Cambridge Jazz Co-op

02/06/2026

We only have two meetings left before the summer break. (We reconvene in September.) On June 6 we have the top UK trumpeter and educator, Steve Fishwick. https://stevefishwickjazz.com/ Steve has come to us a few times now, and is always thoughtful and stimulating in his musical choices and ideas.

This time he is going molecular in exploring time and rhythms using basic elements: the Blues and Autumn Leaves. A welcome change, perhaps, from the tune/standard/repertoire focus of the last few weeks. Variety of approach to the creative jazz moment is what keeps the Coop fascinating, after all.
Here's the journey he's planning to lead us on this time:
"I'd like to do some rhythm exercises and talk about motivic development in solos.. two note motifs, three note motifs, rhythmic replacement and setting up hemiolas (3 over 4) cross rhythms and things like that. Rhythm section comping patterns would also come into it too, so this would be a good way to include the rhythm section more than usual. We'll just do this on a Bb blues, so no need for music.
I'd also like to do Autumn Leaves and talk about playing in a 2 beat feel, improvising around the melody, and some stuff on chromatic chord substitutions (a la Miles Davis).

Home page of stevefishwickjazz.com, a jazz artist from London. Jazz trumpeter, composer, arranger, teacher

14/05/2026

A big thanks to everyone who came along to the Coop last Saturday with Mick Foster who shared two excellent tunes with us, that we all played and improvised on even better at the end.
Next up, on Saturday 23 May is the popular tutor, saxophonist Sam Bullard. ("Sam hops between groups such as the Pasadena Roof Orchestra, Syd Lawrence Orchestra and many West End shows. He has performed at all major jazz venues in London and also enjoys teaching..")
Sam has been coming to us for a number of years now and is one of our favourite tutors.
He is always well-prepared and is a natural teacher and enthuser of all things jazz.
This time he has chosen two Wayne Shorter tunes:
‘Speak No Evil’ (from the 1966 Shorter solo album of the same name, with Herbie Hancock and Elvin Jones in the rhythm section), and
'Fall' (from the 1968 Miles Davis album, Nefertiti)

As Sam puts it:

"These compositions are a superb lesson in motivic development of a melodic line within shifting distinctive harmonic structures and rhythmic hooks. An exciting framework from which to develop improvisation techniques."
(I will forward the parts to you in a few days time if you are on the mailing list.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvRkGglLe-U&list=RDfvRkGglLe-U&start_radio=1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmWX1erp_u4&list=RDBmWX1erp_u4&start_radio=1

1.7K likes, 54 comments. "Fall"

02/05/2026

First of all, a very big thank you to everyone who attended our last Coop with the wonderful guitarist Jamie Leeming. It was great to get his wisdom on the Monk tunes he brought along and to learn them essentially by ear.
I always try to book interesting tutors who are going to be popular and within our limited budget, so let me know if there are any others you would like me try and secure for the autumn season, preferably living and reasonably local (so that rules out Django Reinhardt and Pat Metheny for a start).
Next up, (on Saturday week, May 9) is the Guildhall School tutor/lecturer baritone and bass saxophonist Mick Foster. https://mickfoster.org/
He's been coming to us for a number of years and proved to be excellent at providing well-planned and thought-through sessions that identify areas that we can work on directly, such as scales/harmonic ideas/tricks, - and enthusing our playing generally.
On this visit he's bringing us two tunes: one reasonably familiar standard and a Latin tune less well-known to me, Out Of Nowhere and Clouds.

He's also suggested possible examples of recordings to listen to:

Out Of Nowhere

Chet Baker

https://open.spotify.com/track/3shpR63IsgTgzqoBQptlSA?si=7512bbe268e34ac5

Clouds

Canonball Adderley

https://open.spotify.com/track/65lfucKzmFE6YkXuXE5nt5?si=6790eeccb3d14834

See you there!

Cannonball Adderley, The Bossa Rio Sextet · Cannonball's Bossa Nova · Song · 1963

04/04/2026

First, a big thanks to all of you who came along to the excellent session with Phil Meadows last Saturday. A lot of fun was had.
Next up we have a pianist, Nick Tomalin, who first visited us last year. He's going to be with us on Saturday 11 April.
A tutor on the Grafham course, he's a pro player based in North London.
If you Google: 'Nick Tomalin Jazz Musician London', it will tell you more.
This is what he's planning for us:
"I'll do Jive Samba by Nat Adderley and look a bit at soloing over one or two chords, and Vignette, written by Hank Jones as played by Coleman Hawkins (based on Sweet Sue). I'll probably talk generally about the changes, but focus a bit on the bridge as it descends chromatically, also look at possible different approaches to it."
If you are interested in coming along, check out our website for full details, start times, etc.;
Here are links that he'd like us to look at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3GGWqXQ278&list=RDd3GGWqXQ278&start_radio=1
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Xkd0XDIauk&list=RD2Xkd0XDIauk&start_radio=1

Coleman Hawkins All Stars Buck Clayton (tp) Coleman Hawkins (ts) Hank Jones (p) Ray Brown (b) Mickey Sheen (d) New York, February 18-19, 1958

22/02/2026

Thanks to everyone who attended the Coop for the appearances of Mike Gorman and guitarist Chris Allard which went very well I heard.
It's always great to have exceptional new tutors and our next visitor, guitarist Dominic Ashworth, certainly fits that description.
Recommended to us by Coop favourite, Mick Foster, Canadian-born Dominic Ashworth has been working on the UK music scene for over 30 years. He currently teaches the next generation of jazz musicians at both Trinity and Goldsmiths jazz departments.
https://www.trinitylaban.ac.uk/staff-a-z/page/2/
On his first time with us (on Saturday February 28) he has chosen to work on a wonderful Duke Ellington tune from 1931 that we haven't done before, 'Rockin' in Rhythm'.
I've attached a YouTube clip of the piece in case you don't know it. It's also worth checking out the version that fusion/jazz-rock band Weather Report recorded in the 1980's.
I have also added a live performance of Dominic in action so you can get an idea of his amazing playing (on Black Orpheus).
I will, of course, send out the written parts for Rockin' to those of you on the mailing list.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSd4KX35gm0&list=RDDSd4KX35gm0&start_radio=1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEdtCMpw8d4&list=RDhEdtCMpw8d4&start_radio=1

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

12/02/2026

Hi Everybody,

Here’s some details for the next session coming up on 14 February at the Cambridge Jazz Coop.

In case you missed it - Chris Allard https://www.chrisallard.co.uk/ is a Professor of Jazz at the Guildhall School in London and has a phenomenal CV, too.

Please don't miss this opportunity to meet and play with such an amazing musician.
He's planning to look at two interesting tunes: the familiar Wes Montgomery piece, 'Road Song', and the less familiar (to me) Bricusse/Newley show-tune ballad, 'Who Can I Turn To?'. So there's lots to get our teeth into.
I hope you're able to come along, especially as a new tutor deserves our best support.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4BHlZnu510&list=RDo4BHlZnu510&start_radio=1

All upcoming Cambridge Jazz Coop 2026 info is here:
https://cambridgejazzcoop.org.uk/wp/index.php/current-programme/

Current Programme Please always check this online schedule or our page before setting out in case any last-minute change of tutor occurs and check the other pages for further information regarding the Cambridge Jazz Coop if you haven’t been along before! Newcomers, guests and visitors wel...

07/01/2026

In under ten days our new Coop season kicks off (Saturday 17 January) with a tutor who has made an interesting thematic choice of the material we're going to play, looking at two tunes by the famous pianist, composer and founder of the Modern Jazz Quartet, John Lewis.
He's requested no jokes about being 'knowingly undersold' because, as the tutor is the virtuoso clarinetist/saxophonist, composer, arranger, wit and raconteur, Alan Barnes, he's going to supply the witticisms.
The two tunes by John Lewis are Skating in Central Park, (written in 1959) a gentle tune in 3/4, entirely appropriate for the season, and more curiously and less familiar, perhaps, the original Milestones, (sometimes called 'Milestones (old)' to differentiate it from the modal tune written by Miles Davis, the title track of the eponymous album).
Milestones, the original one by John Lewis, was written in 1947 for a session with Miles Davis and Charlie Parker and is essentially a bebop tune, in AABA form, but with lots of 'ii V I's' and ii-V's, so there's lots to get our teeth into, and for Alan Barnes to assist us with. If you check out the YouTube version below you'll hear one of the few rare instances of Parker playing a tenor sax (and treading very carefully)!

Examples of both pieces are attached for you to enjoy. (Parts will be sent out to regulars on the mailing list in a day or two.)
I hope you are all looking forward to this as much as I am.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-pSyVWC5Uo&list=RDp-pSyVWC5Uo&start_radio=1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKbHFGUJbOk&list=RDkKbHFGUJbOk&start_radio=1

August 14, 1947Harris Smith Studio, New York City, New YorkMiles Davis All-Stars: Miles Davis (tpt); Charlie Parker (ts); John Lewis (p); Nelson Boyd (b); Ma...

04/01/2026

Hi everybody in the Cambridge (UK) area.
Your Cambridge Jazz Coop tutor list for the first half of 2026 is now available for you to check out at:
https://cambridgejazzcoop.org.uk/wp/index.php/current-programme/
There are two new tutors invited and an increased emphasis on guitarists and keyboardists who have become available.

Current Programme Please always check this online schedule or our page before setting out in case any last-minute change of tutor occurs and check the other pages for further information regarding the Cambridge Jazz Coop if you haven’t been along before! Newcomers, guests and visitors wel...

04/12/2025

It's our last Jazz Coop of this year on Saturday 13 December, so please do come along and get your final fix of jazz advice before we resume in mid January '26 - especially as it's with the very popular tutor, Sam Bullard.
Sam has been coming to us for quite a few years and always comes up with the goods in the well-thought through, well-delivered teaching and advice department. Google him if you want to know more.
This time he's going to look at a jazz standard that for some reason I have never come across before: 'Don't Be That Way'. Written by Benny Goodman and Edgar Sampson, it was also a hit for the Chick Webb orchestra and many others.
Sam has told me:

"‘Don’t be that way’ is a Latin clave piece. Lots to explore rhythmically, with groove, and harmonically. Interesting bridge which is like Rhythm Changes but starts an extra notch around the cycle…"

There are plenty of interesting versions on YouTube, Spotify, etc. if you would like to check it out.
Here are a few:
Benny Goodman "Don't Be That Way"
Teddy Wilson - Don't Be That Way
Don't Be That Way

This should be a lot of fun!

11/11/2025

As you will probably know we are in the midst of the mighty Cambridge Jazz Festival!
There's so much on that we're spoilt for choice with jazz of all genres and in all locations.
www.cambridgejazzfestival.info is the place to go and check it out.
Upcoming is a jazz workshop organised by the festival itself with their star attraction, the vibraphonist Orphy Robinson, this coming Saturday 15 November at Jesus College (Frankopan Hall), details at https://wegottickets.com/event/677576 . Please note that this event runs from 11-1:30pm, and is nearly sold out. As a Jazz Coop regular you qualify for the discounted student/senior price of £11, but you will need to book in advance. You'll also notice that there is an accompanying gig with Orphy and CUJO, the University Jazz Orchestra, at West Rd concert hall on the Sunday evening.
Following fast after that, the following Saturday, 22 November, we have a regular Jazz Coop event with a favourite tutor, Phil Meadows, at our usual time of 10:30-1pm in our usual location. All details at our website.
Phil is a great jazz educator and saxophonist who has visited us a few times already. This time he wants to show us how many things can be done with a 2-5-1 in the great jazz standard 'Tune Up'.
This should be of interest to all players of all levels and experience, as the '251' is one of the great building blocks of improvisation over changes. Check out what Sonny Stitt and Barry Harris do with it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lZZLVB5wd4&list=RD5lZZLVB5wd4&start_radio=1
There's also an amazing version by Miles Davis with John Coltrane, too.
Meanwhile, because of an afternoon gig elsewhere, we're short of a bass player for that event. Let me know if you can definitely commit to that.
Thanks to everyone who attended the Martin Hathaway session.
See you at some of the gigs, I hope.

Sonny Stitt - tenor saxBarry Harris - pianoSam Jones - bassAlan Dawson - drums