http://cambridgejazzcoop.org.uk/

Cambridge Jazz Co-op, William Collyn Community Centre, Girton, Cambridge (2024)

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!

06/06/2024

A big thanks to all those who came along to the wonderful session we had with saxophonist Sam Miles, exploring the minor harmony in the less familiar (to me) jazz standard, Devil May Care.
If you missed it, then you really did miss out!
Our next guest tutor, and second from last before the summer break, is French horn virtuoso and enthuser Jim Rattigan who is going to continue the minor harmony theme with a look at the popular tune, Softly As in a Morning Sunrise. This is not to be missed, so don’t!!
It’s on 15 June, 10:30 - 1pm.
See you there.

29/04/2024

Hi everyone
You may or may not be familiar with Buster Birch, our next tutor due on Saturday May 11, (at the usual start time of 10:30).
Buster, a jazz drummer and educator, was probably our most popular guest for a long while until he set up his own jazz coop down in Kent, latterly online, and started authoring a range of very successful books on jazz and improvisation, available through Amazon.
He was so busy that for quite a while that he stopped being able to come all the way to us, but recently contacted me and asked if he could do a session, an offer which I immediately leapt at, and you shouldn't miss.
Buster is a remarkable instructor and enthuser about all things related to jazz. Possibly from his time as a school music teacher he is really good at running a group like ours, getting everyone to enjoy making good music, usually choosing to concentrate in depth on one tune.
He is planning to look at Horace Silver's tune, The Cape Verdean Blues. He has kindly supplied a link to a complete set of parts for every instrument, so we can all check it out in advance, (if you are on our mailing list).

https://www.busterbirch.co.uk/biography

https://youtu.be/wEHavTaOTWM?si=dixcFaCxVaGY9mrW

Award-winning musician, educator & author with 3 series of music tuition books published worldwide on Amazon, Kindle and Apple Books. See www.busterbirch.co.uk for more info.

28/03/2024

Next up is the excellent pianist, Mike Gorman. coming to us on Saturday week, April 6 (at our new usual time of 10:30).
Mike can be often found in the bands of guitarists Jim Mullen and Nigel Price, and touring with Kid Creole (he of the Coconuts). Mike's a really nice guy and a very good teacher who's been coming to us off and on for some time.
On this occasion he's planning to lead us through the Rogers & Hart tune 'Lover', - he promises to do it at a sedate speed, and a more traditional form, a 12 bar blues original in ¾ time.
I'll send the music out when I get it, and look forward to seeing you there.
Meanwhile have a listen to some versions of 'Lover'.. it's a wonderful tune, with a great descending pull. I'm very excited that we're going to look at it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjFZ436n69c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=San7ZMIRbx4

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music GroupLover · Ella FitzgeraldElla Fitzgerald Sings The Rodgers And Hart Song Book℗ 1956 UMG Recordings, Inc.Released on...

26/03/2024

A big thanks to everyone who turned out for the last two Jazz Coop’s with baritone sax player Mick Foster and Composer/Arranger/saxophonist Phil Meadows, both of which were highly successful and immensely enjoyable. We hope we can book them again later in the year! Thanks, guys.

15/03/2024

This Saturday, tomorrow 16 March we will be guided by guest tutor, the top saxophonist, arranger and composer Phil Meadows, looking at There is No Greater Love by Isham Jones.
This is what Phil Meadows would like to do with it:
"There is an exercise where people can explore playing solos that start and stop phrases in specific places, this is one of the things (the most complicated) that we’ll explore as a group so I thought a head start could be handy for a few people. It’s a great way of breaking phrasing habits and expanding the way we shape solos. It also helps us to develop control over our phrasing and makes us more deliberate with the intention of what we’re playing.
The other things we’ll work through are a little lighter and good group exercises, so there should be something for all levels in the workshop."
See you there: on 16 March!

Among many performances that you can listen to in order to familiarise yourself with this great tune, here is one:

This is the first LP to be issued featuring the Miles Davis Quintet–a group that was to become one of the most influential small bands of the Fifties. It als...

08/02/2024

On Saturday 17 February the Cambridge Jazz Coop has the pleasure of hosting a favourite tutor, the former head of the Jazz department at the Guildhall School of Music in London, Martin Hathaway.
Martin always chooses something interesting, and has covered a wide spectrum of improvised music in the past. This is no exception. Mathias Eick is new to me: His main instrument is the trumpet, but he also plays upright bass, vibraphone, piano and guitar. It's quite fun to be looking at the music of someone who's still alive, too. Well, it makes a change.
And he rides a motorbike in decidedly hazardous conditions and trudges about with a trumpet. What's not to like? The piece is called 'Arvo', (presumably more Part than Australian afternoon) and has a pleasing Metheny-esque open, filmic quality.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjHeoa-saQA

Martin is more succint: "Straight 8's jazz-rock vibe with techno style drumming. It'll be a blast. Some good grooves for the rhythm section, too." He will also explain various strategies for playing over it, no doubt.
I hope everyone can manage to come along and enjoy exploring this piece. Usual start time of 10:30am.
There's more on Mathias Eick here if your curiosity is piqued:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathias_Eick

Mathias Eick (born 26 June 1979) is a Norwegian jazz musician, and the brother of the jazz musicians Johannes Eick and Trude Eick. He is mainly known from his releases on the jazz label ECM Records. His main instrument is the trumpet, but he also plays upright bass, vibraphone, piano and guitar. He....

08/02/2024

Well, who would have thought that John Coltrane’s Giant Steps could be such an ear-worm? Both tune and chord changes were rolling around my brain for hours after the very engaging session that we had with American guitarist Ted Morcaldi last Saturday. Fun was had by all, I think as everyone had a good go at it. Thanks to Ted and everybody who took part!

29/01/2024

One of the great benefits deriving from the Cambridge (UK) Jazz Coop www.cambridgejazzcoop.org.uk is the opportunity to expand repertoire and develop an understanding of the history/extent of jazz that you can enjoy. What does that mean? Well, tutors introduce us to new or less familiar pieces and their harmony, - pieces that we had maybe discounted ever playing for being too forbidding or complex, or even too easy or banal.
This coming Saturday 3 February is a wonderful example: we're in for a treat with a visit from top American jazz guitarist Ted Morcaldi, who is going to lead us (gently) through John Coltrane's Giant Steps! A rite of passage for many players, it's actually nowhere near as tricky as people imagine, and Ted is going to shepherd us through it and illuminate what Coltrane does and how we can learn from it. Taken slowly it is quite manageable, I assure you.
The parts with the head/tune and a transcript to Coltrane's solo will be sent out to those on the mailing list so that you can print it out. If you use iRealPro, or go to YouTube, you can even slow it down by half or as much as you need, or just play it slowly by yourself on your own. It will be a revelation. After this Saturday you should feel much more fearless about these so-called daunting pieces, in fact we did Giant Steps with vibraphonist Roger Beaujolais about 10 or 15 years ago and it was a blast, so PLEASE do not be put off or intimidated by it.
Ted has produced some additional worksheets to help us that he'll provide us with on the day. So do come along. 10:30am start
www.tedmorcaldimusic.com

26/01/2024

Upcoming on Saturday 3 February, we have the American, but now much more local, guitarist Ted Morcaldi. Ted’s been a jazz educator in New York State and Connecticut for some years. He’s fluent and contemporary but steeped in jazz tradition. Parts will be sent out for the piece he’s planning to tackle soon.
Usual 10:30am start.
For more info on Ted:

20/01/2024

Great to see so many coming along and enjoying playing together today under the guidance of the peerless jazz great, Alan Barnes. Thanks, Alan.
Next up is Ted Morcaldi, an American jazz educator and superb guitarist. Check him out, and come along on Saturday Feb 3.
Further details of everything we do, as ever at:

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 ....

17/01/2024

This Saturday, 20 January, we have the rather special clarinetist and saxophonist giant, Alan Barnes, along to instil some more good jazz habits. He’s focusing on a Hank Mobley and a Johnny Hodges tune, so there’s going to be plenty of interest for everyone. At the new start time of 10:30, please note!

09/01/2024

A big thanks is due to all those who turned out for the opening Jazz Coop of 2024, all 17 of you! Wonderful. A great time was had with Steve Fishwick who guided us through Miles’ solo on So What, segueing effortlessly into Horace Silver’s ‘Silver’s Serenade’. Fun was had by all, I think.
See you again on January 20 when we do it all again with virtuoso sax and clarinet from Alan Barnes. Pieces to be announced. And the AGM to follow. Can you resist?

08/12/2023

Tomorrow, Saturday 9 December, we have the chance to be in the company of amazing jazz French horn player and composer, Jim Rattigan, whose latest release has been receiving great reviews. Check this out, and do come along (details on the website):

Jim Rattigan's Duos is a magnificent example of improvised music that will both move and astonish the listener.

03/12/2023

This coming Saturday, 9 December, I am excited to announce that our guest tutor for the last Jazz Coop of 2023 is the virtuoso French horn player, Jim Rattigan.
https://www.jimrattigan.co.uk/
He has visited us a few times before and always been entertaining, thoughtful and engaging. He is wonderfully enthusiastic and energetic and it's great to hear bebop lines and jazz licks played on the French horn. I first heard him when he was playing on a gig with the late Carla Bley at the Barbican a few years ago. He has also been a full-time professional French hornist with the classical ensemble, the London Sinfonietta and other symphony orchestras. He's basically an amazing player, and quite a teacher, too.
This is our last session of 2023: do not miss it!
One of the two tunes he wants to work through with us is the Thelonius Monk classic, 'We See', which he points out is very popular at jam sessions so would be a useful one for us to know. The other piece is a Rattigan original that is still untitled, so he's called it 3-4 after the time signature that it's in!
I hope to see you there!

Jim Rattigan DUOS - Limited Edition Box SetAvailable for pre-order from September 15th Jim Rattigan - French horn ft.Hans Koller - piano Ivo Neame - piano Nick Costley-White - guitar DOWNLOAD/STREAM/BUY CHECK BACK FOR UPCOMING EVENTS Store Press"A lush, blue-washed version of chamber jazz. The.....

01/11/2023

Next up at the Cambridge Jazz Coop is the remarkable saxophonist, Sam Bullard, coming to us on Saturday week, Saturday 11 November. A full-time working musician, he covers all styles, touring with the Pasadena Roof Orchestra and working in West End theatre pit bands. He's also a superb teacher and justly one of our most popular tutors.

On this visit he is planning to look at area of jazz repertoire that we don't often consider, the work of the ever popular Count Basie.
He's supplied the links to YouTube recordings that he really wants us to listen to in advance. Everything is contained in the original recordings!
I'll send the parts through for your perusal in a day or two. This is fun and relatively easy, bluesy stuff, so do check it out.
The two tunes he wants us to work on are:
Moten Swing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxYWsWpjCOY
and
Jumpin' at the Woodside https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLNjJytddVU

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