KENT JAZZ NEWS

Summer issue of KJN
WHAT WHERE WHEN

Promoters:   

Medway

Medway
Council, The Brook, Chatham,

Derek Nash Acoustic Quartet , July 2, 8pm,

featuring  his award winning CD,
Joyriding, Derek (saxs) with Dave Newton (pno), Geoff Gascoyne (bass) and
Sebastiaan de Krom (dms).

Coljazz,
The Anchorian Rugby Club,

Darland Ave, Gillingham.

June
21, Alan Barnes/ Mark Nightingale Band. 
summer program see advert,  page 3

Good Intent, John St, Rochester,

 July 5 Dave Lewis (sax) Sean Hargreaves (pno) & Tiny Totts (dms)

August 2,  Simon Spillett (sax) John Critchinson (pno) & Tiny Totts (dms

John ‘E’ Jazz, Eagle Tavern, Rochester,

July 28, Tony Kofi Organisation: fea. Simon Fernsby,

September1, Clark Tracey Quintet:

Bottleneck Blues Club, New Rd, Rochester,

 June 25, Steve Roux and theBrass Knuckle Blues Band.

144 Club at  Larkfield, Priory Hotel,

July 7, TV’s Rob Smith

 442 Club, Gillingham, Feathery Rd,
Second  Thursday  every Month, Donn Barcott Band,

Rest of Kent

Bexley Jazz Club,  King Head, Bexley

July 29,Roger Beaujolais Qt

Folkestone Jazz Club, Tower Theatre, July 18 ,Colin Welch /Ed Mayo Quintet

Farnborough J.C. Farnborough, High St ,

August 30, Tony Pitt’s All Stars.

 Finchcock’s , Musical Museum, Goudhurst,

July 5 Tommaso Starace,. 

Spikes Place, Club Langley, 2 Hawksbrook Lane, Beckenham, July 4, Pete Long and Olly Wilby Quintet.

Gray Lady, Tonbridge Wells, August 10, violet
jive party tropicale full Band, 9.45pm,two course meal with music inclusive
£28.99.

London

Festivals

Ealing Jazz Festival, July 24-28,

Walpole Park, Mattock Lane, Ealing W5 5QE

Just some of artists appearing

 July 24 Vasilis Xenopoulos and the  Wind

25 Frank Griffith Nonet, 9.15pm.

26
Keith Waithe and the Macusi August 30, Tony Pitt’s All Stars.

27,
Winston Morson’s ‘Off’ The Cuff, 5.30pm.

28,
Matt Wates Sextet,5,30pm.

Gill Cook and her Band, 7.15pm.

And as always finishing 5 days of great jazz,

Dick Esmond’s Sound of 17 Big Band, 9.15pm.

Sensational London Louis
Armstrong, Celebration Riverboat Shuffle .

September 7, 2pm.  Two bands :John
Petters New Orleans All Stars &Trefor Fingers Williams
Usual Suspects £29. 50 call 01406
365731.

Pizza
Express, Jazz Club, Soho,
July 2- 6, Dave Koz, the undisputed superstar of smooth jazz, returns to the
Pizza Express for 5 days. His last 3 appearances here were sell-outs. So best
book early!

Ronnie
Scott’s Jazz Club, July 29/30, Pharoah Sanders. He is back for two main show performances.

Spice of Life, Music Pub. Cambridge Circus. June 30, London City
Big

Some of the gigs in the mag are missing (advets0 but will include later  Harry
But you can get KJN by post £7  ayear
Medway Jazz Scietry 92 Breadhurst Rd, Wigmore Kent, ME8 OQT
Sorry but all Summer isue has gone

*****
Blast from the past: 1  Louis Armstrong

 New York July 1947.

The public has rediscovered
Satchmo'.

Thanks to his starring role in the movie New Orleans, at the Winter Garden, the man,

generally considered to be the greatest of all jazz instrumentalists has suddenly  found himself the center of a lot of commotion.

 There were successful concerts at
Carnegie Hall and Town Hall, special record dates, a  biography by 
Goffin, with  flock of air shots
and finally, on June 19, the opening of his movie.

The line-of the New York
Town Hall concert was Jack Teagarden (trombone), Louis Armstrong & Bobby
Hackett (trumpets)  Peanuts Hucko
(clarinet), Dick Carey (piano),  Bob
Haggart  (bass) & Sid Catlett (drums)
Information and picture   from Down Beat
July 2nd 1947.

 

 And now
over 60 years later:

The Bateman Brothers Jazz Band.

This amazing band re-creates those stunning
concerts of the 1940's, 50's and 60's by the great Louis  Armstrong and his All-Stars.

This is not done half-heartedly!
Alan plays like Louis right down to the riffs. They play exactly the same
arrangements as ‘Louis', but not just to play through with everybody doing
endless solos.

The band also appears with the wonderful Maggie Reeday on vocals, filling the Velma
Middleton role. This not only brings another dimension to the band,

but that magic between Velma and Louis is also represented as Maggie has a good time
with Alan and the boys on the stage!

That's how
it was with Louis, and that’s how it is with The Bateman Brothers Jazz band.
Their first gig at Ronnie Scott’s in January 2012,  sold out long before Christmas. And as a result
they have been rebooked and will appear again in July 23, of this year. The
line-up:  Alan Bateman (tpt/voc) Ian
Bateman (trombone), Trevor Whitting (clarinet), Steve Rushton (dms), Craig
Milvertion (pno), John Day (bass) & 
Maggie  Reeday (vocs)  You can obtain the bands CD by cheque for £12
+ £1.50 P & P. 24 Tracy Close, abbey Meads, Swindon, Wiltshire,  SN25 4YS.  

You can hear them in London June  14, at 
Boisedale, Cabot Sq, Canary Wharf E14 4QT  and June 21, Music Festival, Mill Hill.

******

Blast from the past 2: Donn Barcott
Band in the 1980’s.  Donn has three CD’s

Fea.  Charlie Swan, Alan Boorman, Tony Dee & Dick Gunner from 80’s. And a new CD with the his big band recorded live at The
Medway Little Theatre,

They are available from Donn, 39 John St,
Rochester Kent ME1 1YJ, or 01634 405037.

***

The ‘Spirit’ of Modern Jazz -  (Article by J. Brown).

 

When Ronnie Scott first started
his jazz club he was looking for somewhere to play a modern jazz format in a
concert setting for  himself and his
colleagues. He wanted a good gig for good musicians to entertain an
appreciative public. At the time many 
gigs were in trad jazz venues or in dance bands where the emphasis was
on socialising based around dancing. He wanted a club where musicians skills
and the tunes and improvisations they played could become the featured
entertainment.

                Ronnie used to book musicians from the USA and UK based upon whether he liked the
sound of that musician. And in a true modern jazz way, the club did not exist
to feature visiting bands, rather it featured particular artists backed by
‘house musicians’. These house musicians provided a solid foundation for
performances, while at the same time the fluid nature of a whole rota of
changing house musicians, emphasised the true spirit of modern jazz—creating on
the spot improvisations, live and unrehearsed, yet tight and  polished.

                In this post modern age, the true spirit of modern jazz, established in clubs such
as Club 11 and Ronnie Scott’s, has been brought to Kent by Roan Kearsey-Lawson
through the 144Club. Roan is the Grandson of jazz musician Jo Kearsey—who was
the original drummer for the Ted Heath band before offering the seat to Jack
Parnell (he is also credited for introducing George Chisholm into the  business). 

                Roan’s Grandfather used to play in the same Dance Bands and scene as the pre-Ronnie  Scott’s musicians. While they went on to form modern jazz clubs Jo Kearsey handed the jazz baton to his
Grandson Roan Kearsey-Lawson (who incidentally originally started out in a
Dance Band). 

                After many years of learning the trade in all styles of jazz and other music genres
Roan Kearsey-Lawson wanted to establish a place in his home-birth town offering
a good gig, for good musicians to perform to appreciative audiences (sounds familiar!).

                There was for him, and others at the time (and still now), plenty of good pubs and
places to perform at as a visiting band, or at other clubs to  perform at with resident trio’s, but Roan
wanted to create a scene run by professional musicians in  the ‘spirit’ of modern jazz. The concept was
a collective of house musicians who could come  together and perform their improvisations and compositions in a concert setting to audiences who were in an environment that enabled them to experience
this ‘Spirit’, freely listening and enjoying instant creations (and eat and drink at their own tables!).

        A club where professional and famous house musicians appear with national and international featured artist’s, not a resident trio, such as his own trio, but a collective of professional house musicians led by him and offering variety and continuity.

 And a scene where the audience can wine and dine, or simply listen. So, this
‘spirit of modern jazz’, the jazz musician’s need which saw the establishment
of the world’s most famous club, Ronnie Scott’s, emerged in Kent via the Jazz
baton passed from Jo  Kearsey and culminating in the opening of the 144Club in 2006.

  To be continued in next issue. Harry

***8**
THE SKIDS

The SKIDS ‘Father and Son’

Jimmy Skidmore: Saxophonist With Roots In Swing.

Jimmy Skidmore will always be remembered  for his contribution to the
development of both traditional and mainstream jazz in Britain, particularly in
the 1950s And he remained a strong and resourceful player into the current
decade.

In the 40’s he met and played with pianist George Shearing.

Often in the jam sessions at the West London Rhythm Club, or in the BBC's Radio Rhythm Club Quartet.

But it was in 1945, he began a
successful association with one of the most important of all British
band-leaders, Vic Lewis. Initially in the Vic Lewis-Jack Parnell Jazzmen, and
then later with Lewis's own band in 1946-7. He came across the first bebop
recordings in 1946, and while he admitted to being impressed with Charlie
Parker's prowess, his own tastes and approach remained firmly rooted in the
earlier style.

Jimmy Skidmore recorded  number of records with Vic Lewis, both in a
small group and with his big band. But I think he is best in a small group, where
he can stretch out and developed his ideas. Vic 
Lewis and his Jazzmen, (were released on 
Esquire)

They may be hard to find now.

The only record I can find is,
Jimmy’s Skidmarks, on Silverline, £15

Tel: +(44) 7795 548 242.
Email: chris@thoseoldrecords.co.

This is a 1972. album on DJM
Silverline DJSL026:

Featuring Ronnie Ross, Will Garnett, Alan Branscombe, Pete Chapman  & Bill Eyden.

 

Alan  Skidmore, 1969, A good year for Alan:

He represents the UK, at the International Jazz
Festival with the Alan Skidmore Quintet. He also went on to be awarded
International press prize for Best Band, the soloist prize and a scholarship to
Berkley school of music.

He won first place for tenor saxophone in Melody Maker’s poll 1971-1974.

In 1973, together with two other poll winning saxophonists  John Surman & Mike
Osbourne, SOS was formed. This was built around a radical concept, no drummer or bassist.

Only it only lasted for three years, but they recorded one album ‘SOS’, until now this was the only one.
But Cuneiform’s has released  SOS‘s ‘Looking For The Next One', a 2-CD compilation of studio sessions
and live recordings.

 But it was his first album  in his own name ‘Once upon a Time’ which showed his strong
John Coltrane  influence,  This can be especially head in his 1988 album ‘Tribute to Trane'

****8
News extra

Ginger
Baker’s Jazz Confusion Tour.

Ginger now in
his 70’s,  not a well man, he is now
living in Kent. It was  the collaboration
with Eric Clapton & Jack Bruce forming the group ‘Cream’ that brought
Ginger early fame. The 70’s group only lasted two years, but  its albums still burn bright.

Some people may
not know that his hero was jazz drummer Phil Seaman, so it is no surprise that
playing with him on this tour are Ghanaian drummer, Abass Dodoo, bassist Alex
Dankworth  & American saxophonist,
Pee Week Ellis. One of the tour dates is The Great R ‘&’ B Festival, in
August 23-26, at Colne Lancashire. ‘more info on tour dates
http://www.ents24.com/uk/tour-dates/ginger-bakers-jazz-confusion’.

 

L' Orchestre
Symphonique de Bretagne, and Chris Brubeck.

July 12,
7.30pm,  at the civic Hall, Blackshotts
Lane,Grays.

A fantastic
evening of jazz and classical music. Expect a scintillating programme ranging
from Brubeck's own concerto to Beethoven's 7th symphony as composer and
musician Chris Brubeck, joins forces with the brilliant L'Orchestre Symphonique
de Bretagne. Tickets £10, tel  0845 300
5264.

 

 

British jazz
singer Kevin East: with 7 piece live band. Is appearing at Maidstone’s Bar
10, on June 19. Playing tracks from his album and classic covers .

 

Gear Box
Records: June New Releases. The Ronnie Scott Quintet featuring Alan
Skidmore. Ronnie Scott (ten), Alan Skidmore (ten), Gordon Beck (pno) Jeff
Clyne (bass) & Johnny Butts (dms). This dynamic but sadly
short-lived line-up of Ronnie Scott’s Quintet recorded this sensational BBC
Jazz Club session at the Paris Studios in London. Originally broadcast on “The
Jazz Scene" on 27th March 1966.

 tracks on record:  Oleo, The 1612 Overture, Where Are You?
Sonnymoon For Two & A Night In Tunisia.

 

Derek Nash's Acoustic Quartet feature
their award winning CD, Joyriding, full of lyrical melodies and infectious
rhythm. Derek will play all the saxophones and brings the world class line-up
of Dave Newton (piano), Geoff Gascoyne (bass) and Sebastiaan de Krom
(drums).  The Joyriding album won the
Best New CD Award at The British Jazz Awards 2012.  it's an album that truly lives up to its
joyful title." BBC Music Magazine

 £11.00. Medwqy Jazz members and members
of the Theatres Loyalty Scheme receive a discount of £1.00 per ticket., Jazz at
The Brook, July 2, 8pm/

**

GYPSY, SWING and BEYOND (Gig Extra)

Le Quecum Bar & Brasserie: Royale Django meets Bechet, July 28,

Club Royale.

 Featuring the talents of Giacomo Smith (clarinet, sop sax) and
Robin Katz (gtr) – swinging

quintet of  2 guitars, clarinet,
trumpet and bass. 

Was it fate’s cruel joke to music lovers that two of the greatest Jazz
musicians. Django Reinhardt and Sidney Bechet, lived and played in Paris at the
same time and yet never recorded together! What, one might ask, might it have
been like…? We shall never know.

 
Pizza Express Jazz Club, Soho, Fred Wesley, July 29/30,7pm.

Fred Wesley is the trombonist, composer,  arranger,bandleader and author known worldwide as one of the architects of funk music.
Fred's work with Godfather of Soul James Brown in the 1970s established him as
the world's funkiest trombone player. Today he fronts his own jazz-funk band,
the New JBs, passes his expertise along to students and younger musicians
around the world, and lends his fire to assorted artists across a broad  musical  spectrum.

 

Folkestone Jazz Club, Jo Fooks & Al Nichols Quintet, August 22.

The Jazz Club, is gearing up for the  appearance of the glamorous Jo Fooks.
 Ex-Humphrey Lyttelton saxophonist.

Jo is so often in Kent, it’s almost like her second home. (Who’s complaining).

Al Nichols, leader of Blue Harlem,swinging mainstream tenorist.  He has ravishing, full, rounded sound in the tradition of Coleman Hawkins, Ben  Webster. 

Should be an  exciting  evening!

Farnborough Jazz Club, September 13. Sarah Spencer (USA) & her Trans-Atlantic Jazz Band.

Sarah Spencer is a rare example of a British woman who has been steeped in New Orleans music for most of her life.
It can be felt in every note she sings or plays.  From an early age she, was a regular visitor to Preservation Hall with her jazz loving parents.

Sarah's UK band new CD.  ‘Whenever You're Lonesome’

recorded in Great Britain on her 2007tour.

 The band consists of: Sarah, Steve Graham (tpt), Geoff Cole (trombone/voc), Eric Webster banjo), Annie Hawkins (bass} & Chris Marchant (dms).

  www.sarah-spencer