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Follow
us on twitterRoller Trio
by John Carlon
ROLLER THE ROOST:
"It's all about DIY". This assertion from Roller Trio's saxman James Mainwaring goes someway to showing how Roller Trio have transformed from a student band to playing at European festivals and winning the prestigious Peter Whittingham award in little over a year.
Roller Trio received the Peter Whittingham award in December and in doing so joined a roster comprised of contemporary jazz's stars - think Gwilym Simcock, Led Bib, Soweto Kinch and Empirical. James said: "It's quite exciting; we didn't really see it coming. As soon as we had found out about it we were in Jazzwise".
Roller Trio's sound is as far from the 'ting-tata-ting' typical school of jazz as they can reach. Soaring sax over buzzsaw guitar riffs built on layers of looped melody and angular drumbeats have melded to create a sound that James Mainwaring, guitarist Luke Wynter and drummer Luke Reddin-Williams truly own.
The increased exposure for Roller Trio that coincided with winning the award will surely take these lads to further push their presence in the world of UK jazz. The trio won't be resting on their laurels though: "We were surprised to win the award without releasing an album. Now we are looking at collaboration with Irish scriptwriter Ray Kane".
This partnership will see Roller Trio compose tracks to accompany Leeds based Kane's film.
After writing the DVD material together the next step will be taking it to a live tour. James revealed, "On the tour we want to play venues with a 360° video and audio experience".
Meanwhile the trio remain in the process of writing and recording their debut album. Will the expectation affect Roller Trio's preparations ahead of recording? "Stuff is quite composed now. So it may be part written and part improvised. In the studio we've got about 3 hours of material." Plans for entering the studio are underway: "We will spend day one getting a good sound. Probably record everything over the next few days and take out what we don't need after".
Amongst dates at York's Spring Festival and reaching French followers with a date at Bordeaux's Comptoire du Jazz in May, Wakefield's 14th century bridge chapel will play host to the vibes of Roller Trio on Sunday March 25. The chapel is one of only four remaining bridge chapels in the country and has a varied history, at times being used as a cheese shop, warehouse and flogging cell for unruly soldiers. James said:
"Everywhere we play we play differently, that's the beauty of improvisation". With all the attention garnered from the award and their growing live following, Roller Trio are progressing and learning within themselves: "With improvising I try to empty my mind and react and stay in the moment. I've started getting into meditation - I improvise best in the moment".
As Roller Trio move forward into what looks to be a pivotal year, they can be sure that if 2012 is as successful as the last year for these Leeds College of Music graduates, they will really be able to enjoy the moment.
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Roller Trio
Livenotes is not available as a download. Feature articles only displayed here.
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The
Livenotes Interview (October 2011)
by
John Carlon
The Jazz Pianist John Taylor
John Taylor - From The Yorkshire Live Music
Project
November 2011
Interview by John Carlon
John
Taylor is more than likely the greatest jazz pianist in the UK today.
Or Germany. Or Italy. In fact this stalwart of the last 50 years of British
jazz is so in demand his travels across the continent rival that of Byron.
As I catch up with him he has returned from Rome, travelling to London
to join Kenny Wheeler's 80th birthday recording, complete with Big Band.
Taylor
and Wheeler are synonymous with the progression of the jazz style, since
his first piano grooves joined the resonance of Wheeler's trumpet in
the 60's both have been recognised as lynchpins of contemporary jazz,
with their extensive history of recording and playing together.
But this partnership has not deterred Taylor from undertaking an extensive
solo output, with his open exploration of rhythmic structures and trademark
melodic honesty his latest release, Requiem for a Dreamer, proves to
his audience that experience has brought a pianist strengthening his
melodic accomplishment.
The reception of Requiem for a Dreamer has picked up on the link to
the writings of US author Kurt Vonnegut, with each track name referencing
his work. Many reviewers have heard it as a concept album - "Perhaps
Calypso 53 was set to music, but the other tracks are stand alone pieces".
With the record set, it is clear that Requiem... has cemented John Taylor's
status as one of the jazz world's most subtly innovative musicians,
and the addition of saxophonist Julian Arguelles to the John Taylor
Trio only deepens the harmonic ingenuity that marks him out.
Taylor's renowned adroitness at the keyboard has brought him to the
jazz students of York
Taylor's
renowned adroitness at the keyboard has brought him to the jazz students
of York University, where he currently lectures, in addition to his
professorship at Cologne College of Music, in which he has been established
for twenty years. Ask him about the elements of his teaching that have
ensured his dedication to pedagogy:
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"I was fifty before I became a teacher, and
it was to share my experience. I enjoy teaching and doing workshops for
the personal attention, to connect with students. Over all this summer
I've been doing student's workshops and playing around Europe, recently
with dates with my trio at the Hamburg NDR (North German Broadcasting
band) as well as playing with [percussionist] Marilyn Mazur".
Ahead of his 70th birthday celebrations, Taylor will be touring Europe
with his new compositions, in addition to producing a solo recording for
Italian jazz label CAM jazz, to whom he is currently signed. So with,
is beginnings - Jazz septuagenarian celebrations underway, is to ask about
his beginnings -
"Jazz hooked me from the start, when I first
heard the music of Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans and Herbie Hancock. I came
to London at about 20, met some musicians and it was the scene then that
definitely helped me to grow."
"Jazz has always been flexible and absorbing and takes musical aspects
and uses them", he replies when I ask him how UK jazz will adapt
to the digital age. Is the level of promotion for jazz, compared to other
musical genres, a problem?
"In
some ways yes, but this is because the media points
elsewhere, the question is, can jazz involve enough young people to provide
a future audience?" Whilst this may present a challenge, with figureheads
like John Taylor teaching the new generation it is by no means insurmountable.
John
Carlon is a Journalism student at Sheffield University.
