It's been busy...
Concerts
italics = gigs I played :)
* = gigs I put on
January
[[ exams ]]
18 -
Dub From Atlantis +
The Hit-Ups; The Croft, Bristol
19 -
The Haggis Horns; Native, Bristol
21* -
The Blessing; epi bar, Bristol
22 -
Ruckus Collective; Mr Wolf's, Bristol
23 -
Ruckus Collective; Moles, Bath
25 -
Hélélé; Oppo, Bristol
31 - Powerplant w/
Elysian Quartet; St George's, Bristol
February
4* -
Spokinn Movement; epi bar, Bristol
7 -
Mankala; The Attic, Bristol
9 -
Ruckus Collective; Anson Rooms, Bristol
9 - Spokinn Movement; Mr Wolf's, Bristol
12 - The Blessing; Thekla, Bristol
16 -
Ruckus Collective; Oppo, Bristol
18 -
Ruckus Collective; Joe Public's, Bristol
20 -
Roni Size & Reprazent; Thekla, Bristol
21 -
Tribal Underground; Tao Bar, Bristol
23 -
Ruckus Collective; a beer festival, Bristol
27 -
Ruckus Collective; Mr Wolf's, Bristol
28 -
Ruckus Collective; The Attic, Bristol (w/ Anomaly + The Scribes)
29 -
Ruckus Collective; The Golden Lion, Bristol (w/ CCQ)
March
4 -
Ruckus Collective; student ball, Bristol
6 -
King Porter Stomp; Tao Bar, Bristol
7 -
Ruckus Collective; student ball, Bristol
8 -
Mark Wingfield; Avon Gorge Room, Bristol
9 -
Kokolo; Mr Wolf's, Bristol
12 - Songwriter Session; The Lansdown, Bristol
14* - Anomaly; The Attic, Bristol (my birthday party!)
16 -
Ruckus Collective; Mr Wolf's, Bristol
17* - Mankala; epi bar, Bristol
20 -
Sheelanagig; Grain Barge, Bristol
25 -
Joe Driscoll +
Gideon Conn; Vibe Bar, London
27 -
Tony Allen; Jazz Cafe, London
28 -
Acoustic Ladyland; Vortex, London
29 -
John Scofield; Jazz Cafe, London
30 -
Richard Bona; Jazz Cafe, London
April
1 -
Robert Mitchell & Omar Puente; St Cyprian's Church, London
4 -
Ruckus Collective; Brixton Jamm, London
5 -
Ruckus Collective; Bar Sonic, London
6 -
Ruckus Collective; Thekla, Bristol (w/ The Apples)
7 -
Polar Bear; Ronnie Scott's, London
10 - jam session; Harris jazz bar, Krakow
17 -
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings; Jazz Cafe, London
18 -
Led Bib; QEH Front Room, London
19 -
Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra +
The Budos Band; Jazz Cafe, London
20 - Polar Bear; Colston Hall Bar, Bristol
22 -
Ruckus Collective; Timbuk2, Bristol
26 -
Ruckus Collective; Phoenix, Exeter
28 - Dr Doctor; Joe Public's, Bristol
29 -
Ruckus Collective; Mr Wolf's, Bristol
30 -
The Zen Hussies; Old Duke, Bristol
May
1 -
Talibam! +
Ashowka + Sweet Potato; The Croft, Bristol
4 -
Ruckus Collective; Jester's, Bristol
8 -
Ruckus Collective; The Croft, Bristol (w/ Bizali + clayton blizzard)
[[ exams ]]
26 -
Edenheight; The Full Moon, Bristol
June
7 -
Ruckus Collective; street party, Bristol
8 -
Ruckus Collective; live radio session, Bristol
12 -
Ruckus Collective; Lakota, Bristol
13 -
Ruckus Collective; Mr Wolf's, Bristol
16 -
Ruckus Collective; Tiger Tiger, Cardiff
17 -
Ruckus Collective; The Croft, Bristol
28 -
Ruckus Collective; The Golden Lion, Bristol
July
2 -
Kenny Garrett; Ronnie Scott's, London
11 - NORTH SEA JAZZ FESTIVAL, Rotterdam
Charles Lloyd,
David S. Ware, Led Bib,
Herbie Hancock,
Bootsy Collins,
12 - NORTH SEA JAZZ FESTIVAL
Pat Metheny,
Victor Wooten,
The Bad Plus,
David Sanchez,
Finn Peters,
Wayne Shorter,
James Carter
13 - NORTH SEA JAZZ FESTIVAL
Lefties Soul Connection,
Rudresh Mahanthappa,
Gary Burton,
Mark Helias,
Brad Mehldau,
Maceo Parker,
Branford Marsalis,
Buddy Guy
16 -
Samay; Dingwalls, London
20 -
Neil Cowley Trio; Koko, London
21 - BBC Jazz Awards; Mermaid Theatre, London
[[ including:
Return to Forever,
Guy Barker,
Empirical,
Fraud,
Tommy Smith,
Charlie Haden,
Tony Kofi, The Blessing... ]]
22 -
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble; ICA, London
23 -
Youngblood Brass Band; Jazz Cafe, London
27 - Ealing Jazz Festival, London
29 -
Grupo Fantasma +
BROWNOUT; Jazz Cafe, London
30 -
Portico Quartet; Rough Trade East, London
31 -
Hot 8 Brass Band; Cargo, London
August
6 -
Ruckus Collective; The Old Blue Last, London
15 -
Ruckus Collective; The Griffin, Frome
16 -
Ruckus Collective; The Yardbird, Birmingham
17 -
Ruckus Collective; party, nr Brighton
19 -
Ruckus Collective; The Croft, Bristol
20 - Maceo Parker; Pigalle Club, London
23 - Hélélé / Edenheight; Old Duke Jazz Festival, Bristol
24 - Compadres; The Tobacco Factory, Bristol
27 -
Ruckus Collective; Mr Wolf's, Bristol (open mic)
28 -
Ruckus Collective; Ride Cafe, Plymouth (w/ The Scribes)
29 -
Ruckus Collective; The Good Ship, London
September
4 -
Roots Manuva; Rough Trade, London
4 -
The Apples; Cargo, London
11 -
Ruckus Collective; Joe Public's, Bristol (w/ Toyface + The Hats)
October
2 - Clayton Blizzard; The Junction, Bristol
22 -
Arun Ghosh; Vortex, London
23 - Adam Waldmann Quartet; Charlie Wright's, London
November
6 - Jim Hart + jam session; Charlie Wright's, London
7 - Spokinn Movement; Ginglik, London
13 - Spokinn Movement; Pangea Project, London
[[ London Jazz Festival starts ]]
14 -
Ken Vandermark, Barry Guy, Mark Sanders; Vortex, London
15 -
Bill Frisell; Barbican Centre, London
16 -
Richard Galliano &
Gonzalo Rubalcaba; Queen Elizabeth Hall, London
17 -
Chris Potter; Ronnie Scott's, London
18 -
Robert Glasper; Cargo, London
19 - Herbie Hancock; Barbican Centre, London
20 -
Courtney Pine; Barbican Centre, London
21 -
Matthew Herbert Big Band +
José James; Royal Festival Hall, London
22 -
Chucho Valdés; Barbican Centre, London
23 -
Biréli Lagrène,
Martin Taylor; Queen Elizabeth Hall, London
[[ end of London Jazz Festival ]]
24 - a concert featuring works of
Morton Feldman and
Earle Brown, taking place as part of the Mark Rothko exhibition at Tate Modern, London
December
4 -
Erik Truffaz; 16 Tons, Moscow
5 - The Bad Plus; 16 Tons, Moscow
12 - jazz showcase, Moscow
Ruckus Collective
The band really took off in 2008, playing over 30 gigs (actually only up til August/September), visiting a few different cities and recording a full-length studio album,
Stop, Drop, Dance!, during a crazy period after uni exams in June. Earlier in the year we also self-produced a five-track EP,
Rise Of The Ruckusaurus. Apart from that I played the odd function gig here and there around Bristol, and plenty of jams - always good fun.
Journalism
I had quite a few articles published throughout the year, writing for publications including London Tourdates (LTD), Jazzwise, All About Jazz (AAJ) and Fly. Not sure if anyone's going to check these out, but here's a list (in order of publishing):
28/2/08 -
CD: The Blessing, All Is Yes [AAJ]
29/3/08 -
Live: Acoustic Ladyland @ Vortex, London [AAJ]
8/4/08 -
Live: Richard Bona @ Jazz Cafe, London [Fly]
9/4/08 -
Live: John Scofield @ Jazz Cafe, London [AAJ]
15/4/08 -
Live: Tony Allen and Antibalas @ Jazz Cafe, London [Fly]
19/4/08 -
Live: Polar Bear @ Ronnie Scott's, London [AAJ]
23/4/08 -
Live: Robert Mitchell & Omar Puente @ St. Cyprian's, London [AAJ]
15/5/08 -
Interview: 'These Acoustics Can Electrify' - Pete Wareham of Acoustic Ladyland [LTD]
15/5/08 -
Live: Antibalas and The Budos Band @ Jazz Cafe, London [LTD]
24/5/08 -
CD: James Carter, Present Tense [AAJ]
30/5/08 -
CD: Ponto de Equilíbrio,
Abre a Janela [Fly]
21/6/08 -
Live: The Heliocentrics /
Flying Lotus @ Venn Festival, Bristol [Fly]
9/7/08 -
Live: Kenny Garrett @ Ronnie Scott's, London [Jazzwise]
11/7/08 -
CD: Blink,
Blink [LTD]
21/7/08 -
Live: North Sea Jazz Festival 2008 [Jazzwise]
22/7/08 -
Live: Latin Funk Spectacular to hit Jazz Cafe [Fly]
24/7/08 -
Live: Neil Cowley Trio @ Koko, London [Jazzwise]
24/7/08 -
Interview: 'What's In A Name?' - Neil Cowley [LTD]
31/7/08 -
Live: North Sea Jazz Festival 2008 [AAJ]
8/8/08 -
Live: Samay at Dingwalls, London [LTD]
8/8/08 -
CD: Polar Bear, Polar Bear [LTD]
22/8/08 -
Interview: 'Mercury Rising For Hang Men' - Portico Quartet [LTD]
27/8/08 -
CD: Avishai Cohen,
Gently Disturbed [AAJ]
5/9/08 -
Live: Maceo Parker @ Pigalle Club, London [LTD]
1/10/08 -
Interview: Taking Off - James Morton [Jazzwise]
3/10/08 -
CD: Alex Wilson,
Salsa Con Soul [Fly]
4/10/08 -
Interview: '77 Not Out' -
Omara Portuondo [Fly]
24/11/08 -
Interview: 'Freedom First, History Later' -
Manuel Mengis (
Manuel Mengis Gruppe 6) [AAJ]
2/12/08 -
Live: London Jazz Festival 2008 [AAJ]
21/12/08 -
Live: Moscow City Jazz Festival 2008 [AAJ]
Broadcasting
While I was in Bristol, I had a weekly show on BURST Radio called
Off The Hook. It was a really cool experience and I played a lot of different tunes, as well as being joined by several guests from the local music scene. I won't go into detail here, as this is already too long, but you can see the
myspace page for info and playlists. [Some of my friends have taken it over this year, as I'm not attending uni at the moment, so tune in!]
Many thanks to anyone who's had a look at this post - all the best wishes for Christmas and the New Year!
peace,
frederick
Polar Bear