Preview: Hexham Jazz Festival (Friday 13, day 1/3)

After an absence of many years the picturesque Northumberland market town of Hexham is about to witness the return of...the Hexham Jazz Festival! This time next week, Tyne Valley jazz fans, and many from further afield, will be making a bee-line to Hexham to listen to a series of top class concerts. Over the long weekend of Friday 13 - Sunday 15 the focus of attention will be on the stunning Grade I listed Hexham Abbey. 

Originally built in AD 674, Hexham Abbey stands somewhat modestly on Beaumont Street, once inside, its grandeur is rather striking. Beginning on Friday 13 May, the action gets underway at half past seven with a performance by the hugely popular Hot Club du Nord. Stéphane Grappelli, Django Reinhardt and more, Emma Fisk's accomplished outfit will guarantee a flying start. At nine o'clock, there'll be a reunion of two old friends - Paul Edis and Graeme Wilson. 

Album review: Jim Self/John Chiodini - Hangin' Out

Jim Self (tuba); John Chiodini (guitar) + Scott Whitfield (trombone); David Angel (baritone sax); Tom Peterson (tenor sax); Ron Stout (trumpet, flugel).

A pleasing album that doesn't threaten the walls of Jericho concentrating instead on the more melodic aspects. Tuba and guitar may seem like strange bedfellows but the combination works well with Self providing both rhythmic support and lyrical solos - yes tubas can play lyrical! Chiodini chords and solos impeccably - no drums needed.

Jazz on the Tyne previews the Hexham Jazz Festival with Paul Edis

Performer, educator and composer Paul Edis is the special guest on the latest edition of Jazz on the Tyne.  He’ll be talking with presenter Colin Muirhead about the upcoming Hexham Jazz Festival and his current projects.

The show will feature tracks by Paul and many of the other artists appearing at the festival, namely Jo Harrop, Emma Fisk’s Hot Club du Nord, Graeme Wilson, James Kitchman and the Abbie Finn Trio.  There’ll also be music by Trish Clowes and Tommy Smith.

You can listen to the show anytime from noon on Saturday May 7 HERE. Plus, you can request tunes for future programmes by emailing Colin at jazz.tyne.hive@gmail.com.

Cheltenham Jazz Festival: Laura Jurd @ Parabola Arts Centre - May 1

It seems like years since I last saw Laura Jurd and I couldn’t remember how many times I’ve seen her. I know the first time was at the Scarborough Jazz Festival and Mrs T reminded me of one occasion I’d forgotten about. Nor had I done my homework properly and wasn’t expecting the eleven piece group I’d seen at Sage Gateshead a few years back. Interesting to see if the intervening years had affected my appreciation of this generation of British jazz.

Album Review: Ester Wiesnerova – Blue Journal

Ester Wiesnerova (vocals); Sam Knight (sax); Charles Overton (harp); Kan Yanabe (percussion); Michal Selep (bass)

The first impression you get about this album is its beautiful packaging: a cardboard box containing a blue felt-covered notebook, which shows the song lyrics, photographs of scenes and personnel, and many blank pages for your own notes. I suppose you could write replies to the songs!

The next surprise is that this is the debut album of a Slovakian singer, and, with the exception of the Bratislava Hot Serenaders, Slovakia isn't a country noted for jazz, but rather for classical and folk music. If this CD is an example of Slovakian jazz then we have much to look forward to.

Cheltenham Jazz Festival: Electric Ladyland Big Band @ the Jazz Arena – May 1

I’ve never seen the Jazz Arena this busy. Was it the pull of Hendrix, of which I approve, or big bands, of which I don’t? Probably both.

Four of each: trumpets, trombones and saxes; drums, bass, keyboards and of course guitar; this is the brainchild of Denny Ilett armed with a typically Hendrix white Stratocaster guitar. Trumpets behind the rhythm section with saxes and trombones on either side and more lights and dry ice than is common at a jazz gig.

Ain’t No Tellin’ and If 6 was 9 were familiar, the latter with nice interplay between pedalled-up guitar and baritone, before an enthusiastic drum solo from the ever smiling and bouncy Daisy Palmer, which drew the usual rapturous applause and earned her the loudest cheer during band introductions. Crosstown Traffic featured a fine alto solo and a guitar solo serving the first notice that Hendrix probably transformed his instrument more than anybody else before or since.

Steve Oakes Band @ the Railway, Stockport - May 3

(© Jeff Pritchard)

Steve Oakes  (guitar); Aaron Wood (trumpet); Ed Kainyek (alto sax); Gavin Barras (bass); Tim Franks (drums).

On the first Tuesday of each month you can find Steve Oakes here at the Railway leading his excellent quartet plus a guest who tonight was trumpeter Aaron Wood, a fine player who I first heard playing in Mike Hall’s octet a few years ago. On that occasion I was very impressed by his performance and tonight he had no problem with the tunes that Oakes had chosen for the gig, the majority of which were be-bop classics. His sound tonight put me in mind of the late, great, bop pioneer Kenny Dorham who was a member of an early edition of the Jazz Messengers.

Where have all the blowers gone? Black Swan Jam Session - May 3

Laurence Harrison (guitar); Paul Grainger (bass); King David Ike-Elechi (drums); Jeremy McMurray (keys) + Esther Coombes (alto sax); Harry Keeble (tenor sax); Charles Harrison, Joe Steels, Jimi Savage (guitar); Abbie Finn, Tom ?, Wilf Pease (drums); Niffi Osiyemi, Finnuala Bradbury, Temi ?, Susan? ?; Patrick Cromb, Ian ?, Will Reece, A.N. Other x 2 (vocals).

Midway through the opening Days of Wine and Roses the house trio, with the arrival of Jeremy McMurray, became a quartet.

The pianist and bassist Grainger remained on board for the rest of the evening as a procession of singers, drummers and guitarists trotted back and forth with the only horn players being Harry and Esther.

Cheltenham Jazz Festival: Paul Dunmall Quartet @ Parabola Arts Centre - May 1.

Paul Dunmall (tenor, soprano sax); Liam Noble (piano); John Edwards (double bass); Mark Sanders (drums).

Is it really three years since we were last in Cheltenham?!

 

As preparation for this gig I bought my first Dunmall album and streamed another on the way down. So far so good and the gig was essentially more of the same. I like free jazz but maintain what I consider healthy scepticism. It’s all about making it up as they go along, though within tried and tested motifs, licks, riffs, melodies, rhythms, harmonies, timbre, textures etc. This isn’t necessarily a criticism and some say the music’s child-like, which isn’t necessarily a criticism either.

Heidi Martin - Gifts & Sacrifices

(Press release)

Spring is here with Gifts & Sacrifices, the new album from American vocalist and composer Heidi Martin, recorded at NYC’s GSI Studio last June. Born in Washington DC, Heidi honed her craft under the tutelage of elder Grady Tate while absorbing the city’s additional jazz royalty:  Shirley Horn, Reuben Brown, and Steve Novosel at DC’s own historic venue ‘One Step Down’.