2-5-1

Send us a textIn this episode Simon and Nick talk about the common conception and mis conceptions- of how jazz happens.  We actually made this episode up of the cuff....How very meta!This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Send us a textThis is one of our more technical episodes where we try to demystify the way jazz musicians make the music by the end of this episode you may even know what Cm7b5 means in musical terms. This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Send us a textJazz has always taken popular tunes as a starting point.  Some of the most famous jazz originals like Ornithology are new tunes on old chords sometimes called contrafacts. In this episode Nick and Simon discuss the subject of modern songs done in a jazz way.Jazz versions of Beatles tunes playlist here Rock Swings hereHerbie Hancock The New Standard hereWhen Love Breaks down Dominic Howles Septet herePost Modern Jukebox hereAll above are Apple Music Links you will find them on other streaming sever ices tooThis is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Send us a textWatch Terry Pollard with Terry Gibbs hereTerry Pollard (August 15, 1931 – December 16, 2009) was an American jazz pianist and vibraphonist active in the Detroit jazz scene of the 1940s and 1950s. She has been described as a "major player who was inexplicably overlooked." listen to Terry Pollard on Apple Music here  or Spotify hereListen to a Detroit Legend on Apple Music here or Spotify hereThis is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Send us a textYou can't steal a gift a book review You Can't Steal a Gift. Frederick Eugene John Lees (February 8, 1928 – April 22, 2010) was a Canadian music critic, biographer, lyricist, and journalist. Lees worked as a newspaper journalist in his native Canada before moving to the United States, where he was a music critic and lyricist. His lyrics for Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Corcovado" (released as "Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars"), have been recorded by such singers as Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Queen Latifah, and Diana Krall.Listen to arranging the score Series 1 episode 44 hereErratum Simon Apologises for getting his American Geography wrong Louisville is in in Kentucky!This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Send us a textChristian Jacob Jacob was born in Metz, Lorraine on 8 May 1958. A pianist by age four, he was immersed in studying the French classics. Something of a child prodigy, Jacob had perfect pitch and natural talent. He did not discover jazz until age 10, but when he did, its improvised nature appealed to him immediately. Early influences were Dave Brubeckand Oscar Peterson. As a teen, Jacob studied under Pierre Sancan at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique in Paris.Later, he would teach piano at the Conservatoire National de Region in Metz.In January 1983, Jacob entered Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, and won many awards as a student, including the Joe Zawinul Jazz Masters Award, Oscar Peterson Jazz Masters Award, and Down Beat "Top Collegiate Jazz Soloist" before graduating magna cum laude in 1985. Jacob then took a teaching position at Berklee.This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Send us a textOne of our book reviews this time it is the Novel or is it? by Michael Ondaatjebuy it here  in print or listen to the audio book hereThe work deals with the life of Buddy Bolden the legend of early jazz who never recorded or was documented much during his life.This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Send us a textThis is a follow on to episode 44. We go a bit further into the beat poets reading their poetry with live jazz backing.  We talk about City Lights and Steve Allen and more.A couple of CorrectionsHowl was first performed  by Ginsberg who read a draft of "Howl" at the Six Gallery reading in San Francisco in 1955.  Fellow poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti of City Lights Books, who attended the performance, published the work in 1956. Upon the poem's release, Ferlinghetti and the bookstore's manager, Shigeyoshi Murao, were charged with disseminating obscene literature, and both were arrested. On October 3, 1957, Judge Clayton W. Horn ruled that the poem was not obscene.AlsoAl jazzbo Collins records were with Steve Allen you can watch the records revolve and listen to his righteous Spiel here If you haven't already check out our on podium blog on this subject This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Send us a textWe intended for this to be just one episode but felt that we had a lot more to say and ended up with enough for 2 five minute episode the next will follow in March 1st 2025.this is the introduction to a blog on the beats on our website links belowThe Beat movement was a literary movement which emerged in the United States in the post war-era. ‘Beat' was slang for ‘down and out or poor and exhausted'. Jack Kerouac also spoke of the beat, especially the Jazz beat and also beatitude in a spiritual sense.  Central elements of Beat culture were the rejection of standard moral and narrative values, the importance of spiritual quest,  rejection of materialism,  experimentation with psychedelic drugs and sexual liberation. Pivotal works include Alan Ginsberg's Howl, William Burrough's Naked Lunch and jack Kerouac's  On The Road. The core group met in 1944 in and around Columbia University in NYC, although later writers settled on the West Coast. The beat writers were attracted to jazz and especially bebop because of its, underground, counter-cultural status. The writers were also influenced by the ‘improvisational' nature of jazz which many tried to replicate in their writing. There is a good documentary called " The source" a standard definition version is on You tube here  but full fat versions are available to buy from apple  or Amazon Prime the imdb page is here This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Send us a textWe are Back after our mid season break so we thought we would start with Intros. We discuss what makes a good intro and what the function of such intros are. With some audio examplesThis is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Send us a textIn this episode we chat about Christmas with the George Shearing Quintet  album. I t was recorded with George Shearings new quintetVibraphone – Don ThompsonGuitar – Reg SchwagerPiano – George ShearingBass – Neil SwainsonDrums – Dennis MackrelA mixture of classic Jazz tunes,  many of which we looked at in detail in our 2020 Christmas special, and traditional carols. including a John Rutter carol who also helped GS with background for the liner notes. Hear a couple of the tunes live lunchtime Dec 9th 2024 at the Spice of Life Cambridge circus performed by Nick's Shades of Shearing band. More info HEREMerry Christmas from us!  Hear previous Christmas editions on the links belowHere is a link to the Apple Music version It will be on all other streamers weassume.Previous Christmas episodes2020 2021 2022This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Send us a textNick and Simon are taking a break. The next 2-5-1- 5 Monte podcast will go out on Feb 1st 2025. We are about to record a Christmas special in a slightly longer format so that will appear in your feed if you subscribe or find it on our websiteThis is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Episode 40 of Series 2 to the 50 plus episodes from series 1 and our long form series on Sonny Clark and Kenny Drew. Busking a tune what does that men? Sometimes when you hear a jazz band some of the players are playing a tune for the first time by ear with a few pointers from the person calling the tune.Simon and Nick discuss the conceptThis is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

What do we understand to be a big band? Nick and Simon discuss the ingredients that might go into to making a big band in terms of instruments style and techniques.  Then put the template to the test by considering a few examplesThis is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

In this episode Nick and Simon talk about Mole Jazz a shop that closed 20 years ago now but is fondly remembered by Jazz aficionados of a certain age.  They also had a small catalogue of releases on the Mole Jazz label.This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

The connection between jazz and cooking is investigated through this book review  of Jazz Cooks: Portraits and Recipes of the Greats by Rob Young and Al Stances with photographs by Deborah Feingold.This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

In this Episode Mink Coal Tin and This is Wine mode discuss the mercurial art of creating a Pseudonym to get around a contractual issue with ones record company,  so to find out who Kunst Bauer is and if he ever recorded with Sir Osbert Haberdasher listen to this episode of 2-5-1This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

One of our under the radar pianist episodes, we look at the piano stylings of Sir Charles Thompson.This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Nick and Simon present one of their jazz book reviews.Kind of Blue : Miles Davis and the making  of a masterpiece. Ashley Kahn Granta 2001 is an in-depth look at the legendary album its creation and its legacy.  Ashley Kahn has written much about jazz and his books on A Love Supreme and Impulse Records : the house that Trane built [ Simon got that title slightly wrong in the podcast] in December 1999 Kahn got to hear the master tapes of the sessions including the false starts etc and the 50th anniversary release contains those so you can hear them too. the Cd release also included a DVD including a documentaryMiles Davis-Kind of Blue-Celebrating a masterpieceThe Legacy edition is on Apple Music and other streaming platforms.Simon has written a blog post on the book and 2 other related books on the podcast website. The book is available in Print and E-Book format but not as an audio book. This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Sven Klang's Kvintet2-5-1- field trip notesWe went to the Barbican during the London Jazz Festival  in November 2023 and watched a screening of this film. There was an introductory talk and the Black and white movie was projected on a good sized screen.  In brief the plot is a function band lead by Sven Klang is joined by a really good Sax Player and his addition causes big changes in the band. It is about the human interactions within the group and both of us were very impressed with the way the playing is captured really well. " Sven Klang's Combo (Swedish: Sven Klangs kvintett) is a 1976 Swedish musical drama film directed by Stellan Olsson. The film was based on a 1974 play by Musikteatergruppen Oktober, and was shot in Ängelholm and Höganäs. At the 13th Guldbagge Awards it won the Special Achievement award. In 2012 it was voted one of the 25 best Swedish films of all time"from wikipediaThis is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Didn't you used to be Tom Scott?In this episode we talk about  the relationship of fame/commercial success and Jazz. During May 2024 several Jazz musicians have died David Sanborn, Bill Holman and Palle Danielsson.  We start from the newsworthyness of these deaths. We chose the title “ Didn't you used to be Tom Scott” based on a shared reminiscence of a comedian saying someone came up to them and Said “ Didn't you used to be…” illustrating the point that “ if a tree falls in the forest…”  or if you have been in the public eye and are no longer in the public eye do you exist. How do Jazz musicians fit into this? Is it jazz if it's popular.  To be clear Ton Scott is [ at time of writing] very much alive.  he was very well known  in the 70's and arguably less so today and seemed like the type of musician some might not know if he is still about. He actually has a brilliant podcast himself So Tom we hope we haven't offended you This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Bird [ the Movie] Clint Eastwood   Bird is a 1988 American biographical musical drama film about jazz saxophonist Charlie "Bird" Parker, directed and produced by Clint Eastwood from a screenplay by Joel Oliansky. The film stars Forest Whitaker as Parker, and Diane Venora as Chan Parker. It is constructed as a montage of scenes from Parker's life, from his childhood in Kansas City, through to his early death at the age of 34.The film moves back and forth through Parker's history, blending moments to find some truth to his life. Much of the film revolves around his only grounding relationships with wife Chan Parker (Venora), Bebop pioneer trumpet player and band leader Dizzy Gillespie (Wright), and his influence (both musically and into the world of heroin addiction) on trumpet player Red Rodney (Zelniker). From WikipediaThis is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Here is a bit more about Ray Smith of Rays Jazz Shop fameThis is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Rays Jazz ShopRays Jazz shop was originally Collets Jazz and Folk Records " The shop moved to Shaftesbury Ave in 1974 and the following year Ray came to an agreement with Chris Barber to store and sell a vast number of mint condition 78s which Chris had picked up from a warehouse in New Jersey. They were on the Savoy, DeeGee and Bop labels, still boxed in original packaging from the late 40s, by Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Dexter Gordon, Sonny Stitt, Wardell Gray & others. The publicity raised the profile of the shop, television and radio publicity followed, and Peter Clayton interviewed Ray, with Matthew Wright, for a broadcast on the BBC World Service,In 1983, Collets wanted to move the record shop but the jazz staff – Ray, Matthew and Bob Glass - had no interest in going. Ray decided that as it had been his life for nearly thirty years, he had most to lose and was more committed to it, so he bought the lease from Collets. They closed for a few days, pulled down a wall, repositioned the counter and reopened it as Ray's Jazz Shop, ready for trading. Ray's wife, Wendy, a professional illustrator, designed the cat logo for the shop. It quickly established itself and live music sessions were held there. It was a meeting place for musicians and legendary hipster Slim Gaillard became a regular. In 2002, spiralling costs and ill health forced him to give up the lease, but thanks to the endeavours of Paul Pace, the name lives on at Foyle's in the Charing Cross Road and in the words of Georgie Fame's song “Vinyl”.In his final years he only occasionally moved out of his home area of Camden, but could be seen from time to time at gigs, usually accompanied by close friend and musician Paul Shearsmith. "From Cargo CollectiveLook out for the bonus episode coming soonThis is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

But is it JazzWe discuss another philosophical question and throw up a few questions to each other as to if we class things as jazz or not. This episode could have gone on for much longer if you have any questions on that line of jazz/not Jazz get in touch via our websiteThis is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Can Ai Learn JazzIn this episode we discuss the question above. Neither of us are developers but we both teach and so, in many ways ,the episode is more about what is required to learn Jazz and ponder whether artificial Intelligence  could learn on those lines. what do you think?This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

What is comping? Who Does it? What is it meant to achieve? We discuss this and more in this episode. Find a playlist from Apple Music that is multiple versions of the same tune with different comping styles here This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

ECM records have a place in Jazz only rivalled by the classic American Labels like Blue Note, Prestige.  There are clear comparisons with Blue Note,A Unique looka Particular sounda roster of important musicians You can see a Pinterest collection of ECM covers here In this episode we discuss these and other pointsThis is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

A picture that is well known to those in jazz and beyond was taken August 12th  1958 for esquire Magazine by Art Kane. we discuss it in this episode. The documentary is available hereThis is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

The fame of Andy Warhol has lasted a lot longer than fifteen minutes but perhaps his jazz album cover artwork is less well known than his soup tins, Marilyn Monroes or his Velvet underground Banana Cover. We discuss these in this episode  many are collected  in this blog by The Music Aficionado here with some thoughtful insights,  more can be found on the discos site hereThis is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Pat Moran was active as a Jazz pianist in the 1950s-1960s  and played with many good artists particularly on the west coast.  Her trio album with Scott La Faro 1957 is a real gem in our opinion. Her Classical training has furnished her with a great facility at the piano and her fast runs are crisp and well phrased.  The complete trio album released by  Fresh Sounds combines the Scott la Faro with The Pat Moran Quartet (1956), with Moran on piano John Doling on bass, John Whited on drums and Beverly Kelly fronting on vocals.  Scott la Faro actually said  "I don't even like any of my recordings except maybe the first one I did with Pat Moran on Audio Fidelity." There is also an interesting live album from Birdland with Horns added. in this album the whole band sing 4 part harmony here is a link to an Apple Music playlisthere is the link to a short documentary This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Nick and Simon talk about the artist Romare Bearden Who was connected to the jazz scene in more than one way. His most well know works are collage and often depict jazz subjects. He went to School with Billy Eckstein and wrote Seabreeze with him which featured on the Branford Marsalis album Romare Bearden Revealed a cultural figure whose foundation  supports his  legacy and the artistic community This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Simon and Nick talk about the long running radio show hosted by Marion McPartland.episodes are still available to stream from NPR  like this one with Gene HarrisThis is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

This episode is based around the book " Blue Rhythm Fantasy" which is concerned , primarily,  with the Work of arranger Chappie Willet. A freelancer who set up an office in the Times Square district calling it The Broadway Music clinic. He was a successful African American entrepreneur and worked for some of the top acts of his day including Louis Armstrong. This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Nick And Simon Discuss the short lived but influential London Jazz club "Club Eleven", named after the number of founder members, began life just before Christmas in 1948. It was a co-operative arrangement designed to bring bebop to the attention of the jazz public at large. The musicians involved were Ronnie Scott, Hank Shaw, Leon Calvert, Johnny Rogers, Bernie Fenton, Tommy Pollard, Lennie Bush, Joe Muddel, Tony Crombie and Laurie Morgan plus manager Harry Morris. Johnny Dankworth and Denis Rose were regulars from the start. Some gave up steady work, Scott left Ted Heath, Fenton severed relations with Oscar Rabin, and Rose, Crombie, Muddel and Dankworth came from the now defunct Tito Burns orchestra.This venue with these musicians were the first truly organised bebop sessions in Britain. With the star-studded assembly of musicians, Club Eleven became the focal point for the new jazz and the inspiration to many other young musicians throughout the country.The music was played by the Johnny Dankworth Quartet comprising Dankworth, Bernie Fenton (pno), Joe Muddel (bs), and Laurie Morgan (d) and a band led by Ronnie Scott with Hank Shaw (tpt), Johnny Rogers (alto), Tommy Pollard (pno), Lennie Bush (bs), and Tony Crombie (d). The Dankworth quartet became a quintet when trumpeter Leon Calvert was added. Mac's Rehearsal Rooms, 44, Windmill Street, (where the Moffat Club had been), became the first venue operating on Thursday and Saturday nights. Entry was by descending a wooden staircase to a cramped low ceilinged room with a bandstand at one end. It was dimly lit with with bare light bulbs with a few battered sofas. Only bebop was played - fierce and urgent music! The early months of the Eleven saw the highest peak of enthusiasm in the history of British modern jazz. The jazzmen continued to listen and study as many records of Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis that they could get hold of. Broadcasts, recordings, and concerts came in quick succession and public acclaim was such as to force a move within a few months to much larger premises at 50, Carnaby Street, satisfying the legions of fans coming from all over the country to the by now famous Club 11. It was now operating six days a week in the evening and was open in the afternoon as a meeting point for musicians. At this point Johnny Dankworth left to form his Seven taking Joe Muddel with him, and Harry Morris also quit.This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Nick And Simon talk about the Jazz Novel Blow up a storm published in 1959 [ a seminal year in Jazz history]This is a first novel by the director, producer and dramatist, Garson Kanin, whose short stories have appeared in Esquire, Vogue and the Atlantic Monthly. Written in the first person and told in flashback this is a dramatist's recollections of his early days in jazz -- during the depression and the close of prohibition. While in Chicago, on tour with his actress wife, the narrator receives a phone call from a forgotten Lee Woodruff which brings back a flood of impressions and memories of their small combo shaped and led by Woody. Through a haze of half remembered incidents he recalls the growth of their trio into a sextet, the men who gave the group impetus and the women who were tenuously involved with the band. Woodruff, now an emotional wreck, unable to play, in and out of hospitals, insists upon unburdening himself to the narrator and attempts to explain the eventual failure of their group.Kanin's best-remembered for his screenplays, however, which were written in collaboration with his wife, actress Ruth Gordon, whom he married in 1942. Together, they wrote many screenplays, including six that were directed by George Cukor. These included the Spencer Tracy - Katharine Hepburn film comedies Adam's Rib (1949) and Pat and Mike (1952), as well as A Double Life (1947), starring Ronald Colman.This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Simon & Nick discuss the Score to Mr Benn by Don Warren an Alias for Duncan Lamontwho for several decades Lamont worked as a freelance musician (on flute and clarinet as well as saxophone), based around Archer Street in Soho and playing in the surrounding jazz clubs. He often performed with British bands accompanying American vocalists, including Fred Astaire, Tony Bennett, Bing Crosby, Sammy Davis Jr., Marlene Dietrich, Peggy Lee and (for 19 seasons) with Frank Sinatra. He also played with touring bandleaders such as Count Basie, Benny Goodman and Henry Mancini. Lamont led his own band for 11 years. He worked on recording and performing projects with Kenny Wheeler for many decades.For those who missed the original Mr Benn books and TV show (the former, published first In 1967, the latter aired between 1971 and 1972 before making several returns via reruns on the BBC), then the plot is also straight forward. Black suit and bowler hat-clad London professional Mr Benn leaves his house each episode, walks to a local fancy-dress shop, and chooses an outfit. An adventure then ensues, set in a world that reflects his outfit. Harking back to a glorious time in children's television - one that has latterly been remembered for its psychedelic edges and surrealist tendencies - Duncan Lamont's score was a perfect accompaniment to those mini odysseys. It's woozy, blissful and dreamy at times, then jaunty and upbeat the next moment, taking the form of brief but beautiful accidentals to set those senes.This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

NicK and Simon Talk about the filmBorn to Be Blue  a 2015  drama film directed, produced and written by Robert Budreau. The film stars Ethan Hawke and Carmen Ejogo. ] The film is about American jazz musician Chet Baker, portrayed by Hawke.Directed by | Robert BudreauWritten by | Robert BudreauProduced by | Jennifer JonasRobert BudreauLeonard FarlingerJake Seal[1]Starring | Ethan HawkeCarmen EjogoCinematography | Steve CosensEdited by | David FreemanMusic by | David Braid Todor Kobakov Steve LondonThis is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Inspired by a post on Instagram, and the  standard stereotypical responses to the question " Dear 'people who don't like jazz' what don't you like about it?" posed by  Kira C Garcia  (follow her here)   Nick and Simon pondered the question. Look out for a blog on this from Simon.This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Jam sessions have been and continue to be at the heart of the jazz scene.  In this episode Simon and Nick briefly  discuss the history, culture and function of jam sessions in jazz.You can get more information about our podcasts hereThanks for listening

In this episode Nick leads the discussion on the subject of jazz and it's connection to the Civil Rights movement in the US

In this Episode we discuss Spike Lee's Mo Better Blues. Wikipedia saysMo' Better Blues is a 1990 American musical comedy-drama film starring Denzel Washington, Wesley Snipes, and Spike Lee, who also wrote, produced, and directed.[1] It follows a period in the life of fictional jazz trumpeter Bleek Gilliam (played by Washington) as a series of bad decisions result in his jeopardizing both his relationships and his playing career. The film focuses on themes of friendship, loyalty, honesty, cause-and-effect, and ultimately salvation. It features the music of the Branford Marsalis quartet and Terence Blanchard on trumpet. The film was released five months after the death of Robin Harris and is dedicated to his memory, being his final acting role.

Any student of jazz will be well aware of the Aebersold play-along series: over 100  records with accompanying books. There are even supplements with transcriptions of the voicings the pianist played if you are into that?  Nick and Simon discuss the origin and impact of the series.His website is hereIt has an interesting page for further reading

In this episode Simon & Nick discuss Jazz and Meditation. There are elements of meditation that improvisers may well relate to : flow state, acceptance , being in the moment, completely absorbed in the process yet fully aware of what is happening around you. we mention Kenny Werners Effortsless Mastery Tony Scott Music For Zen MeditationJerry Begonzi Developing a jazz languagethere are various Apps to help you get going with meditationthe Calm app  is very popularmany others are available Headspace and Balance are also popular.

This episode is about an " under the radar " pianist Jimmy Jones.  An arranger pianist for some of the greats singers here is an Apple Music link to the album Nick mentioned Sarah Vaughan"The Divine One"  

In this episode, Nick and Simon discuss what it means to practice jazz piano.

2  pianists look confused walking into a bar.It was an 11/8 bar!What role does humour play in Jazz?

Playing the piano and singing, what's involved? Nick and simon talk about it in this episode.

Another in our new series of jazz film reviews. The Bertrand Tavernier jazz movie that refreshed Dexter Gordon's career late in his life. 

Dudley Moore may well be best known for his comedy partnership with Peter Cook and his success on screen in the films 10 and Arthur, but he was also a very accomplished musician. He was an Organ Scholar  at Oxford which is where he met the other folk who comprised Beyond the Fringe.Perhaps less well known is what a great jazz pianist he was. Simon and Nick discuss him in this episode. Link to his Genuine Dud album here

Did you know some jazz musicians were also boxers? Find out more in this episode.