July 2026 Newsletter
- The Premises Studios
- 2 hours ago
- 5 min read
WE REMEMBER THIS….
Thirty years ago, not long after taking over the Premises, I started hearing stories about simmering tension between the early jazz clientele here and the new breed of Brit-pop bands like Suede, Pulp and Blur who were making it their rehearsal base.
One story in particular was that jazz pianist Colin, Premises owner at the time, would reprimand Blur for playing out of tune.
It was rumoured the band had responded by recording a fake ‘free jazz’ track called ‘Beard’. The track duly appeared as the B side of ‘Park Life’ but was it really a piss-take of the illustrious jazz fraternity at the Premises?
Some years later, I bumped into Damon Albarn at a gig and he rather coyly confirmed it. Take a listen here. As fake avant garde jazz goes, it’s right up there with the best.
Or as Ronnie Scott would say, the best in their price range.
(Got any Premises tales from the past 40 years? Send to: vivbroughton@premisesstudios.com)
Nikki Yeoh's 28th annual Piano Recording Week at Premises is set for lift off from 24th – 28th August
With a stellar line up of tutors including Jonathan Gee, Andrea Vicari and Sara McGuiness, you will be immersed in the experience of preparing a classic jazz tune and then recording it in Studio A, backed by an A-listers Miles Pillinger on drums and Dominic Howles on bass.
It’s filling up fast, people! For more info or to book, email now!:
Mid-June, before we were all mainlining Soleros and saying ‘It’s not so much the heat but the humidity’ we welcomed Yolanda Charles MBE and Nico Py back for two days of intensive workshops for bassists and drummers looking to up their game.
The feedback was pretty darn good. Drummer Nathalie, armed with only her sticks and a deep and abiding appreciation of Yolanda’s work says, “I was encouraged and made to feel safe to just give it a go! I particularly liked the section on locking in and how essential the rhythm section is to a band.”
Bass player Clare had a renewal of spirit in terms of her practice. She says, “My main takeaway is that I need to have intentional practice and now I have a structure on how to improve.”
Watch this space for news on future Yolanda workshops!
Oh, it’s SO MUCH fun when you hear bangers from your relative youth coming at you live from down the hall. In this case, the floor filler Jocelyn Brown, she of ‘Always There’ and ‘Somebody Else’s Guy’ fame amongst others, many of which have been heavily sampled.
And sampling is great if you are properly paid, credited, and you gain a whole, new younger audience to seek and follow your older stuff. But it’s not always been the case for Jocelyn, who is actually pretty philosophical about it all.
How do you feel about the rampant sampling of your music and your influence on the newer generation of artists and fans?
“It’s always been rewarding to know that something you’ve created continues to inspire others. Music has a way of transcending generations and seeing younger artists connect with your work can be incredibly fulfilling. But creators don’t always receive the recognition they deserve and sometimes the contributions behind iconic recordings can be overlooked. Resilience, self-belief and staying focused on your purpose are far more powerful than seeking validation from others”.
One thing I noticed about Jocelyn’s crew was how tightly knit they are. They did EVERYTHING together, there is a real sense of family there. Does that come naturally or is it cultivated?
“Over the years we’ve developed not only a unique sound but also a genuine sense of family. Everybody contributes something valuable to what we create together. What unites us is a commitment to excellence, respect and supporting one another. We understand the importance of dedication, discipline and using our talents to make a positive impact”.
Any advice for the younger musical whippersnappers at the start of their musical careers?
“It’s simple. Stay true to yourself, honour your craft and never lose faith in your journey. Success isn’t just measured by awards or recognition. It’s about making a lasting impact and inspiring others through your work”.
Well said that woman!
We’ve been hearing some lush, smooth, summery jazz coming out of the recording studio, and it’s mainly been put together rather sumptuously by a fella called Joe GJ. It’s a big sound, with a five-piece horn section, lotta solos from flute and accordion and more layers of guitars, synths and keys. We love it. And Joe and crew return the love to engineer Neil Goody, more of which, in a mo.
A quick chat with Joe reveals that the mood they were after was not necessarily the one we find, you know, on someone’s balcony, spritzer in hand, reflecting how NICE life can be. He explains:
“The tunes have all got different layers of meaning. At the top level, as seems to be the case with most instrumental jazz fusion, the album is meant to be fun and light hearted. Though some were written in quite difficult periods of my life, generally I process that by writing music that makes me or the listener happy.”
And how was it working with our chief engineer, Neil Goody?
“Neil is frankly an absolute machine. Without him we could never have achieved what we envisioned. It’s so important to have an aligned idea of what the end product will sound like. Neil found a great balance between a warm, characterful recording without colouring the sound too much.”
To hear this luscious beast, out towards the end of August, check out Joe’s Instagram @joe.g.j
And while we’re about it, huge congrats to Prems chief recording engineer Neil on tying the knot with the beautiful Agne. May they sweeten all the high notes and smooth out the low ones in a long and fabulous life together!
WHO'S BEEN IN...
Like a blast of department store air-con in the stolid heat of June, many breezy and bright bands came to rehearse at Premises with a splash of summery tunes. These included:
PP Arnold, Dermot Henry, Return to Dust, East West Ents, Octohawk, Johnny Hates Jazz,Black Lounge, London Voice Academy, Jocelyn Brown, Alfie Whitbread, Offbeat Collective, Genesis Owusau, Phebe Edwards, English Teacher, Pain of Glass, Odumobleck, Lust Ritual, Emma Townsend, The Boulevards, Blue Heelers, Emeli Sande, Fossils, The New Souls, Asian Dub Foundation, Savannah Ministry, Bedlam, Shiva Nova, Beverley Knight, Singing Bowie, Rufus Wainwright, Lizzie Wood, Vasili, Hope Winter, The Irene Taylor Trust, Joe Peet, Eloise, David McAlmont, Celeste, Joe Peet, Eloise, Greentea Peng, Mama’s Gun, Yolanda Charles, Nadine Khouri, Blood Orange/Dev Hynes, Beth McCarthy, Kelis, Springfield Quintet, Erin Bloomer, Attawala, Folded Wing, Fat Coyote, Jamie Hince, Lurine Cato, Maya Productions, Laura Mvula, Camilla George, Richard Griffith, Miracle Church, Aleywa, Triggerfish, Colin Watts, Renell Shaw, Duke St Big Band, Cam Pots, Jalen Ngonda, Young Gun Silver Fox, Bell Cobain, Mike Park, Midtown Funk, Sara Gillespie, Ruby Poole, Fan Girl, Brian Martin, Days of Wine and Roses, Maya Delila and many more..
AND FINALLY...
