The welcome return of The Jazz Warriors is a major announcement in the world of UK Black Jazz. This groundbreaking group produced some amazing musicians and music that changed the staid and boring musical landscape of Jazz in the UK in the 1980’s. This announcement is of huge significance and should kick start a much needed rejuvenation of the British Jazz scene.
The past month has seen a group on Facebook affect a new sensibility and a change in the way the UK treats its main Jazz musicians as well as at the grass roots level. The group was created on Facebook as a reaction to an incident at the world famous Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London between the legendary vocalist Cleveland Watkiss and the management of the club. Following this altercation, Cleveland decided to put up a post on his Facebook page asking questions relating to the conduct of the management Ronnie Scott’s over the past 30 year period towards Black UK Jazz musicians in particular and punters at the club. The low representation of UK Black Musicians at the club, amounting to approximately 30 appearances by 12 of the biggest artists in the UK over a 27 year period was abysmally low when compared to the 600 odd shows per year at the club. When this fact was put to the Management, they described their booking policy as a ‘wobbly plate’ and have vowed to re-address the balance. Needless to say how they intend to do this remains to be seen!
In light of the amazing response on Facebook, many initiatives and ideas have been discussed by the group, some heated and emotive, others quite straight forward. When Cleveland hinted that an announcement on Facebook last weekend that something would be announced this weekend, no-one thought it could be as incredible a statement as the return of the Warriors. Welcome back The Jazz Warriors!
THE JAZZ WARRIORS
INTRODUCTION
The UK has always been a musical melting pot of new sounds and ideas within the Jazz idiom.Artists like Joe Harriot, (who always incorporated a mixed demographic); Harry Beckett, Coleridge Goode right up to present day musicians such as Courtney Pine, Julian Joseph, Soweto Kinch, Nathaniel Facey and Cleveland Watkiss have in total shared the Jazz stage with ALL the different factions of the UK Jazz scene of the past 50 years.
The original Jazz Warriors, (a 25 plus members strong) band, was setup in the 80's for many young Black jazz musicians around the UK who felt disenfranchised by the UK jazz scene. They experienced exclusion from venues and promoters who would not offer them bookings! In response, to individual and collective exclusion from certain established bands and clubs, they set about looking for alternative venues that would host their music. Most recently the Open University has secured a grant to research on why Black Jazz is under-represented in the UK and twenty-five years later the environment that caused the creation of the original Jazz Warriors is still prevalent in the UK. It is for this reason that we have now incorporated an organisation that will embrace the beliefs of the original band but have a wider social remit.
VISION
To be recognised globally as the leading authority on Black UK Jazz. Bringing Balance to British JazzMISSION
The Jazz Warriors recognises and respects the extensive melodic, harmonic and rhythmical excellence of music arising from the rich panorama of African Heritage. It is now established in 2011 in order to respond to the recognised bias, discrimination and bigotry experienced by Black UK Jazz musicians in the UK:The Jazz Warriors is committed to ensuring the fair and equitable representation of the Black UK Jazz presence in the areas of: National Heritage, the Arts, Education and Training, Promotion and Performances.
We consistently seek to deliver our mission through strong Leadership, Challenge, Inspiration, high Quality of service and Creativity.
We will achieve this by:
- Utilising the expertise and experience within its leadership and steering group with some of the UK's highly respected Black UK Jazz musicians and experts in the field of UK Jazz
- Challenging and holding to account the policy and decision makers who can have a direct influence in supporting the company's vision and mission.
- Research and showcasing the extensive heritage of Black UK Jazz
- Developing a Centre of Excellence for the study and archiving of the rich heritage of Black UK Jazz music and artists
- Utilising jazz as an educational tool to encourage youth to embrace UK Jazz's rich history
- Increasing awareness by broadening the jazz audience
- Establishing 'Creative Idea Hubs' where the views of the Black UK Jazz environment can contribute to the delivery of the vision of the company
- Introduction of Black UK Jazz into areas and situations that would not usually be considered for expressions of Jazz The Jazz Warriors will be stepping back into the spotlight of the Jazz arena and reclaiming our rightful place as leaders for change, fairness, balance and equal opportunities for all within the Arts. Bringing back our exciting brand of music to the various celebrated Platforms for expression synonymous today with a worldwide audience for live music but connecting the existing available strands to embrace and engage with the many exciting new areas of Media that exist now and will in the future.
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