridge Jazz Festival in November with some new tutors, including the amazing guitarist and ECM recording artist Rob Luft!
https://youtu.be/ou14RVXuquA?si=J656bxVlfLkvCIPj

Freddie Hubbard, trumpet; Hank Mobley, tenor sax; Wynton Kelly, piano; Paul Chambers, bass; Art Blakey, drums

19/08/2024

It’s now less than three weeks until the Cambridge Jazz Coop resumes its activities as the autumn season begins with a session led by the virtuoso saxophonist, clarinetist and composer Alan Barnes on September 7.
Put that in your diary!
You can check out our upcoming tutors at the CJC website:
cambridgejazzcoop.org.uk/wp/index.php/current-programme/
There are only nine sessions over the four months between now and Christmas largely because of the way the Saturdays fall, but to synergise with the Cambridge Jazz Festival we have a very busy November, featuring two top trumpeters and the international guitarist Rob Luft!
I hope that as many people as possible can make it to these sessions which are a definite resource for anyone keen on improving their music making and developing their improvisation skills.

Current Programme Please always check this online schedule or our page before setting out in case any last-minute change of tutor occurs and check the other pages for further information regarding the Cambridge Jazz Coop if you haven’t been along before! Newcomers, guests and visitors wel...

20/06/2024

On 29 June, Saturday week, we have our final Jazz Coop before the summer break with the highly regarded multi instrumentalist Andy Panayi who’s going to take us through the famous jazz standard, the Sam Rivers’ tune Beatrice.
Andy Panayi is a great sax, clarinet and flute player and tutor, who is also a very well organised educator. He has all the parts for the tunes he likes teaching, organised as pdf's on a page on his website, so you can access the sheet music you need.
If you go to https://www.andypanayi.co.uk/ap/my-pdfs/ you will be able to scroll down and find all the parts for Beatrice, have a look at it and print out or just download whatever you require. You will also be able to find out much more about Andy from his other website pages.
This should be a very interesting session so please try and come along if you can, especially as I can't make it, sadly!
We will aim to resume the Coop in September. If you have any specific requests for tutors, new or old, then let me know, - also if there's anyone who you thought was not worth re-booking, do tell me.

Sam Rivers was in Miles Davis' band in 1964 and recorded four albums under his own name on BlueNote:
"Rivers wrote “Beatrice” as part of his daily composition ritual, when he thought of his wife as the ideas started percolating. Tony Williams, who Rivers met as a young teenager, had come over for their regular jam session, and Ron Carter stopped by as well. Rivers started playing the tune for them, and it quickly crystallized. Little did he know he was immortalizing his wife. Williams and Carter eventually served as the rhythm section on the original recording, abetted by pianist Jaki Byard, whose sumptuous block chords set the mood. It begins with a rubato piano intro typical of a ballad, but as the tempo picks up, Rivers never sacrifices the wistfulness and emotional charge of some slower standards, even as he maintains the propulsive force of a mid-tempo arrangement."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2lnek_Z_Zs

Provided to YouTube by Virtual Label LLCBeatrice · Sam Rivers · Jaki Byard · Ron Carter · Tony WilliamsFuchsia Swing Song℗ 2015 Rivbea MusicReleased on: 2015...

20/06/2024

Another big thanks to everyone who came along to be amazed by Jim Rattigan, the virtuoso French Horn player. We had a great time and learnt a lot about the use of different minor scales via the tune ‘Softly, As In a Morning Sunrise’. Thanks, Jim.
On 29 June we have our final Jazz Coop before the summer break with the highly regarded multi instrumentalist Andy Panayi who’s going to take us through the famous Sam Rivers’ tune Beatrice.
Don’t miss it!