(Preview by Russell)
Last month the Beast from the East decimated jazz gigs across the region. April is bound to be kinder, isn’t it? And with the Gateshead International Jazz Festival starting on Friday 6th it had better be! For three days Sage Gateshead is the only game in town. Tiptoe open proceedings playing a set on the concourse at six o’clock on Friday and from then there is a non-stop three days of concerts, pre concert talks and workshops. Topping the bill on Friday evening is…you decide – the triple bill of the Sun Ra Arkestra, Tony Allen’s Art Blakey set and Zara McFarlane, perhaps the programme of four European pianists playing solo sets – Alexander Hawkins, Kaja Draksler, Bojan Z and Giovanni Guidi, or will you choose to hear the Big Chris Barber Band?
Saturday gets under way at 10.30am with Pete Churchill’s all ages vocal workshop. Restaurant critic Jay Rayner plays jazz piano, Issie Barratt conducts a Jazz Co-op workshop ahead of her Interchange Dectet’s performance on Sunday, Sheila Jordan returns to conduct a masterclass, Norma Winstone shares a stage with American guitarist Ralph Towner and Ruby Turner is the attraction in Sage One in a double bill with Maceo Parker. More late night sets follow including Chris Sharkey’s premiere performance of The Orchid and the Wasp.
Sunday dawns early with a European Jazz Network seminar (10.30am) Gender in Jazz, Sheila Jordan performs in concert with the Pete Churchill Trio with the bonus of a support set by Zoë Gilby and Andy Champion. Elsewhere in the Norman Foster-designed building you can find the regional youth jazz ensemble Jambone, an afternoon of jazz programmed by Jazz North East, House of the Black Gardenia and the top class Guy Barker Big Band with Georgie Fame. Many more events are scheduled during the weekend. For full details visit www.sagegateshead.com
Russell
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