News  HOT NEWS!!........ New Blues Album Due Soon! Billy Jenkins + BBC Big Band featuring Iain Ballamy! Uncommerciality Vol 1 - 3 Re-issued on Download! An Apology To Those Awaiting CD Deliveries! Classic Billy Albums Remastered for Download!   RECENT NEWS!!........ 'Jazz Is A Verb!' - Glasgow Herald Trumpets Billy! Free Download Single! Hear Billy Live On BBC R4! I Am A Man From Lewisham! One Step On From The Blues!   NEWS ARCHIVE!!........ Farewell to Leeds Jazz.....Entertainment Licensing Update.......Hysteria, Fear & Live Music.....More Live Music Legislation.....BBC Ban Billy....Songs of Praise CD....BBC Apologise To Billy....Great 'Here Is The Blues!' Review...and much more.  Access the archive by spanking your mouse here!   Join the Billy Jenkins Listening Club on Facebook!       New Blues Album Due Soon!     The new CD recording 'Born Again [and the religion is the blues]' will be released on VOTP Records on 8th November. Containing nine Jenkins original 'inner suburban blues morality tales', it features the guitarist and blues shouter with his all new 'Trio Blues Suburbia' with the award winning jazz organist Jim Watson and Blues Collective drummer Mike Pickering. Recorded by legendary long time Billy collaborator and producer Charlie Hart at his Equator Studios in Jenkins' leafy locale of Brockley, SE London - the album is top and tailed with two tracks originally recorded ten years ago for the 'LIFE' album (VOTP VOCD 023). More information to follow soon. Visitors to this site will be able to purchase ahead of the official release date - we'll let you know when we're ready to dispatch them! return to top of page           Billy Jenkins + BBC Big Band Featuring Iain Ballamy!   'Better git me shiney shoes on for this one!'                   ©Brian Aldrich   Legendary British guitarist/composer Billy Jenkins will bring his 2010 renaissance to a climax at the London Jazz Festival by performing for the first time with the BBC Big Band.  Following the release of his new album, I Am A Man From Lewisham and the forthcoming Born Again (and the religion is the blues) that demonstrate the Jenkins' Mojo is still working to full effect, this is a rare and timely London appearance.  The concert, at The Purcell Room at the  South Centre on Sunday 21st November will feature three adventurous large scale arrangements (newly commissioned by BBC Radio 3) of Billy's music by Iain Ballamy.  Ballamy, one of the world's  finest saxophonists and a long serving member of Billy Jenkins' extended musical family, will also guest as a soloist.  The first half will feature Billy's new Trio Blues Suburbia with guest Iain Ballamy, before welcoming the BBC Big Band onto the stage for the second half of what will be a truly momentus meeting of disparate energies. The concert will be recorded by BBC R3 for future transmission. More details of this stunning event on the Live Dates page.     About the BBC Big Band: BBC BIg Band at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2007      ©Graham Lambourne   The BBC Big Band, sometimes called the BBC Radio Big Band, is a British band run under the auspices of the BBC and is probably best known for its long running Monday night show, Big Band Special on BBC Radio 2, but also reaches worldwide audiences through the BBC World Service, satellite radio and the Internet.  It has been voted the best Big Band in the British Jazz Awards in 1992, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2001 and 2007. The band has played with stars such as Van Morrison, Michael Bublé, Tony Bennett, George Shearing, Michel Legrand, Cleo Laine, Lalo Schifrin, Dr. John and Ray Charles.  The band regularly features on the UK festival circuit, and concert tours with major artists have taken the band all over the world in addition to its regular concert recordings throughout the UK for BBC R2. From Wikipedia       About the arranger and saxophonist Iain Ballamy: Ballamy was schooled at 1975-80 George Abbot School, Guildford. He then studied Musical Instrument Technology from 1980-1982 Merton College. He took piano lessons from age of 6 to 14. He discovered saxophone in 1978 with three lessons and his first professional gig was in 1980. He played Ronnie Scotts as Iain Ballamy Quartet at age 20. He was a founding member of Loose Tubes in 1984. First recording with Billy Jenkins 1985 (and making a further eight albums with him) and first solo album, Balloon Man, 1988. During his career he has performed or recorded with a wide range of top musicians including Gil Evans, Hermeto Pascoal, New York Composers Orchestra, Carla Bley, Dewey Redman, George Coleman, London Sinfonietta, Françios Jeanneau, Daniel Humair, Mike Gibbs, Randy Weston, Karnataka College of Percussion, Sax Assault, Jazz Train, Freebop, Nishat Khan, R.A.Ramamani, T.A.S. Mani, Clare Martin, Human Chain, Dr. L. Subramaniam, Tom Robinson, Charlie Watts Orchestra, Jeremy Stacey, Randy Weston, Joanna MacGregor, Delightful Precipice, Django Bates, Mark Wingfield, Jane Chapman, Bryan Ferry, Everything But The Girl, Food for Quartet, Loose Tubes, Oxcentrics, Ian Shaw, Slim Gaillard, Ultramarine, Ashley Slater, Hungry Ants, Ronnie Scott, Gordon Beck, Britten Sinfonia, and Gay Dad. In 1999, Ballamy founded the record label Feral Records in partnership with graphic artist and filmmaker Dave McKean. In 2005 he composed the musical score for the movie MirrorMask. Ballamy is an agony uncle for Jazz UK Magazine with his column "In the Saxophonists Chair". Albums recorded with Billy Jenkins:     * Greenwich (1985)     * Uncommerciality Vol 1 (1986)     * Uncommerciality Vol 2 (1991)     * Scratches of Spain (1987)     * Motorway At Night (1988)     * Jazz Cafe Concerts Vol 1 (1989)     * Jazz Cafe Concerts Vol 2 (1989)     * True Love Collection (1999)     * First Aural Art Exhibition (2006)   From Wikipedia   return to top of page               Uncommerciality Vol 1 - 3 Re-issued on Download!           'Uncommerciality is (also) shaped with the sophistication of a major-league jazz composer. All in all it is not only Jenkins's finest hour, but a landmark in  contemporary UK jazz.'     ****'                                                                             John Fordham / The Guardian       'Three sprawling, inspired sets - a  landmark in warped jazz pleasure.'                                                                                  John Bungey / The Times   Volume 1 of what was to become the famous 'UNCOMMERCIALITY' chocolate box series was originally released on limited edition vinyl in 1986. The three volumes were issued in 1991 on the people’s music carrier, the cassette. This is the first time this extraordinary music has been reissued together in any form.  Each volume of the series respectively reflects the qualities of the chocolate suggested by the well known and much loved packaging of Cadbury’s Dairy Milk, Black Magic produced by Nestlé and Cadbury’s plain chocolate Bournville. Jenkins described the musical ingredients as such:    - Volume 1 is ‘a milk chocolate music selection with easy listening centres’.    - Volume 2 is ‘a dark chocolate music selection with mysterious centres’    - Volume 3 is ‘a plain chocolate music selection with vibrant aftertaste’. To add to the complexity Billy also composed some of the pieces (cross referencing titles, pitch, tempo or instrumentation) as a companion to songs recorded on previous (or even future) albums.  So, from Vol. 1, Pharoah Sanders cross references with the aural portraits on ‘Entertainment USA’ (1994) – like Ronald Reagan, Elvis Presley and others. Bhopal is a portrait of a place – as in Bilbao/St. Columbus Day from ‘Scratches of Spain’ (1987) From Vol. 2, Girl Getting Knocked Over cross pollinates across to Billy’s other 160 bpm road pieces like High Street / Saturday from ‘Sounds Like Bromley’ (1982); Greenwich One-Way System (‘Greenwich’ 1985); ‘Motorway at Night’  (1988); High Street/Part Pedestrianised (‘Still Sounds Like Bromley’ 1997) and Commuting (‘Uncommerciality’ 3). And on Vol. 3, apart from the aforementioned Commuting – which ipso facto relates to This Is A Day To Forget and I Wanna Stay Here  (‘Blues Zero Two’ 2002), there is Land Of the Free – again a companion piece to ‘Entertainment USA’ . Consumerism relates to Pointless Adorments and Coke Cans In Yer Garden (‘Suburbia’ 1999), We All Wear Socks and We All Eat Food (‘East West’ 1996). The eighteen tracks on the three volumes were also written and programmed to play in a loop – so the opening track of Volume 2, Commerciality, in the key of A follows on from it’s relative minor F#m key of Bhopal, that closes Vol 1.  Vol 2 ends in Bb – and we rise by a tone to the concert C of Marching Into Middle Age that opens Vol 3. The third volume closes with Land Of the Free (also in C) and we return to the start of Vol. 1 and Brilliant in A – the tone and a half step down to the relative minor but executed here in a major key. In 2003, musician, social commentator and Billy listener Richard Russell penned a masterly overview on the 'Uncommerciality' series. You can read it posted on the Billy Jenkins Webzine here. The 'Uncommerciality' series, distributed by Cadiz Digital, will be available to download worldwide from your favourite online store from Monday 5th July and follow hot on the heels of the generic Jenkins 1980's albums 'Sounds Like Bromley' and 'Greenwich', which have also been recently made available online  - see below.  Purchase your ear candy on the Recordings+Shop page now!   Esteemed jazz critic John Fordham gives the collection a four ****review in The Guardian. Read it here! return to top of page             An Apology To Those Awaiting CD Deliveries!   We at billy.com extend our profuse apologies for customers who were awaiting paid orders. There was an unforgivable communication breakdown with the Babel Label, who have doggedly refused to communicate for the last two months with various folks working on Billy's behalf.  The three albums in question are 'Still Sounds Like Bromley', 'S.A.D.' and 'When The Crowds Have Gone'. Happily, outstanding orders have now been dispatched. Hwoever, we are unable to source any more of the above titles for the foreseeable future - an issue we would like resolved.  This issue does not affect VOTP CD releases. Meanwhile, the Recordings+Shop page has been re-jigged to separate albums which are available either on CD, on download, or both - hopefully making it easier to navigate through. return to top of page               Classic Billy Albums Remastered for Download!     12th April saw the worldwide release of two classic VOG Collective albums for download. 'Sounds Like Bromley' (1982) and 'Greenwich' (1985) - described in the early editions of The Penguin Guide to Jazz as 'one of the most distinctive British albums of the 1980's'. Wary of the limitations of download compression, Mr Jenkins has had these genre busting sessions remastered by the quiet genius Andy Le Vien at RMS Studios from virgin vinyl - anticipating that some of the analogue warmth will be retained The releases are the first batch of a whole raft of download re-issues in 2010 that are highlighted on the Archive page. You can purchase worldwide through the usual online outlets - including Amazon, 7digital, Tesco, HMV Digital and many others. Fellow musician and journalist Rod Kitson has written a masterly overview of Jenkins' composing methods in Greenwich Time which can be read here. Begin the Billy MP3 forward thinking retrospective by tapping and having a rummage in the Recordings+Shop now! return to top of page           'Jazz Is A Verb!' - Glasgow Herald Trumpets Billy!   'Trumpets!? What happened to the firemen..!?'   ©Steve Morrison   There's a superb article in the Glasgow Herald by that most astute of Billy listeners, Keith Bruce. He once wrote a memorable preview 22 years ago describing the guitarist as 'an arsonist - not a fireman'.  Find out how he portrays Billy in this century by spanking this link here! return to top of page               Free Download Single Released! I AM A MAN FROM LEWISHAM!! FREE DOWNLOAD SINGLE!!   'I Am A Man From Lewisham', the title track from the new album, is now available as a free download! Especially edited by Jenkins' long-time producing maestro Tony Messenger, it's the guitarist's first brave and belated step into this new fangled thing called 'downloading'...... It's a perfect appetizer for hoovering down the whole album and is guaranteed to put a 'Spring' in your step! OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE FOR 'I AM A MAN FROM LEWISHAM' return to top of page         Hear Billy Live On BBC R4!   'I'll try and do 'morning nice...!'  ©Mary Thackray   Call the Polite Police!  Mr Jenkins can be heard partaking in 'lively and diverse conversation on the flagship  BBC R4 'Midweek' radio programme with Libby Purves and other guests writer and naturalist Sir John Lister Kaye, fashion designer Caroline Charles and former Masterchef winner Thomasina Miers. The live discussion, with Billy talking about his new album and conducting Humanist funerals took place on Wednesday 24th February and can be listened to and enjoyed by spanking this 'Midweek' link! return to top of page         I Am A Man From Lewisham!     At last!  After an enforced hiatus away from the business due to personal, artistic and economical complexities, the new Billy recording has arrived! Released worldwide on 12th April, you can also purchase the CD by spanking this Recordings+Shop link! You can download the album worldwide (and other Billy releases) from most online stores. Featuring his 'Songs of Praise' ensemble, we at billy.com have to modestly say that, once more, this music is truly the Sound of the City. Not many musicians are documenting and making us take a step back to pause and appreciate our daily surroundings like Jenkins does. By gathering clusters of musicians to resonate along the bylaws laid down by the composer (with full endorsement to exercise ones human rights and right of freedom for the benefit of all) - he creates a celebratory aural Love Fest of stinking, joyous, wonderful civilization. And, here in the UK, as we teeter towards an insipid tick box totalitarianism-lite 'think as the law says you will do' madness - we must treasure the sound of free speech. By humans. Not robots...... Spank that Recordings+Shop link now - CD available worldwide for £9.99 (including p + p)!   OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE FOR 'I AM A MAN FROM LEWISHAM' return to top of page           One Step On From The Blues!    'At your service. Literally.'                      ©Peter Daub The Blues is an affirmation of life.  For a man to call his free and fast flowing instrumental ensemble since 1981 the The Voice of God Collective - citing that 'the Voice of the People is the Voice of God - and the religion is music' and then preach the blues seriously since the mid 1990's, suggests a man who fully accepts that there is but one life, with no 'Invisible Friend' to guide one to 'the Promised Land' and supposed eternity. Add a thorough grounding in backstage antics as a pre pubescent C of E choirboy ('great music, crap lyrics...'), it is hardly surprising that bj.com is proud to announce that Billy (now he's a properly grown up fiftysomething) has been studying and training with the British Humanist Association . Since 2008 he has become an Accredited Humanist Officiant approved by the BHA to conduct non religious funerals.     'I have nothing against those who need spiritual guidance to help them through life, although I draw the line when religious fundamentalists evoke one or all of what I describe as the 'Three 'C's: Conning, Controlling and Killing.....', says Jenkins.     'The work will complement my performance and recording. Most of my music is a celebration of existence. I let musicians express themselves through my music.'      'Now, thanks to the insightful and thorough BHA training, I can be of service to those who find death has suddenly hit them smack between the eyes. The role does not involve me as a musician, but with my experience as a facilitator of live events, I will be able to, hopefully, assist in celebrating the life of a person whose death has left a terrible hole in the lives of those who knew and loved them.'      'A fitting funeral ceremony can do so much to assist and accept closure and to open the door to the initially painful and empty path of life one has to continue with. It is a threshold that has to be crossed.'     'Amazingly, too many people are still unaware that a funeral can be  non religious and I recommend you find out more about the work of the BHA and their ceremonies (they also officiate at weddings, baby namings and civil partnerships) at www.humanism.org.uk.'   Billy will be mostly conducting funerals in and around SE London and you  can reach him via the BHA website (type in 'funerals' and 'SE' for the postcode)  or the bj.com Contact page.   return to top of page