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Jazz Articles about Jay Phelps
Alina Bzhezhinska & HipHarpCollective: Reflections
by Chris May
In an inspired piece of programming, London's Barbican Centre presented the then virtually unknown harpist Alina Bzhezhinska and her quartet as one of the support bands on its November 18, 2017 one-nighter A Concert for Alice and John, a show headlined by Pharoah Sanders. It would be an exaggeration to say Bzhezhinska stole the show (see Pharoah Sanders" above), but she was sensational, offering up fresh readings of Alice Coltrane tunes and a few originals, accompanied by Tony Kofi on ...
read moreXhosa Cole: K(no)w Them, K(no)w Us
by Chris May
When tenor saxophonist Xhosa Cole won the BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year prize in 2018, Britain was introduced to a young player with formidable technique and a solid grasp of the post-John Coltrane African American tradition. Cole was then little known outside Birmingham, his hometown in England's Midlands, and he had developed independently of London's alternative jazz scene. His classic as opposed to radical aesthetic brought a refreshing vibe. So too did that of saxophonist Alex Clarke, a ...
read moreJay Phelps at the Harrow Arts Centre
by Barry Witherden
Jay Phelps Harrow Arts Centre Hatch End, London July 7, 2017 Harrovians don't know what they're missing. The Harrow Arts Centre, tucked away in Hatch End off the teeming Uxbridge Road in London's north-western suburb, has an adventurous booking policy--most such enterprises seem unwilling to recognise any jazz other than trad or dinner-jazz--but whenever I have been there the audience has never exceeded 50. In an area that includes a large South ...
read moreJay Phelps Big Band: Snape, UK, August 17, 2011
by Bruce Lindsay
Jay Phelps Big BandSnape MaltingsSnape, UKAugust 17, 2011 Trumpeter Jay Phelps, a native of Vancouver who moved to the UK in his teens, first came to the attention of the British jazz scene as a member of Tomorrow's Warriors. In his early 20s he co-founded Empirical, playing on that band's debut album Empirical (Destin-E Records, 2007) before leaving in 2008. He released his own first album, the bop-inspired Jay Walkin' (Specific Jazz) in 2010. A ...
read moreJay Phelps: Jay Walkin'
by Bruce Lindsay
Canadian-born trumpeter Jay Phelps moved to the UK at the age of 17. Since his arrival Phelps has gathered much valuable experience with acts such as Dennis Rollins (who guests on Jay Walkin''s 10 Years"), Tomorrow's Warriors and the award-winning Empirical, before embarking on this debut recording as leader at the age of 28. It's paid off, for Jay Walkin' is confident, stylish and charming. Phelps has a great love of the jazz tradition and an enthusiasm ...
read moreJay Phelps: Swing Is The New Avant-Garde
by Bruce Lindsay
At the age of 28, trumpeter Jay Phelps already has a broad range of musical experiences under his belt, including co-founding the award-winning jazz group Empirical. Releasing his debut album as a leader, Jay Walkin' (Specific Records, 2010), seems like a natural next step. But Phelps is clearly not a man to be rushed. The album title is not just a pun; it also reflects Phelps' considered and studious approach to his own personal musical development. He's a bright, engaging ...
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