UK Jazz Festivals 2010 Thread

[A Lark Ascending]

Information is starting to leak out on Cheltenham.

Nothing very exciting on the main board yet:

◦Jamie Cullum our Guest Director in 2010 — and headlining at his favourite festival!

◦John Scofield guitar legend — a masterful musician and guitar icon at the top of his game

◦Carla Bley distinguished contemporary jazz composer — and her Lost Chords Quartet — joined by trumpeter Paolo Fresu

◦Eric Bibb the charismatic blues singer-guitarist — making his festival debut in 2010

◦Fantastic Pillar Room programme featuring two of the UK’s finest live bands: Trio VD and Empirical

Though I'd like to see Carla again.

I don't know who Stewart Lee is but this looks interesting:

Following his fantastic win on Celebrity Mastermind — where he specialised on British avant-garde guitarist Derek Bailey — we are excited to announce that comedian Stewart Lee will be joining us at the 2010 Cheltenham Jazz Festival, to explore the world of improvised jazz.

In collaboration with our artistic director Tony Dudley-Evans, Stewart is curating a special three night series, which will include performances by British free-jazz legend Evan Parker, drummer Mark Sanders, bassist John Edwards, rising star of the New York scene trumpeter Peter Evans and a special Xposed Club Night featuring Chris Cundy.

And there is supposed to be a Norwegian theme - Farmers Market, Beady Belle (?) and Food are mentioned.

John Surman and Nicky Yeoh too who got hit by the power cut last year. And Cuong Vu. And Fly (the Mark Turner bans, I assume). Christine Tobin and Liam Noble doing Carole King!

Hopefully something more to get the pulse stirring in the next few weeks.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

7/25/10: Victoria Park, London

E

L

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Edited January 12, 2010 by chewy

[A Lark Ascending]

Ah! Keith ramming his zimmer frame between the keys!

[Alexander Hawkins]

Stewart Lee is great! (I suspect you might recognise him if you were to see him?) He did a lovely interview with Gail Brand on a Jo3 programme in the middle of last year - had some very perceptive things to say indeed. He definitely knows his stuff...often to be seen 'out and about' at gigs in London!

[sidewinder]

Ah! Keith ramming his zimmer frame between the keys!

Supplied by Lemmy?

[A Lark Ascending]

Managed to put a package together of mainly UK performances for Cheltenham. Seems to be weak with non-UK performers this year - cutbacks.

They also don't seem to be using the Everyman for some reason (faulty electrics????!!!!!!). A lot more seems to be being pushed to the 'party' area in the gardens.

Went for:

J10 TRIO VD (what an awful name. It's supposed to mean Valentine's Day...but...)

J12 KIT DOWNES TRIO

J14 NIKKI YEOH TRIO - with John Surman

J16 FOOD - Iain Ballamy and Norwegians

J20 STEWART LEE'S FREEHOUSE - Evan Parker and others

J25 EMPIRICAL

J27 CARLA BLEY - the Lost Chords.

J30 FLY

J31 FRINGE MAGNETIC

[sidewinder]

I was disappointed with the Cheltenham lineup and only the Carla Bley, Empirical and Yeoh/Surman are really of interest. Yep, I'd noticed the Everyman out of action too - however they seem to have a new enclosure venue and maybe they are using that as an alternative so as to get more punters in. Don't like the Jamie Cullum slant this year I'm afraid.

Bath looks better. Kenny Wheeler, Django Bates Parker project, Tom Arthurs, David Murray and a welcome return for Martial Solal (that solo 1987/88 performance in the Guildhall - or was it the Assembly Rooms? - was memorable). Martha Reeves and the Vandellas to wrap things up too ! Also at Bath, they seem to have reverted to using the Pavillion more this year. Nice also that Bath does a season pass - will probably go for that option this year.

Edited February 28, 2010 by sidewinder

[A Lark Ascending]

I was disappointed with the Cheltenham lineup and only the Carla Bley, Empirical and Yeoh/Surman are really of interest. Yep, I'd noticed the Everyman out of action too - however they seem to have a new enclosure venue and maybe they are using that as an alternative so as to get more punters in. Don't like the Jamie Cullum slant this year I'm afraid.

Bath looks better. Kenny Wheeler, Django Bates Parker project, Tom Arthurs, David Murray and a welcome return for Martial Solal (that solo 1987/88 performance in the Guildhall - or was it the Assembly Rooms? - was memorable). Martha Reeves and the Vandellas to wrap things up too ! Also at Bath, they seem to have reverted to using the Pavillion more this year. Nice also that Bath does a season pass - will probably go for that option this year.

Yes, have my eye on that too! Glad the Pavillion is back - I hated Komedia last year. Felt like an impostor being neither twenty-something nor a possessor of cool shades or an iPhone!

We must say hello at some point this time! I'll promise you a pint of Barnstormer or Golden Hare (which you can now buy in Worksop in bottles!)!!!!

[sidewinder]

Sounds good !

That Little Theatre venue in Bath was a good one though. Very nice late night performance there last year with David Okumu's Group, one of the highlights of last year's festival. Nice vibe.

Edited February 28, 2010 by sidewinder

[sidewinder]

Glad to say that I have now secured my season pass for Bath 2010

Looks like tickets for the free BBC broadcast have all gone but on the plus side they have included the Django Bates as a bonus !

Too bad that the Martha Reeves gig is 'additional to scope' but the season pass does include Booker T., which I wasn't expecting. Excellent stuff !

[BillF]

From the Wigan Jazz Festival (July 10-17) I have selected three afternoon gigs to attend:

Stan Tracey

Bobby Shew

Mark Nightingale

[sidewinder]

Stan Tracey

He's on at Swanage too (twice - trio and octet)

[BillF]

Stan Tracey

He's on at Swanage too (twice - trio and octet)

He's billed to appear at Wigan with Simon Allen, Andrew Cleyndert and Clark Tracey.

[sidewinder]

A few thoughts on this year's jazz at the Bath International Festival. I was fortunate enough this time to see all of the weekend's events and the selection on offer was both broad based and catering for both populists and us anoraks. Big credit to musical director Joanna MacGregor for this! (her enthusiasm for the jazz is a real plus for the Festival).

Saturday afternoon at The Pavillion started off with a double bill of Led Bib and Acoustic Ladyland. Neither band was exactly my 'cup of tea', although I can appreciate Seb Rochford's talents. A bit too 'in your face' for my liking, I'm afraid.

The populist strand continued on Saturday night with Booker T. and his group. A lot of boogieing in the audience for this one, which went down predictably well with the local crowd. All the hits were played - including 'Soul Limbo' which I didn't realise was by him but which many of us would recognise as the catchy tune on BBC's cricket Test Match Special, for many a year. Probably my favourite number was 'The Melting Pot', which had echos of the stuff Reuben Wilson was recording the same time. A deservedly big ovation for Booker T and the band, who gave 100%.

The Sunday afternoon double bill at the Pavillion started off with John Tayor (originally billed as in duet with Kenny Wheeler but Kenny didn't make it - not sure what happened there). Predictably excellent performance - he gets better and better as the years go on !

The John Taylor performance was followed by Julien Lourau's 'Quartet Saigon' group from France (featuring pianist Laurent Coq). Lourau doubled on tenor and soprano and played a good, tight and lyrical set of music with many of the original's by Coq. Their travels (to Vietnam and Haiti) seemed to have been a major influence on the compositions, mainly from Coq.

Sunday evening featured another European double bill of Dutch trumpeter Eric Vloieman's 'Fugimundi' trio, followed by Martial Solal's Trio. Vloieman's sound reminded me of Ack Van Rooyen but also hints too of the late Ian Carr - very much in that tradition. Plus the anarchistic/humour streak we associate with the Dutch musicians. Solal's Trio was incisive from the off - he's 82 now but his playing is as good and imaginative as ever. A predictably fine performance ! (he was last in Bath back in 1987/88 in solo performance at the Guildhall I think - saw that one too).

Also on Saturday was a late night show at the Chapel Arts Centre with flugel stylist Tom Arthurs in duet with pianist Richard Fairhurst. Atmospheric venue and a beautiful, moody set of performances inspired by Pushkin. Unfortunately there was a medical emergency at the end of the concert, fortunately the poor chap seemed to be OK in the end (we all had to scuttle out via the fire escape to allow the ambulance free access). That one will be broadcast I think by BBC Radio 3.

Bank Holiday Monday afternoon featured a double bill film of Charlie Parker ('Celebrating Bird') and performance by Django Bates' Trio 'Beloved Bird' tribute at the Little Theatre. It worked out really well - first time i've seen Bates in the trio format but his take on Parker is both witty and original. Definitely one to check out.

Monday evening's 'grand finale' of David Murray and the Gwo-Ka Masters was absolutely outstanding. In fact I would say without hesitation one of the best concert performances ever seen at this festival. Stellar line up with Hamid Drake on drums plus the two Gwo-Ka Masters (lots of good interplay between the three of them), some Woody Shaw-ish trumpet from Rasul Siddik (excellent) and Murray in superlative form. This one was also recorded by BBC Radio 3 and should not be missed when they broadcast it !

Other than that, came out with my pockets empty after the traditional trip or two to the CD counter.

Edited June 1, 2010 by sidewinder

[A Lark Ascending]

Thanks for the review, sidewinder. Glad the Pavillion is back. That cinema turned God-house where Branford Marsalis played last year was strange! And Komedia was horrible.

I skipped this year as nothing on Saturday caught my interest - I'm a bit tired of punky, noise-jazz a la Led Bib/AL (agree that Seb Rochford is wonderful but I can't follow him into the indie-rock areas he clearly cares about so passionately. He was amazing with Bojan Z last year). Last year I managed to deal with some holes by going to a folk event and a string quartet! Nothing really of that sort this year.

Would have liked Sunday and the Bates but it was too far to travel for just that. I am also a bit wary with Kenny these days. The last few times I've seen him he's been a bit unsteady (unsurprisingly given his age...I'm unsteady in my profession and I'm quarter of a century younger!).

Hopefully I'll be back next year. Maria Schneider over from the States? Tiziano Tononi from Italy? A return for Keith Tippett? And Barry Guy with something like the New Orchestra and a solo or duo performance in the Guildhall? Now that would get me there!

[sidewinder]

A return for Keith Tippett?

He's on tonight at the Chapel Arts Centre in a low-key gig with the ex-drummer from King Crimson !

I'm motored out, otherwise I would be back there like a shot.

Sunday and Monday were definitely the days to be there at Bath this year, although Booker T. was pretty well unmissable. That David Murray gig will be hard to beat. I'll have to check out more of his Gwo-Ka Masters CDs (I keep thinking it's spelt Gok Wan ).

Thanks for the review, sidewinder. Glad the Pavillion is back. That cinema turned God-house where Branford Marsalis played last year was strange!

Landmark, Grade 1 (or is it 2) 1930s Art Deco cinema. The only time I ever see it occupied is for occasional jazz gigs !

Never been into Komedia, although have walked past it a good few times.

Another aside - the European tourist count looked to be well down in Bath this year. Last year the place was absolutely packed with visitors (Italians, French, Germans, Spanish) from the Continent. This year, the numbers were significantly down, although plenty of UK and some US tourists enjoying the place. A sign of the times?

Edited June 1, 2010 by sidewinder

[A Lark Ascending]

A return for Keith Tippett?

He's on tonight at the Chapel Arts Centre in a low-key gig with the ex-drummer from King Crimson !

Which one? Bill Bruford has retired (supposedly). Ian Wallace is dead. Michael Giles I've not heard of for yonks. Not Jamie Muir...he was only there for a few months and went off to become a monk (though as a free player, might be more attuned to KT?). Can't imagine it would be the more recent Americans. I'm curious.

(Edit: Just checked...it's Michael Giles!)

Edited June 1, 2010 by Bev Stapleton

[sidewinder]

It's Michael Giles. Keith Tippett is listed as 'special guest'. The flyer said something about 'music without boundaries' so sounds intriguing.

[sidewinder]

John Fordham's review of the Sunday at Bath is now in. Too bad he didn't cover the rest !

Guardian Review