Check out the March issue of Jazzwise (with Curios on the cover), where the Beats & Pieces EP is listed in Mike Chadwick’s Cutting Edge Chart on page 12… How exciting!
Remember you can still get your very own copy of the EP via Efpi Records but hurry as the limited edition handmade CDs are fast running out…
Posted by on 02/03/2010 at 09:13 in news and tagged beats & pieces, cutting edge, ep, jazz fm, jazzwise, mike chadwick. Leave comments here.
I was really excited to discover that ‘bake’ was played on Mike Chadwick’s Cutting Edge show on Jazz FM last Sunday (7th Feb) – if you’re reading, cheers Mike! We were described as “a group of young lads from Manchester making an incredible, incredible noise” which I think was meant in a good way…
You can view the show’s playlist here and listen again here, available (I think) until the next Cutting Edge show on Sunday 14th Feb.
Posted by on 10/02/2010 at 17:37 in news and tagged cutting edge, jazz fm, mike chadwick. Leave comments here.
Following on from my descent into twitter (if you’re not following me already please do, I don’t really have many so far…) I’ve been keeping up with the 21st century by trying to get a decent mailing list system working and think I’ve finally cracked it! Sign up now for a periodic e-mail (not too often, promise!) about what we’ve been up to and what we will be up to in the near future. And if you do run into any problems with the form or anything else then let me know – one issue that I’ve found so far is that sometimes the confirmation e-mails get sorted into your junk folder, so maybe check there if it doesn’t arrive and add beatsnpieces.net to your list of allowed domains so it doesn’t happen again!
I’ll be sending the first mailing out in about a week so sign up now to make sure you don’t miss out…
Posted by on 01/02/2010 at 13:18 in beats & pieces, news, site and tagged mailing list, twitter. Leave comments here.
We’ve been featured on the latest episode of the GetJazzical podcast, a series focusing on the very best contemporary classical and jazz music – check out their site here. They said about ‘bake’: “Straight from a 1950’s crime caper, seriously enjoyable bit of funky jazz. Love it.” Cheers guys!
We’re on from about 20.40 but check out the rest of the episode too, there’s some great music in there.
Posted by on 29/01/2010 at 17:23 in news and tagged getjazzical. Leave comments here.
I decided resistance is futile and its about time that I started tweeting things… Obviously I have nobody to tweet to at the moment though, so follow me @beatsnpieces and I’ll try to make it vaguely interesting for you!
Posted by on 23/01/2010 at 15:58 in beats & pieces, news and tagged twitter. Leave comments here.
I’ve just put up a couple of gigs that have recently been confirmed for the coming months… There’s a few more in the pipeline too so keep checking the gigs page for the latest news!
4/02/10 The Spin Off, Bar Santiago, Leeds
21/05/10 The Forge Venue, Camden
We’ll also be playing at the Marlborough Jazz Festival over the weekend of the 9th July – exact day to be confirmed but should be a good one!
Posted by on 19/01/2010 at 13:14 in beats & pieces, gigs, news and tagged beatsandpieces, beatsnpieces, camden, forge, gig, leeds, london, marlborough, spinoff. Leave comments here.
We’ve got another review of the EP, this time by Jazzwise contributor Chris Ackerley, writing on his blog, The Sound Of Now – cheers, Chris! You can read the post here, or the full text is posted below. You may also have read the review in the NWJazzworks newsletter, thats written by Chris. If you don’t already subscribe, its a great monthly roundup of all the jazz happenings in the region, so head over to NWJazzworks to sign-up!
Remember, the EP is still available to purchase (£5, handmade limited edition CD) or download for free/flexible price at the Efpi Records site, but if you’re after the limited edition CD then hurry as we’re fast running out!
From its explosive opening bars until its final lingering hum, the Beats & Pieces Big Band’s first EP is nothing less than a bombardment of the senses. The brainchild of Manchester based composer Ben Cottrell, this sizable affair unites the cream of Manchester’s emerging jazz talent, including Sam Andreae (t. sax), Fin Panter (dr), and Graham South (trp).
At its core the ensemble is traditional big band, but by cross-stitching a multitude of genres to its already rich tapestry of sound, something both unique and fresh has emerged. On tracks such as Yafw (part iii) there are reminisces of Quincy Jones’ more malevolent 1970s blaxploitation soundtracks; the underlying latino groove being almost chased along by the dangerously edgy horn section.
Elsewhere, the compositions also show a real elegant restraint, with classy arrangements that show the record’s maturity. This is most notable in the EP’s final track, Broken, which also manages to combine subtle electronic elements successfully. Bjork is evidently an influence, and here the highly lyrical playing is matched with an almost Nordic chill, which acts as calming digestif after some of the more frenzied earlier tracks.
This is a rich and colourful first CD that comfortably combines Hendrixesque guitar riffs, Herbie Hancock style funk, and even inflections of Eno’s ambient music. While for many groups this osmosis of ideas would produce a conflicting overall sound, Beats & Pieces Big Band have created something that’s both catchy and original.
Posted by on at 13:09 in beats & pieces, news and tagged beatsandpieces, beatsnpieces, chrisackerley, efpi, ep, review, thesoundofnow. Leave comments here.
Beats & Pieces EP
Available now from Efpi Records
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