2-5-1

one of our jazz book reviews podcasts about the  Novel The Horn by John Clellon Holmes-born 12th March 1926Studied at various places Columbia 1943 and post Draft on GI bill and the New School 1949 where he met Jack Kerouac And remained a life long friendFirst Novel published as GO a fictional book based on real characters and considered the first beat novelThe Horn was his second novel and again contains many barely disguised characters The Protagonist  the fictional Tenor Colossus Edgar Pool is know as  “ The Horn” a jazz Legendwho took jazz from Swing to Bebop  his trajectory, skill and invention.  makes him a revered Alpha Male. The book takes place on the evening of The Horn’s final day as he stumbles through New York after being outplayed [ allegedly for the first time] by a young sax player.As his friends and lovers search for him they reminisce about his life It is a classic pean to the talented jazzer who slowly self destructs through drink drugs and sex It is structured in an attempt to mimic jazz performance practices of the 1940s Chaptesr are called Choruses or riffsIn the chorus chapters Holmes defines his key characters who talk about "The Horn" The riff chapters advance the present day the narrative of his final nightThe prose itself is dense, rhythmic, and lyrical, with long, flowing sentences that evoke the complexity and intensity of jazz phrasing, as words are deployed like notes in an extended solo

we discuss the issue of notating jazz in traditional western music notation in this episode

We discusss  "Stella by Starlight"  a popular jazz standard with music by Victor Young that was drawn from thematic material composed for the main title and soundtrack of the 1944 Paramount Pictures film The Uninvited. Appearing in the film's underscore as well as in source music as an instrumental theme song without lyrics, it was turned over to Ned Washington, who wrote the lyrics for it in 1946.At one point in the film, the main character, Rick (Ray Milland) tells Stella (Gail Russell) that he is playing a serenade, "To Stella by Starlight".an Apple Music playlist is here

in this episode we discus the pianist and vibraphonist Eddie Costa

in this episode we discuss the winners of the jazz categories of the grammy awards 2026Large ensemble-christian McBrideBest Jazz Vocal Album-Portriat Samara JoyBest Jazz instrumental album -Soouthern Nights Sullivan FortnerBest Alternative Jazz Album-LIVE-ACTION-Nate SmithBest Latin Jazz -A Tribute to Benny Moré and Nat King Cole – Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Yainer Horta & Joey Calveirobest Live album Windows – Live – Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade Simon's Apple Music Playlist Here

In this episode we discuss the writer and dramatist Alan Plater and his connection to jazz.

We are starting a new strand to the ever expanding tapestry of 2-5-1 : Tunes we love and why. The first of these is on the song Softly as in a Morning Sunrise by Sigmund Romberg a 32 bar  AABA format tune, often in C minor, that has become a favourite amongst musicians.Here is an Apple Music play list which is only the tip of the iceberg [or should that be Romburg?]

Nick leads the discussion on the TV jazz show Jazz Casual. Most episodes are available on YouTube Wikipedia describes it thus"Jazz Casual was an occasional series on jazz music on National Educational Television (NET), the predecessor to the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). The show was produced by Richard Moore and KQED of San Francisco, California. Episodes ran for 30 minutes. It ran from 1961 to 1968 and was hosted by jazz critic Ralph Gleason. The series had a pilot program in 1960. That episode, however, has been destroyed. 31 episodes were broadcast; 28 episodes survive. Most episodes included short interviews with the group leaders"

What is Mainstream Jazz? Is the term still relevant? Who coined the phrase?find out in this episode

In this episode we delve into the dark world of jazz and the detective. Jazz has become associated with the gumshoe detective e.g. Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe and the whole world of film noir including seedy nightclubs and femme fatales.  We decided to investigate further "so I drew my Smith and Wesson 9mm and Nick was soon singing like a canary"

We have done Christmas specials before which are about Christmas jazz albums or specific Christmas jazz songs. This year we are offering suggestions for gifts for jazz lovers including among other things "the smell of jazz" Amazon UK List Here Previous Christmas episodes2020 2021 2022  2024This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Send us a textIn this episode we discuss Philip Larkin [the English Poet] and his love of some jazz and his hatred of other jazz This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Send us a textWe talk about the some of the big figures in jazz education Dizzy Gillespie, Hal Crook, Jerry Coker, John Meghan, Jamey Aebersold, Mark Levine and Barry Harris. There are others we couldn't fit into the 5 minutesThis is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Send us a textJazz on screen is an annual tie-in with the London Jazz festival. recent years have seen 2023The three films were: Imagine the Sound + Introduction by Stewart Lee; Sven Klang’s Combo + Introduction by Ehsan Khoshbakht and The Stormy Man.2024Symphonies in Black : Duke Ellington ShortsWe Insist-Black SunSo Watt: Jazz and Improvisation on British TVOur episode on Sven Klang is here 2025The Diaspora Suite by Ephraim Asili-Nov 13thSo Watt: Derek Bailey's On the Edge – Improvisation in Music Nov15thJazz In Exile – Big Ben: Ben Webster in Europe & Cecil Taylor à Paris Nov 16th Link to this years events here  This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Send us a textAnother of our book reviews, this one is of a biography of Sonny Clark.This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Send us a textJazz is a multi-hour multi-episode documentary about the genesis and progression of jazz in America by Ken BurnsKenneth Lauren Burns is an American filmmaker known for his documentary films and television series, many of which chronicle American history and culture. His work is often produced in association with WETA-TV or the National Endowment for the Humanities and distributed by PBSThis is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Send us a textOne of our practical episodes, Simon and Nick discuss the Montuno. a rhythmic ostinato common in Mambo and Salsa. Check our website as we sometimes make blog Posts about the subjects we cover in episodesThis is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Send us a textPedro Jústiz was born in Banes, Holguín, on January 31, 1913 into a family of local musicians. Taught by his mother since 1923, he soon learned to play the piano and joined the family band La Rechiva del Son, directed by his uncles. In 1928 he moved to Antilla to study piano and saxophone under the supervision of his grandfather, Emilio Rodríguez.In Havana, Peruchín worked occasionally with Orquesta Casino de la Playa and Mariano Mercerón's orchestra. In 1942 he joined Los Swing Boys, a big band directed by saxophonist Emilio Peñalver and featuring José "Chombo" Silva. He then became a member of the Conjunto Matamoros, an expanded version of the Trio Matamoros. In 1943 he joined Armando Romeu's Tropicana Club orchestra. He rejected an offer by Mario Bauzá to replace Joe Loco in his band, The Afrocubans, and instead recommended René HernándezThis is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Send us a textThe Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love" is a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Oscar Hijuelos, published in 1989. It tells the story of two Cuban brothers, Cesar and Nestor Castillo, who immigrate to New York City in the 1950s and become successful musicians known as the Mambo Kings. The novel explores themes of family, love, loss, and the immigrant experience in America, focusing on the brothers' journey through fame, relationships, and ultimately, the passage of time. The story follows the Castillo brothers' rise to fame in the mambo scene of New York City. By day, they work ordinary jobs, but by night, they pack dance halls and clubs with their sensuous, pulsing Latin music. Cesar, the charming womanizer, and Nestor, the quiet romantic, experience both the highs and lows of their musical career and personal lives. The story also delves into Cesar's later life, filled with memories of his brother, past loves, and the music they created together. The book is known for its evocative portrayal of the mambo era, its vibrant characters, and its exploration of the immigrant experience and a lot of steamy sex. It's a story that resonates with readers through its themes of passion, loss, and the enduring power of music. The novel was later adapted into a 1992 film of the same name and a stage show in 2005.This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Send us a textTo round off this series we talk about Outros and Endings - the way jazz players stop a tune.  Thanks for listening and look out for series 3! Perhaps you will hear the ending and intro of our podcast in a new light.This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Send us a textIn this episode Simon and Nick talk about common misconceptions around how jazz happens.  We actually made this episode up off-the-cuff....How very meta!This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Send us a textThis is one of our more technical episodes, where we try to demystify the way jazz musicians make the music. By the end of this episode you may even know what Cm7b5 means in musical terms. This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Send us a textJazz has always taken popular tunes as a starting point.  Some of the most famous jazz originals like Ornithology are new tunes on old chords sometimes called contrafacts. In this episode Nick and Simon discuss the subject of modern songs done in a jazz way.Jazz versions of Beatles tunes playlist here Rock Swings hereHerbie Hancock The New Standard hereWhen Love Breaks down Dominic Howles Septet herePost Modern Jukebox hereAll above are Apple Music Links you will find them on other streaming sever ices tooThis is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Send us a textWatch Terry Pollard with Terry Gibbs hereTerry Pollard (August 15, 1931 – December 16, 2009) was an American jazz pianist and vibraphonist active in the Detroit jazz scene of the 1940s and 1950s. She has been described as a "major player who was inexplicably overlooked." listen to Terry Pollard on Apple Music here  or Spotify hereListen to a Detroit Legend on Apple Music here or Spotify hereThis is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Send us a textYou can't steal a gift a book review You Can't Steal a Gift. Frederick Eugene John Lees (February 8, 1928 – April 22, 2010) was a Canadian music critic, biographer, lyricist, and journalist. Lees worked as a newspaper journalist in his native Canada before moving to the United States, where he was a music critic and lyricist. His lyrics for Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Corcovado" (released as "Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars"), have been recorded by such singers as Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Queen Latifah, and Diana Krall.Listen to arranging the score Series 1 episode 44 hereErratum Simon Apologises for getting his American Geography wrong Louisville is in in Kentucky!This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Send us a textChristian Jacob Jacob was born in Metz, Lorraine on 8 May 1958. A pianist by age four, he was immersed in studying the French classics. Something of a child prodigy, Jacob had perfect pitch and natural talent. He did not discover jazz until age 10, but when he did, its improvised nature appealed to him immediately. Early influences were Dave Brubeckand Oscar Peterson. As a teen, Jacob studied under Pierre Sancan at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique in Paris.Later, he would teach piano at the Conservatoire National de Region in Metz.In January 1983, Jacob entered Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, and won many awards as a student, including the Joe Zawinul Jazz Masters Award, Oscar Peterson Jazz Masters Award, and Down Beat "Top Collegiate Jazz Soloist" before graduating magna cum laude in 1985. Jacob then took a teaching position at Berklee.This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Send us a textOne of our book reviews - this time it's the novel (or is it?) Coming Through Slaughter by Michael OndaatjeBuy it here in print or listen to the audio book hereThe work deals with the life of Buddy Bolden the legend of early jazz who never recorded and wasn't documented much during his life.This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Send us a textThis is a follow-on to episode 44. We go a bit further into the Beat poets reading their poetry with live jazz backing.  We talk about City Lights and Steve Allen and more.A couple of correctionsHowl was first performed  by Ginsberg who read a draft of "Howl" at the Six Gallery reading in San Francisco in 1955.  Fellow poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti of City Lights Books, who attended the performance, published the work in 1956. Upon the poem's release, Ferlinghetti and the bookstore's manager, Shigeyoshi Murao, were charged with disseminating obscene literature, and both were arrested. On October 3, 1957, Judge Clayton W. Horn ruled that the poem was not obscene.AlsoAl jazzbo Collins records were with Steve Allen, you can watch the records revolve and listen to his righteous Spiel here If you haven't already, check out our on podium blog on this subject This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Send us a textWe intended for this to be just one episode but felt that we had a lot more to say and ended up with enough for 2 five minute episodes the next will follow on March 1st 2025.This is the introduction to a blog on the Beats on our website links belowThe Beat movement was a literary movement which emerged in the United States in the post war-era. ‘Beat’ was slang for ‘down and out or poor and exhausted’. Jack Kerouac also spoke of the beat, especially the Jazz beat and also beatitude in a spiritual sense.  Central elements of Beat culture were the rejection of standard moral and narrative values, the importance of spiritual quest,  rejection of materialism,  experimentation with psychedelic drugs and sexual liberation. Pivotal works include Alan Ginsberg’s Howl, William Burrough’s Naked Lunch and jack Kerouac’s  On The Road. The core group met in 1944 in and around Columbia University in NYC, although later writers settled on the West Coast. The beat writers were attracted to jazz and especially bebop because of its underground, counter-cultural status. The writers were also influenced by the ‘improvisational’ nature of jazz which many tried to replicate in their writing. There is a good documentary called " The Source" a standard definition version is on You tube here  but full fat versions are available to buy from apple  or Amazon Prime the imdb page is here This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Send us a textWe are Back after our mid season break so we thought we would start with intros. We discuss what makes a good intro and what is the function of such intros. With some audio examplesThis is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Send us a textIn this episode we chat about the 'Christmas with the George Shearing Quintet' album. It was recorded by George Shearing's 'new' quintetVibraphone – Don ThompsonGuitar – Reg SchwagerPiano – George ShearingBass – Neil SwainsonDrums – Dennis MackrelA mixture of classic jazz tunes, (many of which we looked at in detail in our 2020 Christmas special), and traditional carols. including a John Rutter carol who also helped GS with background for the liner notes. Hear a couple of the tunes live at lunchtime Dec 9th 2024 at the Spice of Life, Cambridge Circus performed by Nick's Shades of Shearing band. More info HEREMerry Christmas from us!  Hear previous Christmas editions on the links belowPrevious Christmas episodes2020 2021 2022   This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Send us a textNick and Simon are taking a break. The next 2-5-1- 5 minute podcast will go out on Feb 1st 2025. We are about to record a Christmas special in a slightly longer format so that will appear in your feed if you subscribe, or find it on our websiteThis is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Episode 40 of Series 2 to the 50 plus episodes from series 1 and our long form series on Sonny Clark and Kenny Drew. Busking a tune what does that mean? Sometimes when you hear a jazz band some of the players are playing a tune for the first time by ear with a few pointers from the person calling the tune.Simon and Nick discuss the conceptThis is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

What do we understand to be a big band? Nick and Simon discuss the ingredients that might go into to making a big band in terms of instruments style and techniques.  Then put the template to the test by considering a few examplesThis is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

In this episode Nick and Simon talk about Mole Jazz a shop that closed 20 years ago now but is fondly remembered by Jazz aficionados of a certain age.  They also had a small catalogue of releases on the Mole Jazz label.This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

The connection between jazz and cooking is investigated through this book review  of Jazz Cooks: Portraits and Recipes of the Greats by Rob Young and Al Stances with photographs by Deborah Feingold.This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

In this Episode Mink Coal Tin and This is Wine mode discuss the mercurial art of creating a Pseudonym to get around a contractual issue with ones record company,  so to find out who Kunst Bauer is and if he ever recorded with Sir Osbert Haberdasher listen to this episode of 2-5-1This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

One of our under the radar pianist episodes, we look at the piano stylings of Sir Charles Thompson.This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Nick and Simon present one of their jazz book reviews.Kind of Blue : The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece by Ashley Kahn (Granta 200)1 is an in-depth look at the legendary album, its creation and its legacy.  Ashley Kahn has written other books about jazz including n A Love Supreme and Impulse Records : The House that Trane Built. [Simon got that title slightly wrong in the podcast] In December 1999 Kahn got to hear the master tapes of the sessions, including the false starts etc which the 50th anniversary release also containsMiles Davis-Kind of Blue-Celebrating a masterpieceThe Legacy edition is on Apple Music and other streaming platforms.Simon has written a blog post on this book and 2 other related books on the podcast website. The book is available in Print and E-Book format but not as an audio book. This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Sven Klang’s Kvintet 2-5-1- field trip notes We went to the Barbican during the London Jazz Festival  in November 2023 and watched a screening of this film. There was an introductory talk and the Black and white movie was projected on a good sized screen.  In brief the plot is a function band lead by Sven Klang is joined by a really good Sax Player and his addition causes big changes in the band. It is about the human interactions within the group and both of us were very impressed with the way the live playing is captured  " Sven Klang's Combo (Swedish: Sven Klangs kvintett) is a 1976 Swedish musical drama film directed by Stellan Olsson. The film was based on a 1974 play by Musikteatergruppen Oktober, and was shot in Ängelholm and Höganäs. At the 13th Guldbagge Awards it won the Special Achievement award. In 2012 it was voted one of the 25 best Swedish films of all time"from wikipediaThis is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Send us a textDidn't you used to be Tom Scott?In this episode we talk about  the relationship of fame/commercial success and Jazz. During May 2024 several Jazz musicians have died David Sanborn, Bill Holman and Palle Danielsson.  We start from the newsworthyness of these deaths. We chose the title “ Didn’t you used to be Tom Scott” based on a shared reminiscence of a comedian saying someone came up to them and Said “ Didn’t you used to be…” illustrating the point that “ if a tree falls in the forest…”  or if you have been in the public eye and are no longer in the public eye do you exist. How do Jazz musicians fit into this? Is it jazz if it’s popular.  To be clear Ton Scott is [ at time of writing] very much alive.  he was very well known  in the 70’s and arguably less so today and seemed like the type of musician some might not know if he is still about. He actually has a brilliant podcast himself So Tom we hope we haven’t offended you This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Bird [ the Movie] Clint Eastwood   Bird is a 1988 American biographical musical drama film about jazz saxophonist Charlie "Bird" Parker, directed and produced by Clint Eastwood from a screenplay by Joel Oliansky. The film stars Forest Whitaker as Parker, and Diane Venora as Chan Parker. It is constructed as a montage of scenes from Parker's life, from his childhood in Kansas City, through to his early death at the age of 34.The film moves back and forth through Parker's history, blending moments to find some truth to his life. Much of the film revolves around his only grounding relationships with wife Chan Parker (Venora), Bebop pioneer trumpet player and band leader Dizzy Gillespie (Wright), and his influence (both musically and into the world of heroin addiction) on trumpet player Red Rodney (Zelniker). From WikipediaThis is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Send us a textHere is a bit more about Ray Smith of Rays Jazz Shop fameThis is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Send us a textRays Jazz ShopRays Jazz shop was originally Collets Jazz and Folk Records " The shop moved to Shaftesbury Ave in 1974 and the following year Ray came to an agreement with Chris Barber to store and sell a vast number of mint condition 78s which Chris had picked up from a warehouse in New Jersey. They were on the Savoy, DeeGee and Bop labels, still boxed in original packaging from the late 40s, by Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Dexter Gordon, Sonny Stitt, Wardell Gray & others. The publicity raised the profile of the shop, television and radio publicity followed, and Peter Clayton interviewed Ray, with Matthew Wright, for a broadcast on the BBC World Service,In 1983, Collets wanted to move the record shop but the jazz staff – Ray, Matthew and Bob Glass - had no interest in going. Ray decided that as it had been his life for nearly thirty years, he had most to lose and was more committed to it, so he bought the lease from Collets. They closed for a few days, pulled down a wall, repositioned the counter and reopened it as Ray's Jazz Shop, ready for trading. Ray's wife, Wendy, a professional illustrator, designed the cat logo for the shop. It quickly established itself and live music sessions were held there. It was a meeting place for musicians and legendary hipster Slim Gaillard became a regular. In 2002, spiralling costs and ill health forced him to give up the lease, but thanks to the endeavours of Paul Pace, the name lives on at Foyle’s in the Charing Cross Road and in the words of Georgie Fame’s song “Vinyl”.In his final years he only occasionally moved out of his home area of Camden, but could be seen from time to time at gigs, usually accompanied by close friend and musician Paul Shearsmith. "From Cargo CollectiveLook out for the bonus episode coming soonThis is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

But is it JazzWe discuss another philosophical question and throw up a few questions for each other as to what we consider jazz This episode could have gone on for much longer! If you have any questions or thoughts about this topic please get in touch via our website.This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

Can an AI Learn Jazz?In this episode we discuss the above question. Neither of us are developers, but we both teach and so, in many ways the episode is more about what is required to learn jazz and whether Artificial Intelligence  could achieve this What do you think?This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

What is comping? Who does it? What is it meant to achieve? We discuss this and more in this episode. Find a playlist on Apple Music that consists of multiple versions of the same tune with different comping styles here.This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

ECM records have a place in jazz rivaled only by the classic American labels like Blue Note and Prestige.  There are clear comparisons with Blue Note,A unique lookA particular soundA roster of important musiciansYou can see a Pinterest collection of ECM covers here. In this episode we discuss these and other points.This is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group

A picture that is well known to those in jazz and beyond was taken on August 12th 1958 for Esquire magazine by Art Kane.We discuss it in this episode. The documentary is available hereThis is our website This is our InstagramThis is our Facebook group