Knats, a trio from the UK, play nu jazz, but it would be remiss to say they don’t pay homage to their forebears. Their music implements scales invented by French composer Olivier Messiaen; they make pepped-up, near-punky versions of jazz standards ; and the cover for their second album, A Great Day in Newcastle , recreates Art Kane’s classic 1958 photo “A Great Day in Harlem.” Here, Knats’ music is part of a different kind of renaissance: an English northern renaissance. Although they now live in London and are completing their degrees at Trinity College, Knats hail from Newcastle Upon Tyne, England’s northernmost city, where residents are colloquially known as Geordies, and “house” is pronounced “hoose.” The band is led by Stan Woodward (bass) and King David-Ike Elechi (drums), friends since childhood who started out as self-taught musicians; trumpeter Ferg Kilsby, saxophonist George Johnson, and pianist Sandro Shar round out the trio. No score yet, be the first to add.…