Partikel String Theory (www.whirlwindrecordings.com) This music is not simply an acoustic trio recording with an added string quartet. The strings are an integral part of the band improvisation flowing in and out of the music augmenting and sometimes leading the outstanding trio. Almost all the compositions (except Body & Soul) were written […]
John Taylor Trio St. George’s Church, Kemp Town, Brighton Saturday 28th March 2015 Picture a scene with three hugely influential pioneers of contemporary British and European jazz, a kind of modest supergroup bringing highlights of their collective body of work to an audience known for its seeking out of authentic music, and you […]
Marius Neset Quintet Brighton Dome Studio Theatre (presented by Brighton Jazz Club) Saturday 11th April In a veritable sea of rising young stars, beyond all the hype, it’s often rare to find a truly original talent. Enter then, Swedish saxophonist Marius Neset, on a first live outing to Brighton’s Dome Studio Theatre. The […]
Bruce Adams/Alan Barnes Quintet Under Ground Theatre, Eastbourne Friday 15th July 2015 A five star line-up that’s hard to beat, and so it proved to be. Straight ahead jazz, chestnut jokes (the old ones are the best), and the relaxed spontaneity of musicians fully at home with each others’ company. The usual mixture of […]
Benjamin Clementine Theatre Royal, Brighton Thursday 21st May If you have ever had one of those moments, a turning flash in your life, like a dazzling comet falling to earth, then the appearance of Benjamin Clementine in the Brighton Festival 2015 line-up, could easily count as a landmark to that point. Tonight’s performance […]
Album Review Bone Idol Ashley Slater (Digital album released 1st April 2015) The term ‘Renaissance Man’ is rather over-used, but given that many of that era’s leading lights were as fond of flamboyant costume as they were of artistic multi-tasking, it could certainly be applied to Ashley Slater. Not many careers manage to […]
Album Review Caught a touch of your love Jenny Green (Album available from iTunes, CD Baby, Amazon or at one of her many gigs.) Jenny started her singing career around the Brighton area but now works from Croydon. She has selected some great songs for this cd from a wide range of composers including Burt […]
Live Review Buster Plays Buster The Birley Centre, Eastbourne Tuesday 21st April 2015 The Birley Centre is an excellent small venue for for jazz gigs, and it is to be hoped that their occasional series continues into the future. The first half of Buster’s performance is devoted to his tributes to the the […]
Album Review Steve Thompson: Evidence Bag (STRBCD2015) Steve is of course well known locally for being part of the superb rhythm section at Smalls Jazz Club, but he has many other strings to his bow. For this CD he has gathered around him some like minded musicians: Tim Wells on B3 Hammond […]
Courtney Pine & Zoe Rahman St. George’s Church, Brighton Saturday 14th March 2015 An enormous Yamaha piano glints in the shaft of light from a stained-glass window and a single spotlight picks out mosaic tiles on the floor. There is an expectant hush but also a contained excitement. The atmosphere of a […]