Parker has worked with members of the group for the last 40 years, notably with highly respected drummer/visual artist Han Bennink (pictured above left) on German sax terroriser Peter Brötzmann’s landmark 1968 album, Machine Gun. The first three days of the festival will consist of various collaborations between Parker and ICP members and selected UK improv musicians, as well as other associated musicians such as Californian avant garde saxophonist Michael Moore and pianist/keyboardist/composer Alex Maguire, who’s studied with John Cage and Howard Riley, and worked with the late Elton Dean among many others. The last two days will feature performances by the full ICP Orchestra, on what will be their first visit to the UK for over six years.

The Vortex remains Parker’s spiritual home and his regular monthly gig there he says is “my haven from the demands of the road. To play music in a club of that size for an audience who has come to listen is the optimal situation for small group improvisation. The spectrum of music that I am involved in ranges from ‘free jazz’ to ‘free improvisation’ – these are both terms that are very approximate – but The Vortex is, for me, a place to play ‘free jazz’. I cannot imagine life without it.”

For more info go to www.vortexjazz.co.uk

– Mike Flynn

Compiled from selections submitted by the top jazz magazines across Europe, Jazzwise brings you the latest Europe Jazz Media Chart to refresh your ears and spike the senses during this festive period.

EUROPE JAZZ MEDIA CHART DECEMBER 2012

1 TILL BRÖNNER 'Till Brönner' (Verve/Universal)

2 BRUSSELS JAZZ ORCHESTRA / BERT JORIS 'Signs Aad Signatures' (W.E.R.F. 085)

3 FONTANELLE 'Vitamin F' (Southern Lord)

4 ALEX ROSTOTSKY 'A Swan Is Swimming By' (ArtBeat, 2012)

5 ELTON DEAN'S NINESENCE 'The 100 Club Concert' (ReelRecordings)

6 GARBAREK/GISMONTI/HADEN 'Magico Carta de Amor' (ECM)

7 MATTHEW BOURNE/LAURENT DEHORS – 'Chansons d'amour'  (Emouvance)

8 THE CONTEST  'Clockwork' (Recorda Records)

9 ROBBLE ROBBLE 'Robblerobble1'  (Drollehålå)

10 ARVE HENRIKSEN 'Chron' - Solidification Box (Rune Grammofon)

Compiled by selections from: Axel Stinshoff, Jazz thing (Germany); Cim Meyer, Jazz Special (Denmark); Jon Newey, Jazzwise (UK): Anna Filipieva, jazz.ru (Russia): Christine Stephan, Jazzthetik (Germany): Jan Granlie, Jazznytt (Norway): Henning Bolte, Jazzism (Holland): Lars Grip, Orkester Journalen (Sweden): Lars Mossefinn, Dag & Tid (Norway): and Luca Vitali, Giornale della Musica (Italy).

Pete Wareham is best known for his jazz-punk outfit Acoustic Ladyland, now sadly disbanded, but in among a plethora of upcoming projects for 2013 one of his new bands looks back to a more traditional aesthetic. Wareham's currently unnamed trio with him on tenor, Tom Skinner on drums and Ben Hazleton on bass have played a number of gigs this year, including one under the name of Bento Box at the Green Note in Camden during the London Jazz Festival, with Ernesto Simpson standing in on drums. Wareham speaks of the regular trio: “Ben, Tom and I have been friends for a very long time and love playing together because we have such great rapport. Not only is this band a meeting of old friends, but we're also playing tunes that have become old friends. I've been playing these songs all my life.”

So why is Wareham returning to his jazz roots now? He explains that Acoustic Ladyland was born out of wanting to connect with his past musical influences that predated his involvement with jazz: “I realised the audiences I was playing to were a very different generation, and I felt like my whole career was resting on how well or badly I played jazz standards.” Having written music for Acoustic Ladyland from 2004 to 2010, while also being fully engaged in Seb Rochford's band Polar Bear, Wareham's energies were poured entirely into these two groups’ success. But since Ladyland came to an end, Wareham has been looking to expand his repertoire with more remixing, as well as his biggest project for 2013, Melt Yourself Down, an Egyptian-punk-funk-dance project. He's also looking forward to a future solo project, as well as returning to some of his favourite standards with this trio. “Now that I've made my own way with my writing, I'm not so bothered about what people think about my jazz playing. I just do it for fun and it feels refreshing to be playing standards again.” It certainly shows.

The noticeably young crowd at Green Note enjoyed every second. The traditional structure of standards gives Wareham a platform on which to experiment: “We played ‘Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise’ recently and it naturally went in the direction of Krautrock, so we explored that live.” Contrarily, he also relishes the traditional: “I like to make ‘Prelude to a Kiss’ sound really, really old. But other tunes we'll double time, then quadruple time, then turn it into thrash and then come back, most of it not consciously.” Though there is an element of experimentation, Wareham says this band has an essentially “old-fashioned, nocturnal and warm vibe.”

This traditional trio seems to mark a coming of age for Wareham, a new confidence and a lasting appreciation of the music that inspired his jazz-punk writing. “I’d love to get loads of gigs for this band, but it’s the chicken and egg scenario. Venues like to hear a recording before booking, but recording this band doesn't feel right at the moment.” So they will remain a purely live phenomenon for the time being, one you can only experience in the flesh and all the more exciting for it. I urge any venue owners reading to book this trio now.

– Ellie Mills

Last week Robert Glasper Experiment were nominated for two Grammy Awards for Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Album for his hugely successful album Black Radio, while Glasper has built a strong UK following which saw his Experiment opening the London Jazz Festival with a barnstorming performance at the Royal Festival Hall in November. Robert Glasper said of his appearance at the festival: “Can't wait to come back to the UK and hit the incredible Love Supreme Jazz Festival with my Experiment band – the UK is like a second home for us! Look forward to checking out the entire festival and seeing all my people." The Experiment band will appear on the unique green-field festival indoor floored and seated Jazz stage.

The festival organisers have announced the event will have four stages (a main stage, a unique green-field festival floored and seated Jazz big top, a ‘Discovery’ stage and a dance tent) and hope this “will provide a diverse repertoire to engage the most serious jazz fans and general music lovers alike.” Differing from other UK city based jazz festivals, just one ticket to the Love Supreme Jazz Festival will give fans access to all of the music provided on all four stages: over 40 acts, across three days, at one price. The event will feature international food stalls, family activities, and a wide range of core, crossover and cutting edge jazz artists to compliment the main stage headliners.

For more info go to www.lovesupremefestival.com