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Listen You!

Sunday 17th January

The Railway

Wellington Road

Stockport

Sunday 26th June

The extremely serious faced jazz boss Alan Barnes (pictured left)

has foolishly asked The Jazz Worriers to join him on his latest commission  - "A Grimsby Fish Tale" to be premiered at Cleethorpes Jazz Festival. Perhaps Dean's aroma was helpful in securing the gig. What chaos will ensue??

 

Cleethorpes Jazz Festival

Click play!

To Listen click this link:
http://jazzconversations.podomatic.com/

 

PODCAST!   
Recorded at The Blue Vanguard Jazz Club, Exeter

DEAN MASSER and NEIL YATES have decided to STOP worrying about the state of the world in general and play some uplifting jazz to raise their spirits, and they're ready to share the good vibes with you!*

 

Together, throughout 2013 & 2014, they embarked on a quest to improve their understanding and skills. They ruthlessly critiqued each other's performance and playing, leaving no stone unturned in a quest to better themselves. Dean sought out online mentorship, studying with US jazz masters like Hal Galper, locking himself away in the shed with his horn until he emerged with a new understanding and fludiity. 

 

Meanwhile Neil travelled to New York on an Arts Council Wales funded trip to imbibe the music in the city and study with the current jazz crop, like Mike Rodriguez, Jeremy Pelt, Billy Drewes and Scott Wendholt (Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra), returning home to a rigorous practice schedule, working all the advice and guidance into his concept of improvisation, performance. and composition.

 

The result?

 

They've raised their game...

 

 

 

 

Now, by delving into jazz history and applying their new-found musical acumen, they've combined some new compositions with arrangements of some of the pivotal tunes in the genre, and have created a show that is at once musically exciting and humourously presented. They're bringing back a combination of witty banter and musical seriousness that Britain became famous for in the 1960s, but that has, for the most part, been sorely missed since the passing of Humphrey Lyttelton, Ronnie Scott and their contemporaries. 

 

 

 

 

 

Sabatical 2015

 

And the game-raising has continued!!

 

After a week-long sabatical in France in May 2015 the dynamic duo have hit upon some truly liberating approaches to playing classic jazz... Practicing together 15 hours a day for a week really brings a lot of things to the surface!! 

 

Listen to the new clips on video and audio dotted around this website (we've replace almost all of it with more recent recordings and footage)  - Dean & Neil think you'll hear a difference, but if not, at least you can rest assured they're enjoying it more! 

"It is quite often said that the jazz musicians of the younger generation tend to lack history in their playing. This is certainly not the case with Messrs Masser & Yates. Both exhibit a thorough knowledge of the art form, crucially going back many years before be-bop. Their playing is of the highest quality, rich in tone, exciting, always well constructed and never self-indulgent. Entertainment value in jazz concerts is seemingly low on the agenda for some musicians....not with these guys....they go all-out to bring every piece and every solo to life. Definitely ‘five-star’ every time!"

Dr. Ian Darrington MBE

Artistic Director,

Wigan International Jazz Festival

" On the night that  Jazz Worriers came here, and in the days since I`ve been thanked personally, and received e-mails; the common theme is "when are you having them back?". I  first saw the band at Kendal, was blown away, and booked them for our rural venue. I was a little unsure how they would go down here; I needn`t have worried, the sixty strong audience was in uproar. Each member of this hard bopping band is a whirlwind of energetic improvisation; the overall result is... I`m stuck for a word, very exciting will have to do"

Sam Ashton, promoter, Jazz in Hornby

It's all in the name. The antecedence, the style and the humour. Expectations were high for this gig. Yates' and Masser's individual musical reputations plus the achievement of their new band in getting on Jazz North's Northern Line listing, an excellent new CD and a string of bookings already in the bag ; Some of the younger bucks on the circuit could learn a lot from these guys. Not just about remarkably fluent 'conversational' and expressive improvisation making familiar tunes sound bright and new; not just the tight arrangements and inherent swing ; also the time taken between numbers to contextualise the music and inject their own brand of banter. The surprise of the night was the appearance of Dean Masser's alto sax - And what a tone - very Cannonball - let's have more of that. Yates's just keeps getting better and fully justifies Benn Clatworthy's description of his playing as 'monster'. Altogether a delightful set that more than achieved the expectations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Geoff Mathews, jazz journalist, promoter, Southport Melodic Jazz Club, Jazz On A Winters Weekend Festival

What The Experts Say:
 

"The Jazz Worriers had nothing much to worry about, in truth, with a front line which oozed talent.  Dean Masser on tenor/alto sax with Neil Yates on trumpet and flugelhorn led an exciting ensemble, with a varied repertoire, including a great vocal number from Neil. Great audience feedback confirmed our decision for a repeat performance at Cleethorpes Jazz Festial in June"

Gill Wilde, promoter, Grimsy Jazz , Cleethorpes Jazz Festival

Latest video footage:

Live at Davenham Playhouse

18th June 2015

Joy Spring

Recordame - Live at Wigan Jazz Club 28 Jun 2015

Shades of Joe Henderson from Dean here. He was wearing Joe Henderson's old sunglasses anyway.

Imagination - Live at Wigan Jazz Club 28 Jun 2015

Dean at his finest here... in the dressing examining the dustbin lid, while Neil takes the stage for a bad salad...

 

 

Jazz North's Northern Line  5th March 2014

We've been chosen for this years Northern Line Scheme which means we're now officially the best in our price range.  All our nothern gigs are subsidised by Jazz North and ACE so that promoters/venues pay what they can comfortably afford, and the scheme tops it up to our usual fee. We may even be able to feed a family of four!

DVDs and CDs ready to sell!
23 Feb 2014
2 CDs and 2 live DVDs are ready! 
Available at gigs... and maybe here soon.

Latest News

Music

Videos.

Live at Davenham Playhouse 18 6 15

* We don't play vibes.

"We were on the edge of our seats" - Backpackers UK

 

"Not quite what we were expecting, but we rather enjoyed it" - Swingers UK

 

"We gave them a stooping ovation" - Osteoporosis Society

 

"They caused a standing ovulation" - Colwyn Bay Fertility Clinic

 

"They were excellent after dinner entertainment at our AGM.

                               Actually I missed the performance" - General Sectretary, Bulimia UK

 

"No, it's spelt with an 'a' dumbass" - MOBO official

 

"Everybody here is talking about their sheet music" - Mexican Jazz Syndicate

 

"Perfect evenings entertainment for our annual ball - we all just clicked"

                                                                                     - The Castanet Teachers Association

 

"Apparently they've played with some of the biggest names on their CVs" - Jazzwiseass

 

"Prompt and efficient payer, thanks." - ebay

 

"Awesome selection of meats and soups" - confused.com

 

 

 

Quotes (?)
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