Reside Music Change Weblog

Visitor blogger Alison Eales writes about Glasgow’s common jazz periods on this week’s weblog, and finds a dynamic scene which options a mixture of trad, mainstream, and fashionable jazz kinds throughout the town, each indoors and within the metropolis’s out of doors public areas. One in all her predominant findings is the expansion of a youthful jazz scene which inspires musicians to play extra fashionable kinds of music, and a part of the weblog put up explores the explanations for this rising development.

This put up seems to be at among the common jazz periods which happen in Glasgow’s bars, pubs and public areas on a weekly or month-to-month foundation, and that are free to attend.  Most of those periods are included within the fringe programme of Glasgow Jazz Pageant every year.  Numerous varieties of jazz are coated, from trad by means of to extra fashionable kinds, to periods with a barely broader remit concerning funk and Latin sounds.  Not coated listed below are ticketed jazz gigs: a notable omission, due to this fact, is the Bridge Jazz collection, run by Invoice Kyle (proprietor of Edinburgh’s Jazz Bar).  Supported by Artistic Scotland, Bridge Jazz brings fashionable jazz acts from everywhere in the world to Edinburgh and Glasgow, in addition to showcasing native expertise.  Its Glasgow gigs are normally on Thursday evenings on the Artwork Membership.  One other current improvement not coated on this article is a brand new ‘Jazz within the Afternoon’ collection on the Tron Theatre.

This put up is accompanied by a video of among the periods coated (to see which clip is through which venue, see the video data on YouTube):-

There may be additionally the next map which exhibits the places of the venues (click on on the blue icon for a basic overview of the venues; clicking on the crimson markers offers you additional details about every venue):-

Trad Jazz Periods

For the needs of this put up, ‘trad jazz’ wants a broad interpretation, for the reason that bands who frequent Glasgow’s standard periods are typically not New Orleans purists.  These bands usually have a typical ‘trad jazz’ line-up together with banjo, clarinet and many others., however incorporate later huge band-style songs and requirements alongside a ragtime or Dixieland repertoire.  The periods at which they play usually happen in metropolis centre bars on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, and have a tendency to attract an older viewers, with nearly all of attendees maybe of their 50s-70s.  There may be normally a very good gender combine – the truth is, it’s not uncommon for there to be barely extra ladies than males.  Individuals will usually rise up and dance (if there’s room!).

Avant Garde (previously Laurie’s) has been refurbished pretty not too long ago, and its new, fashionable decor is in step with different bars close by.  Its Saturday afternoon jazz periods, nevertheless, predate the refurbishment – the six-piece trad band have been resident right here for years.  Led by Dave Wilson (a well known banjoist, pianist and piano tuner) till his loss of life in 2013, their line-up is augmented by a bluesy feminine singer for some numbers; she is one in all solely a tiny variety of feminine performers to seem at any of the periods talked about on this piece, and maybe even the one one who performs commonly.

King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut is usually identified for rock and indie/different music.  Every Saturday afternoon, nevertheless, Penman’s Jazzmen – one in all Glasgow’s longest-established and best-loved jazz bands – take over the downstairs bar.  On one event I acquired chatting to a gentleman, maybe in his early 60s, who had travelled from East Kilbride to come back to this session, bemoaning the shortage of stay music in his house city.  Earlier than leaving, I pointed to a Belle and Sebastian poster on the wall and instructed him that I as soon as noticed Dave Wilson’s Uptown Shufflers supporting them in Dunoon.  To not be outdone, he instructed me that he as soon as noticed The Rolling Stones supporting Acker Bilk on the Isle of Man.

At The Three Judges’ Sunday afternoon periods, music is offered by both Muldoon’s Ragtime Band – who even have a Saturday afternoon residency at MacSorley’s – or The Witnesses.  This session is at all times extraordinarily busy: flip up at 3pm and you’re unlikely to get a seat; flip up early to get a seat and you’re more likely to displace an everyday.  Alongside one aspect of the pub, near the place the band play, there’s normally a core of people that appear to know one another nicely.  One afternoon, the entire pub was handled to sandwiches and sausage rolls introduced in by somebody celebrating a birthday.

Glasgow’s trad jazz periods are exceptional when it comes to their reputation and heat.  On a very good day, dropping in to at least one feels virtually like crashing a celebration: many attendees are long-standing regulars, mingling from desk to desk, chatting to outdated associates.

Trendy Jazz Periods

When it comes to extra fashionable and mainstream jazz – once more, phrases which require broad interpretation – there seem like two scenes in Glasgow, characterised by a generational distinction, however with a considerable overlap.  Sure fashionable periods appeal to a typically older viewers (although youthful than the trad periods), maybe of their 40s-60s.  While there’s nonetheless a very good gender stability, it’s usually the case that there are extra males than ladies.

On the primary Saturday of every month, Ubiquitous Chip hosts a jazz lunch in its downstairs restaurant.  From 1pm til 4pm, a set menu is obtainable, accompanied by stay music – usually a trio or quartet taking part in requirements.  The jazz lunch is standard sufficient that reserving upfront is suggested, but the music itself is a notably unintrusive ingredient of the occasion, performed at a low sufficient quantity that diners are in a position to converse.  Even with out amplification, the venue’s excessive ceiling, brick partitions and cobbled flooring permit sound to journey.

Maybe probably the most prolific jazz musicians in Glasgow, saxophonist Michael Deans has a Thursday night time residency on the Beer Cafe, a contemporary bar adjoining to the Metropolis Halls. Deans’ repertoire relies upon partly on the line-up of his band – once more, usually a trio or quartet – which varies from week to week.  Keyboardist Pete Johnstone brings a funk/prog edge to the band when he brings his Hammond (or, not less than, his Nord) alongside.  On different events, the band undertake a extra Latin sound.  Deans additionally performs with a quintet every Sunday within the Whisky Bar at Òran Mór, all darkish wooden and low gentle with casks mounted behind the bar.  It isn’t unknown for impromptu trad jazz periods to happen right here.  The structure of the bar will not be ultimate, nevertheless: the band are squeezed right into a nook near the bathrooms, with a seating sales space instantly in entrance, performing as a kind of barrier between them and the remainder of the bar.

Prior to now few years, quite a few new fashionable periods have sprung up in Glasgow.  These periods are inclined to characteristic youthful musicians, appeal to a youthful crowd (maybe of their 20s-40s), and, as with the trad periods, there’s normally a very good gender stability.  These periods are typically later and louder than these talked about above (with the doable exception of the Beer Cafe).

Jazz at The 78, which takes place each Sunday night time, has change into one of many venue’s hottest occasions.  The resident trio are pianist Tom Gibbs, bassist Euan Burton and drummer Stu Brown, with many native and visiting musicians sitting in.  It’s at all times busy and it may be difficult discovering a seat, particularly near the band.  This is without doubt one of the Glasgow’s louder jazz periods, not simply when it comes to the amplification of the band, but in addition within the quantity of dialog and applause.

One of the current additions to The Halt Bar’s calendar of stay leisure is a Saturday afternoon jazz session.  The band, whose membership varies from week to week, will usually play two units.  Throughout the first set, they often keep on with requirements; after a brief break, they are going to play a louder and extra uptempo set, the numbers extra fashionable, the solos extra exuberant.  One other of the newer periods, Jazz at Slouch is much like the 78 periods – normally busy, maybe surprisingly so for a late Tuesday night time session.  Equally, the Wednesday night time session at The Rio Cafe (normally hosted by bassist Brodie Jarvie or guitarist Allan McKeown) begins at 9pm however nonetheless attracts an honest crowd.

The emergence of those ‘youthful’ fashionable jazz periods could also be linked to the institution of the BMus in Jazz on the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, led by Tommy Smith.  The course admitted its first cohort in 2009; Jazz on the 78 predates this by two years, however the periods at Slouch and the Halt are more moderen (having been established in 2012 and 2013 respectively).  The course’s consumption is deliberately small, however its college students are inspired to hunt as a lot work on the native scene as doable so as to construct expertise and contacts, accounting for a small improve within the provide of jazz musicians within the metropolis.  That there seems to be ample demand to accommodate them could be very promising – even late on a Sunday or weekday night, their periods appeal to a energetic and appreciative viewers.

Jazz in public areas

In October 2013, as a part of the Glasgow Metropolis Advertising and marketing Bureau’s ‘Individuals Make Glasgow’ marketing campaign, the St Enoch Centre begun to play host to stay leisure so as to convey individuals in for early night procuring.  An empty retail unit on the bottom flooring was used as an area for stand-up comedy, while on the primary flooring, an space alongside massive promoting hoardings and a stall promoting artwork prints grew to become an impromptu jazz stage.  Tuts’ resident trad band, Penman’s Jazzmen, have been one act to play right here.  Representing the extra fashionable finish of the spectrum – with specific leanings in the direction of funk and fusion – have been the Marco Cafolla Trio.  The band may be discovered taking part in in varied bars round Glasgow in the course of the week, and likewise performed in Central Station as a part of the 2013 Glasgow Jazz Pageant, as a part of a seamless initiative to supply stay music on the station concourse on Friday evenings.

Glasgow additionally has its share of buskers, in fact, although the climate will not be at all times suited to taking part in outdoor.  I as soon as encountered the gentleman within the video assembling his clarinet on the Subway.  “I’m simply cleansing it,” he introduced unconvincingly to the carriage, earlier than launching into ‘Stranger on the Shore’.

Blowing modifications

While essentially the most constantly busy jazz periods in Glasgow nonetheless lean in the direction of the trad/huge band finish of issues, there does seem like an thrilling shift in progress.  Alternatives are arising for youthful musicians to play extra fashionable kinds of music (certainly, these musicians are actively creating their very own alternatives to take action), and the ensuing periods are proving standard with a youthful viewers.  The repute of those periods extends past Glasgow: Jazz on the 78 was not too long ago featured in a listing article detailing fascinating issues to see and do within the metropolis (The Halt Bar and Òran Mór are additionally talked about within the article, although not for his or her jazz periods).

Will probably be fascinating to look at how these periods develop as additional cohorts of younger jazz musicians emerge from the Conservatoire.  It would even be fascinating to see what number of extra such periods this youthful scene can and can maintain.