It's like this

Note from Norman Willmore

Michael Janisch’s Paradigm Shift, is an innovative band, pushing the boundaries of jazz composition, and performance. With the addition of live electronic manipulation, soundscapes can be created that would not be possible, even with the amazing musicians performing. The compositions see a turn from the standard form of a melody followed by solo’s, to a more through-composed style. This takes the listener on a very special trip around and inside Janisch’s exceptional compositional mind. It is a shame to see that this performance is not going to be funded by Creative Scotland, because from what I saw it is not worth missing. 

Michael Janisch - This Just IN

Attribution - The Scotsman

THE sleeve image of bassist Michael Janisch’s new double album, Paradigm Shift, is a high-speed photograph of a bursting bubble, a shimmering, translucent globe midway through shattering into myriad droplets.

And if the term “paradigm shift” tends to suggest a major overturning of assumptions and conventions the bubble which concerns the London-based American-born musician is the one we have to get out of and take a broader view, politically and globally as well as musically.

The album is based on a live recording he made with his band at Soho’s Pizza Express Jazz Club, including the titular Paradigm Shift Suite which, having released it on his own Whirlwind label, he brings to Scotland next week with a specially assembled sextet. They’ll perform in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Shetland, and the two gigs in Glasgow’s Stereo venue this Monday and Tuesday involve a “Whirlwind Mini-Fest”, also featuring bands led by some of the Scottish jazz names on his label – saxophonists Konrad Wiszniewski and Rachael Cohen, trumpeter Ryan Quigley and pianist Tom Gibbs.

The recording, with band members including Paul Booth on saxophone, flute and didgeridoo, trumpeter Jason Palmer, Leonardo Genovese on piano and keyboards and drummer Colin Stranahan, is an expansive and ceaselessly shifting affair, ranging through muscular ensemble playing and horn statements punctuated by solo electric or double bass interludes over a susurrus of electronics. The title, Janisch explains, is not some pretentious claim to be revolutionising music, although it is about him getting outside his own bubble, musically speaking as well as in terms of a broader world view.

The development period of the music saw the global economic crash, while on a personal level he became the father of two daughters and his older brother, Joseph, died suddenly. “So there was a lot of personal growth since I started writing the music. It’s all about waking up and getting outside your bubble and really seeing what’s going on in the world.”

The album, he adds, “goes all over the place. I don’t want to be beholden to any kind of style. The suite is a sort of reflection of where my head’s at with different rhythms and harmonies and trying to push both, but at the same time having an underlying pulse that’s very important to me – music that grooves, let’s say.”

Conflicting commitments have meant that the current touring band has Cédric Henriot on piano and keyboards and Jason Yarde’s soprano sax substituting for Jason Palmer’s trumpet, while Alex Bonney, who was responsible for the live and post-production electronics on the album, steps in with cornet as well as laptop. “Jason [Yarde] has brought his own thing to it and I really like the sound of the soprano sax with the tenor,” while Bonney he describes as “the wild card ... when he doesn’t have to be messing with his computer and laptops he can dip in on some of the solos and heads.”

The result, he reckons, is an even more dynamic soundscape with an almost cinematic quality: “It’s just another dimension and part of this whole paradigm shift idea. It’s an insanely powerful sextet. I wanted, sonically, to take [my music] to a new place and this is definitely what’s happening.”

The Scottish leg of a lengthy UK tour sees them play Edinburgh’s Jazz bar on Wednesday, Aberdeen’s Blue Lamp on 1 October, as well as three Shetland gigs, before returning to play the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Glasgow, on 5 October. Before that, however, this Monday and Tuesday they host the Whirlwind Mini-Fest at Glasgow’s Stereo, joined on Monday by Wiszniewski and Cohen’s quartets and on Tuesday by Quigley and Gibbs’s outfits.

Janisch established the Whirlwind label five years ago to launch his debut solo album, Purpose Built, since when it has become a significant presence on the UK jazz scene. Ask Janisch whether there is a ‘Whirlwind sound’ and he points to two factors: “It’s all over the place stylistically, but there are two threads. One is that improvisation is an important factor in all of the music. The second is that I oversee the mixing and matching aspects, even though we use a few different people for that. I think the quality of sound and also the fact that the bands I choose have a gel between the instruments and the way they play them has a certain power to it.

“Sound – to me and to the label – is very important.”

Read more: http://www.scotsman.com/what-s-on/music/michael-janisch-and-his-insanely-powerful-sextet-1-3897932#ixzz3n2Q9g3oh

A HEARWARMING STORY

Here’s a story to warm the cockles of your heart. Michael Janisch is a world-class bass player. He has been to Shetland several times before and has readily expressed his liking for the place and its community. He has a fine new band featuring an array of the finest musicians you could ever hope to hear.

Janisch has organised a 35-date UK tour of this excellent band, known as Paradigm Shift after the title of their new first album which has already gained much praise. He applied for funding from the appropriate arts councils. He sent me an email yesterday with some rather sad news. He said:

“Last night before I set off to Southampton to play a full house at the great venue, The Talking Heads, I was notified that my application to tour Scotland, curate a festival that gave over 20 artists work and exposure, and teach to an anticipated 500+ students via outreach was 'not worthy' of public funds… I received a grant from the Arts Council England (for the English and Welsh parts of the tour) and they told me in the acceptance letter it was one of the finest music applications they've received all year w/ broad artistic scope, great outreach and consideration for rural/city areas.  I felt positive that the Scottish grant was equally as worthy, and all I asked for was barely 30% of my total Scotland tour budget.”

However, he IS going ahead with the Scottish dates and WILL be coming to Shetland, but he is funding all this leg of the tour himself. Now, I don’t know about you, but this is either an act of stupidity or an act of loyalty beyond the call of duty. I prefer to acknowledge the latter. As a promoter, I know that the margins, even with a grant, are hard to overcome. I’d like to think that the people of Shetland will reward his courage and turn out in their hundreds to see the Michael Janisch band in the Carnegie Hall on Friday 2 October, in Bixter Hall at lunchtime on Sunday 4 October, at Mareel on evening of 4 October and at his wonderful educational workshop organised by Sioban Tekcan at the Garrison Theatre on Saturday 3 October.

Believe me, this is a BRILLIANT band of musicians. Norman Willmore saw this band in Cardiff and says it was one of the best gigs he’d ever been to. Let’s give them our full support. Gosh, they absolutely deserve it.

Jeff Merrifield

Shetland Jaws

Eddi and SNJO at Mareel, June 2015

Here's a song from the JAWS  Eddie Reader concert in June,

https://vimeo.com/135806381

Camera        Nathan Bryant
Sound           Mark McKellen
Production     Dave Hammond

Shetland Improvisers Orchestra

Shetland Improvisers Orchestra has been on the go for 3 years.  Click the RSS button to view an animation set to an improv at the bop shop in February last year.

Taking part were, Jeff Merrifield, Clair Aldington, Jill Blackadder, Dave Hammond, Steve Chitty and David Marsh

Kicking off the JAWS newsfeed/blog

Well folks, this is our first attempt at setting up a news feed. 

After the 10 day Jazz festival in June and the JAWS summer school we needed a breather to collect our thoughts and push forward with our vision to bring great music to these isles.

Some of the events from our Winter Programme are now up on the website. There's the Michael Janisch gigs and phenomenal sextet of nationally and internationally renowned musicians. You can experience them up close and personal at Carnegie Hall in Sandwick on 2 October, or in a lunchtime brunch gig at Bixter Hall on 4 October before their Mareel electric gig.

Then there's THE BLOCKHEADS, the Mighty Blockheads, in a special gig for us at Mareel on 22 November. Early Bird tickets on sale now - buy early and save four quid.

The Christmas Buffet gig at the Town Hall this year is at Town Hall on 5 December. It features music from the wonderful Becc Sanderson and a fabulous quintet under the direction of Chris Grieve. Plus the legendary Christmas buffet feast. The best big night out you'll find for your office party or your works do and all in for just £35 a head.

All bookable at www.thejaws.uk.