Julian Joseph - Samuel Coleridge Taylor (Deep River)

Solo Piano "Deep River" from Samuel Coleridge Taylor's 24 Negro Melodies.Excerpt from "Keep me from sinking down" The Life and legacy of Samuel Coleridge Taylor

Julian Joseph And Mica Paris Open Band on the Wall On Friday

Manchester venue Band on the Wall opens its doors on Friday after an extensive four-year redevelopment. Jazz pianist Julian Joseph and soul singer Mica Paris feature on an already sold-out double bill at the club on Swan Street in the Northern Quarter to celebrate the return of a venue which in the 1970s saw it established as a jazz club by local jazzer Steve Morris and his business partner Frank Cusick who bought what was the George and Dragon pub.

As well as jazz the club became a beacon for the burgeoning punk and post-punk scene in Manchester and bands such as the Buzzcocks and The Fall played early gigs there. To mark this other important aspect of the club’s post-punk heritage A Certain Ratio return to the club for a gig on Saturday night. The club’s distinctive “Dizzy Gillespie” logo has been retained following the refurb and the programme manager is now Mike Chadwick who brings his experience as a jazz DJ and programmer at the Brewery Arts Centre in Cumbria to Manchester.

Band on the Wall to some on the local scene was a barometer of the health of jazz in Manchester and when it closed its impact was keenly felt although local clubs such as Matt and Phred’s have prospered in the meantime and the summertime Manchester Jazz Festival has built up a reputation for individual programming and an emphasis on encouraging the local scene with commissions. The club’s return may stimulate the local scene to new heights. Band on the Wall aims to pick up where it left off with a programme that can stand shoulders tall with the best eclectic-based jazz rooted clubs in the UK, mature enough to feature a range of genres while mounting credible jazz gigs at the same time.

The “Rebirth” programme from 25 September-31 October features acts from across the musical spectrum including international jazz and world artists with enhanced facilities at BOTW now including an education suite plus audio-visual and sound studios at new multi-use social space, the Picturehouse. Following the opening gigs on Friday and Saturday further opening month gigs include: The Bays (Sunday 27 September); Bugge Wesseltoft plus Stuart McCallum (Thursday 1 October); Jazzanova (Monday 5 October); Mike Walker Sextet (Thursday 8 October); Five Corners Quintet (Wednesday 14 October); African Jazz All Stars (Thursday 15 October); Gwyneth Herbert (Saturday 17 October); Kirsty Almeida (Sunday 18 October); Bassekou Kouyate (Thursday 22 October), and Eivind Aarset (Saturday 24 October).
– Stephen Graham
http://www.jazzwisemagazine.com/component/content/article/51-2009/10968-julian-joseph-and-mica-paris-open-band-on-the-wall-on-friday

Julian Joseph....

Virtuoso pianist, bandleader, composer, arranger and broadcaster, Julian Joseph is the undisputed heir to the global house of jazz. Acclaimed by critics and audiences the world over, Julian never fails to inspire with his mastery of the keyboard, the versatility of his musicianship, and the seemingly limitless scope of his creative imagination. Always relaxed and self-assured, Julian is completely at home on any stage and in front of any band. His passion for the music is palpable, and his desire to communicate that passion compelling.

Over the past two decades Julian has developed and expanded his musical capabilities in a staggering array of formats. As a solo performer he holds audiences rapt from the minute he sits down at the piano, undaunted by either the vastness or intimacy of the platform. He is to be seen at all the major international festivals, has toured the globe with his Trio and Quartet, Electric Band and Forum Project band, and directed and performed with his All-Star Big Band at some of the grandest venues in the UK to audiences of thousands.
A feature of a Julian Joseph concert is the wide-ranging repertoire of original compositions and arrangements upon which he draws. Challenging and innovative, they are deeply rooted in the jazz tradition and, as with all great jazz music, combine his own unique voice with those of his predecessors.
Julian's musical ideas reflect the eclectic influence of all forms of music in the history of jazz: from classical to rock and pop, everything is relevant. Jazz has always been an inclusive art form, and Julian is particularly concerned that it never become exclusive, either in its construction or its execution.

Julian has also established himself as a jazz pioneer in the classical world. He was the first jazz musician to be invited to give a series of all-acoustic concerts at London's most prestigious classical venue, the Wigmore Hall. He has recorded duets by Milhaud, Stravinsky and Poulenc with Brazilian pianist Marcelo Bratke, combining them with his own arrangements of music by Duke Ellington, Chick Corea and Bill Evans, and collaborated with concert violinist Viktoria Mullova on her fusion project, 'Through the Looking Glass'. As a soloist, he has given recitals of Bartók and Prokofiev sonatas and performed Gershwin's Piano Concerto in F and the Rhapsody in Blue with some of the most renowned symphony orchestras in Europe. At the same time, Julian's own classically-oriented work never ventures too far away from his jazz focus. This is particularly evident in his writing for big band and strings or full symphony orchestra, in which he demonstrates an exceptional ability to orchestrate complex textures of rhythm and sound without losing the essential groove that is at the heart of jazz. In this way he is ever pushing the boundaries, whilst building on the legacy of the great jazz composers ~ Duke Ellington, Gil Evans, Herbie Hancock and Jaco Pastorius.

Julian is greatly respected and much sought-after by other musicians in both the jazz and classical worlds. He has a generosity of spirit that is both infectious and reassuring. He brings to projects an enthusiasm and commitment that guarantees success. His collaborations are varied and dynamic, and his contribution to these projects always significant and highly valued.
Off the concert platform, Julian is in constant demand as a broadcaster and presenter. His weekly radio show, 'Jazz Legends' for BBC Radio 3, ran for six seasons, from April 2000 to February 2007. In 2007 he joined BBC Radio 3's 'Jazz Line-Up' team. He has made two series for Meridian TV in the UK, 'Jazz with Julian Joseph', and a jazz series for Sky TV's 'Artsworld' channel. He is the recipient of numerous music awards, including the 2006 Parliamentary Jazz Awards' Broadcaster of the Year, and was recently invited to become a 'Creative Industries Luminary for London' by Mayor Ken Livingstone.

Julian also plays an important role in jazz education. He was central to the launch of a jazz syllabus for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music ~ the UK's primary music examination board ~ which includes some of his own compositions, is patron of the Jazz Development Trust and, always keen to pass on his knowledge and skills to aspiring players, regularly builds into his touring schedule time to advise and nurture students of all ages.

Julian Joseph has reached the peak of his profession but only just begun to demonstrate the scope of his potential. The multi-faceted dimensions of his artistry are plain. As a pianist he is unsurpassed, as a composer he has brought new vitality to the music, and as a descendent of the jazz greats, he is not only fulfilling their legacy, but promises to become a seminal figure for the twenty-first century.
http://www.julianjoseph.com/profile.html

Julian Joseph Trio - Autumn Leaves

In Lucerne Switzerland for UBS
Mark Hodgeson - Bass
James Joseph - Drums