Pontypool Jazz - bands wanted

Gary Stone is looking for bands to play at a new monthly jazz session in Pontypool.

The gigs will take place on Saturday nights at the Comrades Club in Market Street.

The music policy will be modern, bebop, fusion, spontaneous and more, featuring young rising musicians and the more established stars, from small groups to larger bands, local and further afield.

Guitarist Lee Jones and his quartet will be the attraction for the club's opening night, Saturday 16 February.

For more details, call Gary on 01495 762504 or 01873 854746.

Llantilio Crossenny Jazz Evening - May 14

The Dolphin Quartet will be playing in the gardens of Treadam Farm on Wednesday 14 May as part of this year's Llantilio Crossenny Festival near Abergavenny.

From Dave Brubeck to Keith Jarrett, George Gershwin to today's jazz greats, this eclectic jazz group comprising saxophone and female vocals, plus piano, bass and drums, covers repertoire from across the jazz idiom.

The show starts at 7.15pm and tickets cost £12 - directions will be sent with the tickets.

You are invited to bring a picnic, drinks, chairs etc. In the event of wet weather the performance will be in the hall at Hog's Head (next door)

For more about the festival, which includes opera and orchestral music, see www.llantiliocrossenny.com

Black Mountain Jazz is back

Abergavenny's Black Mountain Jazz is back in business this coming Sunday 3 February at their new regular venue - the Kings Arms, opposite the main Abergavenny Post Office.

Sunday's attraction is Topshelf Jazz, consisting of Fred Snow, Mark Green and Steve Coombe, the well known purveyors of filthy swing - see their website at www.topshelfjazz.co.uk for details.

The new venue has an earlier starting time of 7.30pm, and the pub's normal food menu will be available.

See also the Kings Arms website at gastro2007.motionpixels.net and www.black-mountain-jazz.org.uk

CL Jazz Easter Course, Monmouth

A residential jazz course is taking place at Caer Llan near Monmouth over the Easter weekend, Thursday 20 to Monday 24 March.

The tutors are James Chadwick, Richard Everett and Ray Batson, with Brigitte Beraha leading a vocal group.

Players of all instruments and abilities are welcome but some basic ability to read music and, especially in the case of rhythm players, chord knowledge is helpful.

The cost is £249 including full board and tuition - for full details see www.cljazz.com or contact Bob Hitchings on 0778 617 6123 or email bobhitchings @ enterprise.net

Women in Jazz Sunday sessions

Jen Wilson and Elissa Evans from Women in Jazz hold the first of a series of Sunday night jazz and blues sessions at Morgans Hotel, Somerset Place, Swansea on Sunday 27 January.

It takes place from 7 till 9pm and admission is free.

For venue details see www.morganshotel.co.uk or phone 01792 484848.

Jazz Connection playlist 21 January

Here's the playlist for the Jazz Connection on Radio Cardiff 98.7 FM on Monday 21 January:

Pure Evil – Gussets of Freedom
Harold McNair – The Fence
Melody Gardot – Worrisome Heart
John Taylor – Whirlpool
Roger Beaujolais Quintet – Some Blues
Pete Canter Quartet – Slick
Eddie Roberts – In, On, Out
The Cherubs – The Sea and The Sun
Jo Jo Bennett – Canteloupe Rock
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – 100 Days, 100 Nights
Keith Little Band – St Thomas

Keep sending me your CDs and gig info for use in future shows.

Swell new venue for Cardiff

The Swell Bar is a brand new venue in central Cardiff promising jazz and blues every Friday and Saturday night plus Sunday lunchtime.

Swell Bar can be found at 4 Windsor Place, just off Queen Street - the former Benedicto's restaurant.

For more info call 029 2037 1130 or check out www.myspace.com/swellbar - co-owner John Maher confirms that they are still committed to staging live music despite some concerns about recent gig cancellations.

Click the Comments button below to read John's detailed response - it's comment number 34 in the list. Please note that comments about anything other than Swell Bar will no longer be published.

Brecon Jazz on BBC TV

Digital TV channel BBC Four is showing four special Brecon Jazz programmes in February 2008, based on recordings at the 2007 event.

Fri 1 Feb - Humphrey Lyttelton - Who Else but Humph?

This special programme explores the career of one of Britain's most well known and loved performers - a trumpeter who had the admiration of the great Louis Armstrong and is also famous for his wit and long running radio show, "I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue".

Fri 8 Feb - Joe Lovano - A Life in Jazz

Profile of the American saxophonist, Joe Lovano, artist in residence at the 2007 Brecon Jazz Festival

Fri 15 Feb - Women in Jazz

Julian Joseph meets four very different female jazz musicians to understand their creativity and discuss their musical influences. Jessica Williams is an American jazz pianist who started her career playing in the clubs of San Francisco's 70's jazz scene. Rising British star Zoe Rahman is one of Britain's shining talents and Japanese performer Hiromi is causing a real stir wherever she plays. The programme also features a performance by British jazz vocalist Tina May.

Fri 22 Feb - World of Jazz

Julian Joseph meets some of the top jazz fusion acts and finds out about their musical roots. Roberto Pla's Latin Jazz Orchestra, Eduardo Niebla and Jazz Jamaica are all featured in this programme from the Brecon Jazz Festival 2007.

All programmes are 30 minutes long and will be shown at 8.30pm, possibly repeated in the early hours.

For more details, see www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour

Women in Jazz Jobs

The Swansea-based Women in Jazz archive project and research resource is looking to recruit two part-time workers.

A Project Officer is required to implement the Women In Jazz PARE project (Performance, Archive, Research & Education). The post will be for 21 hours per week at a salary of £22,293 pro rata.

WIJ also requires a Project Planning Administrator for 17.5 hours per week at a salary of £15,825 pro rata.

Both posts are currently temporary, and further funding applications are in hand.

For an information pack and application form, email enquiries @ womeninjazzswansea.org.uk or phone 01792 456666.

Closing date 6th February 2008, interviewing for both posts on 14th February 2008.

See www.womeninjazzswansea.org.uk for more information about the organisation.

Brecon Jazz - band call

Organisers of the annual Brecon Jazz Festival are inviting musicians to send their CDs and biogs for consideration for the 2008 event, which takes place from 8-10 August.

The person to contact is:

Catrin Slater
Brecon International Festival of Jazz
Lion House
Bethel Square
Brecon
Powys
LD3 7JP

Phone 01874 625511

For all the latest Brecon Jazz news, see www.breconjazz.co.uk

If you want to boost your chances of a gig, you can also get in touch with the ever-growing Brecon Fringe - see www.breconfringe.co.uk for details.

Huw Warren on Radio Wales

Gwynedd-based jazz composer and performer Huw Warren can be heard in conversation with Nicola Heywood Thomas on the BBC Radio Wales Arts Show this Thursday 10 January at 6.30pm.

This 30 minute special includes Huw talking about his musical roots and also a couple of tracks performed live in the studio.

The programme is repeated on Sunday 13 January at 1.30pm - you can also hear the programme online anytime for the seven days after broadcast at bbc.co.uk/radiowales

Look out too for these forthcoming gigs:

Fri 1 Feb - Huw Warren Trio - Theatr Harlech

Fri 8 Feb - June Tabor/Huw Warren - Galeri Caernarfon

Sat 16 Feb - Huw Warren Trio - Aberystwyth Arts Centre

Full details at www.myspace.com/worldjazznetwork

Jazz Connection playlist 7 January

Here's what I played on the Jazz Connection, 8 till 9pm on Monday 7 January on Radio Cardiff:

Oscar Peterson – Mas Que Nada
Tony Remy and Bluey - Beyond Jupiter
Gwyneth Herbert – Lay You Down
Gareth Roberts Quintet – Wrth Fynd Efo Deio I Dwywn
(Whilst going with Deio to Twywn)
Alex Wilson – Ain't Nobody
Cubanita – Watermelon Man
James Chadwick – Play Time
Freak Unique - Summer
Mark Murphy – Angel Eyes
Azhaar Saffar Quartet – Pura Vida
Roland Alphonso – Song For My Father
New Cool Collective – E-Pro

The show was dedicated to former Radio 1 and Jazz FM presenter Kevin Greening who was one of the key people who got me into radio more than twenty years ago.

Listen to the show online at www.jazz-connection.co.uk - and keep sending me your CDs and gig info for the series.

Kevin Greening RIP

Many of you will be saddened to hear of the death of former Jazz FM presenter and DJ Kevin Greening at the age of 44.

He's one of the people who inspired me to take up a career in radio - I met him shortly after I moved to Cambridge in the mid 1980s when he was manager of the university radio station.

Kevin was an inspirational and inventive broadcaster, and he was a hard act to follow when I took over the running of the station following his graduation.

Although more of an all-round broadcaster than a jazz buff, Kevin's wit, humour and technical wizardry made him an asset to every station he worked for - from Radio 1 and Virgin Radio to XFM, GLR and most recently Smooth Radio, the former Jazz FM.

Kevin was a greatly talented and genuinely nice guy - it's a shame that he never got the recognition he deserved in an industry obsessed with celebrity.

• Kevin Greening obituary - BBC News