Jazz North announces the new roster of artists for Northern Line, its live touring support scheme.

Wednesday, May 18, 2022

Jazz North has announced the latest roster of artists for its Northern Line scheme, namely Hannabiell & the Midnight Blue Collective, Marco Woolf, Yaatri, MC Nelson, Ni Maxine, TC & The Groove Family

We have received the following press release;

Jazz without borders: meet the artists heading up the rising northern scene

Jazz North announces the new roster of artists for its touring support scheme, Northern Line

Hannabiell & the Midnight Blue Collective, Marco Woolf, Yaatri, MC Nelson, Ni Maxine, TC & The Groove Family

Often the underdog of the British jazz scene, the north has some seriously good music blossoming under the umbrella of jazz.

Championing this new wave of distinctly northern jazz is development agency Jazz North, which has today announced the latest roster of artists for its live-touring support scheme, Northern Line.

Hannabiell & the Midnight Blue Collective, MC Nelson, TC & The Groove Family, Marco Woolf, Yaatri and Ni Maxine are the six bands awarded a place on the artist support programme. As forerunners in their respective cities, the bands highlight the expansive nature of influence, crossover and collaboration which define the sound of northern jazz.

Jazz North CEO, Chris Bye, commented:
“This is an incredible time for the northern scene. We are on the brink of a major movement in UK Jazz and the Northern Line programme is absolutely fundamental to that. What you see here is a representation of the future. Fantastic artists willing to give it their all. And this is just the beginning.”

Afro-psychedelic jazz-funk from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, socially conscious rap from south Liverpool and a glorious Leeds-hailing fusion of highlife-horn riffs, jungle breakbeats, spiritual solos and deep basslines can be heard from the roster.

Across the north, audiences can expect intricate story-led jazz-folk, art-rock/jazz influenced by the momentum of Indian rhythms, and stunning, politically-charged neo-jazz exploring themes of identity, self-esteem and belonging.

Northern Line artist, Ni Maxine, said:
‘Jazz is the voice of the people. Jazz is a vehicle for change. We are in a Jazz renaissance and I am so proud to be part of it!’

Northern Line Programme Manager, Heather Spencer, commented:
“In the much talked about explosion of UK jazz, in reality, it’s been a London jazz spotlight. With northern music bubbling under the surface, we really feel it is our moment to shine and mark our place as an equally rich, eclectic and diverse destination for great British jazz.”

On being a northern artist, Northern Line artist Marco Woolf said:
“I feel like generally speaking northern artists are very generous with their talents and very open to collaboration regardless of style, genre or vibe, and this can be heard in how eclectic the northern jazz sound is. It’s really inspirational being part of a community that is unafraid to sound a bit weird, it encourages me to express myself as honestly and as authentically as I can.”

Maxine continued, “There are so many incredible musicians, young and old, in the North who are easily overlooked nationally, but things are changing. We have an important voice in the UK jazz scene and I am so excited to be part of this bubbling community!”

Since its inception in 2013, Northern Line has supported over 74 artists to perform over 700 subsidised gigs at venues and festivals across the North. The charity is a driving force in fostering an ecosystem where artists and promoters can thrive where they live.

“Historically, a jazz musician’s career development might have been to reach a certain level in their city and move down to London,” Spencer added. “Increasingly, we’re seeing musicians choose to stay in the north. They’re building amazingly supportive networks of collaborators and creating a world class music scene without the need to hit the capital.”

The six Northern Line bands were selected by an independent panel of revered UK-wide industry experts and tastemakers: John Doran (The Quietus), Claire Umney (Jazz FM), Dennis Rollins MBE (trombonist), Sam Nicholls AKA whiskas (Music:Leeds), Santana Guerot (Band on the Wall), Harkirit Boparai (The Crescent) and Lucy Scott (Sage Gateshead).

Steve Mead, Director of Talent Development at Jazz North and Artistic Director at manchester jazz festival commented:
“As a passionate believer in our home-grown music-makers, and in creating a path for them to become future music leaders, I look to Northern Line as the embodiment of the wealth of new music talent that’s born and bred in the north, happening right here, right now.”

Hannabiell & the Midnight Blue Collective, MC Nelson, TC & The Groove Family, Marco Woolf, Yaatri and Ni Maxine will perform at the Northern Line Showcase at Hull Jazz Festival in November 2022 in front of a public audience and invited music industry guests.

Artists are available for booking requests by northern promoters.
For more information, visit:  http://www.jazznorth.org/northernline

About the Northern Line artists

Hannabiell & the Midnight Blue Collective (Newcastle-upon-Tyne): A high energy Afro Fusion Collective fusing powerful and upbeat Latin & African percussion, brass, vocal chants, Blues, Jazz, Afro-beat, Funk, and Reggae to create a unique sound and an invigorating party atmosphere that will get you up on your feet.

Marco Woolf (Manchester): Influenced by the likes of Nick Drake and John Martyn, the music that Marco Woolf makes can prove similarly complex to categorise, his lyrics introspective and insightful - earning him a reputation as a skilled storyteller - though thoughtful instrumentation too is just as crucial to his compositions, clearly considered to ensure it possesses comparable weight to his wording.

Yaatri (Leeds) is an award winning five-piece art-rock/jazz crossover group formed in Leeds in 2018. Their blend of complex composition and ethereal soundscapes captivates the heart as well as the mind. Influenced by the momentum of the rhythms of India, immersive timbres of electronic music, and energy of rock and roll, their music has a strong sense of purpose and journey.

Ni Maxine (Liverpool) is a Neo-Jazz Singer-Songwriter; a black woman navigating the modern world and exploring themes of home, identity, self-esteem and belonging. Ni Maxine’s message is clear:  “I want to inspire young people who are having (or had) a similar experience to what I had, growing up, and cultivate community. The algorithm divides us, but we are more powerful when we are united.” 

TC & The Groove Family (Leeds), are a 10-piece collective whose music celebrates the coming together of cultures and the unity that music provides. Driven by drummer Tim Cook, their live shows are powerful and dynamic, exploring grooves and genres from the UK and worldwide, including afrobeat, breakbeat, jungle, jazz and highlife.

Nelson Idama AKA MC Nelson (Liverpool) is a rapper and producer that fuses jazzy instrumentation with cutting social commentary and a Scouse sense of humour. With a commanding presence on stage, Nelson embarked on his first UK tour with Punch records in 2018, since then he has performed alongside hip hop legends such as Slum Village, Ghostface Killah, the Pharcyde, Pharoah Monche and many more. 

About Northern Line
Northern Line supports artists across the north of England to deliver high quality live shows on profile-raising stages. Simultaneously, it supports northern promoters to book exciting new artists with lowered financial risk and promotional support. The 18-month programme supports northern artists to reach the next stage of their live performance career and develop business skills across all areas of their work through subsidised touring and bespoke 1:1 support. 6 bands from jazz and jazz-related genres are selected each year through an open application and rigorous selection process using a panel of independent industry experts from across the UK.

About Jazz North
Jazz North is the Strategic Development Agency for jazz in the North of England. It was founded in 2012 to address gaps in provision identified by Arts Council England (ACE)  and the sector itself. A registered charity, the organisation has been funded by ACE since its inception with National Portfolio Status (NPO) since 2015 and as a Sector Support Organisation (SSO) since 2018. Jazz North’s ultimate aim is to see the north recognised both nationally and internationally as a leading talent hub for jazz. The organisation works with - and on behalf of - the jazz sector, creating cohesion across a largely disparate scene. Unique in its approach to supporting and nurturing jazz, this is an organisation with an ethos and delivery method rooted in artist development whilst also cultivating partnerships and networks.