Preview: Miriam Ast & Victor Gutierrez @ Lit & Phil

An exciting duo gig this Friday lunchtime (March 15) at the Lit & Phil features vocalist Miriam Ast and pianist Victor Gutierrez. It's part of a European tour with their Newcastle gig sitting nicely between Leeds and London. Prior to the Lit & Phil, they'll have played concerts in both the Czech Republic and Germany. After their UK stint, they return to Germany and follow it up with some dates in Spain.

Last year, BSH reviewed a CD by the duo with Stan Sulzmann and, I think that, even without the great saxman, this is going to be a very enjoyable lunch hour. 

Lance.

Miriam Ast & Victor Gutierrez - Lit & Phil, Westgate Road, Newcastle NE1 1SE. Tel: 0191 232 0192. 1:00pm. £5.00.

IAJRC: The Final Chapter

(Report by Russell)

Dealers of rare records congregated at this year's Bix Fest in Wisconsin. A weekend record fayre presented collectors with an amazing opportunity to acquire sought after items, many of them on 78. Shellac, ten and twelve-inch vinyl, cassette tape, new-fangled compact disc format, sheet music, this was a kid-in-a-sweet-shop dream come true!

The International Association of Jazz Record Collectors maintained its usual presence at the event although on this occasion it was tinged with sadness. The voluntary association's long-established magazine - fifty-plus volumes! - is soon to close. The online social media revolution and falling membership numbers has led to the decision to cease publication. IAJRC trustee Sally Fee informed Bebop Spoken Here that one more quarterly edition will be published - a collector's item in itself! - thereafter the association will maintain an online web presence for the foreseeable future.

CD Review: Snorre Kirk - Beat

Snorre Kirk (drums/compositions); Tobias Wiklund (cornet); Klas Lindquist (alto sax/clarinet); Jan Harbeck (tenor sax); Magnus Hjorth (piano); Lasse Mørk (bass).

(Review by Lance).

Reading the blurb that accompanies CDs for review can either whet your appetite or make you wonder if the writer is in the right job. Here, a reference is made to a composition by Duke Ellington's bassist - Juan Tizol!

Fortunately, the music makes up for this howler so I read no further, leaving the music to speak for itself.

Unlike so many Scandinavian albums (Kirk is Norwegian, Lindquist and Wiklund are Swedish, Harbeck and Mørk are Danish), Beat sits comfortably 'twixt swing and bop having the luxuriant feel of an Ellington small group whilst, at the same time, sounding as modern as a late breakfast. In other words, it swings without dragging.

Ian Bosworth Quartet with guests @ Dormans Jazz Club - March 7

Ian Bosworth (guitar); Ron Smith (bass); Peter Crinion (keys); Mark Hawkins (drums); + Donna Hewitt (sax) and Rod Millgate (keys/vocal).

(Review by Ron H)

Although newly formed, most of the players were known to the audience and they were duly appreciated as they kicked off the night in fine style with Cantaloupe Island which included a nice solo from Donna on alto. Ian’s feature, Affirmation, also went down well, the particularly tight ending impressed.

A favourite of mine, Buddy Johnson's Since I Fell For You, had great dynamics, thoughtful guitar and sax solos as well as a real blues feeling which went beyond the basic 12 bar changes.

Sunday @ Bix Fest, Racine, Wisconsin - March 10

(Review by Russell)

Sunday at this thirtieth edition of Bix Fest coincided with Bix Beiderbecke's birth date - March 10 (1903). Born in Davenport, Iowa, the legendary cornetist could never have imagined that 116 years after his death there would be more than one festival celebrating his contribution to jazz including Bix Fest here in Racine, Wisconsin some 200 miles northeast of his birthplace. To mark Bix's birth date there would be cake for all Bixians.  

The line-up on the final day was, in effect, a reprise of Saturday evening's concert. Andy Schumm returned with his Cellar Boys, Reginald Robinson and John Reed-Torres 

enthralled the capacity audience with yet more spellbinding ragtime piano, Milwaukee's Sweet Sheiks made the short trip down the freeway a second time and the Shake 'Em Up gals were around to close the party. 

Burton Agnes Latest.

More acts have been added to this year's Burton Agnes Jazz Festival line-up.
Full details here.
Lance.

Missing piano

The frequently used (and abused) upright has disappeared from the forecourt of Newcastle Central Station - A reward of 88 notes is being offered for its return.

Lance.

CD Review: Cathy Segal-Garcia - Dreamsville

Cathy Segal-Garcia (vocals); Larry Koonse (guitar); Josh Nelson (piano)

(Review by Ann Alex)

The twelfth CD from Cathy Segal-Garcia, singer, songwriter, teacher, and linchpin on the Los Angeles jazz scene, sees her working with A-list musicians, Larry Koonse, a first-call guitarist who has recorded 5 CD’s as a leader plus many others as a sideman, and pianist Josh Nelson, who has 6 albums to his credit and who has also created a multi-media show that involves music, art and visuals.

Dreamsville comprises 8 standards, 2 songs written by Ms Segal-Garcia, and also a piece from the classical repertoire, Scarlatti’s Sonata in B Minor L33, which was originally written for harpsichord. The three musicians worked out all the arrangements together during rehearsals, with the rich alto voice floating over a lush piano and guitar accompaniment.

Saturday evening @ Bix Fest, Racine, Wisconsin - March 9

(Review by Russell)

They get dressed up for this one. Saturday evening at Bix Fest features some of the very best classic jazz era musicians to be found anywhere on the planet. Hot Chicago jazz, N'Awlins’ finest, ragtime masters and Wisconsin's own, this was to be a veritable feast of jazz. 

Reginald Robinson entertained the rapidly filling room with a selection of blues and ragtime numbers some of which were original compositions. Robinson's Little Dave Blues was inspired by his father's rather unusual day (night?) job...driver to mobster John Dillinger! Racine is but a short hop on the freeway from Chicago and this evening there were one or two mobster types at Bix Fest, thankfully they were swing dancers dressed to the nines. Hey, is that Bogie over there?! 

Robinson's partner in crime - sorry, ragtime - John Reed-Torres belatedly arrived to play Queen's Rag. Meanwhile, none of the guys appeared to be packing heat as they escorted their gals onto the by now crowded dance floor. 

Milwaukee's Sweet Sheiks took to the stage to play their opening set. Clarinet/alto sax, trombone, guitar/musical saw, banjo/guitar, brass bass and washboard, the young local six-piece kept the dancers on their feet with an hour or so of favourite numbers including Dr Jazz and The Sheik of Araby. 

CD Review: Kevin MacKenzie - ‘The Ballad of Future Joe’

  Kevin MacKenzie (guitar); Mario Caribe (bass); Alyn Cosker (drums).

(Review by Roly Veitch)

Scotland’s Kevin McKenzie, a contemporary styled jazz guitarist of international class, is one of a select group of guitarists who, with authority and lyricism, have absorbed the legacy of players such as Abercrombie, Metheny and Scofield to develop an attractive, warm and very fluent personal style. It’s a style based on a mix of interesting melodic lines, subtle contemporary chord voicings and all executed with a fine sense of form, rhythm and dynamics.

In this trio recording he joins with two more of Scotland’s finest – drummer Alyn Cosker and bassist Mario Caribe, a Brazilian who came to study music in Scotland and stayed. The result is a powerful unit capable of gentle lyricism through to high energy group interaction but always with an overriding discretion brought about by impeccable musicianship and good taste.

In this newly released CD all of this is there to listen to in abundance.