Jazz musician and folk music's Chris Wilbraham with all the gigs happening in the Suffolk area
JAZZ with Chris Ingham: cjr.ingham@outlook.com/chrisingham.co.uk
Saturday, May 10
RAY GELATO (Haverhill Arts Centre, 8pm, £15/£10, haverhillartscentre.co.uk) Swinging Cat Jazz Club hostess Hannah Horton welcomes the Godfather of Swing, singer/saxophonist Ray Gelato, who has been taking his special brand of swing, jazz and R&B music all over the world since 1988.
Sunday, May 11
THE MILK MEN (Venue 16, Ipswich, 2.30pm, £15/£7.50, ipswichjazzandblues.com) British R&B group who have earned a reputation as the one of the most dynamic and enjoyable live bands on the circuit. With former Pirate Mike Roberts (drums), son of guitar legend Mick Green, Lloyd Green (bass), Jamie Smy (vocals) and Adam Norsworthy (guitar).
Tuesday, May 13
THE CLOCK WINDERS (Maddermarket Theatre Bar, Norwich, 8.30pm, £18/£9 u25s, norwichjazzclub.co.uk) A nostalgic repertoire of swing, jazz and acoustic country music with joyous three-part harmonies, bouncing upright bass and mellifluous bop guitar, featuring Nina Clark (guitar/vocals), Sam Dunn (guitar/vocals) and Ben Somers (guitar/vocals).
Wednesday, May 14
SARAH JANE MORRIS (Stoke By Nayland Golf Club, 8pm, £23, fleecejazz.org.uk, 01787 211865) Highlighting tracks form her all-original album The Sisterhood, dynamic singer Sarah Jane Morris is joined by her co-writer/guitarist Tony Remy, plus Marcus Bonfanti (guitar), Henry Thomas (bass).
Friday, May 16
DEREK NASH (Hunter Club Arts Centre, Bury, 7.30pm, £20, headhunterslive.org, 07799 650009) One of hottest, funkiest saxophone players on the scene, Derek exudes an irresistible life force, notably with Jools Holland’s Rhythm and Blues Orchestra. With Chris Ingham (piano), Malcolm Creese (bass) and George Double (drums).
FOR THE DIARY
Sunday, May 25
FIVE-WAY SPLIT (Yalm Food Court, Norwich, 7.30pm, £12, norwichjazzclub.co.uk) Cultured hard bop and post-bop from an all-star quintet featuring Quentin Collins (trumpet), Vasilis Xenopoulos (tenor), Rob Barron (piano), Matyas Hofecker (bass) and Matt Home (drums).
Wednesday, May 28
ALAN BARNES/DAVID NEWTON (Stoke By Nayland Golf Club, 8pm, £20, fleecejazz.org.uk, 01787 211865) Masterful saxophone and piano instrumentalists Barnes and Newton who between them have won countless UK jazz awards and together have been performing their sparkling, empathetic duets for over 40 years. Expect wit and musical finesse aplenty.
Thursday, May 29
ROGER BEAUJOLAIS (Corn Hall, Diss, 7.30pm, £18, thecornhall.co.uk) Fabulous vibraphonist Beaujolais presents his entertaining show 100 Years Of Vibes with Chris Ingham (piano), Simon Thorpe (bass) and George Double (drums).
Sunday, June 8
HORN FACTORY (Venue 16, Ipswich, 2.30pm, £15/£7.50, ipswichjazzandblues.com) Suffolk’s premier jazz big band specialising in their own brand of fast-moving, hard-hitting, toe-tapping contemporary jazz with an eye for some of the lesser known modern jazz composers.
Friday, June 13
CITIZEN’S ADVICE JAZZ FUNDRAISER (Guildhall, Bury, 7pm, £58, email: fundraising@swcab.org.uk) Reception drink, canapés and a two-course supper, with easy-listening jazz music from the Smooth Operators, aka Joanna Eden and the Chris Ingham Trio.
Tuesday, June 17
GUILO ROMANO TRIO (Maddermarket Theatre Bar, Norwich, 8.30pm, £18/£9 u25s, norwichjazzclub.co.uk) Up and coming jazz-groove trio delivering a fresh take on 80s & 90s fusion. With Giulio Romano (guitar/vocoder), Chris Jerome (keys/LH bass) and Daniele Antenucci (drums).
FOLK with Chris Wilbraham: chris.wilbraham@ tinyonline.co.uk
I received this message last week from Terry Walden, who has lived a life in folk music, visiting folk clubs in Soho in the 60s, running a stage at Cambridge Folk Festival and founding the Milkmaid Folk Club which is still going strong:
“I don't know if you were aware we lost Wizz Jones on 27th April just gone. Wizz was my all time favourite folk artist. I was lucky enough to call him my friend. He played at the Milkmaid dozens of times over the 30 years since I started the club.
Lately, he had been quite poorly and passed away in hospital surrounded by family.
So many artists called Wizz ‘a musician’s musician’. He was a world class guitarist and performer. He took Rod Stewart to Paris in the early 60s to busk on the Metro.
John Renbourn told me once, when a teenager, he followed Wizz all over London to see his hero. It was lovely to see them play together on a few tours a few years ago.
I booked both of them for a day festival I held at the Rising Sun pub’s garden to raise money for Headway and then again at The Apex alongside Clive Carrol.
Wizz was a very humble and shy man. He told me he was his own worst enemy for publicity. He'd never push himself forward but wait for opportunities to happen and felt plagued by bad luck.
He should be far more famous than he was in life.
I'll miss our little texts we had a few times a year. I did love the man and he'll be sorely missed. RIP Wizz.”
Apparently, Terry first came across Wizz when he was 15 through a guitarist friend who had an album of his. When he was 17, he went with this friend and saw Wizz live in Les Cousins club in Soho.
“The first time I met him was in the late 90s after I started the Milkmaid and he played for us. His song he wrote about his dad called Burma Star is my favourite and I requested it every time he played.”
The best recording of Wizz that I have found is his live album, Huldenberg Blues, from 2011. His voice, delivering songs like Burma Star and You’ve Changed has great pathos, perfectly matched by his percussive guitar style, full of expression and rhythm.
Wizz and his friends John Renbourn and Bert Jansch were hugely influential musically in the 1960s. Apparently, Keith Richards learned licks from him. This influence carried forward and helped shape the guitar playing styles of later guitar heroes such as Eric Clapton, Bernard Butler and Johnny Marr.
Here are next week’s gigs:
Friday, May 9
Apex, Bury St Edmunds, 7.30pm, Kroke. £22.
Golden Hind, Cambridge, 8pm, Cambridge Folk Club: Liz Simcock. £12.
Chevington Greyhound, 7.30pm, Paul Thacker and guests.
Saturday, May 10
Sudbury Arts Centre, 7.30pm, Fiona Bevan & Adam Beattie. £16.75.
Sunday, May 11
John Peel Centre, Stowmarket, 7.30pm, Skinny Lister, support from The Wilswood Buoys. £20.
Monday, May 12
Colchester Arts Centre, 8pm, Roswell, support from Mulley and Winn. £15.
Wednesday, May 14
Wine Cellar, Buttermarket, Bury St Edmunds, Ed & Jane, Mike & Kay, Paul Thacker.
Banham Barrell, 8pm, Later with James Veira.
Friday, May 16
Risbygate Sports Club, Bury St Edmunds, 7.45pm, Sherburn, Bartley and Saunders. £12.
John Peel Centre, Stowmarket, 7.30pm, The Cloverhearts. £14.
Saturday, September 17
Storeys Field Centre, Cambridge, 8pm, Cambridge Folk Club present Daphne’s Flight. £23.
Canopy Theatre, Beccles, 7.30pm, Catherine MacLellan and Lucy Farrell. £16.
