Cambridge Jazz Co-op

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....

15/06/2025

With only one tutor left before the summer break (don't worry, we'll be back in September), we welcome saxophonist and jazz educator, Mick Foster this coming Saturday.
He teaches on the jazz courses at the Guildhall School in London.
If you want to know more about this illustrious jazz man go here: http://mickfoster.org/bio
If you want to know what he's planning to do with us, then here's what he told me:
“For my session on June 21 I'd like to look at:
Whistman's Wood - John Surman
https://open.spotify.com/track/7hr8vm7sTDEUR1qFqKyq5x?si=0bc21a5110d845c6
Flamenco Sketches - Miles Davis / Bill Evans
https://open.spotify.com/track/6dRx7OUXfvosnXG3g9lWGi?si=2796a2b16b5f4a73
I've attached sheets (for those previous attenders on the mailing list). It'd be great if the participants could listen to the tracks first, and think about how much material is written, and how much is improvised.”

Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans · Kind Of Blue (Legacy Edition) · Song · 1959

01/06/2025

With only two remaining Jazz Coop's left before we break for the summer, (don't worry, we will return in September!), we have a great local saxophonist as session leader on Saturday 7 June.
Sam Miles will be familiar to many of you as both a very impressive pro player and a very sympathetic, well-prepared teacher. He's keen on this occasion to develop our understanding and facility on Rhythm Changes, the chords behind many bebop contrafacts/standards, developed out of George Gershwin's 'I Got Rhythm'. To do this he wants to look at two famous Rhythm Changes tunes: Charlie Parker's 'Steeplechase', and Denzil Best's 'Wee' (aka 'Allen's Alley').
If you go to YouTube or Spotify you can easily check out the melodies of these famous pieces.
I will obviously send out the parts to you when I get them from Sam. See you there!

19/04/2025

15/04/2025

Thanks to everyone who attended the very successful visit from Sam Bullard, exploring Rhythm Changes, and the rhythmic placements possible in a Monk tune based on them. It was great!
Next up on Saturday 26 April is the former Director of Jazz Studies at the Guildhall, the ebullient Martin Hathaway, a fine saxophonist, too, and a great teacher.
He has informed me that the tune he wants to work on with us is the Horace Silver piece: Gregory is Here.
I'll let you have the parts as soon as I get them from him though you can find versions of this tune on the Internet, of course. It's interesting for being from the early 1970's and featuring the Brecker Brothers, Michael and Randy, in their early days.
Do check it out on YouTube or Spotify if you don't have the album it's on.
More information will follow.

13/03/2025

Thanks to everyone who came along for the Enrico Tomasso session recently.
We have a regular Coop favourite who hasn't been to us for a while, trumpeter Shanti Jayasinha visiting us on Saturday week, 22 March.
He has been busy lately, "In 2023 he started running the Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, and in 2024 was offered a senior lectureship role there, which he took up in February." https://www.shantijayasinha.com/full-biog/ will give you his amazing CV. He is almost as much a world musician as he is a jazzer, and often brings pieces with a Latin/Brazilian rhythms and influence to us. This occasion is no exception, offering us the Egberto Gismonti tune, Loro, and the justly famous Coltrane ballad, Naima based on Coltrane's original manuscript, apparently. (Parts are attached for you to peruse and download.)
Shanti is aware that the Gismonti tune is going to be quite tough for us, so I'm sure he will help us through it in various ways.

Shanti grew up in a musical family; his mother studied flute and piano at the RCM in London and his father was renowned as a boy treble in Sri Lanka. Both became music teachers. Shanti started cello at 8 years old and trumpet at 10, and was fully involved in musical activity throughout his schooling...

13/02/2025

Thanks to everyone who attended an excellent session with the peerless saxophonist, composer and teacher Alan Barnes, who was as affable, urbane and witty as ever. A great time was had by all, and a good turnout it was.
Next week, 22 February, we have the wonderful drummer, teacher and published author on jazz and improvisation Buster Birch. Buster is great: when he's not impersonating Buster Keaton (really) he runs some great courses, and writes some excellent books. His classes are always a delight.
This time, well this is what he's got planned for us:
"I am going to do "Close Your Eyes" this time, looking at the Gene Ammons recording. I've done a full arrangment and transcription. We can look at minor ii-Vs and also 2 feel vs 4 feel for the rhythm section. I've also transcribed his solo and there's some nice licks in there.
Here's the link to the original recording... https://youtu.be/RzwSyJ_CEac

If your'e on the Coop mailing list you'll get the link to the Google Drive folder with all the parts and handouts...
Please ask them to check out the parts, as its a transcription (with intro and ending) not the real book version! Ta."

https://geni.us/onlinejazzworkshopsRecorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studios on June 16, 1960Gene Ammons – tenor saxophoneTommy Flanagan – pianoDoug Watkins – bass...

27/01/2025

As usual, a big thank you to all the people who attended the session we had with trumpeter Steve Fishwick. A great turnout for a very good event.
Our next visiting tutor is the ever popular saxophonist/clarinetist, composer, arranger, wit and raconteur Alan Barnes.
Alan, who should need no introduction is always enthusiastic and full of positive encouragement for everyone. I always find that after a session with Alan I take away at least one inspirational nugget that I can work on for the next few months.
Anyway, on this occasion he's has chosen two interesting tunes to run through with us: Zootcase by Zoot Sims. Please be aware: This is a 32 bar AABA format tune, there are many other tunes on YouTube called Zootcase that are NOT the one we are studying.
The second tune is the famous jazz standard, 'When Lights are Low' by Benny Carter. But with a difference! Many 'Real Books' have a middle eight that Miles Davis came up with, NOT the original Benny Carter middle eight that we are going to be dealing with, which is a more interesting and more coherent set of ii-ViI's.
If you are a regular attender will send the music through to you in the next day or two.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNf1xggRaNM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPyQ_B855wQ

When Lights are Low Carter Benny 1985 Benny Carter in Copenhagen From a club concert in Copenhagen in 1985 we see a jam with Benny Carter alto sax, Red Norvo...

13/01/2025

First of all, a big thanks to everyone who came along to the first Jazz Coop of the year last Saturday with Sam Miles.

It was a great turn out and a very insightful couple of hours, looking at among many other things, ways to add rhythmic coherence and phrasing to solos, something we haven't really touched on much lately.

This Saturday, January 18, we have another opportunity to get more help from a great pro player, the top trumpeter Steve Fishwick, who is increasingly away in Europe. I'm glad we were able to get him along this season.

He wants to go through the Blues with us, focusing on two tunes, the simple folk-blues See See Rider, a basic 12 Bar in concert Bb. First recorded in the 1920's by Ma Rainey, it dates back to the beginnings of jazz before the dawn of the 20th century. Later made popular by the Animals and Elvis Presley, I have attached a version for you with Jimmy Witherspoon singing live alongside some jazz greats: Ben Webster, Jimmy Rowles and Gerry Mulligan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siF-mgUXfnU

C.C. Rider
Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises C.C. Rider · Mel Lewis · Leroy Vinnegar · John Tynan · Jimmy Rowles · Jimmy Witherspoon · Gerry Mulligan · Ben Webster Jimmy Witherspoon at the Renaissance ℗ 1988 © Originally Released 1960

For his second piece, Steve has supplied parts for a minor Blues in C minor by the hard bop pianist, Duke Pearson, Empathy. To spice it up further it's in 6/8 and has a solo form of AAB = 48 bars. So, something for us to get our teeth into there. The parts are attached for you to download and/or printout. With amazing solos from Freddie Hubbard and Joe Henderson on the original recording.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwnMbteqqeg

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music GroupEmpathy · Duke PearsonSweet Honey Bee℗ 1967 Blue Note RecordsReleased on: 1993-01-01Producer: Alfred LionComposer...

06/01/2025

Coop news, new season 2025 starts soon!

A very Happy New Year to everyone - I hope everybody has had a great holiday break and a chance to prepare for the delights of 2025.
At the Cambridge Jazz Coop we have a new programme starting next Saturday, January 11.
If you would like to see who we've got coming along to us, then head on over to:
https://cambridgejazzcoop.org.uk/wp/index.php/current-programme/ for a full list, and other details. The programme for this year contains some of the best UK jazz musicians around!
Our first guest tutor is the local saxophone star, Sam Miles, who's planning to guide us through two great standards, September in the Rain, and Stompin' at the Savoy.
Sam is a great jazz educator, kind and patient, with a gift for explaining what appears to be complicated in very simple terms. Don't miss this.
There will be more about the tunes when the parts are sent out, if you are on our mailing list.
See you there!

Current Programme 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 wel...