7th November 2010

Gigs / Reviews
ZOO, Stuart McCallum and the Beats and Pieces Big Band joined forces with promoters the Jet Collective and Leicester's Y Theatre to present "Jazz x 3".
Comments about the event, and the performers, included:

"Thought Zoo were excellent, detected some Allan Holdsworth influences in the playing of one R.Clegg, with a bit of Mahavisnu thrown in!" Y Theatre

"The Y Theatre hosted one of the most imaginative and innovative jazz performances I've heard for a long time."

"First up was Stuart McCallum playing ambient style solo guitar, sometimes enhanced with electronic loops. Amazing Grace showed his musicality as he did something new with a hymn, while original Vital Space added electronic reminiscent of John Martyn. John Coltrane's Blue Train was the highlight."

"Next up were Zoo. I could have listened to more of John Sanderson's reeds, and there was a moment of genius in the introduction to original Walking Not Running with Middle Eastern sounding bass clarinet and wordless vocals..."

"Then with a fanfare of blazing horns, the Beats & Pieces Big Band announced their arrival in style, playing witty, innovate arrangements." Leicester Mercury

16th May 2010

Video / Media
Shooting videos of "Could've" and "Breathing In" at the G2 Studios in Sheffield, with Dan from Light Engine Films. Pictures | Video
(thanks to GO Outdoors for use of their parking)

Review
Ahead of the collaboration and Bonington Theatre gig with Guy Barker, ZOO are reviewed by Alan Joyce in the Nottingham Evening Post - read the review on the Review Page.

Picture: David Redfern/Redferns

Festival Weather
The weather was kind - but only just!
All three of our festival appearances were blessed with fine weather - but it was a near thing.
It had rained overnight before the Lichfield Jazz Festival (pics) on 27th June, but the huge marquee was pretty immune to the elements anyway. But fine afternoon weather meant the audience could spread onto the rugby pitch for 'al fresco jazz'.
The MetOffice had warned of a 'light shower' affecting the private party in the walled garden at Norman Cross Gallery (pics), but instead we had a torrential downpour just before starting the first set. We were ok under our (well, Stamford RiverCare's!) marquee, and the audience sheltered in the Gallery. When the sun came out, everyone returned for a perfect summer's afternoon of music.
Prolonged rain was forecast before the Stamford RiverCare gig on 12th July (pics), but our concerns that the riverside site might be too boggy, or flooded, were unfounded, and it was a perfect afternoon, albeit rather windy, and with just a light shower at one point.
Such are the trials and tribulations of playing music in tents! The weather can do what it wants now - the rest of our gigs are indoors!

Media
ZOO's new album 'END OF THE TELEGRAPH WIRES' is now available for download through i-Tunes and others.
i-tunes
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=306839599&s=143441

emusic
http://www.emusic.com/album/Zoo-End-Of-The-Telegraph-Wires-MP3-Download/11400253.html

You can also hear samples of every track on the album website at www.endofthetelegraphwires.co.uk, and buy the CD from i-tunes, our record company (Red Admiral), the JazzCDs website, and from the Sales page on this site.

Collaboration
ZOO are delighted to confirm the performance details of our collaboration with Guy Barker: after a week of rehearsing at the Greenhouse studio, we'll be performing with Guy at The Bonington Theatre in Nottingham on 13th August. Tickets are £10 from the Box Office on 0115 956 0733. Details on the Gigs page. (Presented in association with JAZZ STEPS)

Picture: David Redfern/Redferns

ZOO are delighted to announce collaborations with two of the UK's leading jazz trumpeters.
The outcome of being selected for the EMJAZZ "Rhythm-a-ning" competition (see 23rd November 2007) is to rehearse and perform with Nick Smart between March and May 2009, culminating with performances at or around the Newark Jazz Festival.
And then in August 2009 we're planning to work with Guy Barker

30th November 2008

ZOO on the radio: a one hour interview with Airomee Wind on The Que98.2

Single Release and Review
Advance notice: the track "Suddenly" from the "Greenhouse" CD will be released as a single on 15th October 2007.

ToxicPete has already reviewed "Suddenly"; here's an excerpt: 'Suddenly' is slick and sexy, gently persuasive and very easy on the ear. There's no self-indulgence to be found anywhere here - ok, I know it's only a single of just over four minutes but Zoo keep it all nicely laid back and very much a no-frills kinda thing. Subtle percussion offers loads of space for the expansive bass work to cast its magic and with delicate piano and flute set against the bright, precise vocals the whole thing melds seamlessly into a damn fine piece of nu-jazz - as chilled as you want it to be or, as vibrant as you want to make it." More...

Voting closes on Sept 17th. The award ceremony takes place at AKA London on Oct 17th.

Thanks for your votes!

All the best
ZOO

To vote for ZOO, click on the link below and register as a listener:

http://www.musicfinity.com/c.asp?tour

and then hit the vote button on ZOO's page - www.musicfinity.com/zoo

Thanks for your votes!

Three more events to announce:
ZOO are delighted to be playing two sets at the YHA's Barrow House in the Lake District on 11th November, to celebrate Rachel's birthday. Rachel booked us for the Stamford Rivercare 2006 event having seen us at the Stamford Riverside Festival in 2005.
Speaking of Rivercare, the 2007 event will be on Sunday 3rd June, and ZOO (and friends) will be back!
Plus we're very pleased to be performing as special guests of the Grand Central Chorus at a Charity Show in aid of 'Coping with Cancer', at the 'Y Theatre' in Leicester city centre, on 17th March 2007.
Meanwhile, work continues on mixing the Greenhouse CD, which is progressing well.
And we're busily writing new material for the next album!
It's all happening...

ZOO get a rave review of "Endangered Species" from Spare Room Music:

"I suspect that anyone who enjoys contemporary jazz will already be familiar with the work of Zoo. The trio from Derbyshire come across as highly polished professionals with their feet stuck firmly in the style of music they obviously love. Everything on this CD oozes of class, from the exquisite musicianship, stylised vocals, crisp and clear production and packaging. A quality piece of work and must have for all jazz lovers."

Welcome back! We hope you've had a good summer.

ZOO are now listed in iSound.com
"iSOUND.COM is creating the ultimate online music community. Whether you are a fan, a musician or a record label, we are the place to be for all that is music online."

We catch Antonio Forcione and his Quartet at Southwell Minster - a truly breath-taking display of musicianship in a truly magnificent setting.

Find out more about Antonio and his latest recording "Tears of Joy" at www.antonioforcione.com

Endangered Species is finished and ready for copying...

"Get well soon" to Ben Folds, who has just had to cancel his European tour due to a respiratory infection.

We mourn the premature departure of John Peel, broadcaster, champion of unsigned bands and genuine nice bloke. Paul met John and Sheila at Newmarket Races once, and left John with a copy of Discovery of Land. Probably not really to John's taste, but we'd like to think he listened to at least one track. Read John's obituary on the BBC web site.

k.d. lang appeared on BBC's "Later with Jools Holland" and only got to sing one song (a beautiful rendition of Cohen's "Halleluyah"). What a waste! Fortunately she also guested on Johnnie Walker's Drivetime BBC Radio 2 programme and played a number of songs, as well as giving a candid and good humoured interview.

Work continues with recording parts for the new CD "Endangered Species", plus yet more new material for the CD after that (including a rather cool new arrangement of "Summertime"!).

We now have the times for our slot at the Riverside Festival on 3rd July at Stamford: 13:40 to 14:10. And we also have a set list: "In Different Places", "Extraordinary", "The White Room", "Somewhere Else", "That's It" and "Waiting". See you there...

It's looking hopeful that we'll be playing two 30-minute sets at Glasgow.