Preview: Mike Durham’s Classic Jazz Party - October 27-29

(Preview by Russell)

Musicians from Europe and America are currently flying into Newcastle International Airport ahead of Mike Durham’s Classic Jazz Party. This year’s festival of classic era jazz will be staged as usual at the Village Hotel, North Tyneside with no fewer than nine first time participants joining the many established names at the three-day event. The Classic Jazz Party runs from Friday lunchtime (Oct 27) through to the early hours of Monday. Indeed, some of the early arrivals will be taking part in an opening ‘Welcome Concert’ on Thursday evening at ten o’clock. It’s a marathon event and stamina is an essential requirement to see you through three days of non-stop world-class jazz.

Of the nine debutants, four are trumpeters; Manhattan School of Music graduate Mike Davis flies in from NYC, Torstein Kubban and Malo Mazurié arrive from Europe, with Jamie Brownfield flying the British flag. Friday lunchtime will be the first opportunity to hear Davis in ‘The Georgians’ and with a line-up that includes Michael McQuaid making a welcome return to the Classic Jazz Party and USA percussion maestro Josh Duffee in on it this promises to be an early highlight.

Another new name, Ewan Bleach, reeds, leads ‘Bleach’s Buoys’ in a half hour set at 3:30 on Friday afternoon. New Yorker Davis joins him, likewise Martin Litton, piano, Martin Wheatley, guitar, Henri Lemaire, bass and Richard Pite, drums. At four o’clock ‘The Ellington Orchestra 1927’ could be the pick of the day with debuts by Jamie Brownfield and two vocalists; British resident  Chicagoan Joan Viskant and Nicolle Rochelle. 

As well as the influx of national and international musicians, the northeast is also represented by the highly acclaimed jazz violinist Emma Fisk, who appears in a variety of settings, bassist John Carstairs Hallam and brass bassist Phil Richardson.

Saturday (day 2) includes ‘Banjo Eccentricities’ at two o’clock featuring Germany’s tenor banjo star Peter Bayerer accompanied by Classic Jazz Party mainstay Mr Keith Nichols. Later, at four o’clock,  ‘The Early Kirby Band’ is sure to feature Malcolm Sked, with a little help from Duffee, Rochelle, and the brilliant American pianist David Boeddinghaus. The evening session includes a survey of NYC, 1930s to 1950s, in ‘Seuffert’s 52nd Street’ presented by multi-reedman Matthias Seuffert. Expect some ‘modern’ sounds as Seuffert is joined by an all-star band including debutant Malo Mazurié on trumpet.

Day three, bright and early, 12 noon, ‘Four Bright Sparks’ sees John Duffee playing the xylophone! The Classic Jazz Party acquired a suitable instrument for the duration, and our man from Iowa will be playing it at more than one session over the weekend. One o’clock, stand by for some fireworks as Jamie Brownfield takes the part of Jabbo Smith. Keith Nichols directs, David Boeddinghaus is in on it, as is Henri Lemaire, banjo, and 2017 debutant Frenchwoman Elise Sut playing brass bass.

To close the marathon weekend ‘The Nichols-Duffee All-Star Orchestra’ will once again hold court. Suffice to say the line-up is indeed ‘all-star’ and a fitting way in which to bring down the curtain on a Classic Jazz Party of the highest quality.

Russell

For details of ticket availability visit: wbjazzfest@btinternet.com