THE JAZZ RAG ISSUE 131 SPRING 2014 CURTIS STIGERS UK £3.25 CONTENTS CURTIS STIGERS (PAGE 10) THE AMERICAN SINGER/SONGWRITER/SAXOPHONIST TALKS OF HIS VARIED CAREER IN MUSIC AHEAD OF THE RELEASE OF HIS LATEST CONCORD ALBUM, HOORAY FOR LOVE AND HIS APPEARANCES AT CHELTENHAM AND RONNIE SCOTT'S. 4 NEWS 5 UPCOMING EVENTS 7 LETTERS 8 HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY! SCOTT YANOW on jazz musicians born in 1914. 12 RETRIEVING THE MEMORIES Singer/collector/producer CHRIS ELLIS SUBSCRIBE TO THE JAZZ RAG looks back. THE NEXT SIX EDITIONS MAILED 15 MIDEM (PART 2) DIRECT TO YOUR DOOR FOR ONLY £17.50* 16 JAZZ FESTIVALS Simply send us your name. address and postcode along with your 20 JAZZ ARCHIVE/COMPETITIONS payment and we’ll commence the service from the next issue. OTHER SUBSCRIPTION RATES: 21 CD REVIEWS EU £20.50 USA, CANADA, AUSTRALIA £24.50 Cheques / Postal orders payable to BIG BEAR MUSIC 29 BOOK REVIEWS Please send to: JAZZ RAG SUBSCRIPTIONS 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 BBC YOUNG MUSICIAN JAZZ AWARD Fax: 0121 454 9996 On March 8 the final of the first BBC Young Musician Jazz Award took place at the Email: [email protected] Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. The five finalists were three saxophonists Web: www.jazzrag.com (Sean Payne, Tom Smith and Alexander Bone), a trumpeter, Jake Labazzi, and a double bassist, Publisher / editor: Jim Simpson Freddie Jensen, all aged between 13 and 18. They News / features: Ron Simpson performed with the Gwilym Simcock Trio and the Reviews editor: Russell Fletcher judging panel consisted of Django Bates, Trish International editor: Yue Yang Clowes, Julian Joseph and Jason Yarde. The winner Commercial Director: Tim Jennings was 17-year-old Alexander Bone from Darlington. Subscriptions & accounts: Russell Fletcher He started playing saxophone at the age of six, Designed by Nerys James taught by his father, but began jazz piano at an even Printed by Warwick Printing earlier age. He plays in several groups including big www.warwickprinting.co.uk bands and jazz quartets and is in his first year of ‘A’ Level study. © 2013 THE JAZZ RAG. All original material including advertising artwork remains the sole copyright of the Publisher and may not be reproduced without permission The BBC Young Musician Jazz Final will be broadcast on BBC Four on May 23. 2 THE JAZZ RAG THE JAZZ RAG 3 NEWS NEWS/UPCOMING EVENTS 30 YEARS OF REMI HARRIS DATES Enrico Tomasso YolanDa Brown 20), followed by the Corn Denise and Tony Lawrence PLYMOUTH JAZZ Guitarist Remi Harris brings his Exchange, Cambridge (21), the continue their series of ever- Anvil, Basingstoke (22), popular jazz weekends. The Celebrating Plymouth Jazz Club’s own personal take on gypsy jazz to Keswick for a pre-festival Bridgewater Hall, Manchester Cliffeside Hotel Jazz Weekend 30th anniversary, the club will (23), Symphony Hall, Birmingham (June 20-23) at Bournemouth hold a special Jazz on a Summer’s concert on May 4, followed by gigs at the Chase Hotel, (24), Colston Hall, Bristol (26) presents nightly jazz sessions Evening on July 19, with Richard with the John Maddock Jazzmen, Nuneaton (9), Conquest Theatre, and Usher Hall, Edinburgh (27). Leach’s 7 Stars of Jazz and the the Pedigree Jazz Band (Chris Bromyard (17), the Newcastle- www.serious.org.uk/jalc Great Western Jazz Company. Walker and Roger Marks) and Starting at 6.00 pm in the Great under-Lyme Jazz and Blues May gigs at Cambridge Modern the Denise Lawrence Band with Barn at Buckland Abbey, the Festival (23-26), MAC, Jazz at Hidden Rooms in Jesus Ron Drake. The 2014 Summer event includes a hog roast and a Birmingham (30), Warwick Arts Lane start with multi- Jazz Weekend at the Langstone Pimm’s tent, in addition to 5 Centre (June 5), the Harp, instrumentalist Charlotte Cliff Hotel, Dawlish Warren (July hours of jazz for dancing or Albrighton (10), Leominster (19), Glasson and her Quintet (4). The 4-6) is one night shorter, but is a listening. The club’s regular Swansea International Jazz group is completed by a fine line- more packed programme, with Riverboat Shuffle leaves Festival (21), Botanical Gardens, up of Mark Bassey, Chris lunch-time sessions and a line-up Commercial Wharf at the Birmingham (22), Upton Jazz Spedding, Mick Hutton and Sam of the Mike Cox New Orleans All Barbican, Plymouth, on August 11 Festival (28 – lunch), Assembly Glasson. On May 8 Cambridge Stars, Steve Graham’s Riverboat and the regular club meetings are Rooms, Presteigne (28 – evening), Bristol, Milestones Jazz Club, Brown Jug, Newcastle-under- four UEL students and provides ConneXions present Vesperados, Four, the Dart Valley Stompers fortnightly on Sunday evenings at Housmans, Church Stretton (July TIPITINA FESTIVALS Lowestoft, and the Vortex, Lyme (23), Beccles Public Hall them with £500 each towards a local acoustic jazz quartet with and Denise Lawrence’s West the Royal British Legion Club, 2) and Hollycroft Park, Hinckley Back on the festival circuit, London. (31), Moochers, Stourbridge (June equipment or studio time. plenty of percussion. Finally Country Jazz with Ron Drake. Crownhill. Next up are (5). Tipitina can be heard at the www.jazzservices.org.uk 21) and Burton Agnes Jazz Applications are now open on Memphis-born Tel. (Bournemouth): 01202 208632 Jazzacadabra (May 4), followed by Tel.: 0121 454 7020 Solihull Jazz Festival (May 24), Festival (28). www.uel.ac.uk/alumni/annualfunda singer/keyboardist/composer www.cliffesidebournemouth.co.uk the Great Western Jazz Company www.remiharris.co.uk Newcastle-under-Lyme Jazz and (Dawlish) 01626 868000 Tel.: 0121 454 7020 wards/ Charlie Wood brings his trio (18), Billy Thompson Gypsy Style VIVA VERDI! Blues Festival (25-26), Swansea www.langstone-hotel.co.uk/jazz www.kingpleasureandthebiscuitboys.com with Karen Street (June 1), New JAZZ SERVICES TOURS The Royal Albert Hall’s new International Jazz Festival (June (Dudley Phillips, Nic France) to restaurant, Verdi – Italian Kitchen, FUNDRAISERS FOR 21) and Burton Agnes Jazz the Hidden Rooms (22). Orleans Heat (15) and – the 30th Two upcoming tours have been The 33rd Jazz sous les Pommiers has a plentiful selection of jazz WEDNESDAYS AT Festival (29). Before that there is Tel.: 01223 514777 Anniversary Founder’s Gig – the announced with Jazz Services NJA at Coutances in the Manche and allied music on Friday a Bank Holiday celebration at the www.cambridgejazz.org Tony Harris Quartet with Martin support. Pianist Rob Terry takes CONCORDE The National Jazz Archive is department of Normandy runs Dale (July 6). evenings and Saturday and Sunday holding a series of concerts from Grand, Clitheroe, on the from May 24 to 31, with his trio on a six-date tour of the The great American saxist Tuesday Jazz and Swing at Tel.: 01752 721179 lunch-times. Pianist Alex Hutton May to October to raise funds afternoon of May 5, as part of the headliners including Dr John, English Midlands, from the Plough Houston Person (7) kicks off the Wilmslow Conservative Club has www.plymouth-jazz-club.org.uk plays the restaurant every Friday for its work and in particular the Ribble Valley Jazz Festival, with Laurent de Wilde, Dianne Reeves, inn, Swindon (April 6) to the May programme at Eastleigh’s some interesting musical evening in May and a selection of Concorde Club. The Wednesday Heritage Lottery Fund project Tipitina joined by the One Voice Monty Alexander, Snarky Puppy Holywell Music Room, Oxford combinations in the coming JUMP AND JIVE AT bands takes the Saturday at noon Jazz programme follows up with The Story of British Jazz. Founder Choir from Manchester. and Mathias Eick. (April 24) via the Big Bang, months: for instance, singer Lee slot, with three weeks of Django- Pete Long’s re-creation of Benny and Lifelong Patron of the Tel.: 0121 454 7020 www.jazzsouslespommiers.com BLACKPOOL Oxford, Gumbles Jazz Club, Gibson joins trumpeter Dave influenced groups: Club Royale Goodman and Glenn Miller at Archive, Digby Fairweather, said, Norbreck Castle Hotel, Stafford, Chesterfield Jazz Club Browning and the Vinnie Parker (May 3), Note Noire Quartet Carnegie Hall 1939 (14), Martin ‘We are deeply grateful to so The 54th Jazz a Juan (July 11-20) Blackpool, is the venue for four and Cotswold Cricket Museum. UPCOMING Trio on May 13, the reeds of John (10) and Rythme Futur (17). The Wheatley’s Arcadians (21), Mike many friends of the Archive for is the latest incarnation of the days of hot music and swing Trumpeter Nick Malcolm and his EVENTS Hallam and Amy Roberts are FoBo Jug Band resumes the Sanchez and his Band (28) and giving their services for these celebrated festival at Antibes dance from November 21 to 24. quartet range further, though supported by the Tom Kincaid Juan-les-Pins. This year’s bill is, as Saturday lunch-time gigs on June Rico’s Hot Rhythm with Enrico concerts absolutely free.’ As well as live performances with a bias towards the South Trio on May 27 and Zoe Kyoti, usual, packed with big names, 28. These are all free, but the Tomasso leading the likes of Most of the concerts are Highlight of the programme at from a first-class bill of the Swing West and Wales. The quartet the Cinnamon Club, Altrincham, Alan Barnes and Dave Turner though in truth a few are only on Sunday Brunch sessions are Spats Langham and Alistair Allen grouped together on a Friday Commanders, the begins in London with the SE is the appearance of double appear as a trio on June 10.