October 15th – Finchley Arts Festival – Simon Purcell Trio (Gene Calderazzo and Steve Watts) plus special guests Anita Wardell and Julian Siegel. A special event, featuring re-workings of standards and multiple combinations of music and voice. Simon used to work regularly with Anita Wardell in the 1990s… click here for the Finchley Arts Festival.
Tag Archives: Simon Purcell
Paul Desmond, a master mind and wit: some thoughts for a New Year
A poet of the music, Paul Desmond was both self-deprecating and deeply insightful. This medley of quotes might tickle and provoke us…
“I tried practicing for a few weeks and ended up playing too fast… I have won several prizes as the world’s slowest alto player, as well as a special award in 1961 for quietness”.
Regarding his tone:“I honestly don’t know! It has something to do with the fact that I play illegally.”
On why he changed his name: “Breitenfeld sounded too Irish.”
More seriously, Paul Desmond challenges students and teachers of the music: “Complexity can be a trap. You can have a ball developing a phrase, inverting it, playing it in different keys and times and all. But it’s really more introspective than communicative. Like a crossword puzzle compared to a poem.”
And most telling… “Writing is like jazz. It can be learned, but it can’t be taught.”
Sadly his perception about the jazz audience appears to remain pretty much spot on…”Our basic audience begins with creaking elderly types of twenty-three and above.”
For more Paul Desmond, click here:
www.jazzquotations.com/2010/05/paul-desmond-quotes_24.html
thinkexist.com/quotes/paul_desmond/
www.gandalfe.net/paul_desmond.htm
For a transcription of Paul Desmond’s solo on “Samba with some Bar-B-Q” click here…
Simon Purcell 5tet @ London Jazz Festival – November 19th
SIMON PURCELL QUINTET – London Jazz Festival on Friday 19th November 2010
The quintet (with Chris Batchelor, Julian Siegel, Gene Calderazzo and Steve Watts) will be performing at the free stage in the Royal Festival Hall from 1 – 2pm on Friday November 19th.
Simon Purcell Gigs this week
Gigs this week…
October 12th – Simon Purcell Quintet at Oliver’s Jazz Bar in Greenwich.
October 14th – Simon Purcell Quintet at Leeds – Seven Arts.
October 15th – Simon Purcell Quintet at Sheffield Jazz – Millenium Hall (plus pre-gig workshop at Sheffield University – click here if you’d like to attend)
Simon Purcell Trio with special guests Liane Carroll and Julian Siegel.
Gig coming up… Monday October 4th – Finchley Arts Festival – Simon Purcell Trio (Gene Calderazzo and Steve Watts) plus special guests Liane Carroll and Julian Siegel. A special event, featuring the music of Bill Evans, re-workings of standards and multiple combinations of music and voice.
Liane Carroll
Simon Purcell Quintet at Ronnie Scott’s – June 4th and 5th
Simon Purcell at the Queen Elizabeth Hall (photo by Damian Duncan)
Simon Purcell’s Quintet will be appearing at Ronnie Scott’s Club on June 4th and 5th, opposite the great guitarist Alan Holdsworth (click here for Ronnie’s website). The band with Chris Batchelor (trpt), Julian Siegel (saxes), Gene Calderazzo (dms) and Mike Janisch (bass) will be playing some new material, so do come down.
Hear Simon Purcell Quintet, download charts
You can hear some music at last and download some charts…
Simon Purcell Quintet Live - click here
Compositions by Simon Purcell - for free download click here
Jazz Education Research
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Why research? In brief… The Jazz Education community possesses abundant subject matter, play-alongs and an unstoppable harvest of reissues and new music available through the internet. However, while educators are better resourced, informed discourse about teaching and learning is comparatively undeveloped. Click here for more… Jazz Education Research. |
What Use is Jazz Education?
A contribution to the debate convened by the Worshipful Company of Musicians in London (October 2007). Some philosophy, facts and figures… click here… WCoM Jazz Debate
This will eventually replace www.simonpurcell.com
Hi…
Welcome to what will eventually become my main website. For now, you can still access everything (music, charts and learning resources at www.simonpurcell.com).
Cheerio
Simon
