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Neil Cowley - Jazz Rules (made to be broken)

Neil Cowley takes to the piano to explain why the best jazz often comes from people who ignore "the rules", or never learned them in the first place.

Do you need to know ‘the rules’ to play, or even enjoy jazz? Neil Cowley claims he never learned the rules, and he’s been avoiding 'handing in his homework’ all his life. So how does he survive as a jazz artist? From his piano, Neil demonstrates how, since forming the ‘Neil Cowley Trio’ in 2006, he has been cheating the system and bluffing his way in jazz. And how he believes that, since its very beginnings, the best jazz has come from those who’ve ignored all the rules, or who simply haven’t a clue what they’re doing. Neil demonstrates throughout with examples at the piano and tracks from other acclaimed artists, who ‘cheat’, just like him. Featuring music from the likes of Thelonious Monk, Frank Zappa, John Lee Hooker, Taraf de Haidouks and Errol Garner.

1 hour

Last on

Fri 11 Nov 2016 09:00

Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:01

    Neil Cowley Trio

    Rooster Was A Witness

    • The Face Of Mount Molehill.
    • Naim Label.
  • 00:03

    Neil Cowley Trio

    Sharks Of Competition

    • Spacebound Apes.
    • Hide Inside Records.
  • 00:07

    Neil Cowley Trio

    Governance

    • Spacebound Apes.
    • Hide Inside Records.
  • 00:12

    Django Reinhardt & Stéphane Grappelli

    Nuages

    • The Quintet Of The Hot Club of France.
    • Ace Of Clubs.
  • 00:16

    Brownie McGhee

    Married Woman Blues

    • Single.
    • Savoy Records.
  • 00:20

    John Lee Hooker

    Boom Boom

    • Boom Boom.
    • Pointblank.
  • 00:25

    Taraf de Haïdouks

    Return of the Magic Horses

    • The Continuing Adventures of Taraf De Haidouks.
    • Crammed Discs.
  • 00:32

    Erroll Garner

    Autumn Leaves

    • Concert By The Sea.
    • Columbia Records.
  • 00:39

    Thelonious Monk

    'Round Midnight

    • Pure Monk.
    • DJM Records.
  • 00:48

    Frank Zappa

    Peaches En Regalia

    • Hot Rats.
    • Bizarre Records.
  • 00:51

    Neil Cowley

    We Are Here To Make Plastic (Live Piano Performance)

  • 00:56

    Neil Cowley Trio

    The City And The Stars

    • Spacebound Apes.
    • Hide Inside Records.

Broadcast

  • Fri 11 Nov 2016 09:00

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