Corey Mwamba

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31st Aug 11

Just read this fantastic quotation:

From the Woody Shaw Legacy page -

  1. A well-trained ear
  2. A well-trained intelligence
  3. A well-trained heart
  4. A well-trained hand.

All four must develop together, in constant equilibrium. As soon as one lags behind or rushes ahead, there is something wrong. So far most of you have met only the requirement of the fourth point: the training of your fingers has left the rest far behind. You would have achieved the same results more quickly and easily, however, if your training in the other three had kept pace. (Z. Kodaly)

Something to pin on the wall!

31st Aug 11

Gunter Hampel is a lttle-mentioned vibist in jazz media parlance; but the fact remains that anyone playing the instrument now has to deal with his musical offerings as well as those of Walt Dickerson, Khan Jamal, Bobby Naughton, Dave Pike...

Here's an inspiring interview with Hampel and Fred Jung. I encourage everyone to check out this master's music if you can: fifty-odd years of creativity!

1st Sep 12

Was having a chat a few days ago with that clever chap Alex Hawkins and he was describing the subject of correlation against causation - like when people think that Joe Harriott copied Ornette Coleman when in fact he didn\'t; Coleman didn\'t cause Harriott to go in the direction he did - it just so happens that they correlated musically.

In a similar way, some of my work has been compared to the amazing Walt Dickerson, which is overly kind. But I only heard his music four years ago, so I have a lot of catching up to do in terms of listening!

If you\'ve not heard of Walt Dickerson up to now, here WAS a video I found this morning, with Wilbur Ware on bass and Andrew Cyrille on drums.

9th Jan 13

Just read this fantastic quotation:

From the Woody Shaw Legacy page -

  1. A well-trained ear
  2. A well-trained intelligence
  3. A well-trained heart
  4. A well-trained hand.

All four must develop together, in constant equilibrium. As soon as one lags behind or rushes ahead, there is something wrong. So far most of you have met only the requirement of the fourth point: the training of your fingers has left the rest far behind. You would have achieved the same results more quickly and easily, however, if your training in the other three had kept pace. (Z. Kodaly)

Something to pin on the wall!

9th Jan 13

Although I updated the score for it last week, I didn\'t talk about Bereft specifically. But today marks the anniversary of the death of the person for whom it was written.

Here are all the recorded versions: the download also includes the score, in concert and transposed versions.

oemb::http://coreymwamba.bandcamp.com/album/bereft-versions

In 2002 Bernadette Coles was killed while crossing the road after work, by someone who was driving while using a mobile phone. Because we\'d had a bit of a disagreement a few days before, I didn\'t find out until a few days later. At the time I was distraught: Bernie and I used to hang out all the time and chat on MSN [remember doing that?], and were just really good friends. She had a great effect on people and her friends and I know there are a bunch of us that still miss her - we keep in touch.

At the time I had no real way of expressing how I felt, so I wrote three songs. One of them has never been played; the other used to be played by my old quartet and once with Josh when he used to live in Derby; but Bereft was first played on 23rd February 2002, with Walt and Tracey Hague [previously Sutcliffe].

I then stopped playing it, as I found I could not play it. I felt almost detached from the meaning of the song, and thus practised it - playing the melody on the piano or singing it in quiet moments, and reading.

I re-visited it in 2007, first in January with @[Robert Mitchell] for our first ever duo gig; then in March that year for Argentum, with words written by Deborah Jordan. I don\'t remember telling anyone what the song was about: I thought it better to have people interpret it as they wished. The only thing I asked at the time was that people understood what the word \"bereft\" meant.

I hesitated playing it again, after the Argentum gig. At the time I felt I perhaps moved on. But then in 2011 I played it with Robert for the Adventures In Sound gig in November; and I felt more at home with the piece, more able to find the voice I needed to use for the song; and hearing it reminds me of Bernie but in a more positive way than previously. It is a love song, but not of the romantic nature; and it does not have to be sung.

I hope you enjoy listening/playing it as much as I do now.

26th Mar 13

Although the audience was small, had a great gig last night with Martin Archer\'s Engine Room Favourites! Really nice to hear a bit of Matthew Bourne and Seaming To\'s duo Billy Moon, and a bit of Andy Champion\'s ACV before leaving. The Highways Agency had plans to scupper @[Walt Shaw]\'s carefully planned route by shutting exits to the M6, so it was a long journey home. Some quiet reflection today; and some thinking around wordless love songs - ideas for solo work are flowing right now.

13th Oct 13

My shoulder is wrecked! But it was well worth it. The @[Marsden Jazz Festival] gig with Batteries was great, just great. I was given a lift to the venue by a complete stranger [thank you Sam!]; met up with @[Matthew Bourne] before his elegaic commission piece for synths and keyboards; was surprised by @[Walt Shaw], who'd come up to see the gig; and then played in a storming set with @[Andy Champion], @[Mark Sanders] and @[Chris Sharkey] to a full and listening audience! Also caught a bit of Laura Jurd's quintet set, with the singer Lauren Kinsella making an impact - fantastic voice and skill!

28th Jul 14

My great friend and fantastic artist - in every sense - Walt Shaw has a new web-site! It's a vast trove of all his work... check it out!

23rd Feb 15

New gig: Art Show - http://www.coreymwamba.co.uk/gig/walt-1439661600

12th Apr 15

Unholy acid reflux!! Still, a chance to sooth it with Walt...

6th Aug 15

Looking forward to the gig with @[Walt Shaw] in Derby...

21st Aug 15

Gunter Hampel is a lttle-mentioned vibist in jazz media parlance; but the fact remains that anyone playing the instrument now has to deal with his musical offerings as well as those of Walt Dickerson, Khan Jamal, Bobby Naughton, Dave Pike...

Here's an inspiring interview with Hampel and Fred Jung. I encourage everyone to check out this master's music if you can: fifty-odd years of creativity!

2nd Dec 15

A quiet-ish day, preparing for an interview next week. Re-reading Walt Dickerson for affirmation.

27th Oct 16

Wow. The Week is done! Many, many thanks to @[Arts Council England], Jazz North and Exttemeties Podiatry Clinic for sponsoring and supporting the series; all the musicians who made it possible; the venues for being so accommodating; the audiences who came to the gigs; and especially to the @[Out Front!] team: Claire Furlong, Ian Perry, Cath Roberts, George Grignon, and Walt Shaw. There's still more to come, but I think I'll be taking a few days off now!

15th Nov 16

Re-reading this great interview transcript between Hank Shteamer and Walt Dickerson.

11th Jul 17

Sadly, I've had to pull out of the gig in Brighton with Martin Archer and Walt Shaw owing to a bereavement. Apologies.

25th Mar 19

Dave Kane; Joshua Blackmore; Andy Champion; Johnny Hunter; Laura Cole; Walt Shaw; Rachel Musson; Jason Yarde; Martin Archer; Xhosa Cole; Martin Pyne; Tom Ward; Alya Al-Sultani; Zoe Champion; Gary Reader; Richard Belfitt -- thank you so much for your friendship and musicianship.