Alexander Hawkins Posted April 1, 2009 Report Posted April 1, 2009 Another of my intermittent plugs, for those in the UK or who happen to be on the road over here... At the end of this month, and into May, The Convergence Quartet will be touring again. The line-up: Taylor Ho Bynum (cornet); Harris Eisenstadt (drums/percussion); Dominic Lash (double bass); and myself on piano. We play: Bristol Cube - 25/4 Reading Rising Sun Arts Centre - 26/4 London Vortex Jazz Club - 27/4 Birmingham Rainbow Jazz Club - 29/4 Oxford University Denis Arnold Hall - 30/4 Cheltenham Club Xposed (part of Cheltenham International Jazz Festival) - 1/5 Cambridge Churchill College - 2/5 Colchester Arts Centre - 3/5 We're in the studio on 4/5, so more on that as and when... Then, after that session, I'm across London that night to the Conway Hall, for the Freedom of the City festival, back after a year's hiatus. Fantastic venue, beautiful piano, and a duo with the awesome Tony Marsh. And finally, the week after, on 12th May, my first time with the iconic South African drummer Louis Moholo-Moholo. I'm very excited to be depping for the evening for Steve Beresford in the Foxes Fox quartet, so Evan Parker, tenor; John Edwards, double bass; me at the piano; and Louis Moholo-Moholo on drums. As always, would be great to see anyone out and about supporting live music! (and more details here if need be) Quote
Alexander Hawkins Posted April 7, 2009 Author Report Posted April 7, 2009 ...btw - also a free workshop on the afternoon of April 30th at Oxford University... Quote
A Lark Ascending Posted April 7, 2009 Report Posted April 7, 2009 Good luck with all of these, Alex. You seem to be moving in heavy company. What a pity Appleby is still not running - I suspect I'd have got to hear you at the Freezone. Quote
Alexander Hawkins Posted April 7, 2009 Author Report Posted April 7, 2009 Thanks Bev! I would have loved to have played at Appleby...one of those festival line-ups I would look at longingly each year! As a regular, have you heard anything about it? Is it actually defunct, or on 'gardening leave'? We have the Freedom of the City festival back this year, after all... Quote
A Lark Ascending Posted April 7, 2009 Report Posted April 7, 2009 (edited) I suspect it has gone for good, Alex. Neil Ferber, who was the heart and soul of it, seemed to have been disheartened by the poor turnout in 2007 (the time of the endless rain and floods) and the sudden withdrawl of funding. I think I read he'd moved to Italy (the 2007 festival had a big Italian element which must have upped the cost). Edited April 7, 2009 by Bev Stapleton Quote
Alexander Hawkins Posted April 9, 2009 Author Report Posted April 9, 2009 What a shame... Ah yes, the Italians! Didn't Paolo Angeli come over? I keep meaning to check out the trio with Angeli, Ned Rothenberg and Evan Parker which I think was recorded at the festival that year... Quote
Chuck Nessa Posted April 9, 2009 Report Posted April 9, 2009 Looks like a great series of gigs. Hope all goes well. This reminds me to play the cd tonight. Quote
Alexander Hawkins Posted April 10, 2009 Author Report Posted April 10, 2009 Thank you - it's a privilege to get to play with musicians like these! Quote
Alexander Hawkins Posted April 20, 2009 Author Report Posted April 20, 2009 Hope no-one minds me 'upping' this...less than a week to go until the first gigs of the tour... Please come out and support live music if you can make it! And an addition to the above information: We also play the live BBC show from the Everyman Theatre late on Friday 1 May. Tickets are free, but do need to be reserved in advance. If you can't make it, the show is broadcast late night on May 4! Also on the bill for the BBC show - the Will Vinson Quartet, featuring Kurt Rosenwinkel; and 'Get the Blessing'. Quote
A Lark Ascending Posted April 20, 2009 Report Posted April 20, 2009 What a shame... Ah yes, the Italians! Didn't Paolo Angeli come over? I keep meaning to check out the trio with Angeli, Ned Rothenberg and Evan Parker which I think was recorded at the festival that year... They did...Rothenberg went over my head but Angeli was astounding. A fourth Italian was due to play but he got lost at Dover and never made it! Quote
sidewinder Posted April 20, 2009 Report Posted April 20, 2009 We also play the live BBC show from the Everyman Theatre late on Friday 1 May. Tickets are free, but do need to be reserved in advance. If you can't make it, the show is broadcast late night on May 4! Also on the bill for the BBC show - the Will Vinson Quartet, featuring Kurt Rosenwinkel; and 'Get the Blessing'. I've got a ticket for this show. Looking forward to it ! Quote
Alexander Hawkins Posted April 20, 2009 Author Report Posted April 20, 2009 What a shame... Ah yes, the Italians! Didn't Paolo Angeli come over? I keep meaning to check out the trio with Angeli, Ned Rothenberg and Evan Parker which I think was recorded at the festival that year... They did...Rothenberg went over my head but Angeli was astounding. A fourth Italian was due to play but he got lost at Dover and never made it! Yeah - Angeli is incredible! I had never heard of him or met him, but we shared a bill down in Oxford, and he was mindblowing. And an extremely nice guy to boot! He gave me a copy of his duo with Hamid Drake - great stuff. We also play the live BBC show from the Everyman Theatre late on Friday 1 May. Tickets are free, but do need to be reserved in advance. If you can't make it, the show is broadcast late night on May 4! Also on the bill for the BBC show - the Will Vinson Quartet, featuring Kurt Rosenwinkel; and 'Get the Blessing'. I've got a ticket for this show. Looking forward to it ! Great! I hope it's a good'un...an exciting line-up! Quote
A Lark Ascending Posted April 20, 2009 Report Posted April 20, 2009 Yeah - Angeli is incredible! I had never heard of him or met him, but we shared a bill down in Oxford, and he was mindblowing. And an extremely nice guy to boot! He gave me a copy of his duo with Hamid Drake - great stuff The one he did of music by Fred Frith and Bjork is marvellous too. Quote
Alexander Hawkins Posted April 20, 2009 Author Report Posted April 20, 2009 I must get that one! He played his Frith/Bjork set when I caught him, and it was wonderful. Quote
Alexander Hawkins Posted April 24, 2009 Author Report Posted April 24, 2009 Final publicity 'up' from me...we hit the road tomorrow Quote
A Lark Ascending Posted April 24, 2009 Report Posted April 24, 2009 Have just booked a ticked for the BBC Friday show. I'm usually knackered on Friday after a day at work, the drive and one concert. But I realy want to hear your band, Alex. Looking forward to it. Good luck with the tour. Quote
Alexander Hawkins Posted April 26, 2009 Author Report Posted April 26, 2009 Bev - thank you so much - *really* appreciate the support! Do say hi if there's the chance! Quote
sidewinder Posted April 26, 2009 Report Posted April 26, 2009 A few late night long distance drives coming up on Friday night then. Thursday is also no better for me, with the Pat Martino film do. Flask of coffee for the car methinks ! Quote
Alexander Hawkins Posted May 9, 2009 Author Report Posted May 9, 2009 First - a big thank you to everyone who came out to support The Convergence Quartet. Second, just upping this for a final plug for Tuesday's gig at the Vortex, where somehow I find myself on stage with three masters: depping for Steve Beresford, I'm temporarily the fourth fox in the Foxes Fox quartet: Evan Parker, John Edwards, and Louis Moholo-Moholo. Please come down if you're free! Quote
Alexander Hawkins Posted April 15, 2010 Author Report Posted April 15, 2010 Given that the thread title is still valid, just thought I'd post a couple of gigs coming up! April 26 at The Vortex in London, it's the Louis Moholo-Moholo Unit: Louis (d); Jason Yarde and Ntshuks Bonga (saxophones); Francine Luce (vocals); John Edwards (b); AH (p)...a real privilege to play with this band, now that the fantastic Pule Pheto has moved back to South Africa... May 13th at Cafe Oto, London, it's the Sonny Simmons Quartet: Sonny, John Edwards, Charlie Collins (d), and myself...hugely looking forward to this, never having played with Sonny before... Please do come and say hi if you're able to make it to either! Quote
A Lark Ascending Posted April 15, 2010 Report Posted April 15, 2010 Given that the thread title is still valid, just thought I'd post a couple of gigs coming up! April 26 at The Vortex in London, it's the Louis Moholo-Moholo Unit: Louis (d); Jason Yarde and Ntshuks Bonga (saxophones); Francine Luce (vocals); John Edwards (b); AH (p)...a real privilege to play with this band, now that the fantastic Pule Pheto has moved back to South Africa... May 13th at Cafe Oto, London, it's the Sonny Simmons Quartet: Sonny, John Edwards, Charlie Collins (d), and myself...hugely looking forward to this, never having played with Sonny before... Please do come and say hi if you're able to make it to either! Wish I could get to April 26th in particular. Louis Moholo is a long time favourite (think I first saw him back in '77) and Jason Yarde one of the most exciting players around currently - the duo record he did with Andrew McCormack last year is superb. Quote
Alexander Hawkins Posted April 15, 2010 Author Report Posted April 15, 2010 (edited) Thanks Bev - yes, I must check out that recent record of Jason's! Louis' current group is beautiful - the recent Ogun record is wonderful! I really love Pule's playing - wish I'd got to hear him in person before he moved back to SA. Edited April 15, 2010 by Alexander Hawkins Quote
Alexander Hawkins Posted April 25, 2010 Author Report Posted April 25, 2010 Just upping this for tomorrow night's gig at the Vortex...forgot to mention - for anyone on the fence - it's a celebration of Bra Louis' 70th birthday, so come down to mark the milestone! Quote
ep1str0phy Posted April 29, 2010 Report Posted April 29, 2010 Man, Alex--you've got your hands in some top flight stuff. If I were in the UK, I'd be there in a heartbeat. Makes me think--I played a very random benefit gig with Eddie Gale last night, and I later wound up in the middle of a conversation between Bobby Hutcherson and Steve Turre (earlier I'd had a sit down with John Handy). Friends of mine were there in the 70's and 80's, when community accessibility was still somewhat of a more present possibility; I can only wonder now what it would be like seeing these guys on a more regular basis. But then you're living that life, in a way--weirdly miraculous, but then I can't imagine a more qualified guy... You know, they'd love you out in the SF Bay; the pay would suck (unless you played Yoshi's), but you'd be treated very caringly. The only gig I've seen with Harris Eisenstadt was, I think, right before he left the West Coast (really not sure about this), but it was one of Paul Rutherford's last shows out here (may be the last?). I don't think I appreciated it enough at the time, even though it blew my mind. I'll see if I can hip some of my UK pals to this...zzz Quote
Alexander Hawkins Posted June 3, 2010 Author Report Posted June 3, 2010 Man, Alex--you've got your hands in some top flight stuff. If I were in the UK, I'd be there in a heartbeat. Makes me think--I played a very random benefit gig with Eddie Gale last night, and I later wound up in the middle of a conversation between Bobby Hutcherson and Steve Turre (earlier I'd had a sit down with John Handy). Friends of mine were there in the 70's and 80's, when community accessibility was still somewhat of a more present possibility; I can only wonder now what it would be like seeing these guys on a more regular basis. But then you're living that life, in a way--weirdly miraculous, but then I can't imagine a more qualified guy... You know, they'd love you out in the SF Bay; the pay would suck (unless you played Yoshi's), but you'd be treated very caringly. The only gig I've seen with Harris Eisenstadt was, I think, right before he left the West Coast (really not sure about this), but it was one of Paul Rutherford's last shows out here (may be the last?). I don't think I appreciated it enough at the time, even though it blew my mind. I'll see if I can hip some of my UK pals to this...zzz Thank you! And apologies, I didn't see this at the time. Yeah, I believe that probably was one of Paul's last shows out in the US...trio with Harris and Torsten Muller, I think? Yeah, I would love to come out to the Bay Area...must try to do something about that ASAP! Quote
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