May 2025 Newsletter
- The Premises Studios
- 7 days ago
- 5 min read
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“Art is dangerous. It is one of the attractions. When it ceases to be dangerous, you don’t want it.” Duke Ellington
Ya think? Who woulda thought The Duke was the first Jazz Goth. Nobody told me this when I first interpretive danced, aged 7, to Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, and did my mum stick her head round the door and go, “Oi, stop trying to be dangerous!” She did not! She went “Aww” and it was iced buns for tea all round. And on that genre destroying note, we embrace the first sultry days of May, gently swooning, fanning ourselves on the swing porches outside the café, sipping Mint Julips and hearing the muted tones of bands in the studios getting into shape for festival season. Only some of this is true. Maybe.
FINAL CALL FOR JAZZ PIANO PERFORMANCE COURSE
We have just three places left for budding or fully bloomed jazz pianists who would like to take part in this fun and intensive three-day course with star tutors Nikki Yeoh, John Crawford and man-of-the-moment Sultan Stevenson. Sort out your keyboard chops in modal and Latin jazz, learn all you need to know about improv and up your communication skills with our stellar live band. That would be you on our grand piano, Denys Baptiste on sax, Dominic Howles on bass and Miles Pillinger on drums for a Grand Finale performance at Club Premises. The afternoon of the 18th is your performance, where you get to play one of a choice of great jazz standards, and invite your friends and family to hear how brilliantly you play, and partake in soft drinks, wine, beer and an assortment of snacks. No fees for guests! Who knows? Today the Premises, maybe tomorrow, Ronnie’s. For fast booking and more info: michele@premiseseducation.org and read more about course contents here.
...AND LISTEN TO SULTAN STEVENSON IN SESSION
As well as a nomination for Breakthrough Act of the year at the Jazz FM Awards, Sultan Stevenson also recorded a live session with his trio, up in Studio A last month for Radio 3’s Round Midnight hosted by Soweto Kinch. One of the best so far, a phenomenal session that you can listen to here.
GREAT DAY OUT FOR ISLINGTON RESIDENTS IN STUDIO A
Earlier in April we welcomed a group of singers and musicians who are part of Live Music Now, an organisation in collaboration with Islington Arts, that helps those living in supported accommodation access the arts. Last year we had a similar group in recording some banging spoken word pieces about their life experiences, and this time, we had singers and musicians in who were performing three pieces they worked on collaboratively or on their own, under the gentle guidance of musical director Thomas Harvey. We stuck our nose in to see what was going on and the radiance and positivity in the room was palpable. The title of the songs gives a clue to the theme of the day: New Beginnings, Brings Me Joy, and the more enigmatically titled but still buoyant Criss Cross, which was about “moving from the negative to the positive,” explained one of its composers, Sam. Up with this sort of thing, we say.
LATEST AWARD WINNERS...
It's music industry Awards season and among those gonged was Premises resident producer Danny L Harle who scooped the prestigious Writer-Producer of the Year award from The Music Producers Guild (MPG). Danny has his own studio here where he works with artists like Caroline Polachek and Dua Lipa. Massive congratulations, Danny! And at the Jazz FM awards, Ezra Collective took Album of The Year, Mark Kavuma scored Instrumentalist of The Year, and Women In Jazz picked up the Collaboration Award. Women In Jazz are running a special recording project here this month, of which more in next newsletter. Legendary drummer Billy Cobham also took the Lifetime Achievement Award. Well deserved, one and all! (Side note: Many years ago now, Billy Cobham donated a couple of his precious kits to the Premises!).
FIVE MINUTES WITH A GUY CALLED GERALD
Having resisted the temptation to ask A Guy Called Gerald if a good tribute act name for him would be A Guy Not Called Gerald, we popped into his rehearsal studio where he was setting up gear with Chris The Jungle Drummer and their producer to rehearse pretty much stuff that can’t really be rehearsed. That is, A Guy Called Gerald makes his beats and mixes on the fly, with Chris supplying the live drums and Gerald tweaking his knobs and fiddly bits in a synchronicity that has built up over the years of them playing together, since 1999. Gerald was there at the beginning of mixing up beats and hip hop and making everything a bit more dance- orientated and speedy. “The freestyle mentality is like jazz, but with a bit more structure,” says the affable Mancunian. “In rehearsal we get a rough framework going but when playing live, you have to read the room, so what you planned on doing might not be the right vibe.”
“We like to create a new dimension and just because I am from the early days of Jungle and Acid House, it does not mean I am a retrovert. Like I am not all about the old technology, hauling all this old analogue gear around. I like to keep up with what is new and what new sounds we can create. I guess the dream I had in the 90s was to figure out how to bring a studio into an arena and we do that.”
Chris at this point interrupts and says, “And he does this by making it as hard as possible for me,” at which point eyebrows are raised. Whatever do you mean, oh drumming man?
“Well I am there bashing away for two and a half hours and he’s like moving some levers up and down and might get like a sore finger,” he says, with a glint in his eyes.
The chemistry is clear and dynamic. What’s more, they are really nice guys. One called Gerald, and two not. You can read more about him here: https://www.guycalledgerald.com/
ELSOM STUDENTS IN STUDIO A
In early April, Studio A welcomed The East London School of Music, who came to record some hymns and pop songs under the guidance of musical leader Fiona Paquette. She says, “It was a really good experience for the students and their first ever time in a recording studio. We liked that we were able to rehearse in the conservatory next the studio, so we could be prepared as possible, though we rehearse a lot anyway. The hope is to get the songs together for an album.”
WHO’S BEEN IN?
During April in our hallowed halls, we welcomed: Good Neighbours, Hot Stamp, Vula Malinga, Blue Violet, Beverley Knight, Esme Emerson, Clover Productions, The Cover Up, Jo Dunstone, Laura Mvula, Floss Jordan, Folded Wing, City Academy, Modern Nature, Charlie Cunningham, Lust Ritual, Greta Wenner, Marc Almond, Jack Prideaux, Olivia Morgan, A New Tomorrow, Fi McCluskey, Brixton Chamber Orchestra, Irene Taylor Trust, Lust Ritual, Guildhall, Yellow Days, Springfield Quartet, Lipfiller, Malibu Hot Flush, Jadu Heart, Harry Nye, Omar Puente, Jessica Winter, Nikki Yeoh, Tom Mary, Glory Choir, Understudy, The Resigned, The White Gates, Vibe Village, Gideon Lyons, Jamel Dennis, Duke Street Big Band, Polly Money, Frances Madden, Nieve Ella, A New Tomorrow, Andy Watts, African Spa, Celebration Church Miracle, Skeete, Carroll Thompson, Crashface, Greentea Peng, London Bollywood Orchestra, Tola, House Gospel Choir, Tanita Tikaram, Celeste, Rose Theatre, Charlotte Plank, Pulp, Dirty Rumour, Everyone Says Hi, Sienna Spiro, That’s Not My Robot, Black Country New Road, Shabaka Hutchings, The Jam, Apartment House, Daniel Casimer, Daniel Oicone, The Unfunkables, Now Ex, A Guy Called Gerald and Octohawk amongst many others.
AND FINALLY...
