Joe the Hat presents Jo Harrop - The Exchange, Twickenham

Dave Green - bass

Jo Harrop - voice
Dave Green - bass
John Pearce - piano
Alan Barnes - saxophone and clarinet
Matt Home - drums

Joe the Hat

After a hiatus of 18 months due to the Covid pandemic I like many others at The Exchange in Twickenham (09/09/2021) were back listening to live Jazz again. We the hope the resumption will be a long term affair and the Jazz clubs of London will be alive once again. This night was organised by dapper jazz lover and local personality Joe the Hat. 

Jo Harrop

Jo Harrop - Born in Durham and raised on a heady musical diet of Nina Simone, Billie Holiday and Aretha Franklin, Jo Harrop cut her teeth as a session singer, working with a host of iconic artists including Neil Diamond, Rod Stewart, Gloria Gaynor and Enrique Iglesias. After moving to London, she quickly established herself as one of the most unmistakable voices in British jazz, performing everywhere from the Royal Albert Hall to the Sunset Sunside Jazz Club in Paris.
 https://www.joharrop.com/

Matt Home - drums

Matt Home - Born in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire in 1973, Matt Home started with the trumpet and switched to drums at the age of 8. After taking private lessons  in 1991 he enrolled on the three year course in Jazz and popular music at CLCM graduating in 1994 and soon began playing professionally, based in Leeds. In 1999, Matt moved to London and soon began playing with many of  the leading musicians in London, the UK and Europe including  Alan Barnes, Claire Martin, Stacey Kent, Atila, Brandon Allen, Allison Neale, Jim Mullen, Dave Cliff, Steve Fishwick, Matt Wates and Nat Steele among others. Current projects include ‘ Five- Way Split’ a UK quintet comprising 5 of the leading straight ahead jazz musicians on the London scene: The Nate Najar U.S Trio and more recently The Raible/Gradischnig Quintet “ Elmo Hope Project “ with UK trumpeter Steve Fishwick.
 https://www.matthomedrums.com/

Alan Barnes

Alan Barnes is a prolific international performer, composer, arranger, bandleader and touring soloist.  He is best known for his work on clarinet, alto and baritone sax, where he combines a formidable virtuosity with a musical expression and collaborative spirit that have few peers.
 https://www.alanbarnesjazz.com/

Jon Pearce

Gentle, lyrical and thoughtful, John Pearce is one of Britain’s most respected and versatile musicians and one of our best kept secrets.  John became interested in jazz as a twelve-year old.  He played his first gigs locally in Essex, before turning professional in 1968, working in Geraldo’s Navy, and then joined the QE2 for her maiden voyage to New York in 1969.   From 1975 to 1985 he was in Ray Ellington’s Quartet and did two world cruises and radio and TV work; and became a regular session player, with the BBC Radio Orchestra, Jack Parnell’s Orchestra, Robert Farnon, Billy May, and with the James Last Orchestra.  
https://fleetjazz.wordpress.com/john-pearce-2/

Dave Green

Dave Green (born 5 March 1942) is an English jazz bassist. His first public performances were with his childhood friend Charlie Watts in the late 1950s. While performing with Humphrey Lyttelton from 1963 to 1983, he also played with the Don Rendell–Ian Carr band in the early 1960s, and went on to play with Stan Tracey. In the early 1980s, he led his own group, Fingers, featuring Lol Coxhill, Bruce Turner and Michael Garrick. In 1991, he was a founding member of Charlie Watts's quintet, together with Gerard Presencer, Peter King and Brian Lemon.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Green_(musician)

Two sides of Sara Dowling

Sara Dowling

Joe the Hat presents

Sara Dowling - voice
Gabriel Latchin - piano
Dario di Lecce - bass
Steve Brown - drums
Vasilis Xenopoulos - saxophones

3rd December 2018
The Exchange, Twickenham, UK

Steve Brown

Jazz aficionado Joe the Hat presented a high calibre night of entertainment and music at The Exchange in Twickenham this week. Sara Dowling has long been a darling of the West London set with regular appearances at Twickenham Jazz Club, and it is a testament to her appeal that both recent local gigs have been sell outs. She shared the front of the Exchange stage with popular saxophonist Vasilis Xenopoulos.

Gabriel Latchin

Sara Dowling is undoubtedly making an impact on the UK jazz scene. Her passion for both music and film from the 1930’s and 40’s inspires and informs her choice of material and her performances. Those who have seen her shows saluting Jerome Kern, George Shearing and their contemporaries will attest that she is an absolute delight. Sara has just released her second album, “Two Sides of Sara”, a duo record featuring the piano of Gabriel Latchin and the unique joy of Bill Mudge's organ playing.

Vasilis Xenopoulos

Saxophonist and composer Vasilis Xenopoulos is one of the most accomplished Greek jazz musicians of his generation. London became his permanent home after graduating from the infamous Berklee College of Music, and gradually established himself as one of London’s up and coming jazz saxophonists. He has worked with some of the best musicians in the British jazz scene, such as Jim Mullen, Steve Waterman, Alan Barnes, Derek Nash, Bruce Adams, Martin Shaw, Nigel Price, Ray Gelato, and many others. On an international level, he has appeared with a variety of top performers such as sensational pianists Hiromi, and Jason Lindner.

Dario di Lecce

The Exchange is a newly built venue owned by Richmond Council and leased to St Mary’s University under an agreement that the building will be used for a mixture of University use, Community Group use and public events. The building has a 300 seat theatre, 5 studio rooms, a cafe and a bar. It is the building directly opposite the entrance to Twickenham station.

.

Richmond Rhythm Club - 2018 Winter Concert

Sara Dowling

Richmond Rhythm Club
Sara Dowling - voice
Amy Roberts - saxophone, flute
Richard Exall - saxophone, clarinet
Al Nicholls - saxophone
Dave Chamberlain - bass
Leon Greening - piano
Sebastiaan De Krom - drums

Date - 10th January 2018
Venue - Turk's Head, St Margarets, UK

Joe the Hat

The Richmond Rhythm Club meets on Tuesdays from 2-4pm, with drinks in the bar before and after. Based at The Twickenham Club, 7 Church Street, Twickenham, TW1 3NJ their schedule is full of fascinating speakers from the Jazz world. The booking of these personalities is largely due to the hard work of 'Joe the Hat', one of Twickenham's great treasures. Twice a year the Richmond Rhythm Club organises a concert that is much more about walking the walk rather than talking the talk. A hand picked group, representing the crème de la crème of the current scene, performs to a packed audience. The Winter Concert 2018 was a swinging affair with a hugely appreciative 120 listeners in attendance. The energy and fervour of the musicians rippled across the Winchester Room at the Turks Head, enthusing and captivating in equal measure.

Sebastiaan De Krom

RRC Schedule Winter 2018

16 Jan - Gary Wood – Trumpet, vocals

23 Jan - Sara Dowling – Vocals
30 Jan - Matt Home – Drums
6 Feb - Charles Alexander & Andy Robinson – Guitars
13 Feb - Gordon Campbell – Trombone
20 Feb - Allison Neale
27 Feb - Andy Dickens – Trumpet, vocals
6 Mar - Olly Wilby – Sax, clarinet
12 Mar Note: this is Monday - Colin Skinner – Sax, band leader, arranger
20 Mar - Walter Houser – Sax, raconteur​​
​3 Oct - Jeff Williams – drums 

Sara Dowling is a Singer/Songwriter currently living in London. Gifted with immensely emotional vocals her influences are wide and far reaching, reminiscent of jazz and  soul greats such as Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin and Candi Statton, but mixed with poetic lyrics and haunting melodies. Born in Oman to an Irish father and Arabic mother, she spent the early part of her life travelling through the middle east due to the nature of her fathers work. As a child she experienced great journeys through endless desert, in years to come this would provide much inspiration for poetry and lyrics. http://www.saradowling.co.uk/

Amy Roberts

Amy Roberts, from near Penzance, West Cornwall, is a multi award-winning flautist, clarinettist and saxophonist. Voted winner of the Miscellaneous Category in the 2015 British Jazz Awards, and the Rising Star Category in the British Jazz Awards in both 2009 and 2011, Amy has earned an enviable reputation throughout not only the UK but also abroad. http://www.amyrobertsjazz.co.uk/

Richard Exall

Richard Exall studied clarinet at the Royal College of Music with international soloist Michael Collins. Self-taught on saxophone, he formed his own jazz quartet and big band while still at college and quickly became a familiar figure on the London jazz scene. Recently, Richard has worked with Kenny Ball and toured with American pianist Johnny Varro’s Swing Seven throughout Germany and Switzerland, and runs his own band “Richard Exall’s Shooting Stars” which is a favourite  at jazz clubs and festivals. http://www.richardexall.com/home.html

Al Nicholls

Al Nicholls is the product of a sound musical training, both academically through Leeds College of Music and practically via the bands of Ray Gelato, The Big Town Playboys, King Pleasure and many others bigger and smaller. Al is also the leader and musical driving force of London's renowned jump jive and good time swing band Blue Harlem. Al also plays regularly with the band of TJ Johnson and with fellow tenor saxophonist Jo Fooks. http://www.alnicholls.co.uk/homepage

Dave Chamberlain

Dave Chamberlain has been playing the double bass since the age of 16. He studied in London and Paris with Dominic Black, Simon Woolf and Pierre Boussaguet, the latter an alumnus of Ray Brown. From 2002 to 2008 he was the full-time bass player with Blue Note recording artist Stacey Kent. Current projects with which I'm involved include 100 Years of Jazz in 99 Minutes, the Graham Harvey Trio and the Back To Basie Orchestra. https://www.davechamberlain.biz/

Pianist Leon Greening's hard swinging style has made him a favourite on the jazz scene for over a decade, and makes no apologies for his adoration of the great bebop pianists, with Wynton Kelly, Bobby Timmons and Bud Powell among his primary influences.

Leon Greening

Sebastiaan De Krom graduated with distinction from Berklee College of Music and went on to study a Masters degree at New England Conservatory. In 1995 he won the prestigious Buddy Rich Award and from 1997 to 1999 was the drummer for the renowned Thelonious Monk Institute Jazz Performance programme. Sebastiaan has performed with artists such as Herbie Hancock and John Scofield, and played regular sessions for Jamie Cullum from 2001 to 2008.

Al Nicholls - Richmond Rhythm Club

Al Nicholls  demonstrating Nelson Riddle's slinky arrangement of I've Got You Under My Skin

Al Nicholls

Date - 31st May 2016
Venue - Richmond Rhythm Club

Current release - That Swing Thing by The Al Nicholls Quartet (Harlem Records HARLCD01)

Joe the Hat

Sketches from a talk by Al Nicholls (King Pleasure & The Biscuit Boys, The Ray Gelato Giants) at the Richmond Rhythm Club on the theme of arranging. Normally I like to sketch musicians in action, in the thrall of the music, where the beat and swing push the pen. Here I had a rare opportunity to visit the Richmond Rhythm Club, documenting some of their patrons and learn more about the structure of music. It was a pleasure to discover new recordings and hear about the arrangers who were the architects of some of the biggest hits in Jazz.

a RRC listener

Al Nicholls gained a sound musical education at Leeds College of Music (1983/6) where, significantly, he completed a thesis on “The Texas Tenors” (Buddy Tate, Arnett Cobb, Illinois Jacquet, etc.), players whose muscular musical style became a strong influence, along with Ben Webster and Plas Johnson. After leaving college he cut his teeth in a succession of Jump Jive and Rhythm and Blues bands. Then in 1987 he joined Mike Sanchez’ Big Town Playboys, undoubtedly the best British R&B band of their generation.

Madame Iris

Al met Dick Laurie when he moved London (Putney) and played in various versions of Dick’s ‘Elastic Band'. In the 90s he became a major figure in the R&B/Jump Jive scene. After bringing some discipline and musicianship to the wonderful musical mayhem which was King Pleasure & the Biscuit Boys (1992/4), he fitted in superbly with the highly skilled masters of the JJ idiom, The Ray Gelato Giants (1994/6), becoming their principal arranger. At the same time he had a notable success with a recording project by “The Big Six” which led on to several extensive tours of the US (1995/9).

In recent times Al continues to be a sought-after session musicians and freelance swing saxophonists, regularly invited to appear at prominent jazz venues, clubs and festivals, with such as Pete Long’s Echoes Of Ellington and many others. He’s also a regular member of T.J. Johnson’s band, Tony Pitt’s All Stars and, of course, Blue Harlem.

-------------------------

Clive Evans

The Richmond Rhythm Club meet on Tuesdays from 2-4pm, with drinks in the bar before and after. Tomorrow (14/06/2016) listen to Tomasso Starace, followed by Jack Honeyborne (21/06/2016).

AL.



     

Christine Tobin - Kiss and tell

Christine Tobin

Christine Tobin came to the Twickenham Jazz Club with only two sidemen to fight for her cause. There is a bravery and obvious purity in having so few instruments and personalities on stage. It was toward the end of the month (24/04/2014) and the crowd wasn't as plump in numbers, so it made for a close knit group with a singer who weaves a narrative with great skill and pathos.

The spine of the performance belonged to an 80 year old, well his songs anyway. The words of Leonard Cohen have given Tobin the inspiration for her latest album A Thousand Kisses Deep (2014 - Trail Belle Records) but visually she has very little in common with the Canadian wordsmith.


Dave Whitford - Bass

Christine Tobin was bathed in a spicy light that only exaggerated her already flame hair and exotic visage that challenged Cleopatra with its generous sweep of mascara. When her hips started to move and the gypsy hoops in her ears started to swing you couldn't help but imagine her as an Irish Esmerelda. Despite there being another poet's words in her mouth it is her ability as a storyteller that lived with us long after this performance.

Phil Robson - guitar

"Dance Me To The End Of Love", "A Thousand Kisses Deep", "Everybody Knows", "Take This Waltz" swept past before we saw the best of Dave Whitford on Bass. We familiarised ourselves with the stoop of Whitford recently when he performed with the excellent Alex Hutton at TJC in December 2013. Tonight and without charts to look at, he raised himself to his full height. Another two Cohen tunes "Story Of Isaac" and "Tower of Song" gave us a mere flavour of his talents and it was a regret we didn't taste more of his solo work in particular.

Joe the Hat

The third member of the trio was the consummate professional Phil Robson on guitar, with a dead pan demeanour that barely varied throughout the evening. Neither did his talents dwindle from start to finish. He laid down an early marker on "A Thousand Kisses Deep" where he was gentle and firm. As a kisser I imagine he would be smooth and easy, not a fast and furious fiddler.

Caroline Rock

Robson is going to be a busy man this year with his Organ Trio (Ross Stanley & Gene Calderazzo) coming to the capital on 13th May (S.E Collective) and further afield a North American tour with the Partisans.





Lister Park

With only the trio on stage for the majority of the night, it gave me a chance to turn my pen on some of the audience and of course the first person that catches your eye is legendary Jazz figure Joe the Hat who doesn't need any introductions. The music copyright expert Andy Rock was in attendance with his elegant wife and the TJC's website manager Lister Park brought a bit of muscle to proceedings.

Kelvin Christiane -
Soprano

A Twickenham Jazz Club night wouldn't be the same without an entrance from host Kelvin Christiane, this time on soprano saxophone. He gave the swinging "Angel Eyes" the sass it needed and the lemony zest that perfectly balanced the buttery voice of Christine Tobin.

AL.