Northern Jazz Promoters – the new name for NorVol Jazz
We are now using our new name of Northern Jazz Promoters (NJP) Read more here
“Happy New Year!” from the NJP management team
(Steve Crocker, Gill Wilde, Mel Grundy, Wes Stephenson, Sue Bradley and Judith Waterhouse)
Take a look at some of the jazz reviews of 2019, here.
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Recent Northern Jazz promoters “Meet Up” at Scarborough Spa, during Scarborough Jazz Festival Sat 21 Sept, 2019 (See more here)
“I was really pleased to present the award of jazz vocalist of the year to a real favourite in our area, Newcastle’s Zoe Gilby, who is not only a fantastic singer but also does so much to support jazz promoters in the region.” – Steve Crocker (2019 Parliamentary Jazz Awards)
More information on this year’s awards here
Click here for Jazz Events In The North Today
Education Partnership for jazz promoters
Network members are asked if you would be interested in taking part in the new Education Partnership for jazz promoters and their Music Education Hubs. If so please let Gill Wilde know on
If jazz clubs want their gigs or news on the blog, send 350 words and a picture to the editor, Steve Crocker
Our Latest News and Developments
The network has approved new objectives to allow membership by all promoters of jazz whether voluntary, pop up, musician led, commercial or public funded. They also approved the new “gold” logo (seen on this front page). The current set of minutes from our Manchester Jazz Festival Meeting on Sat 25 May are attached. Northern Jazz Promoters. The next meet-up (and our AGM) will be at Scarborough Jazz Festival @Scarborough Spa Sat 21 Sept 10 for 10.30am. All welcome.
See our current management group, here.
Emerging Artist Programme
Leeds College of Music, together with NJP (formerly NorVol Jazz) network, organised six jazz groups in an emerging artist programme that took place during April and May 2019. We have agreed to run another programme with the College in April and May 2020. If you would like to book one of these bands – say as a support band, or to fill a gap in your programme in the near future, do get in touch.
See our members here | See our Venues/A-Z of clubs in North | Check Jazz days here
All the latest Northern Jazz Promoters Minutes – click here – See the photo and NorVol banner here
Remember too, that Jazz Festivals run throughout the year! Check our Festivals page.
Changes to our website
We have updated and changed some aspects of the NJP website. Click here for details of the changes.
Current Events:
Lauren Kinsella / Tom Challenger / Dave Smith – Jazz At The Lescar
Unique and beautiful music from three innovative artists who’s music, entitled Radicle (a plant’s first root) was premiered at the 2018 London Jazz Festival, exploring themes of conservation and nature through Lauren Kinsella’s composition and self-penned text. Featuring Lauren Kinsella (vocals and composition), Tom Challenger (tenor sax) and Dave Smith (drums). You may have caught Lauren previously with her own band, or in duet with Kit Downes, with whom Tom Challenger also has a long running musical partnership, recorded recently on ECM records. Dave Smith currently plays in Robert Plant’s solo project, as well as the Cloudmakers Trio and the Mark Lockheart Quintet.
Admission: £8 (£5)
Doors 8.15 pm Music starts at 8.45 pm
Nicki Allan – Scarborough Jazz
We’re delighted to welcome Nicki back, a vocalist who interprets jazz classics effortlessly with material from Ella Fitzgerald to Joni Mitchell, all with her stylish bluesy phrasing and love of vocal improvisation. For this gig Nicki is accompanied by two top payers, Peter Elsdon (piano) and Sam Dunn (guitar).
£5
Phil Shotton Quartet ‘Straight Down’ Album Launch – The Capstone
Phil Shotton and his quartet will be playing tracks from their debut album Straight Down alongside other tunes from the Great American Songbook, in their typically swinging, melodic style.
Straight Down was inspired by Phil’s admiration of the Blue Note recordings of the 1950’s. A band meeting in the recording studio, calling some tunes and playing in a live situation. So that’s what the band did, after choosing the tunes from their recent live repertoire (over a cup of strong coffee), went straight into recording. No overdubs, tracks captured in one take, and nothing overly produced.
Admission £11.50
More info and tickets from the website.
Pigfoot – Wakefield Jazz
A thrilling all-star line-up creating their own genre of avant-trad New Orleans music – 21st century acid trad! Featuring music by Elvis Presley, Curtis Mayfield, Mozart and Wagner, with rumbustious solos by a quartet of regular favourites at Wakefield Jazz.
Doors open at 7:00 pm; music starts at 8:30 pm
FERGUS MCCREADIE TRIO – Sheffield Jazz
Do not miss this gig! Although you may not yet have heard of him, Fergus McCreadie is a phenomenal young pianist and his trio is one of the hottest, most exciting young groups in European jazz at the moment and winner of Album of the Year in the 2019 UK Parliamentary Jazz Awards for their album “Turas”. Their concerts, highlighting their thrilling virtuosity, brilliantly attuned collective dynamism and their music’s huge emotional charge, have earned five-star reviews and an invitation to appear at Ronnie Scotts’ International Piano Trio Festival in 2019. They have also featured at Oslo and Stockholm Jazz Festivals. “Simply outstanding” – Jazzwise
Full £15, Over 60s, disabled and unemployed £12, Student with NUS card £8, 15 – 17 year olds £3, Under 15s Free. CASH ONLY on door.
Denise Gordon + Enrico Tomasso – Jazz in the Spa
Now for something a little different. Denise has performed on the International stage for over 20 years as a gospel and soulful jazz singer. Her inspiration stems from her Caribbean roots and the New Orleans influences of Mahalia Jackson and Louis Armstrong. Enrico Tomasso needs no introduction to the Boston Spa audience and neither does John Hallam or Tom Kincaid’s Three Bears – all of whom will be accompanying Denise.
Please check website for updates.
(Doors – 7:00.pm. Music 8:00 pm – 10:30 pm)
Unlicensed Venue. Bring your own bottle or whatever!
Jeff Hewer Quartet – JazzLeeds
Jeff Hewer guitar, Sam Quintana bass, Steve Hanley drums and special guest Eliot Richards sax
Soundscapes of contemporary jazz with material composed specifically for this line up by ex Toronto and now Chapel Allerton guitarist/band leader Jeffrey Hewer.
£9/7 conc 25 and under £5 kids under 16 free
Lilli Unwin – Jazz At The Lescar
An enchanting and soulful singer, Lilli Unwin brings a brilliant trio featuring much sought after and acclaimed guitarist Rob Luft, and Rupert Cox (NYJO, Kansas Smitty’s House Band, Tom Barford) on keys.
Lilli’s original songs address universal themes of love, longing and loss through honest and fearless female stories.
A member of the London Vocal Project, she performed in the world première of Jon Hendricks’ Miles Ahead in New York in 2017.
Insightful music, played with poise and imagination.
Admission: £8 (£5)
Doors 8.15 pm Music starts at 8.45 pm
Mark Chandler and Dan Brunskill – Scarborough Jazz
Flugelhorn and trumpet player Mark has played with some of the biggest names in show business in a career spanning 40 years. Saxophonist Dan was a semi-finalist in the 2016 BBC Young Jazz Musician of The Year competition. Old hand meets rising star. With MG3.
£6
Emilia Mårtensson Group – JazzLeeds
Emilia Martensson: vocals; Luca Boscagin: guitar; Fulvio Sigurta: trumpet/electronics; Sam Lasserson: bass; Adriano Adewale: percussion
Over the last decade, Swedish jazz singer Emilia Mårtensson has built a well-deserved reputation as one of the most exciting young vocalists on the European jazz scene and she was awarded ‘Vocalist of the Year-2016′ at the UK Parliamentary Jazz Awards. Her gently expressive voice and highly personal compositions are firmly rooted in the folklore and the countryside of her native southern Sweden.
Tickets for this concert can be bought in advance https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/jazzleeds/emilia-ma/e-pzjkmd
(Use the Next and Previous links to navigate more of the above listings)
Some clubs use more than one venue. Please check our venues page for details.
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Marius Neset
Jazz North is the development agency for jazz in the North of England funded by Arts Council England.
Their mission is to increase the profile of contemporary jazz in the North by developing opportunities for artists and building audiences through collective partnership working.
