Preview: Sage Gateshead International Jazz Festival. April 4-6 2014

(Preview by Russell).

This year’s Gateshead International Jazz Festival, the tenth, sees the return of the Americans. Sage Gateshead’s booking policy in association with Serious admirably presents developments in contemporary jazz in three halls, on the concourse and in a number of smaller spaces around the striking river front building. Hall One, seating seventeen hundred people, demands careful scheduling in order to maximise numbers. The arts’ funding climate is such that taking a chance on lesser know names could be tantamount to financial suicide. So, the big names are back. The Spring Quartet - Jack DeJohnette, Joe Lovano, Esperanza Spalding and Leo Genevese - take to the stage at 7:30 pm on Saturday 5 April. Their credentials are well known to jazz fans, perhaps the debut Tyneside appearance of double bassist and vocalist Spalding will persuade many that they cannot miss this opportunity. A further incentive is the support act - Marius Neset and Daniel Herskedal. Festival goers who heard saxophonist Neset on an earlier visit to Gateshead will need little persuading and those who missed out last time will, no doubt, have heard about the Scandinavian’s sensational performance and the audience reaction to it.

Fabled guitarist Bill Frisell has the task of filling Hall Two (400 seats) on the Sunday evening. Supported by the Pablo Held Trio, the clever money is on a Frisell sell-out, so be quick, contact the box office (0191 443 4661). The British and European scene is well represented throughout the weekend. The festival’s opening performance on the Friday (April 4) on the concourse is highly recommended. Take your seat in time for the 6:30 pm start to listen to the Northern Monkey Brass Band. On second thoughts, stand around because Graham Hardy’s New Orleans brass band will have you dancing in no time.

The feted Django Bates and Jokim Milder appear with the Norbotten Big Band in an intriguing mix of Charlie Parker and County Durham popsters Prefab Sprout. Bates will reprise his Bird project and Milder’s fascination with Prefab Sprout will, no doubt, be explained in a pre-concert talk with Alyn Shipton! Mr Shipton will be around the whole weekend listening to the music, talking to the musicians (the pre-concert conversations are well worth attending), presenting an edition of the revitalised Jazz Record Requests at 11:00 am on the Saturday featuring listeners’ choices, conversation with and performances by pianist Andrew McCormack and Jason Yarde (reeds) and generally making himself available to one and all. So if you fancy asking the man himself to consider playing your request on a future edition of the programme don’t be shy, he is eminently approachable.

Brazilian Ed Motta, scheduled opposite Bates and Milder, will appeal to Hoochie Coochie soul jazz regulars. A physically imposing man in his early forties, Motta has established a varied career working in jazz, funk and the lucrative world of composing film soundtracks. Saturday late night makes for three essential concerts. The fact that they overlap makes for a difficult choice. At 10:00 pm on the concourse you can hear Djangologie. Based in the region, of world class status, Djangologists will be sure to bag the best seats. American jazz/hip hop star Robert Glasper will hit the stage half an hour later in Hall Two and at 10:45 pm in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall the enchanting Glassonic lead by Brendan Murphy will intrigue and enchant in equal measure.

Ex pat American Jazz Messenger Jean Toussaint brings in his quartet on Saturday afternoon (2:00 pm). The Art Blakey connection makes this gig a Gold Standard banker. Toussaint’s recent Bridge Hotel appearance confirmed he is playing as well as ever. For this festival engagement he shares the stage with McCormack and Yarde and the Elysian String Quartet. Recommended. Contact the box office (0191 443 4661).

Sage Gateshead’s commitment to jazz education is no where better exemplified by Saturday morning’s Early Years Go Jazzy. Jazz for the very youngest (the next generation jazz fan) offers a secure, welcoming environment for this introduction to the music (sessions at 9:45 am and 11:00 am). Later (1:00 pm) there is another session Planet Music Goes Jazzy. Yet more learning opportunities include The Pink Lane Jazz Co-op’s ongoing workshop series. Open to all ages for those with a basic grounding in the form. Jokim Milder will be a guest tutor at 2:00 pm. Check out the co-op’s burgeoning activities at: www.pinklanejazz.co.uk

Local heroes Chris Sharkey and Andy Champion present Way in to the Way Out (2:30 pm). Local lads with a national profile, Chris and Andy will entertain, explain and illustrate (musically) their interest and professional practice in the world of cutting edge jazz. GoGo Penguin (5:30 pm) will surely appeal to those in attendance at the above event. The trio’s performance is another likely to sell out. Tickets from 0191 443 4661. Sage regular Courtney Pine performs with his House of Legends (10:30 pm) and trumpeter Richard Iles’ Microscopic (10:00 pm, concourse) deserves to be heard without an excess of noise from those exiting adjacent halls. Saxophonist James Mainwaring closes Saturday night at Sage Gateshead (10:45 pm) with the audio-visual project Space Flight.

Sunday 6th offers contrasting attractions throughout the day. Drummer Seb Rochford (a Newcastle College alumni) returns with the hard-hitting Polar Bear (2:00 pm) in a double bill with Chris Sharkey’s Shiver. Sharkey will be working with bassist Andy Champion and Joost Hendrickx (drums). The trio’s recent appearance at the nearby Central Bar brought the house down and for this Sage performance they will be joined by vocalists Zoe Gilby and John Turrell.

In contrast, two large ensembles will illustrate the essential value of music education.  Jambone with special guest Rick Taylor (trombone) perform in a Jazz North Introduces event (2:30 pm). Sage Gateshead’s home grown youth big band can be heard free of charge (free, advance tickets available). Jazz Toons is a Scottish National Jazz Orchestra project with Jacqui Dankworth (3:00 pm).

At 5:15 pm Jazz North East presents an international double bill - Fragments of Splinter - as its contribution to this year’s festival. Wilson and Williams, Tyneside’s Celtic connection, are Graeme Wilson (reeds) and Gateshead resident Mark Williams (guitar). Scot Wilson, on Tyneside for a number of years, has recently relocated to Edinburgh and Williams from Northern Ireland have worked together in several outfits (small group to big band) playing standards, contemporary composition (John Warren and others) and most notably the critically acclaimed ACV. Their debut as a duo came about at a Splinter gig in Newcastle and this festival appearance will surely impress a wider audience.

The Roby Glod Trio features improviser Roby Glod (Luxembourg). The reeds man will be working for the first time with Andy Champion (bass) and frequent visitor to the region Mark Sanders (percussion). To find out what happens book your ticket on 0191 443 4661.

Duke Ellington forms the centerpiece of the Hall One performance – In the Spirit of Duke – by the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra (Saturday, Hall One, 7:30 pm). Tommy Smith has achieved the impossible – forming a star-studded big band and keeping it on the road touring internationally. Jacqui Dankworth and Charlie Wood will play a support set. This is a major event deserving of a full house. To be a part of it contact the box office – 0191 443 4661.

Billed as a ‘late night’ double bill (Sunday, 8:15 pm), The Waal and Hannabiell and Midnight Blue are guaranteed to revive the flagging weekend festival goer with an exhilarating closing performance. Sage Gateshead’s programme of performances on the concourse will present new names and established names on Saturday afternoon and again on Sunday. The café will sustain those in it for the long haul and the bars will be open throughout. The programme is as follows:

Saturday 5

2:30 – 3:00 Jazz Attack Sage Gateshead’s Young Musicians’ Programme (Paul Edis)

3:30 – 4:00 James Carmichael Ensemble

4:30 – 5:00 Triplestix

5:30 – 6:00 Not Now Charlie BMus (Hons) Jazz, Popular & Commercial Music Degree

                   Course alumni

6:30 – 7:00 The Lindsay Hannon Plus

Sunday 6

1:30 – 2:00 James Birkett Ensemble

2:30 – 3:00 Anth Purdy (guitar)

3:30 – 4:00 Abducted by Aliens

4:30 – 5:00 Slowlight Quartet

5:30 – 6:00 Northumberland Youth Jazz Orchestra

6:30 – 7:00 Shefaffa Trio + guests

This year’s festival late night club is at the Jazz Café, Pink Lane, Newcastle. The venue’s newly renovated upstairs performance space will open its doors for the first time especially for the festival. The music gets under way at 11:00 pm on Friday with the house band – Alan Law (piano), John Pope (double bass) and Jonathan Marriott (drums) entertaining into the early hours. It is likely that some of the festival stars will turn up keen to play in a relaxed, informal setting. On Saturday the Slowlight Quartet will be downstairs from 11:00 pm and from midnight the upstairs room will once again feature Alan Law, John Pope and drummer Dave McKeague (Marriott will be on duty downstairs with the Slowlight Quartet) with a host of sitters-in expected. All comers are welcome to perform or simply sit and listen.    

Finally, the doyen of British jazz photographers David Redfern and his protégé Edu Hawkins will be exhibiting their jazz photography during the 2014 Gateshead International Jazz Festival. Redfern has photographed all of the jazz greats during a long, distinguished career. The Unclosed Eyes Exhibition: The Music Photography of David Redfern and Edu Hawkins. An absolute treat. The Gateshead International Jazz Festival is at Sage Gateshead, April 4-6.      

Russell.