Printmakers feat. Norma Winstone & Nikki Iles , Froy Aagre Quartet (8th), Janette Mason Trio (9th) Monday 8th March - Tuesday 9th March

Norma Winstone is something of an institution, her perfectly pitched vocals having graced most of the country’s jazz-friendly stages at one time or another.  Aside from her many other achievements, her part in the formation of chamber jazz trio Azimuth, with pianist John Taylor and trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, cemented her place as a distinctive voice in UK jazz history. 

Her latest project, The Printmakers, sees her partnered with the excellent Nikki Iles on piano, saxophonist Mark Lockheart, guitarist Mike Walker, bassist Steve Watts and drummer James Maddren, for a collaboration that has been earning rave reviews up and down the country.

Supporting The Printmakers on the first night is Norwegian soprano sax specialist Frøy Aagre, recently signed to the renowned ACT Music label.  With a distinctive Nordic edge to her music, she weaves enchanting and haunting lines through her highly melodic compositions, aided by her excellent band.  A highlight of the last two London Jazz Festivals, her debut at Ronnie’s should be eagerly anticipated by established fans and newcomers alike.

For their second night at the club, The Printmakers are supported by the Janette Mason Trio.  Well known for her work with New York singer Lea DeLaria, her Alien Left Hand album gathered some very favourable press upon its release in 2009, with The Guardian praising its “infectious grooving, clever composing and audacious improvisation”.  With Dudley Phillips on bass and Simon Lea on drums, expect a vivacious and upbeat set of great contemporary jazz mixed with elements of blues, funk and more.

FULL BIO:

THE PRINTMAKERS

The Printmakers project originates from the creative partnership of Nikki Iles and Norma Winstone. Bought together by their collective love of song, this group of musicians crosses the boundaries that traditionally separate jazz and the contemporary music world. The repertoire ranges across originals by band members,compositions by Steve Swallow and Ralph Towner,songs from Joni Mitchel and the poetry of Rupert Brooke.

Norma Winstone, exquisite lyricist and pioneering innovator of the voice in jazz, released her ECM album “ Distances “ to critical acclaim last year. Nikki Iles and Mike Walker’s almost telepathic empathy and energy will be familiar to many and  Mark Lockheart remains one of the country’s most creative saxophone players.  

Completing the line up are Steve Watts on Bass - a significant player in so many innovative groups such as Django Bates, Iain Ballamy and Kirk Lightsey - and on drums, James Maddren who is currently working extensively with Gwilym Simcock’s new trio.

NIKKI ILES (PIANO, ACCORDION)

    Nikki Iles, pianist and composer, was a founder-member of the innovative Creative Jazz Orchestra – working with Anthony Braxton, Mike Gibbs, Vince Mendoza and Mark-Anthony Turnage. Her busy freelance career has found her playing with Peter Erskine (CJO), Kenny Wheeler, Art Farmer, Julian Arguelles, Stan Sulzmann, Norma Winstone, Tony Coe, Tina May and Rufus Reid.

    Her music has been commissioned and performed by influential ensembles such as The London Sinfionetta, The Creative Jazz Orchestra, the London Philharmonic’s ‘Renga’ ensemble and Tim Garland’s Underground Orchestra.

    A committed Educator, Nikki is continually in demand here and abroad. She is a Senior Lecturer at Middlesex University and a visiting Professor at The Guildhall School of Music, The Royal Academy and Trinity College of Music. She has also taught throughout Europe and has been a regular visitor to Australia.

    Nikki has received an IAJE award in America for her services to Jazz and her profile as a performer has been duly recognised here with a British Jazz Award. In addition Nikki was nominated this year for a Parliamentary Jazz Award and two composition fellowships.

NORMA WINSTONE

    Although Norma began her career singing standards she became involved in the avant-garde movement exploring the use of the voice in an experimental way and evolving her own wordless approach to improvisation. She joined groups led by Mike Westbrook and Michael Garrick and also sang with John Surman, Mike Gibbs and, most significantly, John Taylor and Kenny Wheeler as a member of Azimuth.
    Her own legendary album “Somewhere Called Home” (on the ECM label) is widely considered to be a classic. In recent years she has become known as a very fine lyricist, writing words to compositions by Steve Swallow, Ralph Towner, Egberto Gismonti and Ivan Lins. Norma has also recorded with great American pianists Jimmy Rowles and Fred Hersch and more recently with British pianist Stan Tracey.

    She continues to be at the forefront of British Jazz being awarded an MBE in last year’s Honours list and in 2007 was nominated again in the 2007 BBC Jazz Awards. A new CD “Distances” finds her recording once again for producer Manfred Eicher’s ECM label.

MARK LOCKHEART (TENOR, SOPRANO AND BASS CLARINET)

Mark came to prominence in the mid 1980s with the influential and radical big band Loose Tubes. The formation of the cooperatively-led Perfect Houseplants in 1992 saw the emergence of one of Mark’s most important projects. Following the release of six albums, including crossover projects with the Orlando Consort, baroque violinist Andrew Manze and more recently with recorder virtuoso Pamela Thorby, the group is continually developing and looking ahead.

    In the mid 90s Mark toured with Django Bates’ Delightful Precipice and recorded with June Tabor, Anya Garbarek, Robert Wyatt and Radiohead.

    In 1997 Mark was awarded the Peter Whittingham award to record his semi-orchestral 11 piece group the Scratch Band and commissions from Cheltenham Jazz Festival and Birmingham Jazz led to a suite of pieces inspired by different dance forms. More recently in 2007 Mark was featured soloist in Mark Anthony Turnage’s “About Water” which was premiered at the Southbank.

MIKE WALKER (GUITAR)

Mike is an inspirational player who emerged from a highly fertile northern scene in the late 1980s. It was with the Mike Gibbs band that Mike, deputising for an absent John Scofield, was heard by Kenny Wheeler who subsequently asked him to play with his big band. Also at this time, returning to his fusion roots, Mike formed a band with pianist Roy Powell. This group, Some Other Country, soon established itself as one of the  favourite bands in the North with many devoted fans.

Mike’s collaborations continued to expand in the 90s with groups such as Richard Iles’ Emanon and Mikes own quartet with Nikki Iles. This group particularly entranced audiences with their empathic interplay. Over the years Mike has recorded with Julian Arguelles, Steve Swallow, Mike Gibbs, John Taylor, Arild Anderson and has toured extensively with George Russell.
Mike has just released his long awaited CD ‘Madhouse and the Whole Thing There”

JEFF WILLIAMS (DRUMS)

Jeff began listening to jazz from an early age. His mother was a jazz singer (who recorded with Clark Terry) and began taking him out to clubs from the age of ten giving him the chance to meet many of the jazz greats including Miles Davis,  Elvin Jones, Jo Jones, Ben Webster and more. Jeff subsequently worked with the late Stan Getz as well as many other great artists such as Lee Konitz, John Scofield, Paul Bley, Joe Lovano, Richie Beirach and Dave Liebman’s great band “Lookout Farm”. Prior to arriving in the UK in 2005, Jeff was based in New York City

STEVE WATTS (BASS)

    Steve has consistently been the bedrock of  many influential and innovative groups from the late 1980s. He has worked with the cutting edge improvisers of his generation including Django Bates, Martin Speake, Iain Ballamy, Julian and Steve Arguelles, Phil Bancroft and Stan Sulzmann. More recently Steve has worked with great American heavyweights, Joe Lovano and Kirk Lightsey.