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Cheltenham Jazz Festival Gallery
Cheltenham Jazz Festival Gallery
All photos copyright John Watson/jazzcamera.co.uk
Above and below: David Sanborn in rehearsal with his Acoustic Band at the Town Hall
Yazz Ahmed soloing with her Polyhymnia project
Omar Sosa with Yilian Canizares in the Jazz Arena
Orrin Evans making his UK debut with The Bad Plus, Jazz Arena
Soulful singer Andreya Triana in the Jazz Arena
Magnus Ostrom with Rymden, Jazz Arena
Bugge Wesseltoft with Rymden
Serbian blues singer Ana Popovic in the Jazz Arena
John Surman soloing with his Brass Project, Town Hall
Phil Robson with Partisans at the Parabola
Julian Siegel with Partisans
Gregory Porter at his sell-out concert in the Big Top
Julia Biel with a Buck And Billie project, featuring the Alyn Shipton Buck Clayton Legacy Band at The Daffodil
Sergio Mendes in his show at the Big Top
Soweto Kinch in the Parabola
Nubya Garcia at the House Of Fraser
All images available as high-resolution prints. For details email john@jazzcamera.co.uk
Above and below: Christian McBride leading his magnificent Big Band at the Town Hall
Above and below: Kamasi Washington with powerful R&B jazz in the Big Top
Imelda May jazzes up her rockabilly style in the Big Top
Donny McCaslin - saxophone mastery with his band in the Jazz Arena
Jason Moran solos with his trio at the Town Hall
Estonian singer-pianist Kadri Voorand at the Parabola
Courtney Pine at the Town Hall
The Roller Trio at the Parabola
Yazz Ahmed, Helena Kay and Torri Freestone with Issie Barratt's Interchange at the Parabola
Jim Black with his band at the Parabola
Above and below: master pianist and composer Chick Corea
Intensity - Brian Blade soloing with Chick Corea's Trio
Legendary bassist Eddie Gomez with Chick Corea's Trio
The great Steve Gadd in action with his band
U.S. saxophone virtuoso Chris Potter soloing with his band
Above and below: the great American singer Dee Dee Bridgewater
Norwegian saxophonist Marius Neset with his Quintet
Anton Eger in action with Phronesis and the Engines Orchestra
Jasper Hoiby in rehearsal with Phronesis and the Engines Orchestra
Ivo Neame in rehearsal with Phronesis and the Engines Orchestra
American funk supergroup Snarky Puppy
Kora magic with Orchestra Baobab
American singer-pianist Kandace Springs
U.S. saxophonist Logan Richardson solos with his quartet
Chris Abrahms with hypnotic Austrian trio The Necks
Pianist and composer Hans Koller in rehearsal
Mica Paris sings with her band
Robert Cray with his blues band
Above and below: David Sanborn in the Big Top
Above and below: Christian Scott in the Jazz Arena
Taj Mahal at the Town Hall
Thomas Stronen with Meadow at the Parabola
Tore Brunborg with Meadow at the Parabola
Anders Jormin with Meadow at the Parabola
Soweto Kinch at the Parabola
Jose James at the Jazz Arena
Marcus Strickland in the Jazz Arena
Lizz Wright at the Town Hall
Jacob Collier with his one man show in the Jazz Arena
Norma Winstone with Printmakers at the Parabola
Mark Lockheart with Printmakers at the Parabola
Omar Sosa with his Afro-Cuban band at the Jazz Arena
Tim Berne at the Parabola
Ian Shaw at Hotel du Vin
Julian Arguelles on saxophone, his brother Steve on drums (right) and Django Bates, keyboards, with the Frankfurt Radio Big Band
Joe Lovano soloing with his Village Rhythms Band in the Jazz Arena
John Scofield, who appeared with the Pablo Held Trio in the Jazz Arena
Jasper Hoiby with Phronesis, just before the lights went out completely for their Pitch Black concert at the Parabola Arts Centre
Anton Eger with Phronesis at the Parabola Arts Centre
Ivo Neame with Phronesis at the Parabola Arts Centre
Julien Desprez with the group In Bed With at the Parabola Arts Centre
Bassekou Kouyate with Ngoni Ba delighted the crowd at the Jazz Arena
Raunchy, bluesy songs from Alice Russell in the Jazz Arena
John Medeski, who played Melodica, Melotron, organ and other keyboards with the powerful band Medeski Martin and Wood, plus special guest Jamie Cullum, in the Big Top
Jamie Cullum singing with Medeski, Martin and Wood in the Big Top
Archie Shepp soloing with his Quartet at the Big Top
Soulful and swinging Natalie Williams in the Jazz Arena
Lee Konitz, 87-year-old legend of the Cool School, soloing with a group co-led by trumpeter Dave Douglas at the Town Hall
The Surnatural Orchestra from France, mixing orchestration, improvisation and choreography at the Parabola Arts Centre
Iain Ballamy soloing with Loose Tubes in the Big Top
Eddie Parker on flute with Loose Tubes
Django Bates soloing with Loose Tubes.
Loose Tubes re-united in the Big Top at Cheltenham
Above and below: Ambrose Akinmusire with his quartet at the Jazz Arena
Billy Cobham celebrating his 70th birthday with a concert at the Big Top
Robert Cray in action with his band in the Big Top
Paul Dunmall with his sextet at the Playhouse
Tigran with his trio in the Jazz Arena
Michael Wollny with his trio at The Playhouse
Above and below: Kurt Elling sings with the combined forces of the Guy Barker Big Band and the BBC Concert Orchestra in the Big Top
Above and below: Liane Carroll with the Guy Barker Big Band and the BBC Concert Orchestra
Curtis Stigers with the Guy Barker Big Band and the BBC Concert Orchestra
Above and below: Julian Siegel with his Quartet at The Playhouse
Gene Calderazzo with the Julian Siegel Quartet at The Playhouse
Gregory Porteer, who sang with Blue Note Guets including Amrbose Akinmusire in the Big Top
Frank Sinatra Jnr paying homage to his father in the Jazz Arena
Tenor saxophonist Iain Ballamy's Anorak XL at the Parabola Arts Centre
Above and below: Gary Burton in the Jazz Arena
Above and below: Michael Gibbs conducts his Ensemble in the Jazz Arena
Gary Burton relaxes with Michael Gibbs backstage at the Jazz Arena
Guitarist Mike Stern and saxophonist Bill Evans have fun in rehearsal at the Big Top
Mike Stern solos at the Big Top
Bill Evans at the Big Top
Claire Martin in the Jazz Arena
Marius Neset Quartet at the Parabola Arts Centre
Anton Eger with the Marius Neset Quartet, Parabola Arts Centre
Marius Neset at the Parabola Arts Centre
Gregory Porter at the Big Top
Chip Crawford rehearsing with Gregory Porter's band at the Big Top
Joe Stilgoe in the Jazz Arena
The Ravi Coltrane Quintet in the Jazz Arena
Ravi Coltrane in rehearsal, Jazz Arena
Ralph Alessi solos with the Ravi Coltrane Quintet in the Jazz Arena
Dave Douglas, who appeared with his quintet in the Jazz Arena
Dave Douglas in rehearsal, Jazz Arena
Alex Wilson in the Big Top
Laura Mvula in the Jazz Arena
Above and below: Jo Harman in the Jazz Arena
Michael Roach sings with the Buck Clayton Legacy Band at the Daffodil
Adrian Fry solos with the Buck Clayton Legacy Band at the Daffodil
Alyn Shipton with his Buck Clayton Legacy Band at the Daffodil
Madeleine Peyroux at her sell-out show in the Big Top
Sizzling cymbals in motion in the Big Top at the 2012 Cheltenham Jazz Festival.
Photograph available as a high-resolution limited edition print. Email john@jazzcamera.co.uk for details.
Festival guest director Jamie Cullum in the Big Top
Gregory Porter performing in a live broadcast for BBC Radio 2 in the Big Top
John Taylor, who performed with his octet in the Jazz Arena, in a concert recorded for BBC Radio 3
Above and below: Marcus Miller in the Big Top
Above and below: Baba Sissoko from Mali, who performed with Cuban singer-pianist Roberto Fonseca in the Jazz Arena
Above and below: Roberto Fonseca rehearsing in the Jazz Arena
Oren Marshall's tuba in motion at the Jazz Arena
American rising-star pianist Vijay Iyer, who performed with Fieldwork at the Parabola Arts Centre
Bill Frisell, who brought his trio Beautiful Dreamers to the Big Top
Eyvind Kang with Bill Frisell's Beautiful Dreamers
Rudy Royston with Bill Frisell's Beautiful Dreamers
Norwegian pianist Helge Lien, who appeared with his trio in the Jazz Arena
Bass in motion (left) . . . and brass in motion (right) in the Town Hall Pillar Room
Photos available as high resolution prints - email john@jazzcamera.co.uk for details
Hot licks from saxophonist Chris Potter, pianist Jason Moran and bassist Larry Grenadier with Overtone
Eric Harland - driving drums with Overtone
Andy Sheppard - passionate soloing on soprano saxophone
Drummer Martin France and trumpeter Nils Petter Molvaer with Spin Marvel
Denys Baptiste in the Pillar Room
Jasper Hoiby in the Pillar Room
Norwegian singer Susanna Wallumrod - atmospheric songs in the Jazz Arena
Jamie Cullum being interviewed by Russell Davies in the Jazz Arena
Pianist Neil Cowley with strings in the Jazz Arena
Madeline Bell and Georgie Fame in Friday Night Is Music Night, a live broadcast for BBC Radio 2
Tom Cawley with Curios in the Pillar Room
Kit Downes - with cellist Adrian Dennfeld reflected in the grand piano
Kyle Eastwood, whose band stoked up the heat in the Jazz Arena
Cool Norwegians Tord Gustavsen and Tore Brunborg in the Town Hall
Swedish drummer Anton Eger with Phronesis in the Jazz Arena
All photos copyright John Watson/jazzcamera.co.uk
John Surman with pianist Nikki Yeoh. Right, Carla Bley at the Town Hall
Jamie Cullum performs on the Steinway grand piano
Nathaniel Facey of Empirical in the Town Hall Pillar Room
Lewis Wright on vibes with Empirical and (right) veteran singer Buddy Greco
Dave Holland's flamenco band, with Pepe Habichuela and Josemi Carmona
John Scofield in the Jazz Arena, and Iain Ballamy at the Pillar Room
Italian trumpeter Paolo Fresu, an impressive soloist with Carla Bley
Phantom Limb stoke up the heat in the Jazz Arena
Beady Belle brought a soulful Norwegian groove to the Jazz Arena
Mark Turner, who played with bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard in Fly
Young musicians warm up in Cheltenham's Imperial Gardens
All photos copyright John Watson/jazzcamera.co.uk
Rave reviews for The Power Of Jazz
Jack DeJohnette, from The Power Of Jazz (copyright John Watson/jazzcamera.co.uk)
The Power Of Jazz
Photography By John Watson
Publisher: blurb
Order exclusively from: www.blurb.com/bookstore
Review by Peter Vacher in Jazzwise magazine:
'This welcome new book of John Watson's jazz photography is an impressive tribute to his ability to get up close and personal, to capture the moment and to delight in experimentation too. His collection opens with 'motion' pictures, near-abstract studies that seek to convey an impression of jazz and its aura.
'They culiminate here in a remarkable series portraying a red-shirted Sonny Rollins in full flight. That's another characteristic of Watson's work - he likes to present sequential images, as in his observation of composer Mike Gibbs at work with Bill Frisell and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. There's a similarly remarkable series of guitarist Jim Mullen, nine frames on the page, each conveying his change of expression as a solo unfolds. Watson is clearly at one with contemporary trends, too, so for every Hank Jones shot there are others of Neil Cowley, Gwilym Simcock or Stefano Bollani.
'Superbly printed on high-quality gloss paper, the 140-plus images are diverse in both presentation and stance, Watson as happy to catch his subjects at rest as he is to capture them in performance. Unreservedly recommended.'
Review by Fred Grand in Jazz Journal magazine:
'Whether you know it or not you're probably already an admirer of the work of photographer John Watson, whose images regularly appear in Jazz Journal. While almost anybody with a camera can adequately document an event, only the very best capture the essence of what Henri Cartier-Bresson famously described as the "continually vanishing" subject.
'With a combination of technical prowess and an obvious passion for jazz, Watson produces images that are invariably pregnant with the atmosphere and energies of the moment as he brings the subjects' occasionally idiosyncratic traits into vivid life.
'I can't think of another collection where iconic legends such as Sonny Rollins and Herbie Hancock rub shoulders with British mainstreamers like Dave Green and Tommy Whittle, or in which contemporary stars like Bill Frisell and the late Esjborn Svensson share equal billing with emerging talents such as Soweto Kinch and Zoe Rahman.
'Several candid behind-the-scenes shots capture subjects in relaxed and intimate moments, whilst the book's heavy grade paper and quality inks do full justice to Watson's work.
'He is clearly a photographer with a personal style, and his striking portrait of Jack DeJohnette amid a swirling vortex of movement is one of several shots using in-camera tricks to dramatic effect.
'It's hard to imagine anybody with an interest in jazz who wouldn't find this treasure-packed book highly compulsive.'
Don Byron, from The Power Of Jazz (copyright John Watson/jazzcamera.co.uk)
The Power Of Jazz
Review by Geoff Winston, Londonjazz:
'John Watson captures his musician subjects with an alert and sensitive eye. His passion for the music has taken him to leading venues in New York, London, Birmingham, and way beyond, to photograph its leading exponents.
'In the second edition of his book The Power Of Jazz, Watson takes the reader through images arranged by the instruments played. A section on keyboards has Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock on one double page spread, in relaxed and concentrated modes respectively, and the book ends with sections on big bands and the filming of live concerts.
'Watson gets remarkably close to his subjects without any evidence of being intrusive, and skilfully - and deceptively effortlessly - captures the essence of each of their personalities, stage persona and technical approaches.
'There are many excellent shots which stand up on their own as portraits, as well as records of an event. It is worth noting, too, that Watson, in his pursuit of the honestly envisioned image, resolutely eschews computer manipulation of his photographs, so this portfolio is all 'live and direct' from the camera.
'These include: a trio of stunningly stark, elegant photographs of Carla Bley, a sequence showing the octogenarian Sonny Rollins in full flow at the London Jazz Festival; a moment of laughter with New York saxophonist Carol Sudhalter at the canalside; a thoughtful, pensive Arve Henriksen; an enigmatic monochrome portrait of Tomasz Stanko; a razor sharp Pat Martino; and Stan Tracey beautifully captured with a half glance at Watson.
'There's a lovely spread, in black and white, with Stanley Clarke on upright bass, complemented by a haunting image of Henry Grimes, head tucked behind the fingerboard, caught with a look halfway between an assertive twinkle and deep poignancy, a window into the soul perhaps.
'The images reward repeated viewing. Watson's portfolio is a valuable record of some key figures in jazz.'
To order The Power Of Jazz, visit www.blurb.com/bookstore
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London Jazz Gallery
Photography by John Watson
All photographs copyright jazzcamera.co.uk
Anton Eger with Phronesis, Queen Elizabeth Hall
Kandace Springs, Queen Elizabeth Hall
Hyelim Kim, Kings Place
Ethan Iverson, Kings Place
Bobby McFerrin and singers, Barbican
Dave Douglas, Queen Elizabeth Hall
Cyrille Aimee, Pizza Express Jazz Club
Supersilent, Queen Elizabeth Hall
Jeff Goldblum, Cadogan Hall
Danish percussion wizard Marilyn Mazur with her Shamania project at the Royal Festival Hall
Above and below: Estonian singer, pianist and violinist Kadri Voorand at Kings Place
Above and below: Italian piano master Stefano Bollani at the Cadogan Hall
Austrian guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel at the Jazz Cafe
John Surman, who appeared with John Warren in a Traveller's Tales brass project
American bassist Larry Grenadier, at the Jazz Cafe with Wolfgang Muthspiel and drummer Jeff Ballard
German pianist Michael Wollny with Out Of Land at the Cadogan Hall
Italian accordion virtuoso Vincent Peirani with Out Of Land at the Cadogan Hall
French saxophonist Emile Parisien with Out Of Land at the Cadogan Hall
Guitar legend Pat Metheny at the Barbican
Multi-saxophonist Liudus Mockunas with Heavy Beauty at the Barbican
Above and below: Terence Blanchard with his quintet and the BBC Concert Orchestra at the Barbican
The great French bassist Henri Texier soloing with his quartet at Kings Place
Canadian composer Darcy James Argue conducting his stupendous big band Secret Society at Kings Place
Darcy James Argue's Secret Society at Kings Place
Korean bamboo flute (taegum) virtuoso Hyelim Kim, who soloed with singer/violinist Alice Zawadzki at Pizza Express Jazz Club, Soho
Yazz Ahmed with her project La Saboteuse at Kings Place
Andy Sheppard at Kings Place
Jan Garbarek, Royal Ferstival Hall
Trilok Gurtu, Royal Festival Hall
Jan Garbarek Group, Royal Festival Hall: Rainer Bruninghaus, keyboards; Yuri Daniel, bass; Garbarek, tenor and soprano; Trilok Gurtu, percussion
The Bad Plus, Scala, Kings Cross
Maciek Pysz, The Forge, Camden
Ivo Neame, The Forge, Camden
Albanian singer Elina Duni, an ECM recording artist, at Kings Place
Rebecca Ferguson in rehearsal, Jazz Voice, the Barbican
American trumpeter Terell Stafford at Pizza Express Jazz Club, Soho
Marcin Wasilewski in concert at Milton Court, Guildhall School of Music
Jason Yarde at the Pizza Express Jazz Club, Soho
Stan Sulzmann at the Royal Festival Hall
Norwegian opera singer and saxophonist Haken Kornstad at Kings Place
Chilean saxophonist Melissa Aldana at Pizza Express Jazz Club, Soho
Norwegian bassist Arild Andersen at Kings Place
American singing legend Sheila Jordan at Pizza Express Jazz Club, Soho
Above and below: Stanley Clarke at Ronnie Scott's
Charles Lloyd in rehearsal at the Barbican
Dave Douglas at the Barbican
Joe Lovano in concert at the Barbican
Above and below, Kenny Barron at the Queen Elizabeth Hall
Marcus Miller with his band at the Royal Festival Hall
Ambrose Akinmusire at the Royal Festival Hall
Robert Glasper at the Royal Festival Hall
Pierre Chabrele with Claude Deppa's band at the Royal Festival Hall
Yazz Ahmed in rehearsals at the Queen Elizabeth Hall
Dave Morecroft, with the World Service Project at the Royal Festival Hall
Dee Dee Bridgewater at the Queen Elizabeth Hall
Abdullah Ibrahim at the Royal Festival Hall
Angelique Kidjo in a dancing mood at the Royal Festival Hall
Cuban piano master Chucho Valdes at Kings Place
Theo Crocker with Dee Dee Bridgewater's band at the Queen Elizabeth Hall
Irwin Hall, with Dee Dee Bridgewater's band
Marilyn Mazur in the Purcell Room
The Dedication Orchestra, featuring Louis Moholo-Moholo on drums, at the Queen Elizabeth Hall
Bill Frisell at the Barbican
Nathaniel Facey at the Barbican
John Surman and Karin Krog at Ronnie Scott's
Robert Mitchell on piano with strings and choirs in his Invocation project at the Queen Elizabeth Hall
Branford Marsalis at the Queen Elizabeth Hall
Marcus Mlller at the Royal Festival Hall
Wayne Shorter at the Barbican
Brian Blade in action with the Wayne Shorter Quartet at the Barbican
Esperanza Spalding at the Barbican
Jim Hart at the Southbank Centre Clore Ballroom
Archie Shepp at the Barbican
Jacqui Dankworth at the Queen Elizabeth Hall
Tommy Smith solos with the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra at the Queen Elizabeth Hall
Benet McLean with his quartet at the Southbank Centre Clore Ballroom
John Surman at his Queen Elizabeth Hall concert
Empirical at the Southbank Centre Clore Ballroom
David Sanborn at the Barbican
Steve Gadd in action with David Sanborn at the Barbican
Kenny Wheeler solos with his quintet at the Southbank Centre Clore Ballroom
Chris Sharkey with Dors at the Southbank Centre Front Room
Photographers David Redfern and Edu Hawkins with their joint exhibition at the Southbank Centre
John McLaughlin with the 4th Dimension at the Barbican
Chick Corea at the Barbican
Christian McBride in action with Chick Corea at the Barbican
Legendary guitarist Jim Hall , who appeared with his trio at the Queen Elizabeth Hall
Jim Hall at the Queen Elizabeth Hall
Soulful singer Natalie Williams at the Purcell Room
Gabriel Garrick's trumpet in close-up, Purcell Room
Percussionist Spry Robinson in action with Larry Stabbins' Stonephace, Royal Festival Hall
Jasper Hoiby at the Royal Festival Hall
Greg Osby at the Royal Festival Hall
Melody Gardot with her band at the Barbican
Finnish saxophonist Sami Sippola with Black Motor at the Barbican
Drummer Olavi Louhivouri framed by guitars, with Odderrang at the Royal Festival Hall
Armenian piano virtuoso Tigran Hamasyan at the Royal Festival Hall
Tigran gets low down and deep at the Royal Festival Hall
ECM recording artist Trygve Seim, who played with Finnish group Kuara at the Barbican
John Surman solos with the Bolsterstone Male Voice Choir, Queen Elizabeth Hall
John Surman at the Queen Elizabeth Hall
Kenny Wheeler, who appeared with his big band at the Queen Elizabeth Hall
The Kenny Wheeler Big Band saxophone section at the Queen Elizabeth Hall
Kevin Robinson takes five at a rehearsal of the Jazz Allstars, Purcell Room
Adam Waldmann with the Sam Crowe Group at the Royal Festival Hall
Above and below, Roy Haynes at the Queen Elizaebth Hall
Gregory Porter at Ronnie Scott's
Organist Joey Defrancesco and saxophonist David Sanborn at the Queen Elizabeth Hall
Joachim Kuhn at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Marcin Wasilewski at the Barbican
Archie Shepp at the Queen Elizabeth Hall
McCoy Tyner in rehearsal at the Barbican
Lewis Wright and Nathaniel Facey of Empirical, in rehearsal at the Queen Elizabeth Hall
Alto saxophonist Peter King and his Quartet in concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall
Clarinettist Arun Ghosh and his band at the Royal Festival Hall
Jean Toussaint in rehearsal at the Barbican
Oren Marshall at Ronnie Scott's
Stefano Bollani and Martial Solal in concert at the Barbican
All photographs copyright John Watson/jazzcamera.co.uk