(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.
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