THE JAZZ RAG ISSUE 132 SUMMER 2014 UK £3.25 LAURA MVULA AT BRECON JAZZ CONTENTS BRECON JAZZ FESTIVAL (PAGE 14) ACCLAIMED SINGER/SONGWRITER LAURA MVULA IS ONLY ONE OF THE STARS OF THE FESTIVAL. ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE HUW WARREN TALKS ABOUT 30 YEARS OF BRECON. 4. NEWS 5. UPCOMING EVENTS 8. 10 OVERLOOKED JAZZ GREATS 10. RED HOT PEPPER 12. COMPETITIONS/LETTER 13. PROPAGANDA SWING SUBSCRIBE TO THE JAZZ RAG 16. SOUTHPORT WINTER JAZZ THE NEXT SIX EDITIONS MAILED 17. LITHUANIA'S SINGER OF THE YEAR DIRECT TO YOUR DOOR FOR ONLY £17.50* 18. FRESH SOUND OF BARCELONA Simply send us your name. address and postcode along with your 20. CD REVIEWS payment and we’ll commence the service from the next issue. OTHER SUBSCRIPTION RATES: 30. BOOK REVIEWS EU £20.50 USA, CANADA, AUSTRALIA £24.50 Cheques / Postal orders payable to BIG BEAR MUSIC 32. BEGINNING TO CD LIGHT Please send to: JAZZ RAG SUBSCRIPTIONS PO BOX 944 | Birmingham | England 34. LIVE REVIEWS * to any UK address THE JAZZ RAG PO BOX 944, Birmingham, B16 8UT, England UPFRONT Tel: 0121454 7020 30 YEARS OF BIRMINGHAM JAZZ FESTIVAL Fax: 0121 454 9996 This year is the 30th Birmingham International Jazz and Blues Festival. That sounds an Email: [email protected] impressive enough number in terms of years, but how about 5498 performances? Web: www.jazzrag.com That’s the figure the statisticians at BIJBF have come up with for Birmingham 1985- 2013, so make that 5499 by adding in the inaugural M&B Jam Session (Humphrey Publisher / editor: Jim Simpson Lyttelton (right), Digby Fairweather et al.) in Cannon Hill Park in 1984. And, of course, News / features: Ron Simpson by the time Birmingham 2014 is over, that figure will be moving towards 5700! Reviews editor: Russell Fletcher The 30th festival has provoked International editor: Yue Yang some looking back. For instance, Commercial Director: Tim Jennings the line-up for 1985 contained four Subscriptions & accounts: Russell Fletcher musicians who are on the 2014 bill Designed by Nerys James and have been at Birmingham for Printed by Warwick Printing pretty much every festival in www.warwickprinting.co.uk between: Digby Fairweather, now the Festival Patron, Len Skeat, Roy © 2013 THE JAZZ RAG. All original material including advertising artwork remains the sole copyright of the Publisher and may not be Williams and John Patrick. reproduced without permission CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 THE JAZZ RAG 3 NEWS NEWS/UPCOMING EVENTS Chris Hodgkins SEPTEMBER IN ranging from Imogen Cooper Alec Dankworth Aspland, Andy Cleyndert and 30 YEARS OF BIRMINGHAM FESTIVAL SCARBOROUGH playing Schumann, Brahms and Matt Home (August 6) and the Schubert to Gigspanner, led by Dave Shepherd Quintet (13). CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 As usual the Scarborough Jazz ex-Steeleye Span guitarist Peter After this activities resume with Also of interest is to look at some of the names who played the Festival (September 26-28) fills Knight. The jazz element consists the Amy Roberts Quintet Festival when it was still just the International Jazz Festival: Jimmy the seafront Spa with a vivid of the Jason Rebello Quintet, (September 10). The Sunday McGriff/Hank Crawford, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy/Junior Wells, series of concerts linked by jazz’s with gypsy jazz band Swing from evening traditional jazz Albert King, the Blues Brothers Band....how did it take so long to drollest compere, Alan Barnes, Paris in support (July 27) and programme includes the add ‘and Blues’ to the title? who this year also revives his Gwilym Simcock and his Jazz exotically named Original Rabbit Johnny Mandel programme Quintet (30). Foot Spasm Band (July 13) and This year’s Birmingham International Jazz and Blues Festival runs starring Anita Wardell. An www.guitingfestival.org Spain’s Potato Head Jazz Band from July 18 to 27, with an opening party the evening before the interesting choice of bill-toppers (20) as well as such established festival at the Blue Piano, with the New Orleans Jump Band from pairs Nigel Kennedy and John BIRD LIVES! British bands as the Sussex Jazz the Costa del Sol – appropriate enough, as the European element is Etheridge and the main Kings (August 17) and Chris especially strong this year, with bands and musicians from Spain, the Photo by Merlin Daleman programme also includes (among Jazz Rag readers will be familiar Czech Republic, Lithuania, Slovakia, Hungary, Luxembourg, France with Willard Manus’ occasional Pearce’s Frenchmen Street Jazz many others) the Clark Tracey Band (31). and Italy. There are many returning favourites, but Birmingham before returning to Birmingham despatches from the West Coast CHRIS HODGKINS Quartet, Dennis Rollins’ Velocity Tel.: 023 8061 3989 audiences will have a first chance to hear Saxitude, a saxophone for gigs at the Brasshouse, the of America. Recently he informed RETIRES Trio, Gwilym Simcock and the www.theconcordeclub.com quartet from Luxembourg, and Pepper and the Jellies from Italy (see Soloman Cutler, St. Paul’s us that his play about Charlie pages 10-11). For the first time Birmingham ventures into electro- After 29 years at the helm of Jazz Little Radio – Iain Ballamy and REVOICE! Churchyard and Birmingham City Parker, Bird Lives!, was running at swing with the Electric Swing Circus at the Botanical Gardens on Services, Chris Hodgkins took his Stian Carstensen, plus fringe Georgia Mancio’s hugely JAZZING THE PROMS University (21/22). Then the final the Barbara Morrison Performing the final day, while at the other extreme, chronologically and retirement in June, playing two events and the Jim Birkett Trio in acclaimed international voice This year’s BBC Proms at the stage of their tour takes them Arts Center in Los Angeles. Now stylistically, StarCity hosts three concerts on the first weekend, full sets at his retirement party the bar with guests. festival, ReVoice!, celebrates its 5th Royal Albert Hall contain a North to Risley Park Jazz Club, we hear that, with a change of with, in turn, the Potato Head Jazz Band from Granada, Spain, Val on June 3 with his band (Karen Tel.: 01723 821888 anniversary with 12 nights of distinct jazz-tinged element, Derbyshire (23) and the www.scarboroughjazzfestival.co.uk actor playing Bird in the one-man Wiseman’s Billie Holiday tribute, Lady Sings the Blues, and King Sharp, Julie Walkington, Sophie performances across four venues though mostly confined to the Atkinson, Southport (24) before play, it is due to open at the Attic Pleasure and the Biscuit Boys – festival favourites, all! Alloway and Max Brittan) and in and outside London from late-night concerts. On August 8 a final day in Birmingham: Theater in LA in August for a six- Tel. 0121 454 7020 numerous guests such as Henry JAZZ WEEKENDS October 9 to 20. The series Colmore Square and Blackheath week run. Clare Teal presides over a Battle www.birminghamjazzfestival.com begins at Watermill Jazz in Lowther and Julian Siegel. Many Library (25). WITH DENISE AND of the Bands, to be broadcast live tributes have been paid to Chris’ Dorking, with Claire Martin and Tel. 0121 454 7020 TONY HERTS JAZZ on Radio 2 and 3 and recorded Following a lunch-time Festival, Derbyshire (3), Fishguard work on behalf of jazz and Joe Stilgoe performing their new for television (BBC Four). The appearance at Searcy’s at the Rep Jazz (22) and Twinwood Festival Even by the standards of Denise With a packed all-day programme musicians and Jazz Services are show, Paris – the City of Light, an bands in question are the rather on July 20, the Remi Harris Trio (25). JOHN CUMMING, OBE and Tony Lawrence, two Jazz through Saturday and Sunday in committed to try to build on his eclectic mix of songs from coyly named Count Pearson makes several more appearances Tel.: 0121 454 7020 Weekends in two weeks is pretty the Hawthorne Theatre and its achievements. The future In the Queen’s Birthday Honours Gershwin to Cole Porter, Proms Band (under James at the Birmingham International www.kingpleasureandthebiscuitboys.com good going, but that’s what foyer, Herts Jazz Festival trajectory of Jazz Services list John Cumming, one of the Charles Trenet to Maurice Pearson) and Duke Windsor Jazz and Blues Festival between they’re providing in September. (September 12-14) draws on the depends to some extent on the three directors of Serious, was Chevalier. Also on the Dorking Proms Band (Grant Windsor). July 22 and 25. Further July and The Midland Youth Jazz First up is the Mercure best in British jazz. The Friday Arts Council’s upcoming appointed OBE. John’s award, for bill are Georgia Mancio herself Female singers are, in fact, the August gigs for Remi include Orchestra presents special guest, Cheltenham Queen’s Hotel (12- night curtain-raiser features the spending plans and so no Services to Jazz, reflects a long and pianist Robin Aspland. order of the day: Laura Mvula Keighley Blues Club (July 18), the trumpeter Jon Faddis, at Sutton 15). The first two evenings are Big Chris Barber Band, followed permanent Director is yet in career in music promotion and The festival is co-promoted with with the Metropole Orchestra International Gypsy Guitar Coldfield Town Hall on the devoted to Richard Leach’s by after hours foyer jazz with the place. Communications Director jazz education. From the late the Pizza Express Jazz Club and (August 19) and Paloma Faith Festival near Gloucester (26), afternoon of July 13. Clubhouse 5 and Kevin Grenfell’s Brian Dee Trio. The main and Editor of Jazz UK John 1960s John worked primarily in nine of the performances take with the Guy Barker Orchestra Artrix, Bromsgrove (August 2), Tel.: 01675 442050 (enquiries) Jazz Giants with Matt Palmer, concerts in the theatre include Norbury-Lyons is the Interim theatre as director and lighting place there, with further detours (September 5).