Sunday 25 February 7.30pm Jazz on the Plaza Café Yukari, Kew, TW9 4HJ – Chris Hodgkins – Trumpet Terence Collie – Piano Esther Ng – Double Bass

Until May 13th at midnight I was the Director of Jazz Services for 29 years until I retired at midnight on May 13th 2014. Jazz Services is the national organisation funded by Arts Council England since 1970 to provide services in information, touring, education, communications and publishing to the UK jazz community. Please see www.jazzservices.org.uk  for…

I’m one of 1,000+ musicians who are jointly releasing this album to protest the UK government’s planned changes to copyright law, which would hand the life’s work of the country’s musicians to AI companies for free. It’s an album of recordings of empty studios, which is what we’ll get if the government’s plans go ahead….

There was an article by Sarah Marsh in the Guardian on Monday 29th July 2019 reporting that rising numbers of younger fans have sparked a UK jazz renaissance and streaming sites report growth in young listeners and festivals are signing up more jazz acts. However there are two caveats. Streaming as a marketing tool allows…

In the Guardian on the 28th May 2015 “Arts Council boss promises more of a two way street”. The new CEO of the Arts Council Darren Henley was at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards at the House of Commons on the 10th March 2015 when I made an acceptance speech. I drew attention to the appallingly…

There was an article in the Guardian on the 18th June 2020, “Act to save industry, leading lights of stage urge government” https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2020/jun/17/cultural-catastrophe-uk-theatre-faces-ruin-amid-coronavirus-crisis . Dowden was quoted as saying  “he does not want to let anyone down”. Well his insouciance to date has let a whole raft of jazz musicians and volunteer jazz promoters down and…

Connects Music – Covid-19 Impact Study on UK Musicians’ and Music Creators’ Livelihoods This report reveals the impact over the last nine months of Covid-19 on UK musicians and music creators who are at the heart of the UK’s £5.8 billion music industry ( UK Music defines music creators as musicians, composers, songwriters, lyricists, singers, producers…