As the nation descends into a period of what even the most jubilant Brexiters would have to acknowledge as extensive uncertainty, further polluted by an unwelcome residue of extremely bad feelings stirred up during the dishonest and divisive Referendum campaigns, it’s a relief to turn your weary gaze away from the news and realise […]
Summer approaches, and let’s hope the sun shines reasonably consistently and that the organisers of the returning Love Supreme don’t have occasion to rue the bold decision to stage their Jazz-and-related-music festival in the great outdoors. May is a busy time for gig goers in Brighton as the town hosts the two entirely unrelated […]
Today, April 30th, is International Jazz day. Of course for our dedicated readers, every day deserves that title – and no doubt many of you will already be physically and spiritually exhausted from celebrating Duke Ellington’s birthday the day before. If you feel minded to indulge in a little more celebration, however, the Miles […]
Spring arrives, bringing its customary seasonal quickening, and the jazz fan’s thoughts naturally turn towards music festivals. The South Coast Jazz Festival braved the dead of winter to achieve another triumph with high sales, plenty of local engagement and some gratifying press attention – congratulations are due once again to the unstoppable, camera-friendly team […]
Picture one elfin-faced woman, dressed in black, with a crop of spiky hair and a mischievous grin, on stage with a violin, talking in her soft American accent about dogs. Then picture one of the largest, most vibrant and innovative arts festivals in Europe. Add to that ice-cream, fish and chips, deckchairs and […]
I recently had the good fortune to participate in a recording session with Mark Edwards, noted keyboard supremo, studio whiz and mysterious mastermind behind the uncategorisable and irrepressible Cloggz project. During the downtime he shared his reminiscences of playing with the Tommy Chase Quartet. It reminded me that, although you don’t hear so much […]
As the Sussex Jazz Magazine enters its third year, it’s gratifying to see how the scene that inspired its inception is still busy enough to keep it supplied with copy. 2015 was a great year for jazz-and-related-musics in the Sussex area, and 2016 promises a range of delights to come. Sadly but inevitably, […]
These are testing times for new artists. In the early 2010s (Twenty-teens?) you could read any number of articles announcing the dawning of a new era for the music business. Self-promotion would be the way of the future – musicians would be empowered to build their own careers, recording at home on their sleek, […]
The 1962 movie The Connection isn’t widely screened today – it’s blend of modernistically gritty black-and-white visuals and that school of 1950s acting which blended broad-brush theatricality with earnest, painstakingly sincere close-ups hasn’t dated particularly well, and it’s strict observation of the Aristotelian dramatic unities (it started life as an off-Broadway play) makes it […]
Where’s the best place to hear live jazz? A Storyville juke joint, a Mississippi paddle steamer, a dancehall or a cellar bar in a sketchy neighbourhood? Or a concert hall, a downtown supper club, a high-production outdoor festival or an arts centre theatre? Maybe you can even dig it when it’s performed in a […]