Thursday 3rd October

After a summer-long break, Hackensack returns in full flow with a fine two sets of music.

*First Set*
Joe Webb plays Nick Drake

In 2009 Joe attended the Royal Welsh College for four years studying with Huw Warren, Nick Weldon and Richard Roberts. During his time at the conservatoire, Joe played in a number of different bands and formed his own, the Joe Webb Trio which was given the opportunity to play at the 2012 Brecon Jazz festival and has had compositions played on BBC radio 3 and on Welsh Radio.
After graduating from Cardiff in 2012, he moved to London and since has been lucky enough to have played with some amazing musicians including, Geoff Simkins, Laurence Cottle, Nick Singer, Nia Lynn and Dave Cliff.

Webb has selected his favourite songs of the genius singer-songwriter to play in a solo setting.

~~~

*Second Set*
Martin Speake Trio

Martin Speake- Alto Sax
Mike Outram- Guitar
Jeff Williams- Drums

For this very special gig we have a leader who been referred to as, “one of the most interesting and rewarding alto saxophonists now playing jazz on any continent.” (Thomas Conrad – Jazz Times)

He brings his amazing band of guitar genius Mike Outram and masterful drummer Jeff Williams.

This unusual trio of alto saxophone, guitar and drums brings together all of Martin’s musical influences alongside his favourite musical partners. The three musicians are committed to improvising in the moment and will feature compositions from their new double CD ‘Always A First Time’ on Martin’s Pumpkin label.

Mike Outram, Jeff Wiliams, Martin Speake

Meditative ballads, trance like grooves, free improvisation, minimalism, jazz standard songs, Arabic influenced music, heavy metal guitar, unaccompanied solos from each player and more are featured in this unique and intimate trio.

“There is no musician with such complete control of the sounds coming out of a guitar. Mike Outram plays the sweetest wailing rock guitar in Britain. It’s a sound of great beauty.” Seb Scotney, London Jazz

“In a career that has spanned more than 40 years, drummer Jeff Williams has honed a sound that seamlessly blends a sinewy, propulsive rhythmic sense with a masterful appreciation of space and atmosphere.” Matthew Miller, The New York City Jazz Record

www.martinspeake.com

Entry is still only £5. Get here early for your seat!

Bonus: Check out this predictably great poster by James Clark.

Thursday 6th June

Ah yes, we have arrived.
This is the LAST Hackensack for a while as we are taking a break over summer and starting back in October. In order for your dose to carry you over until then, we are having a special night on 6th June. Big time.

Featuring two brand new bands playing original music.

TINY BEAST
Josh Arcoleo- Tenor Sax
Chris Hyson- Fender Bass
Josh Blackmore- Drums

+

GREG STERLAND 5TET
Greg Sterland- Tenor Sax
Hugh Sheehan- Button Accordion
Alex Haines- Guitar
Pete Komor- Bass
Lloyd Haines- Drums

Golly. Definitely get there early if you want to have a seat! Huge hangs afterwards too.

£5 entry.

 

P.S. Check out this great poster made by James Clark!

Thursday 2nd May

First Set:
BRUNO HEINEN/KRISTIAN BORRING DUO

Bruno Heinen- Piano
Kristian Borring- Guitar

Bruno Heinen is a London based contemporary pianist, composer and bandleader. His recent endeavours include collaborations with Julian Siegel, Martin Speake, Byron Wallen and Christian Brewer. Bruno studied classical piano at the Royal College of music with the then head of keyboard Andrew Ball and then went on to win prizes from the Musicians Benevolent Fund and the Countess of Munster Trust to take his Jazz masters at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where he studied under John Taylor. Bruno was asked to stay on at the Guildhall as a Junior Fellow where he completed a Masters of Musical Performance.

“Heinen sounds like the kind of erudite and curious new arrival destined to make a real difference.”
John Fordham – The Guardian

“Heinen is a cool-headed and resourceful improviser with a beguiling touch, favouring slow-burning legato lines over overt displays of chops. This is a striking debut that marks out Heinen’s ensemble to be far more than just another piano trio.”
Tom Grey – London Jazz

Danish born Kristian Borring “A guitarist of enormous technical ability who utilizes his considerable gifts thoughtfully and tastefully.” (THE JAZZ MANN) has built his name as a skillful guitarist with great melodic sense and sophisticated harmonic understanding, equally mastering the standard repertoire as well as original material.

Based in London, he has worked or performed throughout the UK and Europe with a diverse range of groups and performers, including Italian pianist Antonio Zambrini, Will Vinson, Tommaso Starace, Laurence Cottle, Archie Shepp, Lars Dietrich, Jim Hart, Gareth Lockrane, Loz Speyer and many others.

“great tunes , great sound, great playing…hopefully I’ll get to hear these tunes live!!” JONATHAN KREISBERG

Second Set:
JAMES CLARK SELF-HELP GROUP

James Clark- Piano/Accordion
Jess Bullen- Saxophone
Deej Williams- Bass
Rod Oughton- Drums

The Self-Help Group makes a welcome return to CafeJazz after the carnage of the first ever Hackensack. Unique original tunes as well as music from Brazil and Bulgaria will be heavily featured. It will be a ruckus. My goodness.

Only £5!

Thursday 7th March

*First Set: Element*
Ralph Wyld- Vibes
Flo Moore- Bass
Rod Oughton- Drums

The trio is very much a collaboration between all three members, each contributing original material, as well as performing music from sources as wide-ranging as Radiohead and Joni Mitchell.

“…vibraphone player Ralph Wyld stood out for his rhythmic accuracy and panache…” FT, January 2012

“…set to fire up the jazz scene…” Jazzwise, May 2011

*Second Set: Geoff Simkins Quartet*
Geoff Simkins- Alto Sax
Alex Haines- Guitar
Pete Komor- Bass
Lloyd Haines- Drums

It is a great pleasure for us to welcome to Hackensack the well-respected and much-loved Geoff Simkins! Don’t miss this night, as he makes a rare playing appearance in Cardiff.

He is featured on many recordings, the most recent of which is “Conversations” with Dave Cliff and Simon Woolf, and issued on Symbol Records, as is the much praised CD Don’t Ask’ with Nikki Iles, Simon Woolf and Martin France. He has appeared many times on BBC radio’s Jazz Club and Jazz Parade and was the subject of a documentary made by TVS.

Over the years, Geoff has played with such luminaries as Art Farmer, Bobby Shew, Al Cohn, Tal Farlow, Slide Hampton, Warren Vache, Al Grey, Kenny Davern, Bill Berry, Al Casey, Howard Alden, Ruby Braff, Bill Coleman and Conte Candoli. Recently Geoff has toured with guitarist Howard Alden and recorded a quartet CD with him.

£5 to get in. FREE to get out. Gonna be increds.

xx

P.S. We are taking a break for April, and returning on MAY 2ND! This is so we can all calm down and be prepared for the next batch.

Monday 4th February

*First Set: Huw Warren/Iain Ballamy Duo*

Huw Warren- Piano
Iain Ballamy- Saxophone

Pianist and Composer Huw Warren has achieved a reputation for innovative and eclectic music making over a twenty year career. Equally at home crossing the often exclusive worlds of Jazz, World and Folk and Contemporary music, he has a distinctive and personal voice. Known equally for a lyrical beauty and a ferocious rhythmic energy, his own compositions have a gentle ironic wit underpinning them. Recent collaborations with musicians such as Mark Feldman, Maria Pia de Vito, Peter Herbert, Joanna Macgreggor, Theo Bleckmann , Pamela Thorby and Erik Truffaz have brought his music to a wider audience. International concerts include Rochester (USA) Jazz Festival, Berlin Jazz Festival, Venice Bienale, Kalisz International Piano Festival (Poland),The Auditorium Rome, Punkt 07 in Norway, European tour (with Mark Feldman, Drew Gress and Tom Rainey), Jazz Ahead, Bremen, and Umbria Jazz 2010.

“one of the UK’s truly independent spirits” – The Guardian

“where the indescribable meets the unclassifiable” – Colin Irwin, Mojo

Saxophonist and composer Iain Ballamy is internationally recognised as an original, freethinking and uncompromising musician. His work is eclectic, contemporary and un-encumbered by formality and tradition. Transcending musical genres and forging strong and ongoing relationships with musicians around the globe, notably Scandinavia, Iain has worked with many of the cutting-edge figures of today’s contemporary Jazz scene.

“A major international voice.” – Chris Parker, The Times

“Iain Ballamy emerged from the Loose Tubes stable with an entirely unfashionable saxophone sound (he didn’t sound like John Coltrane) based on scurrying, low-register, clarinet-like figures, a delicate tone and an urgent, but sparingly used upper register wail. He doesn’t sound like anyone else on the British scene.” – John Fordham, The Guardian

*Second Set: Lloyd Haines Quartet*

Greg Sterland- Tenor Sax
Dan Smith- Alto Sax
Pete Komor- Bass
Lloyd Haines- Drums

Lloyd Haines debuts as a leader with the first performance of this fine quartet, featuring the up-and-coming players of the city and playing the hippest music around, from the likes of Monk and Ornette.

£5 entry. Get here early for your seat. It’s going to be ridiculous!

Thursday 17th January

*First Set: Chris Gilligan- Solo Piano*

Chris Gilligan received classical piano education at the Bristol Cathedral School and studied jazz piano at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. He has played with Martin Speake, Nathaniel Facey and Mornington Lockett. Chris’ compositions have appeared on BBC Radio Wales, S4C and ITV. In 2010, he became a Yamaha Jazz Scholar.

This Hackensack features the rare chance to hear Gilligan play a beautiful solo set.

*Second Set: Alex Haines Quintet*

Greg Sterland: Tenor Sax
Pete Brewster: Viola
Alex Haines: Guitar
Pete Komor: Bass
Lloyd Haines: Drums

This is the first public performance of a new group led by Alex Haines, playing a selection of new original material.

As you can see, it’s a THURSDAY this time. Entry is £5 and music starts at 9pm! Get involved, should be another great night of live music!

Monday 5th November

For fireworks night at CafeJazz, we have a great double bill featuring the return of two esteemed graduates of RWCMD.

*First Set: Alex Haines/Joe Webb Duo*

Alex Haines- Guitar
Joe Webb- Piano 

 

Highly regarded pianist Joe Webb teams up once more with guitarist Alex Haines to present sensitive, textural improvising and new interpretations of popular songs, standards and folk music.

*Second Set: Huw Vaughan Williams Trio*

Huw Vaughan Wiliams- Double Bass

Greg Sterland- Tenor Sax

Lloyd Haines- Drums

 

Award-winning bassist and composer Williams brings a unique outlook and a fresh group sound to CafeJazz. Listen up!

Let us continue the momentum of last month’s launch night! Once again, entry is £5 and music starts at 9pm.

 

Monday 1st October: Hackensack Launch

Hello and welcome! For our launch party gig we have the delightful James Clark Self-Help Group and the Paula Gardiner Trio.

*First Set: The James Clark Self-Help Group*

James Clark- Piano/Accordian
Jess Bullen- Saxes
Deej Williams- Bass
Rod Oughton- Drums
 

After a packed gig a few months back, James Clark returns to CafeJazz with his group to present more originals and unoriginals, that will leave you feeling inspired and improved.

*Second Set: Paula Gardiner Trio*

Paula Gardiner- Double Bass/Guitar

Lee Goodall- Sax/Flute

Mark O’Connor- Drums

 

Paula Gardiner’s presence on the Welsh Jazz scene has been an inspiring one for a long time. One of Britain’s most lyrical and melodic bass players, Paula Gardiner is also an accomplished classical guitarist and flautist. Guitar was her first instrument and through her classical studies, she grew to love the music of Bach and also that of Brazilian and Argentinean composers, like Leo Brouwer, Manuel Ponce, Egberto Gismonte and Hermeto Pascoal. Her first influences from the Jazz world came from European players like Eberhard Weber, highly melodic musicians and composers, who draw on a European heritage, as well as on Jazz.

Please come and support the first night of many! First set begins at 8:30pm and as ever is £5 on the door.