Hall Two. 8:00 pm
Gateshead is an
eagerly awaited occasion. Lagrene’s quartet features saxophonist Franck Wolf, Hammond organist Jean-Yves
Jung and Jean Marc Robin (drums).
Bireli Lagrene
Quartet + Kevin Mackenzie & Steve Hamilton
(Preview by Russell).
The best seats in the house have by
now probably been snapped-up by every guitar player within one hundred miles of
Gateshead . Bireli Lagrene is one of the great
players of this or any other era in the history of jazz. A bold claim? Hearing
him as a teenage prodigy at the Newcastle Jazz Festival (in the company of Babik
Reinhardt) left an indelible impression. To tag one so young as a ‘genius’
would be to place a millstone around his neck but the temptation was there.
Years later Lagrene returned to
the north east to give a solo performance. Gone was the youthful, skinny kid,
as a ‘rotund’ guitarist strode onto stage. Would he be as good as once
remembered? He was…where’s that tag?! Along the way Lagrene has worked with
Stéphane Grappelli and Jaco Pastorius (where’s that tag?). A recording of the
guitarist in concert with Pastorius has pride of place in this reviewer’s
collection. To hear him in
The support act - Kevin Mackenzie
and Steve Hamilton - would on any other occasion be the headliners. Guitarist
Mackenzie works across the jazz (Trio AAB) and folk spectrum and is no stranger
to Tyneside as performer or visiting tutor and for this concert is joined by
the in-demand pianist Steve Hamilton to play standards and some original
compositions. The Sage’s publicity for the appearance by Bireli Lagrene quotes London Jazz ‘One of the
most remarkable guitar players on the planet’. Agreed, although a simple revision to the most remarkable could well be
advised. Where’s that tag? Bireli Lagrene will be in conversation with Alyn
Shipton in a pre-concert talk - 7:00 pm. Free to ticket holders.
Russell.
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