Events

All Jazz@John's events are on Friday nights from 9pm until midnight, and are held in the Fisher Building.

For directions, please see our map.

If you are interested in performing at Jazz@John's, then contact us.

Jazz@John's is kindly sponsored by, and in association with:

Easter 2008

Friday 2nd May Party Event.

Funk 'N' Disorderly

Funk 'n' disorderly are a five-piece funky/jazzy house band who between them have a vast experience of both the London and Cambridge Scenes playing at venue such as the London Jazz Cafe, Jazz at Johns, Greenwich Student Union, Cambridge Student Union, the Royal College of Music and BBC Proms in the Park. They're set will range from jazz to funk to house music.

Bijoumiyo

If you haven't seen them busking on the river or on the streets of Cambridge with a megaphone now is your change to catch the amazing shining jewel of modern-day funk Bijoumiyo. They have just been nominated and made it to the finals at the Indy Music Awards 2008 for best Funk/Soul/Jazz act. This is going to be a night of freestyle Superfunk done in a way that is just going to leave you in a serious high. Going from stength to strength, Bijoumiyo is one of the most prominant up and coming bands in Cambridge at the moment with a schedule packed until June. Let the music speak for itself.
http://www.myspace.com/bijoumiyo

The Penman/Green Duo

The Penman/Green Duo comprises Alastair Penman on ewi (electronic wind instrument) alongside Tom Green on synth. Alastair and Tom are no strangers to the Cambridge Music scene, having played together in small group and big band settings at venues such as Jazz at John's, King's Chapel, West Road, Clare Cellars and the ADC, with groups ranging from CUJO and Fitz Swing right through to CUCO and CUMS, covering a large musical spectrum. Between them they have played all of the UK's leading venues including the Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Symphony Hall etc and for audiences including Her Majesty The Queen and Tony Blair. This duo setting is new for 2008 and is an exciting chance for listeners to not only hear these two highly talented musicians, but also to experience the exciting sound world created by ewi and synth. Expect a conglomeration of many different musical influences embodied primarily in the form of modern jazz.
Check out http://www.penmangreen.tk for more info.

Lent 2008

Friday 7th March Party Event.

Montuno

Montuno was set up in 2004 by London bassist Jonny Gee and plays a heady blend of infectious latin grooves. Their music has energised thousands of dancers plus jazz club and concert audiences around London, the UK and overseas. The band has performed at LondonÕs top world music venue ŅMomoÓ as well as at salsa clubs like La Finca and Carlos The 1st Salsa Bar. Over the past Montuno has featured several star performers, including Colombian percussionist Roberto Pla, singers like Cuban Oswaldo Chacon, top 10 artist Victoria Newton and great soloists such as Alex Wilson and Gwilym Simcock.

This Friday, Montuno will be guest staring Robin Jones, the world renowned percussionist:

"Conga supremo Robin Jones... the godfather of British salsa"
Jack Masserack, Evening Standard (Jazz Cafe review)

"This powerhouse Latin band has a truly infectious Latin vibe."
Steve Ruby (606 Club Owner)

In Paris in the 1960s, he played with Bud Powell & Johnny Griffin and performed regularly at New YorkÕs Blue Note Club with Chet Baker, played on John Barry's early music, plus worked in the studio with Elton John on his first album "Tumbleweed Connection". He also played and recorded with many other jazz greats including Art Farmer, Sonny Stitt, Red Rodney a and Stan Getz. Two records he made in the Ō70s for the Apollo label, "Denga" and "El Maja," have now been re-released in Europe & the USA.

In the '80s Jones worked with Al Jarreau and was featured debut LP of pop singer Basia. He also performed on videos with Billy Idol & Matt Bianco and appeared at the Montreux Jazz Festival with Sade. In the early 90s he spent two years on-stage as the featured drummer in the highly successful musical Carmen Jones. Tonight, Montuno will be playing numbers written by RobinÕs friend Chucho Valdes.

Acuphuncture

Acuphuncture are named after a classic mid-70's Blue Note track penned by Julian Priester and recorded by Eddie Henderson, representing the type of jazz funk they were formed to play. Their Jazz at John's set will combine originals, some well-known Jamiroquai classics and some rare groove from labels as diverse as a Mizell Bros production on Milestone, ABC Blue Thumb and early 80's Arista/GRP. They will also be playing RAMP's classic version of Roy Ayers' 'Everybody Loves The Sunshine'. Tom met the original line-up of RAMP for their recent Jazz Cafe gig, where he lent them his Solina String Ensemble. RAMP were famously sampled by ATCQ on 'Bonita Applebaum', and people in the crowd tonight should recognise a few other famous samples including a classic 'Eminem' moment!

Pamela Givens: sultry soulful vocals to quench the raging fires of funk.
Tiago Coimbra: slaps the bass to create grooves so funky they've been declared illegal in several countries.
Myke Clifford: sax, flute, backing vocals. Joining us from Capricorn for this gig.
Simon Grimshaw: lead guitar & occasionally second bass. More whicka-whacka wah than Alan Whicker at a wicker-weaving convention.
Tom O'Grady: suitcase rhodes 88, hohner clavinet D6 and solina string ensemble. Herbie wannabe and vinyl junkie.
Seb Palmer: drums. Filling in for our usual drummer Derek Scurll. Capricorn's main funkster.

Polly Rose Quartet

An old favourite of Jazz at Johns, Polly returns to sing with her new quartet which includes other Jazz at Johns veterans such as Sarah Tandy, Cambridge's own home grown premier jazz pianist. We look forward to hearing her soulful singing in the bar area.

Jazz Attack

Will Buchanan's "Jazz Attack" are a quintet featuring: the multi-malleted vibraphone talents of James Shires; the trumpet pyrotechnics of Colin Watson; Ilan Lazarus' multi-faceted piano playing; Steve Raffe's solidly funky bass playing; Will Buchanan himself on the traps. A diverse group of red-blooded males make for a seat of your pants, unmissable, anything goes performance."

Friday 22nd February

The Tim Dawes Quintet feat. Jasmine Nelson

The Tim Dawes Quintet Featuring new face to top British jazz scene; Jasmine Nelson...rising young star of Australia - runner-up in the Brussels International Young Jazz Singers' Competition 2006. Jasmine Nelson's smouldering and languorous voice has a modern quality. More than solely a jazz songstress she has an unusally focused voice with profoundly beautiful pitching and definition combined with and a sweetness & finesse and extraordinary understatment that leaves the listener reeling. The emotional intensity of her performance coupled with profound understatement and simplicity is irresistible & stunning.

Also featuring one of the best pianists in London, Tim Lapthorn. 'Brilliant young pianist....Natural Language sparkles with originality and colour' - Humphrey Lyttelton, BBC radio 2 ...plays with thoughtfulness, meditation and reflective improvisation. This is jazz piano at its best played with love and respect' - Jack Kenny, Jazz Views 'Some of the most intense, most exciting piano jazz this writer has heard in some time' - Jazz Rag, ''Lapthorn is an exceptional pianist with an unfailing flow' - Ian Carr, author of Miles Davis and Keith Jarrett official biographies.

Tim Dawes double bass, Nick France Drums.

Friday 1st February

ALC-OZONE

Formed over a year ago to play a regular gig in the smallest pub in Cambridge, the members of Alc-ozone have developed into one of Cambridge's finest bands with a superb sound a style. They have a strict devotion to providing great music of the highest calibre, with influences from Armstrong to Zappa, and promise to provide a great show of grooving, hard-hitting, fabulous jazz. With new takes on old tunes, old takes on new tunes and totally new tunes of talons and tort, there will be something for everyone from grooving blues to modal abstraction. Here is what they have to say for themselves...

"The members originally came from good families but gradually developed social deviancies that have been generally tolerated as long as they keep playing and don't talk. Sarah Tandy discovered piano lying down and began playing it standing it up. Few people can be described as both a young-musician-of-the-year-finalist and music-school-drop-out in the same sentence and Sarah has a sensuous touch and is a superb pianist. Originally a shepherd, a bored Vijay Prakash hollowed out his crook, invented the trombone and discovered jazz. His acclaimed playing has resulted in appreciative buckets of cold water tipped on him and he encourages all his audiences to follow suit. He is now Cambridge's best trombonist and is missing the lambing season for this gig. Given David Gange once received riotous applause for putting glasses on, his soloing has been known to bring the house down. A familiar face at Jazz at Johns, Diccon Cooper has played double bass in Cambridge for almost ten years. A cornerstone of the Cambridge jazz scene, he plays with fire in his fingers and iron in his soul. They will be joined by Steve Mitchel who, as one of Cambridge's finest, needs no introduction. A musician of infinite finesse, this is an opportunity to hear a great drummer with brilliant corners."

Take of that what you will, but one thing is for certain - they know their jazz.

The KJB

Formed in 2006, The KJB are well established as King's premier jazz combo. They play a wide range of music, from ballads to bossa, but if you've ever heard them before, its probably the funk you'll remember. Hywel Carver will be playing his sax, with Nick Evans on the Trumpet, Will Collier at the Piano, Arthur Young on bass, and Seb Parker at the kit.

Previous Events

Michaelmas 2007

Friday 23rd November Party Event.

A one off big band celebration featuring:

Mingusology

Playing all night in the bar will be Mingusology, an exciting band dedicated to playing the music of Charles Mingus, the explosive bass player, bandleader and composer who died in 1979. He was a challenging and innovative composer, who surrounded himself with great musicians and produced a large number of outstanding albums, mostly featuring his own distinctive tunes. Some, such as Goodbye Pork Pie hat, Nostalgia in Times Square and Fables of Faubus, have become classics. Mingusology is an 8-piece band (trumpet, alto, tenor, trombone, baritone and rhythm section) based in Cambridge. The line-up includes saxophonist Josh Kemp, a frequent visitor to Cambridge. Mingus' music is heavily rooted in the blues, but he is capable of great lyricism. In playing it we aim to use his extraordinary mixture of loose arrangements, exciting harmonies, bizarre juxtapositions, collective improvisation, along with occasional shouts and howls.

CUJO, Fitz Swint and Selwyn Jazz

Between the three of them, they include the majority of the top jazz musicians Cambridge has to offer. The will bring back sounds from the swinging 60's. Together, they will bring sounds of classic swing, latin, funk with repertoire from every era of jazz. At the end of the evening, they will all perform side by side in a breathtaking finale of epic proportions - something never seen before in the long history of these bands.

Friday 2nd November Torben Rees Quartet and The TBC.

Torben Rees Quartet

The Torben Rees Quartet returns to Jazz at John's for another night of swinging jazz and smooth vocals. Expect classic standards and classy originals. Torben's singing career is going from strength to strength with a recent guest appearance at the world famous Ronnie Scott's club in London (alongside Canadian singer Matt Dusk) and an upcoming show at the renowned 606 club in Chelsea in the new year. Torben is well known in Cambridge for his shows at the Elm Tree, the Snug Bar and at De Luca Cucina. He has also worked with the University big bands and regularly fronts the Bath-based Park Lane Big Band. Tonight he appears with Cambridge favourites Ben Pringle (keyboard), Derek Scurll (drums) and Jon Halton (bass). Torben began life in Cambridge as a Natural Sciences undergraduate at Emmanuel in 1997, during which time he played first French Horn for CUMS1 and sang tenor for Emmanuel chapel choir. This summer he completed his PhD in philosophy at King's and is now a research fellow in History and Philosophy of Science, working on a project called the Science of Musical Sound.

The TBC

Formed in 2006, The KJB are well established as King's premier jazz combo. They play a wide range of music, from ballads to bossa, but if you've ever heard them before, its probably the funk you'll remember. Hywel Carver will be playing his sax, with Nick Evans on the Trumpet, Will Collier at the Piano, Arthur Young on bass, and Seb Parker at the kit.

Friday 26th October George Crowley Trio and the Rhiannon Bradbury.

George Crowley Trio

George Crowley - saxophone
James Opstad - bass
Dave Hamblett - drums

George Crowley is currently on a Postgrad at the Royal Academy of Music, studying with Iain Ballamy, Pete Churchill and Gerard Presencer amongst others. James and Dave are both also current students at RAM, and play and gig extensively in the London area and around the country. The band will be playing an assortment of re-worked standard and modern jazz tunes, from Tristano to Turner.

Rhiannon Bradbury

Rhiannon Bradbury is currently studying Jazz Singing at Trinity College of Music in London. She cites amongst her influences, Mark Murphy, Betty Carter, Shirley Horn, Chet Baker and her teacher Anita Wardell. For this gig Rhiannon will be performing a blend of standards and modern jazz tunes, with the accompaniment of Chris Eldred on piano, who is also a current Trinity student, studying under Simon Purcell.

Friday 12th October Josh Ison Quartet and the Polly Rose Trio.

Josh Ison Quartet

Josh Ison is one of the country's most exciting young saxophonists and composers. After graduating from Trinity College of Music, Josh has been making waves on the UK jazz scene, including playing gigs in The 100 Club and Camden's Jazz Cafe. His primary influences include John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Joe Lovano and Sonny Rollins. Tom Wood, the quartet's pianist, is a current music postgraduate in Oxford. The quartet will feature Rick Hudson on drums who has played at Ronnie Scott's, The 100 Club and the Malta Jazz Festival . Michael Chilcott on Bass is musical director of Fitz Swing, and bass player in the Cambridge University Jazz Orchestra. The band will play a mixture of reinterpreted standards and original material, from post-bop to fiery free jazz. They have also very recently been in the studio working on their first recordings together.

Polly Rose Trio

A new face to the Cambridge jazz scene, Polly Rose has spent the last 18 months establishing her name up north, performing alongside the likes of musicians such as pianist Piero Tucci, Cuban violinist Omar Puente and bassist Jon Thorne (Oedipus Complex, Lamb). Polly's vocals marry crystalline top notes with a caffeine rich bass, whilst her treatment of the standards are in turn infused with expressions of the passion, romance and melancholy which only jazz can convey. Behind her is the talented Sarah Tandy who studied at Guildhall School of Music before coming to Cambridge. Previously a well known classical performer she discovered jazz at the bottom of a wine bottle and has been grooving away ever since. They will be joined by Diccon Cooper on String Bass who plays regularly right across the Cambridge jazz scene.

Easter 2007

Friday 2nd March Dog Soup, Polly Rose Trio and two other bands to be confirmed.

Dog Soup (the Foyer Bar)

Dog Soup is a band led by trumpeter Robbie Robson, with John Turville on Rhodes/Fx, Johnny Brierley on Bass and Tim Giles on Drums. They are an increasingly unified group that explores original material in the spirit of Miles Davis's 1970s album 'Bitches Brew'. The band revisit the seething electronic stew that constituted the music of the 1970's free jazz/rock scene, blurring the distinctions between gritty, dark grooves, electronic sounds, loops and samples and free group improvisation.

"Bitches Brew or 'electric-Miles' music continues to attract admirers wishing to explore the musical territory opened up in that period by the great protean innovator; one of the most considered and musicianly of such projects, Dog Soup, weave Robson compositions and Miles-related material (on this occasion Wayne Shorter's 'Sanctuary' and the title-track from the above-named album) seamlessly into mesmeric excursions propelled by Giles's rustling, probing drums, but also featuring electronica, processed trumpet (utilising delays, echo effects etc.), alternately rattling and floating electric keyboards and hypnotic bass. Robson himself sets the tone: such music can all too easily become a self-indulgent, sprawling free-for-all, but he takes things slowly, carefully layering the band sound, and injecting just the right amount of tension into proceedings by reserving his spearing trumpet playing for genuine climaxes that are consequently earned rather than appearing by rote. The result is a fascinating confection that draws a great deal from such albums as In a Silent Way and Jack Johnson, but which incorporates just enough Robson material to render it original and personal. A fine evening's music from a band to watch."

Chris Parker, The Times

Polly Rose Trio (support at the Foyer Bar)

A new face to the Cambridge jazz scene, Polly Rose has spent the last 18 months establishing her name up north, performing alongside the likes of musicians such as pianist Piero Tucci, Cuban violinist Omar Puente and bassist Jon Thorne (Oedipus Complex, Lamb). Polly's vocals marry crystalline top notes with a caffeine rich bass, whilst her treatment of the standards- both of those well loved and the lesser known - are in turn infused with expressions of the passion, romance and melancholy which only jazz can convey.

Having initially studied Classical music on both violin and piano, Jez's passion for Jazz music began at the age of seventeen under the tutelage of Craig Milverton. He performed widely as an undergraduate at the University of Durham, including featuring twice at the famous Castle Ball. Jez is now at Jesus College studying for an MPhil in Economics, and can be heard every Tuesday playing at Pizza Express on Jesus Lane.

To complete the trio, Polly and Jez will be accompanied by the great Diccon Cooper, one of Cambridge's leading bass players.

Fitz Swing (the Palmerston Room)
Selwyn Jazz (support at the Palmerston Room)

Two of Cambridge's top big bands will be battling it out on the stage in the Palmerston room in J@J's very own battle of the bands.

Lent 2007

Friday 2nd March Jon Opstad Quartet, Sara Mitra & Patrick Naylor, Acuphuncture and the band and cast of Return to the Forbidden Planet

Jon Opstad Quartet (the Foyer Bar)

The Jon Opstad Quartet is made up of four of the most exciting young musicians from the London jazz scene. The group performs original material with influences ranging from late 1960s and early 1970s Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock & Miles Davis, to Keith Jarrett's American quartet, to the music of artists associated with the ECM label such as Kenny Wheeler, and including compositions from both Jon's debut album Still Picture, and his latest release Interpretations. Interpretations was recorded with an exciting seven-piece ensemble, including pianist Liam Noble, saxophonist James Allsopp (of Fraud), trumpeter Nick Smart and guitarist Justin Quinn (in the shops from February 19th - www.newcanvasrecords.com).

Line-up: Tom Challenger - tenor saxophone, John Turville - fender rhodes, James Opstad - double bass, Jon Opstad - drums

www.myspace.com/jonopstad

Sara Mitra & Patrick Naylor (support at the Foyer Bar)

"Extraordinary Jazz Vocalist" The Arts Show, BBC Radio
"Catch her while you can. You won't regret it" bbc.co.uk

A classically trained musician, Sara's passion for music has taken her in many directions over the years, from playing operatic she-devil roles to singing in international choral competitions. Sara studied Music at Cambridge University, then took up the post of Assistant Director of Music at Hills Road Sixth Form College, Cambridge. Whilst teaching others how to perform, she realised she couldn't stay away from it herself, and took the plunge to leave the academic world and explore where her voice could lead.

Now working as a freelance vocalist, Sara demonstrates a fresh and rhythmically vibrant approach to improvisation with both text and melody, citing singers Sheila Jordan, Anita O'Day, and Jill Scott as three of her top vocal influences. Her wide repertoire reflects her broad listening background, moving from arch takes on Cole Porter numbers to heartfelt reworkings of Bob Marley's love songs.

Together with Patrick Naylor, Sarah will playing a mix of original material with swing and latin standards thrown in. Patrick has performed extensively as a guitarist and bandleader. His contempory band Soundial released two critically acclaimed albums of original compositions and have completed 4 Jazz Services sponsored tours of the UK. Soundial's debut album was jazz CD of the week in the London Evening Standard, and their 2003 album - Afternoon Moon was in Chrissie Murray's CD's of the year.

www.saramitra.com
www.myspace.com/saramitra

Acuphuncture (the Palmerston Room)

Acuphuncture are a collective of funk-loving gear addicts. Shortly after graduating, Tom realised that the best way to hide his eBay habit and penchant for moving heavy equipment around was to pretend to be in a band. High points for the band so far have included:
1) accidentally playing a double-length set at John's ball (taking the ball-goers into daylight hours).
2) getting approval from John Manuel of RAMP for Acuphuncture's cover of their cover (whew!) of Roy Ayers' 'Everybody Loves The Sunshine'.

Tiago Coimbra: slaps the bass to create grooves so funky they've been declared illegal in several countries.
Katie Eagleton: sax, viola, flute, backing vocals. Multi-instrumental funk with disco flip flop action.
Pamela Givens: sultry soulful vocals to quench the raging fires of funk.
Simon Grimshaw: lead guitar & occasionally second bass. More whicka-whacka wah than Alan Whicker at a wicker-weaving convention.
Tom O'Grady: suitcase rhodes 88 & hohner clavinet D6. Herbie wannabe and vinyl junkie.
Seb Palmer: drums. Filling in for our usual drummer Derek Scurll. Capricorn's main funkster.

For this Jazz at John's party event, expect plenty of classic Stevie, Herbie and Jamiroquai hits, alongside some sample material for Eminem and a few originals.

the band and cast of Return to the Forbidden Planet (support at the Palmerston Room)

From the people bringing you Return to the Forbidden Planet (ADC Theatre 13-24 March), a ten-piece band and a bundle of singers will be blasting out a mix of upbeat soul and classic Rhythm and Blues. Slip on your best black velvet, shake a tail feather and start feelin ' good 'til the midnight hour...

www.forbiddenplanet.org.uk
www.myspace.com/forbiddenplanetcambridge

Friday 2nd February Laurie Jacobs / Nick Hill Quintet

The Laurie Jacobs / Nick Hill Quintet are a Blue Note inspired band with the classic front line of saxophone and trumpet. The band have put together a programme of jazz standards from the pads of Hank Mobley, Nat Adderley and Jimmy Heath plus other arrangements based on the music of the 1950's and 60's. Laurie and Nick teamed up many years ago and are both highly regarded musicians on the jazz scene, having played alongside many of the very best in the UK, such as Jim Mullen, Gilad Atzmon, Dick Pearce and Dave Cliff to name a few. The band have performed at many of the top jazz venues in the UK, including Dean Street Pizza Express, Pizza-on-the-Park, Norwich & Peterborough jazz clubs plus the Soho and London Jazz Festivals and several appearances at May Ball events over the years.

Laurie's alto sax style of playing is an interesting mixture of classic be-bop with a modern edge with some of his major influences being Lou Donaldson, Sonny Stitt and Dexter Gordon and, in addition, he has worked on a set featuring the music of two of the great modern-day saxophonists/composers - Michael Brecker and Kenny Garrett, releasing a CD dedicated to these two artists, entitled 'Midnight Voyage'. Nick Hill is widely regarded as one of the finest trumpeter/flugelhorn players this country has produced, with superb control, technique and tone. Some of his major influences have been Chet Baker, Art Farmer and Bobby Shew and like Chet Baker he has a vast knowledge of the jazz repertoire with over 600 tunes committed to memory.

The rhythm section is led by one of the most exciting pianists in the UK - Tim Lapthorn who is not only a brilliant soloist and accompanist but is a very fine composer. Tim is featured in many current bands and also leads his own trio. His last trio album released in 2005 entitled 'Natural Language' has been highly rated by the jazz press. The rhythm section is completed with two superb musicians - Val Mannix (double bass) and Asaf Sirkis (drums) who are both rated as world-class on their respective instruments.

In support we have the Ruth Applin Duo

Ruth's rich warm voice gives a sultry mood to the songs of the Great American Songbook. She is also a singer/pianist and delivers songs with the swing of the great jazz classics.

Born in London, Ruth started playing the piano at the age of 4, "My mother is a classical pianist and I grew up in a musical house", she says. "I discovered jazz in my teens and would always listen to my dad's old records of Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, among others. I played piano in the school jazz band and it was then that I also started to have singing lessons. I love the old jazz songs and it was always these that I wanted to sing."

After University, Ruth started gigging in restaurants and bars and then decided to attend the prestigious postgraduate jazz course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London. She now gigs regularly in venues in London and surrounding areas. This week she will be performing with Dave Jenkins on bass.

Friday 26th January Torben Rees Quartet

"Cambridge's leading male jazz vocalist" -- Explorer magazine

Torben Rees and his quartet present a dynamic and varied repertoire, bringing new life to traditional jazz standards, and introducing Torben Rees' inspired new material. Velvet vocals are Torben's trademark, evoking the sophisticated swing of Frank Sinatra, with a Jamie Cullem kick. His style takes you back to a time when male jazz singers personified grace and tenderness, when sex appeal was about smooth characters in top hats and spats! Torben has a wealth of musical experience in different genres - he toured Italy in a classical choir and then diversified to jazz - providing lead vocals for the Park Lane Big Band in London. A number of his songs are now being arranged for Big Band jazz in Bristol, which will be the makings of his first album. Torben is focused on taking the Cambridge jazz scene by storm, being hailed as the city's leading player in the field. With him will be three highly talented jazz musicians well established on the Cambridge scene; Jon Halton on bass (Elm Tree house bassist), Ben Pringle on piano(frequently plays at private parties for the likes of Jamie Oliver!) and Seb Palmer (from Capricorn) on drums. For more details check out http://www.torbenrees.com.

In Support we have the Andy Bowie Trio

"The dynamic Andy Bowie Quartet offer the finest swing, be-bop, blue note and modern jazz. Fluid and uplifting, Bowie's sax led ensemble provides music for your soul" -- The Elm Tree

Andy Bowie started playing traditional jazz as an undergraduate. As a research student in Berlin he was a member of the successful Blue Bayou Jazz Band. On returning to Cambridge in the 1980s he started a residency at the Man on the Moon which lasted 8 years. He was then in the house quartet at the Old Dot Jazz club, before playing with his own quartet at the Elm Tree for the last 8 years. He plays soprano, alto, and tenor saxes and is influenced by anyone he likes, from Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster to Dexter Gordon, John Coltrane and others. The rest of the time he is Professor of Philosophy and German at Royal Holloway, University of London, and a leading expert on modern German philosophy. As well as publishing extensively on German philosophy he has written on music and philosophy for the Grove dictionary of music, and his book on 'Music, Philosophy, and Modernity' is being published by Cambridge University Press in 2007. He will be supported by the great Peter Shepherd on piano who is not only a fantastic musician and piano teacher, but also helps run the Cambridge Jazz Co-operative, which runs weekly workshops promoting jazz to all ages. With them will be John Brierley on bass, an old face of Jazz at Johns who has been playing on the Cambridge music scene for many years. He studied Music at Anglia, and jazz at the Guildhall, and now plays in various bands in London, and teaches bass.

Michaelmas 2006

Friday 24th Novermber Party Event - Capricorn, Black Shabbat, The Josh Kemp Quartet, Polly Rose and Jez Clarke

Headlining in the Palmerston Room we have Cambridge based octet Capricorn. Capricorn are made up of Myke Clifford - vocals, sop, alto & tenor saxes, flute and congas, Seb Palmer - drums, Alex Tsentides - bass guitar, Jeffers Mayo - guitar / vocals, Kase - keys, Mike 'D-Bone' Doris - trombone, Robin Livermore - trumpet & flugelhorn and Dom 'The Hat' Latter - baritone sax. They play gritsy, dynamic cuts from the vaults of classic jazz, funk, soul and latin masters. Fronted by a charismatic singer and multi-instrumentalist, expert in the art of audience relations, a big front-line, bristling with all manner of horns, sits atop the funky foundations of a hard driving rhythm section. Songs and instrumentals draw from an extensive repertoire ranging from familiar dance-floor classics to more obscure funky nuggets dug from deep in the soul-mines.

With support from… Black Shabbat. Founded in early 2006, "Black Shabbat" was conceived as an academic ethnomusicological project by six students at Cambridge University. Specialising in klezmer (the celebration music of Eastern European Jews), the band was quick to realise its potential as an experimental fusion band. The band has since taken Cambridge University by storm, following its phenomenal success at Clare and Trinity Balls in the Cambridge May Week scene. Shabbat harnesses a plethora of stylistic influences that stems from the performance backgrounds of its individual members. The music can only be described as a unique hybrid form of classical-jazz-funk-rock-blues-ska-latino--metal-experimental-MENTAL klezmer! Repertoire consists of self-arrangements of old Yiddish melodies and performances rely heavily on solo improvisations. Black Shabbat is now in the preliminary stages of world domination; it hopes to spread klezmer far and wide across and beyond national, ethnic and religious boundaries. Shabbat is available for hire at parties, weddings, corporate events and concert venues. Contact David at dgj22[at]cam.ac.uk for information on hiring the band. You can check out their site at www.myspace.com/klenchmorim

Meanwhile in the Fisher Building Foyer we have the Josh Kemp Quartet. Josh came to jazz at the early age of nine. In his teens his quartet 'Bop Art' won the Daily Telegraph Young Jazz Band of the Year. After reading Philosophy at University College, Oxford, Josh won scholarships to study jazz at London's Guildhall and Trinity College of Music. After finishing his studies, collaboration with pianist Tim Lapthorn led to two CDs, 'Animation Suspended' and 'Kukus' - which was recognised by Ian Carr as 'mature, fully realised jazz of a high order, and a pleasure to hear.' Josh's current quartet, featuring John Turville (piano), Chris Hill (double bass) and Dave Smith (drums), have been playing together for the last three years. Their rapport allows the music to flow with spontaneity, from fever-pitch intensity to soft and sensitive phrases. They have a sound that is lyrical and melodic, whether playing standards or more contemporary material. Josh's latest CD 'Animus', with this quartet, features his own compositions and has just been released on 33 Records. Josh has performed at jazz venues around the UK, including Peterborough Jazz Club, Cambridge Modern Jazz Club, The Bull's Head, Barnes, Jazz in the Round, The National Portrait Gallery and National Theatre Foyer, London. He has played with NYJO, and the Combustible Alarms big band, and was chosen by making Music and the Arts Council Developing Young Artist Programme 2006. Collaboration with singer Ruth Applin will lead to a CD to be released in early 2007. Josh is also active in jazz education, directing the Cambridge Youth Jazz Orchestra and coaching at workshops and courses.

Supporting them we have Polly Rose and Jez Clarke. A new face to the Cambridge jazz scene, Polly Rose has spent the last 18 months establishing her name up north, performing alongside the likes of musicians such as pianist Piero Tucci, Cuban violinist Omar Puente and bassist Jon Thorne (Oedipus Complex, Lamb). Polly's vocals marry crystalline top notes with a caffeine rich bass, whilst her treatment of the standards- both of those well loved and the lesser known - are in turn infused with expressions of the passion, romance and melancholy which only jazz can convey.
Having initially studied Classical music on both violin and piano, Jez' passion for Jazz music began at the age of seventeen under the tutelage of Craig Milverton. He performed widely as an undergraduate at the University of Durham, including featuring twice at the famous Castle Ball. Jez is now at Jesus College studying for an MPhil in Economics, and can be heard every Tuesday playing at Pizza Express on Jesus Lane.

Friday 3rd Novermber Loose Juice

Their live shows are fast establishing Loose Juice with a reputation for outstanding virtuosic performances. They are comprised of Justin Dwyer on guitar, Tiago Coimbra on bass guitar, and Rick Hudson on drums. Collectively, they have notched up gigs at some of the country's most prestigious jazz venues such as; Ronnie Scott's, the 100 club, the Jazz Café and Jagz. This show sees them performing a choice selection of Brazilian bossas and sambas with their vocalist Sarah Cicarelli as seen at No.1 King's Parade every Thursday night.

Supporting them we have the Josh Ison quartet, featuring Josh Ison on saxophones, Tom Smith on keys, Mike Chilcott on double bass and James Clegg on drums. This is the band's debut performance at Jazz@John's, though Mike, Tom and James have all performed here before, in various small band and big band arrangements. Josh is a graduate of Trinity College London, and has a wide range of experience in playing jazz standards. Josh currently holds a residency at No.1 King's Parade. The quartet will be playing a range of charts, including compositions by Sonny Rollins and Miles Davis.

Friday 13th October Crowley / Downes 4tet

The Crowley / Downes 4tet features George Crowley on saxophones, Kit Downes on keys, Johnny Brierly on double bass and Dave Smith on drums. Despite this being George and Kit's third quartet performance for Jazz@John's, they are proud to bring a new and exciting line-up to the stand. Downes and Crowley have been close musical collaborators since school, playing in a variety of line-ups and venues, and are delighted to be joined on this gig by Johnny Brierly and Dave Smith, two of London's most sought after Jazz musicians.

Since graduating from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Dave has worked with musicians such as Peter King, Liam Noble, Stan Sultzmann and Eddie Henderson. He also works in some original creative music projects such as Arnie Somogyi's 'Ambulance', the Jonathan Bratoeff Quintet (F-ire Collective) and 'Outhouse' (LOOP Collective), where he plays alongside fellow Guildhall grad Brierly, who can also be found in bands such as Robbie Robson's 'Dog Soup'. There can be few rhythm duos who know each other's playing so well.

For this gig the quartet will be playing a mix of reinterpreted standards and exciting originals, from post bop to free jazz.

Supporting them we have Naomi Stoll with Sam Hogarth. Returning for her third consecutive year at Jazz@Johns, Naomi places classic standards alongside personal favourites. She is fully established on the Cambridge jazz scene and at a number of venues in London. This year she is singing with Sam Hogarth who, eight years ago, was the inspiration for her to embark on a long and distinguished career in jazz singing.

Sam Hogarth, recently appointed College Musician at Queens', has performed widely as a jazz pianist around London, Oxford and the South. Recent engagements have included an appearance with his trio, featuring Aisling Lavelle, at the Vortex Jazz Club in London, as well as dates at several well-known London venues such as Smollensky's, Shanghai Blues and Le Meridien, Piccadilly. He has also performed at Westminster Palace, the Dorchester Hotel and, during his student years, at numerous Oxford college balls. He plays in a variety of contexts from solo and duo work to much larger bands, with a diversity of stylistic interests to match. He particularly enjoys accompanying singers and is excited to be appearing with Naomi Stoll this Friday.

Easter 2006

Saturday 17th June Jazz@John's Garden Party 2006

To read all about the J@J 2006 garden party click here!

Friday 5th May Party Event - Fitz Swing, Laurie Jacobs / Nick Hill Quintet, Jeremy Kahn Quartet and Kaiser 6

To ease that Easter stress, we cut straight to the J@J party event! As always, it's a quadruple bill guaranteed to satisfy your musical needs! Tickets cost £5, arrive early to avoid disappointment.

Headlining in the Palmerston Room are Fitz Swing. Fitz Swing was formed in 1990 at Fitzwilliam College, but quickly expanded to take in musicians from all over the University. Members come from every academic discipline, from astrophysics to zoology. The band has a high profile in Cambridge, performing at a variety of concert venues every year, plus the best of the University May Balls, society events and charity functions as well as private parties in Cambridge and beyond.

Fitz Swing plays music ranging from classic swing through to big band jazz and Latin, and try to cater for as many tastes as possible. The repertoire includes classics such as Count Basie's Flight of the Foo Birds and Splanky and Duke Ellington's I'm Beginning To See The Light. The vocal numbers include songs made famous by Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, and the newer charts include Michel Camilo, Arturo Sandoval and National Youth Jazz Orchestra arrangements. Within the band, there are three talented vocalists who sing solo numbers and duets as well as various small groups, all of whom are happy to perform separately. Fitz Swing enjoyed another exciting year in 2004-2005, performing live at several of the university's colleges and at the majority of the May Balls. The 2005 band tour was to Eastern Europe and took in Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. This summer Fitz Swing will be touring Italy. See the website for more information, www.fitzswing.com.

Supporting them are Kaiser 6. Kaiser 6 have been playing their way the round the Cambridge Jazz scene for the last two years with a combination of smooth bossa through up-tempo funk. Lead vocalist Mireille Kaiser comes to Cambridge by way of Boston, Zurich and the Cote d'Azur. She puts her international background to good use in bilingual renditions of favourite jazz standards. Behind her comes the strong support of Torben Rees on vocals and trumpet who is usually found singing for the south west-based Park Lane Big Band amongst others. Next to him will be Julian Johnson on tenor saxophone, Adam Dyer on keys, James Traer on Bass and Geoff Wright on drums, the principle percussionist of the National Youth Brass Band and the National Youth Wind Ensemble of Scotland. The band recorded its first CD over Christmas and included tracks inspired by the likes of Carmen McRae, Joćo Gilberto and Jill Scott. This is guaranteed to be the flavour of the nights energetic performance.

Meanwhile, for your entertainment in the Foyer Bar are the Laurie Jacobs / Nick Hill Quintet and the Jeremy Kahn Quartet. The Laurie Jacobs / Nick Hill Quintet are a Blue Note inspired band with the classic front line of saxophone and trumpet. The band have put together a programme of jazz standards from the pads of Hank Mobley, Nat Adderley and Jimmy Heath plus other arrangements based on the music of the 1950's and 60's. Laurie and Nick teamed up many years ago and are both highly regarded musicians on the jazz scene, having played alongside many of the very best in the UK, such as Jim Mullen, Gilad Atzmon, Dick Pearce and Dave Cliff to name a few. The band have performed at many of the top jazz venues in the UK, including Dean Street Pizza Express, Pizza-on-the-Park, Norwich & Peterborough jazz clubs plus the Soho and London Jazz Festivals and several appearances at May Ball events over the years.

Laurie's alto sax style of playing is an interesting mixture of classic be-bop with a modern edge with some of his major influences being Lou Donaldson, Sonny Stitt and Dexter Gordon and, in addition, he has worked on a set featuring the music of two of the great modern-day saxophonists/composers - Michael Brecker and Kenny Garrett, releasing a CD dedicated to these two artists, entitled 'Midnight Voyage'. Nick Hill is widely regarded as one of the finest trumpeter/flugelhorn players this country has produced, with superb control, technique and tone. Some of his major influences have been Chet Baker, Art Farmer and Bobby Shew and like Chet Baker he has a vast knowledge of the jazz repertoire with over 600 tunes committed to memory.

The rhythm section is led by one of the most exciting pianists in the UK - Tim Lapthorn who is not only a brilliant soloist and accompanist but is a very fine composer. Tim is featured in many current bands and also leads his own trio. His last trio album released in 2005 entitled 'Natural Language' has been highly rated by the jazz press. The rhythm section is completed with two superb musicians - Val Mannix (double bass) and Asaf Sirkis (drums) who are both rated as world-class on their respective instruments.

The Jeremy Kahn Quartet comprises Jeremy Kahn (guitar), Martin Kemp (saxophones and clarinets), Bert Schilperoort (drums) and Steve Picking (bass). The band plays open and free interpretations, mostly of jazz standards, with groove and passion. Each performance is different, and plenty of excitement is generated by the fact that no-one is quite sure what's going to happen next, not even the band.

Lent 2006

Friday 27th January Four Brothers and a Ghost

J@J will be starting 2006 as we mean to go on with another fascinating jazz showcase. Don't miss it!

Four Brothers and a Ghost are a new group from London, led by pianist Mikel Andonegi, playing music on the cutting edge. Mikel, originally from Spain, spent 15 years in New York where he was a leading name in the avant-garde, with 5 albums under his name, and projects with Richard Bona and Horacio El Negro Hernandez. Since coming to London 6 months ago, he has teamed up with Dan Stern, tenor saxophonist and composer (look out for his CD featuring Dave Liebman and Tim Garland in 2006), American Gary Wickes on double bass (who has appeared on stage with Arturo Sandoval, Peter Erskin, Claudia Acuna, Diana Krall to name but a few), and Laurie Lowe on drums (played with Jim Mullen, Tony Kofi, Gilad Atzmon and many more). The band bring a high energy approach to their music, with an emphasis on modern harmony and rhythm. Think Steve Coleman, Jason Moran, Vijay Iyer, meeting Dave Liebman, Dave Binney, with a rhythmic world from drum'n'bass to free jazz.

Supporting them is one of Cambridge's premier vocalists, Sara Mitra, who returns to her adopted home-town to perform her intimate and enthralling adaptions of jazz standards and fresh originals, accompanied by the multi-talented Rob Taggart on keys. Described by Explorer magazine as One of the best singers on the UK scene, Sara demonstrates a rhythmic, fluent approach to improvisation with text and melody, citing Anita O’Day and Jill Scott as two of her top vocal influences. Previous highlights include Edinburgh Fringe performances with Scottish jazz pianist Paul Kirby, her acclaimed soul/r&b residency with pianist John Turville and their band The JT Collective at La Raza, Cambridge, and the debut of her own vocal compositions at The National Portrait Gallery’s concert series.

As usual, doors open at 9pm, and with tickets still at just £4, you really have no excuse for not coming down for an unforgettable night at J@J.

Friday 3rd February The Josh Kemp Quartet

Jazz@John's regular Josh Kemp will his bring his quartet to play music from their Jarrettism project. Featuring John Turville (p), Chris Hill (b) and Dave Smith (d), the band will recreate the sounds of Keith Jarrett's 'European Quartet' collaboration with Jan Garbarek. Expect sounds from all across the musical spectrum: heavy grooves to delicate textures, lyrical melodies to free-blowing. Josh's new album Animus should be released by 33 Records later this year.

In support, The Fred Thomas Group is a brand new ensemble featuring Robin Fincker on clarinet and tenor saxophone, Ben Bryant on percussion and drums, and Fred Thomas on piano and double-bass. At age 20, Fred is a 2nd year jazz student at the Royal Academy of music, and Ben and Robin are ex-Academy and Guildhall students respectively. The group's repetoire consists largely of new original compositions by Fred, who cites his varied influences as Charlie Haden, Paul Bley, Lennie Tristano, Thelonious Monk, Lester Young, Messiaen, Shostakovich, and The Beatles. A few arrangements of standards and compositions by Lee Konitz, Paul Motian and Stravinsky will also be included. This young, London-based group plays very intimate music containing tight arrangements heavily influenced by classical music, and larger sections of improvisation influenced by world music as well as jazz.

Friday 24th February Party Event - Capricorn, Funk Shui, The Groove Project and the Jenny Stone Trio

Another term, another fantastic J@J party event! Two rooms full of funky grooves and smooth sounds to ease those Lent term stresses.

Headlining in the Palmerston Room are Capricorn. Cambridge based octet Capricorn, comprised of seasoned and experienced players with a massive collective experience in various musical spheres, play songs and instrumentals drawn from a wide range of Jazz-related styles. From Herbie Hancock's funky horn-driven 'Wiggle Waggle', to hard-bop classics 'Jungle Strut' and 'Cold Duck Time'; covering well known Funk and Soul, as well as more obscure gems, like the Samba Jazz piece 'Cochise', by Brazilian organist Ed Lincoln.

They might deliver the smooth harmonies of Steely Dan's 'Peg', or the electric jazz mayhem of 'Directions', a Joe Zawinul composition made famous by Miles Davis. Sets typically range from the tranquillity of Idris Muhammad's 'Loran's Dance', or the joyful exuberance of Jon Lucien's 'Would You Believe In Me' to the hard rhythmic grooves of Grant Green's 'Ain't It Funky Now'. The unifying theme is a righteous jazzy soulfulness, played with love, lots of energy, and bags of enthusiasm. Featuring Myke Clifford on vocals, soprano, alto & tenor saxes, flute and congas, Seb Palmer on drums, Alex Tsentides on bass guitar, Jeffers Mayo on guitar and vocals, Kase on keys, Mike 'D-Bone' Doris on trombone, Robin Livermore on trumpet and flugelhorn, and Dom 'The Hat' Latter on baritone sax. Check out their website for previews.

Supporting them are Funk Shui. Feng Shui is the Chinese art of positioning objects in buildings and other places based on the belief in positive and negative effects of the patterns of yin and yang and the flow of chi, the vital force or energy inherent in all things. Funk Shui is the ancient Cantabrigiensian art of positioning Funk in audiences and other groupies based on the belief in the upbeat and downbeat effects of the patterns of jazz and rock and the flow of groove, the vital force or energy inherent in all things.

Since its formation almost a year ago, Funk Shui have been jamming their way into the Cambridge music scene spreading their own version of chi- good vibes and hard groove. The five piece Funk band features Justin Salamon on electric guitar, Jamie Castell on sax, Andras Nagy on keys, Shaul Tor on bass and Tom Barrie on drums. The band started off playing cover versions of tunes by musicians who inspired its members, and has since introduced a number of original tunes written by guitar player Justin Salamon. Funk Shui cover a range of styles, from traditional Herbie Hancock and Jaco Pastorious Jazz-Funk numbers to pieces by modern jazz giants such as John Scofield and Joshua Redman. The band has performed in a collection of balls, parties and jazz nights, and their second visit to Jazz@John’s is guaranteed to be a fusion of Jazz and Funk that will get you movin’ and shakin’.

Meanwhile, for your entertainment in the Foyer Bar are The Groove Project and Jenny Stone. The Groove Project comprise Steve Martin (saxes), Tony White (g), Martin Booth (kb), Ian Parry (b) and Jane Hollingworth (dr). They have been together for over five years, playing around the Cambridge and Saffron Walden areas, at Strawberry Fair, the Man in the Moon, and many other pub and club gigs. They play modern jazz with a dance/groove edge, as well as funky standards, but don't mind playing some Mingus, Coltrane and Wayne Shorter as well. Something to dance to and enjoy, but to listen to as well....

The Jenny Stone Trio will be performing their take on a selection of jazz standards, with some Latin numbers thrown in there too. With fourth year linguist Jenny Stone, back from a year abroad in Cuba soaking up the Havana jazz scene, on vocals, and Tom Lodwick, CUJO saxophonist and past member of NYJO, he has also performed on the sax with Harvey Brough at the Barbican, but, a third year musician, tonight he'll be airing his piano playing skills. Finally, on bass, we have Churchill first year and CUJO bassist Michael Chilcott, who has burst onto the Cambridge jazz scene fresh from a year out dedicated to bass playing.

Michaelmas 2005

Monday 28th November, 6:30pm, Fisher Building Foyer - J@J AGM

Fancy helping out the best jazz events team in Cambridge? Want to make new friends, see great bands and get all of this, plus alcohol, all for free? If the answer is yes, then you should have come along to our AGM! We're always happy to meet new jazz enthusiasts, and there are many opportunities for you to help us out. If you're interested in helping us out but couldn't make the AGM, email the president.

Friday 25th November Party Event - Acuphuncture, Jazztank and Mingusology

Leading the evening were Acuphuncture. Their resident herbologists infuse one part Headhunters with an undertone of Ubiquity, a sprinkling of Scott-Heron and some sample moments for your weekly funk injection. Acuphuncture are a collective of funk-loving gear addicts. Shortly after graduating, Tom realised that the best way to hide his eBay habit and penchant for moving heavy equipment around was to pretend to be in a band. This dream team of Funkers from the Fens was formed quicker than you can say "Roy Ayers Ubiquity", and after a few months of rinsin' their licks and mastering their moves they're ready to unleash the funk. For this Jazz@John's set, Acuphuncture covered a range of their favourite funk records (ranging from Stevie Wonder to more obscure material), but they also had some funky cuts of their own creation.

Supporting them were Jazztank. Jazztank are an experienced sextet based in Cambridge and London, who made their debut at the Montreal Jazz Festival in 2004. Since then they have appeared live on national TV supporting such diverse talent as Emma Bunton and Ainsley Harriott, and are planning a tour of Italy next summer. Having recently performed in collaboration with hip-hop artists from New York to a full house at Clare Cellars, their diverse music veers from jazz to funk.

Meanwhile, out in the Foyer Bar we had a superb three hour Mingus night with Mingusology. Mingusology is a band formed this year to play the music of Charles Mingus, the great bass player and composer who stormed his way the jazz music scene from 1955 to his early death in 1978. Always rooted in the blues, his music moves from New Orleans type collective improvisation through the lyricism of Ellington to complex rhythms and harmonies, sometimes on a massive scale. Mingus lived dangerously. The band performed most of the well-known Mingus compositions, including Better Git Hit in Your Soul and Moanin'.

Friday 11th November The Cevanne Horrocks-Hopayian Quintet

The Cevanne Horrocks-Hopayian Quintet, presented an eclectic mix of styles ranging from Thelonious Monk to Kathryn Tickell; Tina May to Annie Ross. Supporting them were the Lambie Quartet. Led by Sarah Lambie, whose career has included performances with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, they describe their repertoire as: "standards that won't ever be worn out".

Friday 14th October Freshers' Event: The George Crowley Quartet

The George Crowley Quartet brought a wonderful performance to the Fisher Building for our first event of the year. They played a range of standards by the likes of Jim Hall, Theolonious Monk, John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, alongside original compositions and some more groove orientated stuff by John Scofield and others. In support we had Naomi Stoll and Harvey Brink. In her return to Jazz@John's Naomi Stoll performed a range of jazz standards from her new album One Tipperary Goodbye, recorded over the summer. Naomi has been singing jazz for the last five years and has performed with a number of ensembles in pubs and clubs in London and Cambridge. She joined forces with Harvey Brink 2 terms ago. Harvey has studied Jazz under the likes of Nikki Iles and John Turville and has recorded with London jazz musicians Jeremy Brown and Gary Willcox. He has also performed solo and in ensembles at numerous May Balls across cambridge including Trinity and Clare.

Friday 7th October J@J Squash

If you're interested in helping us out but missed the squash, either come along our next event, or email the president.

Easter 2005

Saturday 18th June The Garden Party

The 2005 Jazz@John's Garden Party was a great success, and we would like to thank all of you who came along, and all those who helped out and made it the brilliant evening's entertainment thta it turned out to be.

First up were Butcher's Brew. Butcher's Brew is a regularly performing modern jazz band which has evolved over the past ten years. The band performs particularly at jazz venues in and around the capital including the last nine Ealing Jazz Festivals, amongst many others. In the summer of 2001 the band appeared at a series of open-air summer jazz festivals. Their style varies from the modern jazz of the late 1950s through to funk and rare groove: ideal for a lively party! Material includes bright arrangements of standards as well as originals for the line-up of trombone, saxophone, guitar, bass, piano and drums plus, on occasions, talented young vocalist Hattie Webb. Four years ago the band released its debut CD album 'Life in the Park' which has sold dreadfully, though members of the band's family now all own a set of matching coasters for dinner parties.

Following them were J@J stalwarts Lido 66. A ten piece group, some of whom have been trained by masters in Havana, they specialise in Afro-Cuban party music. The band is strongly influenced by, and respectful of, the traditional Cuban folk heritage, yet also often updates the arrangements to create a more contemporary fusion. With their 'eminently danceable rhythms', they set an exciting groove to the evening, and much fun was had by all.

Friday 6th May Party Event

Another successful J@J event at which much fun was had by all. Leading the night was Emunah. Emunah blend the best elements of world music with deep soulful reggae, stirring hiphop and downright funky drum and bass. Their sound is a unique fusion of the traditional and the contemporary that's guaranteed to get yer booty moving. It certainly did. Preceding Emunah in the main hall was the Jon Opstad Sextet. Jon returns to Jazz@John's with five of Cambridge's finest student jazz musicians to perform arrangements of classic 60's pieces by Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Lee Morgan, and others, originally released on the Blue Note label.

Meanwhile, heading proceedings in the bar were Jazztank. The experienced sextet, whose entertaining repertoire veers effortlessly between jazz and funk, made their debut at the Montreal Jazz Festival in 2004. They have since received rave reviews in the Cambridge press and appeared live on national TV alongside such diverse talent as Emma Bunton and Ainsley Harriott. Another fine performance. Starting us off in the bar were Round Purple Toes. An acoustic-based trio with experience in the Cambridge open mic circuit, they performed a mix of interpretive covers and original compositions.

Lent 2005

Friday 25th February Party Event

We really pushed the boat out for this term's party event, securing five excellent groups for the aural pleasure of another full-house.

Starting us off in the J@J Foyer bar were Gling-Glo, who entertained us with a unique sound ranging from adapted standards, as well as less well-known tunes from blues, bossanova, black protest songs, RnB and even Russian folk music. Following them were Fiend, capturing some of the classic gypsy jazz of Django Reinhardt. Truly a Gypsy Jazz Experience.

Meanwhile in the Palmerston Room, first up were 12 Minutes 'Til Monday, playing a blues, motown and soul influenced performance, including covers of Aretha Franklin, Randy Crawford, right up to more recent artists like Moloko. Following them, Funksoc are another band of experienced first years, very influenced by jazz from the Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock eras.

Topping the bill were Pat Sharp's Funk House. A very experienced group of musicians, who have played excellently at J@J before, returned to top the night off in true J@J jazz-funk style. Some cool numbers by Grover Washington, Ronnie Laws, Average White Band, George Benson and Christian McBride brought the evening to a perfect conclusion.

Friday 11th February Funk Shui

Funk Shui covered a wide musical range from traditional pieces by the likes of Herbie Hancock and Jaco Pastorius to contemporary Funk and Grooves by modern giants such as John Scofield and Joshua Redman, as well as original material by the band themselves. They were ably supported by the George Crowley Quartet.

Friday 28th January The Small Hours

The Small Hours will be bringing a fresh soul/funk sound to the Fisher building this Friday. Led on vocals by Francine Ihenacho, who currently also sings with the Downing Jazz Band, and fresh from recent successes at Clare open-mic events, this one should be a great night. They will be supported by Naomi Stoll & Fergus Read. Naomi is a first year at Queens'. She will be performing with her teacher, Fergus, who is a jazz pianist, and will be singing songs from her debut album, Fancy Free.

Michaelmas 2004

Friday 26th November The Party Event

Headlining this time was Lido66, formerly known as Manteca. Back by popular demand, their ‘eminently danceable Latin rhythms’ set the Party Event on fire as the Palmerston Room turned into a Cuban dance-hall for the evening. On stage before them was Pat Sharp's Funk House: a year on from their supporting debut at J@J they return once more to kick off the evening with some funk-filled rhythms.

Back in the Foyer Bar Sara Mitra kept it mellow with her quartet. Following her was the Loraine Trio, a four-piece ensemble of sax, trumpet, keys and voice supplying a smooth chilled-out groove for a laid-back route to the midnight hour.

Friday 12th November Josh@John's

Jazz@John's returns to the Fisher Building with blues and smooth jazz classics from the renowned Josh Kemp Quartet, playing a double set.

Saturday 6th November Vision

J@J turns experimental with Recurring, headed by Eric White, with Chris Weston, Jonny Coffey, Meg Foulkes and Jonathan Midgley.

Friday 22nd October Freshers' Event

Jon Opstad returns to the J@J stage once more with younger brother James Opstad and J@J legend, pianist John Turville. Support was from up-and-coming ensemble JazzTank: an exciting offshoot of Fitz Swing.

Saturday 16th October VISION Launch

Jon Opstad, accompanied by five fellow jazzheads in a performance including arrangements of classic '60s pieces by Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and Lee Morgan.

Easter 2004

12th June The Garden Party

Featuring Harvey Brough and Clara Sanabras, ably supported by a quintet of top-class musicians organised by John Turville.

30th April Revision Reviver

The ultimate in swing and big-band jazz by Fitz Swing and danceable Cuban stylings from Manteca. The Rich Low Quartet and Jen Melmore support.

Lent 2004

27th February Party Event

Cambiando and The Josh Kemp Quartet with support

6th February 'Righteous Soul'

Capricorn with support from Tossed Salads

23rd January Trad Night

The Justin Read Quartet and support Sara Mitra

Michaelmas 2003

21st November Party Event

Cambridge University Jazz Orchestra and Casa Del Funk with support

7th November Cool Concert Classic

The Gentlemen of St John's with support from Pat Sharpe's Funkhouse

17th October Freshers' Event

Afrodisiac and support The Ben Trio