Also joining Mr Holland at 10:30pm on BBC 2 is the brilliant Joe Webb! Kansas Smitty's similarly propelled pianist Webb to stardom. A standing ovation at Newcastle's Lit & Phil, sold out appearances at Ronnie Scott's, to sharing a concert stage with none other than Wynton Marsalis, affable Joe is one of the finest pianists of his generation. That's Saturday night sorted.
Less than twenty four hours later, over on BBC 4, it's this year's BBC Young Jazz Musician: the Final. Tune in at nine o'clock to check out four musicians hoping to impress the judges and take the 2024 title.
YolanDa Brown and Huw Stevens are the presenters and the judging panel is comprised of Nikki Yeoh, Soweto Kinch, Laura Jurd, Jasper Høiby and Zara McFarlane.
The televised event is part of the EFG London Jazz Festival and the four contestants are saxophonist George Johnson, bassist Ursula Harrison, pianist Nils Kavanagh, and trumpeter Klara Devlin and they'll be backed by Zoe Rahman, Alec Dankworth and Sophie Alloway. Let battle commence!
* If you're out at a gig or gigs this weekend, you could either record the programme(s) or catch up on iPlayer. Russell
4 comments :
You may like to note that young George is the tenor player with Knats. A very fine player and a lovely guy to boot. The BBC filmed him and the boys on Sunday when they played at Lafayette as part of London Jazz Festival. I'll be rooting for him!
Watched Jools Jalen was excellent and Joe out Jooled Jools phenomenal playing, I still think his gig at the Lit and Phil was one of the best things I have seen in a long time
Neil, I couldn't agree more!
I must admit I have long given up watching 'Jools Holland....Later' having tired of his self-satisfied persona, the in-the-round format and his toe-curlingly bad 'interviews'. However when BSH's Radio Times-reading correspondent gave advance notice that pianist Joe Webb would be on, that was different.
Skipping MOTD I had the TV on while washing up and noticed that JH was as smug as ever, the circular format was the same and if anything his interviews were even worse (he asked the singer St Vincent about doing DIY).
The bands' outfits varied from the distinctive and colourful to, in the case of one band member, what could only be described as skimpy.
Jalen Ngonda's voice was exceptional but I would prefer to hear him in a small venue like NUSU. This could also be said of a couple of the other bands playing.
Joe Webb was the last guest and he kept his end up in the fashion stakes by wearing a bright red leather jacket.
Then he just smashed it!
Playing a combination of his own composition 'CollBlanc' and Fats Wallers' 'Squeeze Me', his ferociously good technique, musicality and pleasure in playing meant this was five minutes of pure joy.
I forgive you everything, Jools, for having him on (but thank the Lord you didn't try and play a duet with him!).
JC
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