Atlantic Jazz Collective feat. Norma Winstone, Joe LaBarbera
Biographie Atlantic Jazz Collective feat. Norma Winstone, Joe LaBarbera
The Atlantic Jazz Collective
is a group of 3 JUNO award-winning artists from Canada’s Atlantic Region. Saxophonist Mike Murley and bassist Jim Vivian are veterans of the Canadian jazz scene and recently returned home to Halifax, NS (Murley) and St. John’s, NL (Vivian) after decades of living in Toronto. Pianist Florian Hoefner moved to St. John’s from New York City in 2014 and now serves as Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies at Memorial. Born out of the Atlantic Jazz Nights concert series at the Arts and Culture Centre in St. John’s, the Atlantic Jazz Collective’s mission is to develop and promote jazz in Atlantic Canada and beyond through exciting international collaborations.
For their first project, they have invited revered UK-based vocalist, Norma Winstone, and legendary drummer, Joe LaBarbera to join them. Both Winstone and LaBarbara, now in the latter stages of their careers, have participated in iconic recordings that have shaped the direction of modern jazz and have set standards for vocal and piano trio recordings. Winstone was featured as vocalist and lyricist on Wheeler’s influential Music for Large and Small Ensemble (1990, ECM Records). Her 1987 ECM album Somewhere Called Home was described as “one most original yet idyllic of vocal jazz recordings” by Allmusic. LaBarbera was part of Bill Evan’s double Grammy award-winning album “We Will Meet Again” (1979. Warner Bros, Records) and many other acclaimed recordings by the trio.
The quintet met for an inaugural performance and recording in St. John’s in September 2023. The result will be released under the title “Seascape” on May 2nd 2025 on Alma Records. The repertoire includes reimagined versions of pieces by Maria Schneider, Kenny Wheeler, John Taylor, Ralph Towner, Steve Swallow and others. A brilliant wordsmith whose timeless, poetic lyrics have set the standard for the contemporary jazz art song, Winstone has written original lyrics to these previously instrumental pieces. To celebrate the release the quintet is embarking on a cross-Canada-tour to present the repertoire live.
Norma Winstone
was born in London and first attracted attention in the late sixties when she shared the bill at Ronnie Scott’s club with Roland Kirk.
Although she was known initially for evolving her own wordless approach to improvisation, her extraordinary versatility means she is equally at home with the standards repertoire, performing with small groups, orchestras and big bands.
She joined Mike Westbrook, Michael Garrick and sang with John Surman, Kenny Wheeler, Mike Gibbs and John Taylor, and worked extensively with many of the major European names and visiting Americans.
In 1971 she was voted top singer in the Melody Maker Jazz Poll and subsequently recorded her own album ‘Edge of Time‘ for Decca, which although long deleted has now been re-released as a CD on the Dusk Fire label.
In the late seventies she joined pianist John Taylor and trumpeter Kenny Wheeler to form the group Azimuth, which was described by Richard Williams of The Times as “one of the most imaginatively conceived and delicately balanced of all contemporary chamber jazz groups“.
In this setting she combines the instrumental use of the voice with words, most of which she writes herself. Azimuth has recorded several albums on the ECM label (the first three of which have been re-issued as a CD boxed set).
Their CD ‘How It Was Then… Never Again‘ was released in May 1995, and received four stars in Down Beat magazine.
Her own legendary album ‘Somewhere Called Home‘ on the ECM label is widely considered to be a classic.
In recent years she has become known as a very fine lyricist, writing words to compositions by Ralph Towner, and Brazilian composers Egberto Gismonti and Ivan Lins (who has recorded her English lyrics to his song ‘Vieste‘). She has a special affinity with the music of Steve Swallow, and has written lyrics to many of his compositions, most notably ‘Ladies in Mercedes‘, which has become a standard.
Her voice has become an important part of the sound of Kenny Wheeler’s big band, and can be heard in this context on the ECM double CD ‘Music for Large and Small Ensembles‘ which also features John Abercrombie, Dave Holland, Peter Erskine and John Taylor.
Her CD ‘Well Kept Secret‘, recorded with the legendary American pianist Jimmy Rowles, featuring George Mraz on bass and Joe La Barbera on drums, was given a four star rating in Down Beat magazine. Here Norma sings a selection of rare jazz standards, including Jimmy’s famous tune ‘The Peacocks’ for which she wrote lyrics and re-titled ‘A Timeless Place‘. This piece has since been recorded by other artists including jazz singer Mark Murphy, and The Swingle Singers.
Her CD ‘Manhattan In The Rain‘, with pianist Steve Gray, bassist Chris Laurence and special guest saxophonist Tony Coe consists of unusual and classic standards, described by Dave Gelly in The Observer as “A delectable set of songs… masterly and enthralling“.
A CD of duo performances with pianist John Taylor entitled ‘Like Song, Like Weather‘ on the Enodoc label was described by Don Heckman of the Los Angeles Times as “…a superb example of state-of-the-art, imaginative, virtually beyond-definition singing“.
With American pianist Fred Hersch, she recorded a CD of Fred’s compositions with her lyrics: called ‘Songs and Lullabies‘, available in the US on Sunnyside, and in England on the Enodoc label. Vibraphonist Gary Burton makes a guest appearance on three tracks.
A recording ‘It’s Later than You Think‘, with the marvellous North German Radio big band, arranged and directed by the great British writer Colin Towns, was released in Autumn 2006 to coincide with a British tour. This was followed by an album with the same band, “Here’s A Song For You” which features an interesting collection of standards and contemporary songs arranged by the iconic Mike Gibbs.
She was one of the stars of the acclaimed Gilles Peterson ‘Jazz Britannia‘ programme shown on BBC 2, from The Barbican which featured influential music of British jazz musicians from the sixties and seventies, along with contemporary jazz artists
A double CD ‘Amoroso…only more so‘, with The Stan Tracey trio and saxophonist Bobby Wellins was released on the Trio label to some five star reviews…
“This is standards-reinvention as it should be done” John Fordham, The Guardian.
“Winstone’s voice and Wellins’ highly vocalised tenor seem made for each other…. Sheer class” Ray Comiskey, The Irish Times.
With Italian pianist Glauco Venier and German saxophonist/ bass clarinettist Klaus Gesing she has recorded four albums for the ECM label, the first of which, “Distances” was nominated for a Grammy. Their last recording, “Descansado” consists of new arrangements of music for films and features Italian cellist Mario Brunello and Norwegian percussionist Helge Andreas Norbakken.
Norma also works with the Nikki Iles’ group “The Printmakers” comprising some of the UK’s finest musicians.
