THE JAZZ RAG ISSUE 141 SPRING/SUMMER 2016 JULIAN UK £3.25 MARC STRINGLE CONTENTS JULIAN MARC STRINGLE, CAPTURED BY MERLIN DALEMAN AT THE LADY SINGS THE BLUES CONCERT AT LAST YEAR’S BIRMINGHAM JAZZ AND BLUES FESTIVAL. A LONG-TIME STAR OF DIGBY FAIRWEATHER’S HALF DOZEN, JULIAN IS NOW ESTABLISHED AS ONE OF THE HEAVY HITTERS OF BRITISH JAZZ – AND A RETURN TO BIRMINGHAM IS PART OF HIS FESTIVAL SCHEDULE FOR 2016. 4 NEWS 6 UPCOMING EVENTS 8 JAZZ RAG CHARTS CDS AND BOOKS 9 SO WHO WAS GEORGE FRAZIER? 10 RECORD STORE DAY 12 WHISPER NOT SIMON SPILLETT PREVIEWS BENNY GOLSON'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY 14 EPISTLES TO THE WORLD SUBSCRIBE TO THE JAZZ RAG A SLICE OF SOUTH AFRICAN JAZZ HISTORY THE NEXT SIX EDITIONS MAILED 15 WATERMILL JAZZ TO MOVE AGAIN DIRECT TO YOUR DOOR FOR ONLY £17.50* 16 THE LEGACY OF THE ODJB SCOTT YANOW CELEBRATES A CENTENARY Simply send us your name. address and postcode along with your payment and we’ll commence the service from the next issue. 18 JAZZ FESTIVALS OTHER SUBSCRIPTION RATES: EU £20.50 USA, CANADA, AUSTRALIA £24.50 21 CD REVIEWS Cheques / Postal orders payable to BIG BEAR MUSIC 30 LIVE REVIEWS Please send to: JAZZ RAG SUBSCRIPTIONS GATESHEAD, DARLINGTON, THE BARBICAN PO BOX 944 | Birmingham | England 32 BEGINNING TO CD LIGHT * to any UK address THE JAZZ RAG PO BOX 944, Birmingham, B16 8UT, England UPFRONT Tel: 0121454 7020 BACK TO THE FUTURE Fax: 0121 454 9996 Email: [email protected] A new name has started appearing on the schedules for festivals and clubs: Pete Long’s Tribute to Jazz at the Philharmonic. Pete is indefatigable in his re-creation of the jazz of Web: www.jazzrag.com the past: Echoes of Ellington, Benny Goodman at Carnegie Hall, etc. Now – with the two 100 Years of Jazz shows and JATP – he is taking the repertory system into the Publisher / editor: Jim Simpson world of the swinging small group. News / features: Ron Simpson Reviews editor: Nick Hart It raises the question of whether there are any small swing bands regularly on the road International editor: Yue Yang that aren’t deliberate re-interpretations of the past. Lady Sings the Blues (see Julian Marc Commercial Director: Tim Jennings Stringle above) is, like JATP, not tied to one narrow era, but nevertheless takes us back Subscriptions & accounts: Nick Hart to the 1930s to 1950s. Research: Michael Fort Designed by Nerys James There is always Digby’s Half Dozen (JMS again!): though there is a retro element in Printed by Warwick Printing some of their music, it doesn’t have the precise tie-in of Lady Sings the Blues or the Pete www.warwickprinting.co.uk Long shows. So that’s one! If you know of (or are part of) a small swing group working regularly, not just formed for one festival or one tour, let Jazz Rag know and we’ll write © 2016 THE JAZZ RAG. All original material including advertising artwork remains the sole copyright of the Publisher and may not be about you. reproduced without permission THE JAZZ RAG 3 NEWS NEWS Geoff Cole’s Hot Five (29), the Wycliffe Gordon DJM 232 Celebration (16 – Cadogan Hall), its regular small groups with the Madeleine Peyroux In its 232rd edition the Martyn Brothers (June 5), Brian Bobby McFerrin Sings Gershwin appearance of the Stafford Netherlands’ Doctor Jazz Carrick’s Algiers Stompers (19) with the BBC Concert Orchestra Grammar School Big Band (15) magazine is as full of energy, and the Frog Island Jazz Band and the Bill Charlap Trio (16 – and they are followed by the erudition and the unexpected as (26). Barbican), Bugge Wesseltoft (18 legendary Merseysippi Jazz Band Tel.: 020 8985 6455 ever. The occasional article in and 19 – Kings Place) and (22). English is a particular treat and in Madeleine Peyroux (20 – Royal Tel.: 01785 226950/07974 131797 DJM 232 Opal Louis Nations USHAW DURHAM Festival Hall). www.staffordjazz.org writes in English on the early JAZZ FESTIVAL www.efglondonjazzfestival.org.uk years of the Soul Stirrers, the The first Ushaw Durham Jazz JAZZ AT THE successful gospel quintet from Festival will be staged at Ushaw CONCORDE JAZZ HOWARD Houston, Texas. Despite a College on the outskirts of Though the main jazz night is Opera North’s programme at concentration on the traditional Durham on August 26-28. Ushaw Wednesday, there is plenty of jazz the Howard Assembly Room in end of jazz Doctor Jazz is a broad- College, a former seminary, is good quality, with Cory Henry of especially interesting, but GOOD NEWS FROM KING PLEASURE GIGS to enjoy on other nights at the Leeds Grand Theatre is nothing if minded publication, with articles being transformed into a key Snarky Puppy (May 14) and Hugh unfortunately the Ghetto ALBRIGHTON King Pleasure and the Biscuit Concorde Club in Eastleigh. A not enterprising. Lovers of world on Wycliffe Gordon and Frank cultural venue in the North East Thursday night special on June 2 Masakela and Larry Willis (28) Swingers are not included! A year after Jazz Club 90 was Boys have several Scandinavian music and folk are well looked Sinatra, together with a note on of England. Topping the bill for brings Courtney Pine and Zoe lined up. On June 8 a programme www.operanorth.co.uk forced to close at the Harp, dates in the summer diary: after in the current programme, the first performance of an opera the first jazz festival are Alan Rahman with Song, while every of the music of Terezin sounds Albrighton, the club is flourishing Denmark’s Riverboat Festival but jazz events are always of about Charlie Parker. Obituaries Barnes and Bruce Adams, with Friday features the Dave Lewin at the Albrighton Sports Social (June 24-25), Bremanger in and CD reviews are as detailed the Paul Edis Trio. Other concerts Trio. Sunday evening is the time Club, though on a more limited Norway (July 1) and Randers as ever and it’s good to see a feature the Nigel Price Trio, Zoe for traditional jazz for dancing, basis. Instead of meeting twice a Festival, back in Denmark lengthy review of Jazz Rag writer Gilby, the New Century Ragtime with a host of top British bands week, Jazz Club 90 now operates (August 12). Home gigs include Peter Vacher’s impressive new Orchestra and, leading a late and the occasional visitor such as only on Sunday lunch-times once Wirksworth Town Hall (May 13), book, Swingin’ on Central Avenue. night jam session, the Peter the Bratislava Hot Serenaders a fortnight. A one-off gathering to the Stephen Joseph Theatre, www.DoctorJazz.nl Gilligan Trio. (July 24). As for Wednesdays a celebrate 25 years since its Scarborough (14), Longfield Suite, www.ushaw.org trio of Rossano Sportiello, Dave foundation was held last October Manchester (20), Marine Theatre, SUNDAY JAZZ IN Green and Steve Brown (May 11) and its success led to monthly, Lyme Regis (28), Forest Arts is followed by Tony Jacobs and then fortnightly, sessions which Centre, New Milton (June 4), MORNING LANE MORE FOR LONDON the Tuxedo Jazz Orchestra (18). continue to be very well Greystones, Sheffield (11), The Globe in Morning Lane, East The EFG London Festival is many Other highlights include Clare attended. Next up is the Three Birchover Carnival (July 16), London, has regular Sunday months away (November 11-20), Teal and her Mini Big Band (June Spires Jazz Band on May 22. Solihull Arts Complex (20), lunch-time jazz from 12.30 to but the programme of top names 1), the Dime Notes (8), the Tel.: 01902 756158 Sugnall Jazz Festival (22) and the 3.30.The New Stompers (May continues to build. Among those Y Not Festival (31). 15/also June 12) are followed by recently announced are the Hippocampus Jass Gang (22), Tel.: 0121 454 7020 Bob Dwyer’s Bix and Pieces (22), Robert Glasper Experiment (15 – Pete Long’s Jazz at the www.kingpleasureandthebiscuitboys.com KOKO), Norman Winstone – A Philharmonic tribute (July 6), the Craig Milverton Trio with Greg Abate (13) and Digby Fairweather’s Half Dozen (27). Tel.: 023 8061 3989 www.theconcordeclub.com BLAYDON JAZZ CLUB A varied schedule includes the Noel Dennis-Paul Edis Quartet (May 15), the Alice Grace Quintet fronted by the former NYJO vocalist and Guildhall graduate (June 19) and the Reunion Band (July 10) featuring Hong Kong-based ex-pat trumpeter Colin Aitchison and Italian clarinet virtuoso Franco Valussi. END OF SEASON SPECIAL AT STAFFORD Stafford Jazz Society’s final concert of the season at the White Eagle Club is a special extended event, starting at the regular Sunday time of 12.30. An international band presents a programme with the self- explanatory title of Ragtime, Swing, Blues and Beyond. Americans Jeff and Ann Barnhart are joined by ‘Spats’ Langham and drummer Graham Smith. Earlier in May the SJS has a change from 4 THE JAZZ RAG THE JAZZ RAG 5 UPCOMING EVENTS UPCOMING EVENTS Enrico Tomasso Gilad Atzmon GREAT PRIZE AT BURTON AGNES! Win a weekend family ticket worth £283 for Burton Agnes Jazz and Blues Festival on July 1-3! Just answer the following simple question and email your answer to [email protected] or post it to Burton Agnes Competition, Jazz Rag, P.O. Box 944, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B16 8UT, by June 17th: One of the bill-toppers at Burton Agnes is star singer Elaine Delmar, but who was her father? Ronnie Scott’s, London (7 – two Jazz & Swing in the Garden at Hot Sardines shows), National Concert Hall, Castle Ashby, Northamptonshire, Pete Lay’s next Jazz Festival for Nottingham Rhythm Club at the UPCOMING May and June at the Stables, Next up for Wakefield Jazz is the the first Thursday of every month Dublin (8) and the New Theatre, on May 27 features Susan Valliant Warner Leisure Hotels comes on Stadium Leisure Snooker Club Wavendon, brings Roy Ayers Lindsay Hannon Plus (May 13), at Cheadle Hulme Conservative Cardiff (9).