Ronnie's or Smitty's? It was a tough call. The Omar Puente Sextet v The Joe Webb Trio. I put my head around the virtual door on Frith St. then hightailed it over to 63-65 Broadway Market where the trio were paying tribute to Ahmad Jamal's legendary Live at the Pershing album recorded at the Pershing Lounge, Chicago, in 1958.
It only took one number to know I'd be staying!
A high octane fifth album for Ben Wendel, the Canadian tenor maestro based in New York, here with a sextet drawn from that city’s current elite. The album is a showcase not only for Wendel’s prodigious and muscular post-bop technique, but also for his compositions, executed brilliantly and sensitively by a band so much more than the sum of its stellar parts.
BSH: When did it all begin? Were you from a musical family?
Alan: Yes I was. I was born in London, my father was a pro violinist and my mother was a good amateur pianist. When I was three the war started so they decided to leave London and return to the North East (Boldon Colliery) and there I was!
BSH: You are known for saying very little, if anything, on a gig. Is this simply due to being the shy type?
Alan: Actually, I thought I was ok on the mic! I crack a few gags occasionally and get a laugh out of the audience. I don't announce the tunes - but that's in the great jazz tradition. Miles, Garner, Evans and Jarrett never said a word between them!
BSH: In 1969 you led a big band at the Newcastle Festival (a few years later the first Newcastle Jazz Festival would come into being). What was the name of the band? What sort of band was it? Were you writing original music at the time or arranging classic big band charts?
Alan: I remember the first festival before it became a Jazz Festival. Goodness knows where the money came from, but I can remember Ray Charles, Yehudi Menuhin, the Woody Herman band & Shirley Bassey and Elizabeth Schwarzkopf - how's that for a couple of divas? I had a big band and I wrote a suite in three movements based on the blues sequence, I think I called it Aspects. Dankworth said the only reason for his big band was to play his own music & it's the same with me.
Jerry sent me this link which, should you 'appen to be in 'ampstead during the EFG London Jazz Festival, looks good but don't 'ang about - book now.
Lance.
(Press release)
Russell
This year's Jazz FM Awards were announced via live stream from Ronnie Scott's (who missed out to The Vortex in the Venue of the Year category).
Xhosa Cole picked up The Breakthrough Act Award.
Yazz Ahmed grabbed a couple which should stand her in good stead for her forthcoming gig at Sage Gateshead.
Binker Golding scored as did Judi Jackson. For the full list of winners click here.
Congratulations to all.
Lance
Russell
Arcadia were, it seems, previously known as TransAtlantic Collective under which heading they performed close to 100 concerts in 8 different countries from 2006 - 2009.
They have come together again to take the listener on a journey through a set of, quote, "inspiring scenes".
These scenes include a description of an ascent of Great Head Mountain (Way of the Cairns), a beachside stargazing party - as one does - (Star Party) and other explorations through the "untamed wilderness" of Arcadia, an American National Park up there in the northeastern corner of Maine.
(Press release)
The full series is also live streamed, opening up performances beyond the 300 capacity the venue is able to accommodate due to social distancing.
This announcement follows the news that Sage Gateshead has been awarded £1.8 million from the government’s Cultural Recovery Fund. This support, along with the ongoing £3 million fundraising campaign, will help the organisation through to March 2021.
Abigail Pogson, Managing Director of Sage Gateshead said:
