Terry Pack’s Trees Brighton Open Air Theatre (BOAT) on Sunday 9th August & The Brunswick, Hove on Sunday 23rd August Terry Pack’s ambitious big band project, Trees, has grown from a tiny acorn to fully-fledged forest drawn from a pool of 40+ musicians from the Sussex area. Trusting the sound in his […]
Lou Beckerman reviews Tina May’s vocal workshop hosted by Brighton Jazz School Tina May is an obvious enthusiast when it comes to sharing her knowledge. The workshop was well-attended with twenty-three vocalists of varying levels of experience attracted by an advertised afternoon programme covering: Scat syllables Interpretation and phrasing Importance of knowing the form […]
Dave Williams Swing Band The Verdict, Brighton Saturday 13th June, 2015 For a first outing this was an impressive display of tight arrangements and strong vocal performances presented in a way that was entertaining and enjoyable. Playing to a packed house at The Verdict, vocalist Dave Williams has successfully developed his Frank […]
Studio 9 Orchestra KineoJazz @ The Basement, Brighton Sunday 14th June, 2015 This gig marked the return of the successful KineoJazz series from a few years ago which featured some big names of jazz such as Lonnie Liston Smith, Joe Lee Wilson and Claire Martin. The band performed their usual eclectic mixture […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
The Impossible Gentlemen The Old Market, Hove Tuesday 10th February 2015 It’s hard to believe that this was the first appearance in Brighton of The Impossible Gentlemen, but they made the most of their debut, performing pieces that were both refreshing and original. Beginning with Hold Out For The Sun, it was […]
Mike Outram, Terry Seabrook, Milo Fell The Snowdrop, Lewes Monday 26th January 2015 The sampled song of dolphins wends its way into the air, heralding Mike Outram introducing the first bars of Softly As In a Morning Sunrise arranged by Emily Remler, one half of well-known guitar duo with American legend Larry Coryell. […]