Matthew’s Farewell Jazz Party @ The Jazz Café

(Preview by Russell)

Matthew MacKellar first came to the attention of the jazz world sitting-in at Dave Weisser’s Take it to the Bridge weekly jazz workshop. Matthew, at the time perhaps all of fourteen, said little, a mere nod of the head to indicate he was comfortable with the next tune drawn from Weisser’s extensive pad. Wednesday evenings in the upstairs function room of the Chillingham pub house became the essential night out. Drummers Eric Stutt and Paul Wight were fulsome in their praise of Matthew.

In establishing a Saturday morning workshop band at Newcastle’s Lit and Phil, pianist, bandleader and educator Paul Edis offered Matthew the drum chair. The Early Bird Band (a Saturday morning workshop starting at the early hour of 9:30ish gave the band its name!) worked on established jazz tunes, and before long a paying public began turning up at eleven o’clock eager to hear a half-hour set by the young musicians. One Tuesday evening Matthew turned up at the Jazz Café’s top flight jam session looking to sit in. The session takes no prisoners and Matthew more than held his own. Regulars asked: Who’s he? Soon those same regulars would say: I hope Matthew turns up tonight! The house rhythm section was impressed and on more than one occasion Matthew has played the session as a member of the house band.

 In recent times Matthew has sat in with tenor saxophonist Vasilis Xenopoulos, played several sets at the Jazz Co-op’s International Jazz Day celebrations and worked with Sue Ferris at the Durham Jazz Festival. Now Matthew has good reason to celebrate. He has received an offer to study at the world-famous Berklee College of Music. In a few weeks, he will head off to Boston, Massachusetts, USA for what is sure to be a once in a lifetime experience. Matthew invites you to join him and his jazz friends for an evening of non-stop music at the Jazz Café on Thursday 13 July. Upstairs and downstairs, there will be jazz, jazz, jazz! A cast of thousands will be in attendance, this is an event you cannot afford to miss. Admission on the night is £6.00. Proceeds to the Early Birds’ youth jazz development project.

Matthew’s development as a musician is, in part, due to expert tuition. His drum tutors Dave Lourie and Geoff Hutchinson should take a bow, so too guitar tutor John Wilson. These are the behind the scenes characters who don’t seek the spotlight but are deserving of recognition.

The timetable of events on the evening, with, perhaps a little tweaking here and there, is as follows:

19:00 Doors

19:10 – 19:30 Ben Lawrence Trio (downstairs)

19:35 – 20:00 Early Bird Band (upstairs)

20:05 – 20:30 John Wilson Trio (Wilson, Deon Krishnan, Matthew MacKellar, downstairs)

20:35 – 21:00 Francis Tulip Quartet (upstairs)

21:05 Announcements & raffle draw

21:20 – 21:45 Paul Edis Trio (Edis, Deon Krishnan, John Pope TBC, Russ Morgan TBC, downstairs)

21:50 – 22:15 Dave Weisser Combo (upstairs)

22:20 – close Jam session (downstairs)

So, put the date in the diary – Thursday 13 July. Seven o’clock start. Unmissable.