Arts
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Jazz season promises new pieces and old favourites
APRIL is usually one of the
busiest of months for jazz
tours but this year it was
remarkably quiet. Luckily
things pick up this month with
visits by some of the bigger jazz
names and two world premieres
in some of our smaller venues,
writes Peter Bevan.
The sad news for fans everywhere,
of course, was the death last week
of Humphrey Lyttelton. He had
been due to appear at Middlesbrough
Theatre on June 20, and
tickets were selling well. The theatre
has decided not to bring in a
substitute, and everyone who
bought tickets has been contacted.
Durham's Gala Theatre has one of
the fullest jazz programmes, especially
for singers, with jazz-folk vocalist
Gwyneth Herbert making a
very welcome return to the city
tonight, followed by Stacy Kent on
August 12 and, looking much further
ahead, Clare Teal on October
31. In between, the young alto
saxophonist Soweto Kinch is included
in the Durham International
Brass Festival there on July
19, and the indefatigable tour organizer
and rhythm guitarist Dave
Kelbie will introduce us to Django
A la Créole, featuring New Orleans
clarinettist Evan Christopher and
guitarist David Blenkhorn. That's
on July 31; box office 091-332-
4041.
With the appointment of Malcolm
Creese as artistic director of
Swaledale Festival, I was hoping to
see a little more jazz and he hasn't
disappointed, with one of the
opening concerts featuring the
music of Stephane Grappelli and
Django Reinhardt played by the
Keith Stephen Hot Club with special
guest, violinist Mike Piggott.
That's at the CB Inn in Arkengarthdale
on May 25.
Then, on the 27th, Creese himself,
together with pianist Alcyona and
saxophonist Robin Fincker, will
accompany poet and reader Paul
Hyland in Entrances and Exits, in
St Oswald's Church, Askrigg, and
the following day, at teatime, Alcyona
and Fincker will perform as a
jazz duet in the same venue. Guitarists
John Williams and John
Etheridge will be bridging the gap
between jazz and classical music
at St Andrew's Church, Grinton,
on May 31, while the first performance
of Tim Garland's Swaledale
Variations may well include folk
and jazz influences within a classical
composition, also in St Andrew's,
on May 28. The number to
call for a brochure or tickets is
01748-880019, though some
events are already sold out.
After their recent Jazz Festival, the
most successful so far, the Sage in
Gateshead resumes its jazz programme
with the Christine Tobin
Band with Liam Noble and Phil
Robson on May 15, pianist Jason
Moran's multi-media exploration
of Thelonious Monk, featuring
Moran's New York Trio with British
musicians including Byron Wallen
and Jason Yarde, on May 21, and a
return visit on the 29th by legendary
pianist McCoy Tyner, this
time with special guest Joe Lovano.
The box office number is
0191-443-4661.
Meanwhile, on May 9, the Caedmon
Hall in Gateshead (0191-433-
8420) will present the Michael
Garrick Sextet - Revisited. This is a
reunion by his original 1970s' allstar
group, including vocalist
Norma Winstone, trumpeter
Henry Lowther and saxophonist
Art Themen. They appear at Darlington
Arts Centre on May 10 as
part of the Jazz Nights series. That
season concludes on June 6 with
Martin Taylor's Freternity featuring
Alison Burns, Guy Barker and
David Newton. Saxophonist Snake
Davis stops off at the Arts Centre
on May 24 during his spring tour
to promote his latest album and
play old favourites.
The New Orleans Jazz Club presents
a special tomorrow with the
three Js of Jazz - Americans Jeff
Barnhart and Jim Fryer with the
UK's John Hallam. This lunchtime
series continues on May 24 with
Keith Stephen's Gypsy Jazz with
Mike Piggott, New Orleans Heat
on June 7 and the Millennium
Eagle Jazz Band on July 5; box office
number for all these concerts
is 01325-486555.
Over at Cockerton, Darlington, the
Opus 4 Jazz Club at the Travellers'
Rest has the Sue Ferris Quintet on
Thursday, Mark Toomey Quartet
on May 29, Alison Hildreth's Quintet
on June 19, Serenade in Blue
on July 10 and Jazz Tones on July
31; details on 01325-469756.
The jazz series at Saltburn Community
Hall continues tonight
with Extreme Measures, a fivepiece
band led by drummer David
Carnegie. After a summer break,
the series resumes with the Savannah
Jazz Band on August 1; tickets
available from Saltburn Health
Foods, 01287-624622.
The other premiere is by Alan
Barnes, supported by Teesdale
Jazz Quintet, giving the first performance
of Andy Honeybone's
Rural Jazz Suite at the Witham,
Barnard Castle, on May 17 (box office
01833-631107). Pianist with
the quintet, Honeybone conceives
the Suite as a back-to-roots celebration
of jazz in a rural setting.
The concert will include music by
Bill Evans, Kenny Garrett and others.
Finally, Barnes will appear with
his Liquorice-Stick All-Sorts at
Newcastle's Corner House on June
26. Featuring Barnes on clarinet,
with Jim Hart vibes and Paul
Clarvis drums, this is a tribute to
the music of Benny Goodman;
box office 0191-265-9602.
Apologies, as usual, for those
we've missed, but do please contact
us for future inclusion.
1:12pm Friday 2nd May 2008
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