The Barbican is set to host a special triple bill featuring three rising stars on 10 July. The first of these, Dutch saxophonist Tineke Postma leads a quartet featuring two established US jazz stars. Geri Allen emerged as the most influential pianist to come out of the Brooklyn M-BASE Collective that began in the 1980s and which developed an influential body of work associated with alto saxophonists Steve Coleman and Greg Osby and singer Cassandra Wilson. Allen appears with bassist Philippe Aerts and distinguished drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, who made a big impact in 2002 with her Jazz Is A Spirit album which featured mainly her original compositions joined by such luminaries as Herbie Hancock, Wallace Roney and Paul Bollenback.

The second feature of the evening is Japanese pianist Hiromi who last year duetted on record with Chick Corea and has in the last five years been catapulted on to the higher reaches of the international festival touring circuit. Despite her diminutive demeanour she packs quite a punch and often appears in her band with the former enfant terrible of the guitar, Dave “Fuze” Fiuczynski. But she’s at the Barbican for a welcome solo show. And back after a snow-affected London jazz club show earlier this year the much talked-about Yaron Herman Trio complete the evening; never should Britney Spears sound the same again. Herman appears with bassist Simon Tailleu and drummer Gerald Cleaver, heard in London recently with trumpeter Jeremy Pelt.

To book phone 0845 120 7550 or go to www.barbican.org.uk

Robert Glasper’s upcoming album Double-Booked, due to be released by Blue Note in late-August follows In My Element from two years ago and comes four years after his debut for the label, Canvas. The pianist who melds jazz with hip hop rhythms in an organic way features on the album on the first six tracks in a trio setting with bassist Vicente Archer and drummer Chris Dave, the latter two who have played together with alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett. The trio tracks include ‘No Worries’ which Glasper unveiled at Charlie Wright’s in Hoxton last year.

The title of the song, says Glasper, refers to London slang. “This is a little ditty I came up with when I was in London at a sound check. We played it that night at the show. I kept hearing people in London say ‘no worries,’ and that seemed like the title. It has a real positive, bright, ‘it’s OK’ vibe.” Other trio group songs are ‘Downtime’, Texas-related ‘Yes, I’m Country (And That’s OK)’ and ‘59 South’, referring to a busy Houston highway. The trio also play Monk’s ‘Think of One’ which quotes from Ahmad Jamal’s ‘Swahililand’. The rest of the album retains Dave on drums and also features live excerpts of rapper Mos Def on ‘4Eva’, a version of ‘Butterfly by Herbie Hancock, featuring Casey Benjamin on vocoder effects and a J Dilla beat. Benjamin’s effects are also on the 10-minute track ‘Festival’, while his track ‘For You’ with drummer Sameer Gupta is followed by Bilal Oliver’s ‘All Matter’.

The last track on the album is now confirmed as ‘Open Mind’ which contains portions of a further unissued track titled ‘Scenes of the City’. Check out jazzwisemagazine.com for news of Robert Glasper UK dates as they break.

Empirical is set to release their second album now slated for release on 28 September. To be released by the Salisbury-based Naim Jazz label it’s the follow up to the critically acclaimed eponymously titled Destin-e album that became the Jazzwise album of the year in 2007.

The band since then has undergone changes in personnel and now for the album titled Out ’n’ In features vibes player Lewis Wright, alto saxophonist Nathaniel Facey, bassist Tom Farmer and drummer Shaney Forbes with special guest reedsman Julian Siegel. Tracks include Nat Facey’s ‘So He Left’ and ‘Dolphys Morphyus’, Tom Farmer-penned ‘Out But In’, ‘Interlude’ and ‘Syndicalism’ plus Eric Dolphy’s ‘Hat and Beard’ and ‘Gazzelloni’. The album was produced by Jason Yarde.

Simon Drake, Naim label manager says: “Empirical are deservedly the hottest ticket around at the moment. We are absolutely delighted to be releasing such an outstanding album from a quartet that represents everything that is great about the future of British jazz. As you can imagine Empirical generated a wealth of interest from a whole heap of labels and the guys were obviously looking for a label that suited their demeanour and the refreshing enthusiasm they so brilliantly bear.”

Empirical saxophonist Nathaniel Facey told Jazzwise: “Naim Jazz is the ideal label for us: it’s full of enthusiasm and focus, and it has real belief in our work. It also has a reputation for producing high quality products. We as a group are very much looking forward to working with Simon Drake and everyone at Naim Jazz, and are committed to developing a strong brand and voice for UK jazz in every territory we can.”

- Stephen Graham

The Hull Jazz Festival Weekend, which runs from 28-30 August ahead of the late summer bank holiday Monday, features five main concerts that all take place in the Hull Truck Theatre main auditorium and comprise Ray Gelato and The Giants (28 Aug, 7.30pm), Omar Puente’s Cuba Sextet (29 Aug, 2.30pm), Empirical Tribute to Cannonball Adderley (29 Aug 5pm), Courtney Pine Tradition In Transition band (29 Aug. 8.30pm) and Carol Kidd with her musicians (30 Aug. 7.30pm).

The festival will be mounted in the brand new, purpose-built Hull Truck Theatre building in Hull's city centre which opened back in the spring. The building, which takes over from the previous Hull Truck premises, has a 440-seat auditorium and a 134-seat studio, as well as bars, a café and educational facilities. A series of J-Night jazz gigs is currently running at the venue, including Salserosa (17 July), Junior Jazz Giant Steps (24 July) and Liane Carroll (31 July).

For more go to www.hulltruck.co.uk

While some might dub the band as part of the new wave of prog jazz don’t let that put you off. Troyka – laconic guitarist Chris Montague, organ boffin Kit Downes and fresh faced drummer Joshua Blackmore – have been something of a well kept secret on the ever expanding young UK jazz scene until now. They’re less King Crimson than a knowing micro-synthesis of where John McLaughlin might have headed when the steam finally ran out of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Canterbury proggers, Egg. The new album was recorded over three days last October and in April at Harder Studios in London and comes out on Cardiff-based Edition records.

Of the 11 tunes, eight were written by guitarist Montague while the remaining three were written by the hirsute Downes. Produced by Troyka the album opens with the drums of Blackmore on the crafty ‘Tax Return’ and with syncopated menace, darkly dystopian sequences ahead culminating at last after quite a journey with the aptly titled ‘Zeitgeist’, the album is sure to grab the attention of the new wave of UK jazzers.

Troyka play the Vortex on 30 June followed by dates at Dempsey’s in Cardiff on 21 July and the Yardbird, Birmingham on 23 July with more dates in the autumn. For more go to www.myspace.com/troykaband

The London Jazz Festival has announced special concerts with both Gilberto Gil and Cleo Laine as part of the EFG International Excellence Series.

The festival, which is held in association with BBC Radio 3 and sponsored by Jazzwise, runs from 13-22 November at the capital’s main concert halls including the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room, the Barbican and Kings Place as well as the main London jazz clubs. Gilberto Gil will première a new strings project with cellist Jaques Morelenbaum and guitarist/percussionist Bern Gil at the RFH on 19 November while the Dame Cleo Laine and Sir John Dankworth night, Accentuating The Positive, will take place at the RFH on 21 November and will celebrate and reflect on her career with quartet, quintet and duo settings featuring special guests.

Other major names so far booked include John Scofield and the Piety Street band, Tomasz Stanko Nordic Quintet, the Tord Gustavsen Trio, John Surman 65th Birthday Celebration and Carla Bley at the Southbank Centre, Bill Frisell and the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican and Stefano Bollani curating a residency at Kings Place.

For tickets and more go to www.londonjazzfestival.org.uk

When Officium was first released in 1994 few could have contemplated the success of the album that Jan Garbarek and the Hilliard Ensemble were to experience. The combination of the saxophone, that quintessential 20th century instrument, with the late-medieval and early Renaissance-grounded music of the four Hilliard singers, was as unlikely as it proved gripping. While the follow-up Mnemosyne seemed to have less of an inherent unity than the original album, certainly less of the surprise, nonetheless Garbarek embarked on a new phase in his career which uncannily complemented his previous work as a post-Coltrane player and as a founding father of the new European jazz aesthetic which his Nordic sound was a key part of. European, yet also in this new context, like a pancultural sound.

Last night at St Paul’s cathedral in London as part of the City of London Festival, the current Hilliards and Garbarek drew on a programme which featured songs by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt (‘Most Holy Mother of God’) and Scottish composer James McMillan (‘Here in hiding…’), and European folk songs foregrounded by the cathedral’s acoustics using these as a spectacular tool. The singers and Garbarek spent almost as much time roaming the aisles, sculpting the echoes and finding a cell of space for themselves in the cathedral, itself cool but responsive as day became night. At one point, the singers and saxophonist even parried phrases in the central aisle under the Dome with Garbarek looking quizzical but delighted as the Hilliards batted the ancient-sounding phrases to and fro. Garbarek begins a new chapter in his career in the autumn with the release of a live album featuring his new jazz quartet for the first time on record.

– Stephen Graham

Jazzwise continues to take jazz media into the 21st century with our high quality Digital Edition (available through Exact Editions) now becoming available to download on Apple’s hugely popular iPhone or iTouch devices. Simply install the free “Exactly” application by visiting the Apple Apps store, via your iPhone/iTouch, iTunes player or www.apple.com/iphone/appstore then search the A-Z of titles in Exact – where you’ll find Jazzwise.

Our digital edition continues to go from strength-to-strength with many international subscribers taking advantage of being able to read the magazine anywhere in the world. New subscribers also gain full access to 12 back issues from the last year, plus the next 11 issues for a yearly subscription of just £27.50. For more info click on panel (right) to take you straight to the digital edition homepage.

Ronnie Scott’s jazz club which will be 50 years old later this year has announced details of a special 15-day Britjazz Festival at the club. Jazzwise can exclusively reveal the line-up which begins at the famous Frith St club on 1 August with the Julian Joseph Trio playing to two houses plus support.

Funk Affair follow on Sunday 2 August and then on Monday 3 August it’s a double bill of flautist Gareth Lockrane’s Big Band and the Ross Stanley Organ Trio. Next day Tuesday 4 August sees a further double bill, this time of Nucleus Revisited and the Michael Garrick Quartet. On Wednesday 5 August it is the double bill of the Evan Parker Trio and The London Jazz Collective followed on Thursday 6 August by the double bill of Zoe Rahman and the Arun Ghosh Indo-Jazz Sextet. Then on Friday 7 August it’s The Sunburst Band presented by Joey Negro.

The second half of the festival at the club, which opened its doors in Chinatown at 39 Gerrard St on 30 October 1959, gets underway on Saturday 8 August with the double bill of the Liane Carroll Quartet and the Tony Kofi Quartet playing to two houses.

On Sunday 9 August it’s the Soul Family Sunday night followed on Monday 10 August by Soweto Kinch plus support to be announced. Tuesday 11 August sees the double bill of the Clark Tracey Quintet and the Lee Gibson Quintet. On Wednesday 12 August it’s a double bill of Polar Bear and Get The Blessing.

Iain Ballamy and the James Pearson Trio follow on Thursday 13 August and then on Friday 14 August the festival moves towards a climax with Courtney Pine on the stand with his Transition In Tradition band playing to two houses. On the final day of the festival Saturday 15 August it’s a double bill of Tommy Smith and the Kit Downes Trio playing to two houses.

For ticket prices and to book go to www.ronniescotts.co.uk or phone 020 7439 0747.

Jazzwise is the jazz media sponsor of the Britjazz Festival at Ronnie Scott’s

Best known as once being home to Chris Evans’ TFI Friday show and The Old Grey Whistle Test, the Hammersmith-located Riverside Studios is now reinventing itself as a multi-functional 400-seater arts and music venue. This weekend it plays host to a short series of summer gigs under the banner of Tunes In June, curated and performed by Sardinian singer and theatre director Filomena Campus, who opened this mini-fest yesterday with her own band featuring guests singer Cleveland Watkiss and neo-flamenco guitarist Antonio Forcione. He headlines with his own band tonight with his effortless guitar virtuosity slipping through myriad pan-global influences with his popular band. Tomorrow, Saturday 20 June, sees a head spinning combination of top notch free improv and dance performed by iconic UK saxophonist Evan Parker who will be joined by stalwarts of the London improv scene keyboardist Pat Thomas, drummer Mark Sanders and bass virtuoso John Edwards – all combining with live modern dance in a dazzling combination of sound and movement. All highly appropriate as things culminate in a party on the Riverside’s terrace, celebrating the summer solstice at midnight.

For more go to www.riversidestudios.co.uk