Cambridge Jazz Co-op

11/11/2025

As you will probably know we are in the midst of the mighty Cambridge Jazz Festival!
There's so much on that we're spoilt for choice with jazz of all genres and in all locations.
www.cambridgejazzfestival.info is the place to go and check it out.
Upcoming is a jazz workshop organised by the festival itself with their star attraction, the vibraphonist Orphy Robinson, this coming Saturday 15 November at Jesus College (Frankopan Hall), details at https://wegottickets.com/event/677576 . Please note that this event runs from 11-1:30pm, and is nearly sold out. As a Jazz Coop regular you qualify for the discounted student/senior price of £11, but you will need to book in advance. You'll also notice that there is an accompanying gig with Orphy and CUJO, the University Jazz Orchestra, at West Rd concert hall on the Sunday evening.
Following fast after that, the following Saturday, 22 November, we have a regular Jazz Coop event with a favourite tutor, Phil Meadows, at our usual time of 10:30-1pm in our usual location. All details at our website.
Phil is a great jazz educator and saxophonist who has visited us a few times already. This time he wants to show us how many things can be done with a 2-5-1 in the great jazz standard 'Tune Up'.
This should be of interest to all players of all levels and experience, as the '251' is one of the great building blocks of improvisation over changes. Check out what Sonny Stitt and Barry Harris do with it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lZZLVB5wd4&list=RD5lZZLVB5wd4&start_radio=1
There's also an amazing version by Miles Davis with John Coltrane, too.
Meanwhile, because of an afternoon gig elsewhere, we're short of a bass player for that event. Let me know if you can definitely commit to that.
Thanks to everyone who attended the Martin Hathaway session.
See you at some of the gigs, I hope.

Sonny Stitt - tenor saxBarry Harris - pianoSam Jones - bassAlan Dawson - drums

10/10/2025

One of the many great things about the Jazz Coop is not only the quality and range of teaching styles but also that it all comes to our doorstep. (Thanks, by the way, to everyone who attended the last few Coops!)
I was pleased by how, on both the visits of Mick Foster and Buster Birch, different participants remarked how amazingly good the teaching level was. I tend to take it for granted that our tutors are so well prepared and have a definite flow to their lessons.
Trumpeter (and cellist) Shanti Jayasinha is in this category, too, widening our experience of what improvised music can be with an emphasis on world music way beyond the usual limits of the Great American Songbook.
For those who haven't met him before:
"Shanti is a versatile multi-instrumentalist and composer who plays all sort of music – Jazz, Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, and other world music from Eastern Europe, Africa, India and China. His main instruments are trumpet and ‘cello.
His career started in London playing jazz with the likes of Jason Rebello, Tim Garland and Courtney Pine, African music with Congolese band Somo Somo, as well as in Reggae and Calypso bands. He played Salsa with Roberto Pla and Brazilian music with Mônica Vasconcelos.
Through his work with the Grand Union Orchestra he also learned about Indian (Hindustani) music, Turkish, Chinese, Indonesian and Ghanaian styles. He joined Gregori Schechter’s Klezmer Festival Band and worked with him for several years, playing concerts around the UK and in the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London." https://www.shantijayasinha.com/
He was recently appointed as a Senior Jazz Lecturer at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.
On his next visit he's planning to introduce us to two very different styles of music:
An Indian raag/raga called Charukeshi that starts major but has b6 and b7 - probably on C root.

And a Cuban jam tune in D7 that Cachao used to do called “Como mi ritmo no hay dos”. We are going to make up lines that interleave!
There are many possible recordings of both that you could listen to, to get an idea of what the musical styles are. Shanti approved of these two listed below:
Raag Charukeshi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcX0pE0hLNE
Israel "Cachao" Lopez & Paquito Rivera...... como mi ritmo no hay dos: https://youtu.be/YL4M-yYbNkE
Meanwhile, I should have mentioned before that, as discussed at the recent AGM, we have had reluctantly to increase the attendance cost to £24 in order to continue to break even. This is the first increase in many years, and as always the Coop is run on a not-for-profit basis. If you wish to donate any amount small or large to bolster our funds and help keep the Coop in the black, speak to Chris Potter who can advise you how this can be done.
Last week, I plugged a gig that some Coop members were performing at in Cambridge. I mentioned that this Sunday afternoon, 12 October, I am playing with the 16-piece Duke Ellington orchestra Harmony in Harlem, in Old Harlow, Essex.
Here are the details if you are in the area and would like to come along. It's conveniently timed in the afternoon with a 3pm start.
Https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.harmonyinharlem.co.uk%2Fconcerts%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7C238ed842c08e4c34034708de07e6914d%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638956884018174738%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=TUt3f1jopxj0M%2FDqoSWrdMB44TtUNN%2Bte2H%2Fh7vHiCg%3D&reserved=0

We hope to see you there for an afternoon of authentic Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn.
St John's ARC
St John's Walk, Market Street
Old Harlow
CM17 0AJ

28/09/2025

Next Saturday, October 4, we have the very special pro jazz drummer, percussionist and educator Buster Birch as our visiting tutor. https://www.busterbirch.co.uk/biography
He shouldn't need much introduction, his jazz books sell well on Amazon, he's a natural teacher and he's been to us a few times over the years. Always highly rated by participants, he manages to do the nearly impossible of engaging everyone in a class, regardless of their level or experience, always with a strong emphasis on rhythm.
Here in his own words is what he's planning to do:
"..the music for our next session which will be on the tune Caravan, - a very specific recording by Wynton Marsalis, with some particularly interesting rhythmic challenges! All of which I have transcribed from the recording. The groove switches from a New Orleans funky/jazz thing by Jeff Tain Watts, to swing, so it would be good for the drummers to have a listen in advance."

Here’s the recording…
https://youtu.be/-PTLiaaZYaQ

https://geni.us/learntoplayjazzSign up now and get great jazz education resources delivered straight to your inbox. Including…* A free copy of The Guide to M...

12/09/2025

Thanks to everyone who came along to the opening Cambridge Jazz Coop event of autumn 2025 with Alan Barnes, followed by our AGM.
We looked at some interesting stuff, got some good insights as usual from Alan, and had an excellent, breezy AGM delivered with customary flair by Dennis Cox. We discovered that the cost of attending a session may have to go up, though Dennis has some cunning ideas that may act as a possible solution to our financial woes. Watch this space.
On Saturday week, Saturday 20 September, we welcome a regular favourite tutor, saxophonist
Mick Foster, who teaches at the Guildhall School of Music and also many Jazz Summer courses.
On this visit he is planning to guide us through two tunes, If I Had You and the Herbie Hancock piece Maiden Voyage. I'm sure he'll be able to show us new ways to improvise effectively on the latter. I have to confess not being familiar with the first tune. Turns out it's a jazz standard from the 1920's that had passed me by, though widely covered by everyone from Benny Goodman to Frank Sinatra. Lots of 2-5-1's to get your teeth into.
I haven't supplied any links to Maiden Voyage, as I assume that you can find your own easily enough, or may have it in your collection already!
See you there.
Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lDpYHE5tJY&list=RD7lDpYHE5tJY&start_radio=1

Provided to YouTube by ColumbiaIf I Had You · The Benny Goodman SextetSmall Groups: 1941-1945℗ 1989 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENTReleased on: 1989-03-28Guitar...

23/08/2025

Welcome back to the autumn season of the Cambridge Jazz Coop:
Hi Everyone!
In just two weeks, on Saturday September 6, we will be resuming our jazzy activities at the Coop with our first guest, the wonderful Alan Barnes; composer, arranger, virtuoso clarinetist and saxophonist, wit and raconteur, and pillar of the British jazz community.
Alan is a great jazz educator, and can really help us all with strategies for dealing with some of the more tricky aspects of improvisation, etc.; as well as broadening our appreciation of jazz repertoire. And getting us all to play, too: he's very encouraging.
This time Alan's chosen two less familiar tunes, Django Reinhardt's 'Dinette', and an Antonio Carlos Jobim song: 'Brigas Nunca Mais' (No More Fighting) for us to get our teeth into.
Links are attached; they are definitely interesting pieces.
I will send round the parts (to regulars on the CJC mailing list) when I get them in a day or two.
We'll be starting at our usual 10:30 kick-off time, and plan to fit in a brief Annual General Meeting at the end if you would like to voice your preferences or discover more about how the Coop works. Attendance is of course entirely optional and we aim to keep the AGM short and sweet (max 20-25').
https://www.alanbarnesjazz.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNsDOkpH9K8&list=RDJNsDOkpH9K8&start_radio=1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYHCYxEd_XY&list=RDSYHCYxEd_XY&start_radio=1

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.

15/08/2025

It's amazing how time flies! In just under a month we resume activities at the Jazz Coop.
Due to way that the calendar falls we only have eight sessions timetabled up to the end of 2025. Every two weeks and managing to skirt Grafham and other jazzy events, hopefully.
If you head over to:
https://cambridgejazzcoop.org.uk/wp/index.php/current-programme/
you'll be able to see what we have on offer. Mostly old favourites, I think.
I'm looking forward to some fun music making this autumn/winter.
See you there!
Current Programme - Cambridge Jazz Co-op
Please always check this online schedule or our page before setting out in case any last-minute change of tutor occurs and check the other pages for further information regarding the Cambridge Jazz Coop if you haven’t been along before! Newcomers, guests and visitors welcome; see About Us and FAQ for more details. ALL sessions take place on a Saturday at the William Collyn Community ...
cambridgejazzcoop.org.uk

Welcome to the Cambridge Jazz Co-op “If you don’t make mistakes you’re not really trying..” — Coleman Hawkins The Cambridge Jazz Co-op is an informal group of keen, local jazz musicians that meet on Saturday afternoons in Cambridge, England to play under the guidance and tuition of prof....