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
Friday, June 13
CITIZENS 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).
Friday, June 20
EMBRACEABLE ELLA (Hunter Club Arts Centre, Bury, 7.30pm, £20, headhunterslive.org, 07799 650009) Acclaimed chanteuse Joanna Eden salutes her vocal heroine in an enchanting evening full of music and anecdote, infused with the spirit of the First Lady of Song. With Chris Ingham (piano), Andres Lafone (bass) and Neil Bullock (drums).
FOR THE DIARY
Wednesday, June 25
JAZZ AT THE MOVIES (Southwold Festival. 7.30pm, £15, southwoldartsfestival.co.uk, 01502 722572) Jazz repertory group puts an irresistible spin on classic movie themes from the silver screen, with Joanna Eden (vocal), Chris Ingham (piano), Mark Crooks (reeds), Joe Pettitt (bass) and George Double (drums).
HORN FACTORY (Stoke By Nayland Golf Club, 8pm, £16.50, fleecejazz.org.uk, 01787 211865) 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.
Sunday, June 29
MIKE SANCHEZ BAND (Venue 16, Ipswich, 2.30pm, £15/£7.50, ipswichjazzandblues.com) Flamboyant blues, boogie-woogie and rock ‘n’ roll from singer and pianist Sanchez, formerly of Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings and the Big Town Playboys.
Wednesday, July 9
GREG ABATE QUARTET (Stoke By Nayland Golf Club, 8pm, £20, fleecejazz.org.uk, 01787 211865) Energetic, bebop-style alto from the USA-based saxophonist, plus Jim Watson (piano), Simon Thorpe (bass) and Alfonso Vitale (drums).
Saturday, July 19
ALAN BARNES (Corn Hall, Diss, 7.30pm, £18, thecornhall.co.uk, 01379 652241) Popular and brilliant multi-reedsman with a Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn programme, featuring Chris Ingham (piano), Malcolm Creese (bass) and George Double (drums).
Sunday, July 20
ZOE GILBY (Venue 16, Ipswich, 2.30pm, £15/£7.50, ipswichjazzandblues.com) Award-winning vocalist with a vivid and engaging presentation style and unusual material, both originals and covers.
Wednesday, July 23
JAMES ALLSOPP QUARTET (Stoke By Nayland Golf Club, 8pm, £22, fleecejazz.org.uk, 01787 211865) Established and versatile saxophonist interprets the music of Stan Getz, with Colin Oxley (guitar), Oli Hayhurst (bass) and Dave Storey (drums).
Friday, July 25
DENNY ILETT (Hunter Club Arts Centre, Bury, 7.30pm, £20, headhunterslive.org, 07799 650009) Remarkably expansive guitarist/singer, encompassing swing, bebop, blues and everything between. With Chris Ingham (piano), Malcolm Creese (bass) and George Double (drums).
Sunday, July 27
AARON LIDDARD (Yalm Food Court, Norwich, 7.30pm, £12, norwichjazzclub.co.uk) Saxophonist Liddard and his acclaimed Nylon Man project with funk, soul, Cuban and Brazilian influences, featuring Giulia Marelli (vocals), Chris Jerome (keys), Giulio Romano Malaisi (guitar), Paul Michael (bass) and Eric Young (drums).
FOLK with Chris Wilbraham: chris.wilbraham@ tinyonline.co.uk
Folk music organiser Tony Phillips has sent me the stage times for Bury Folk Festival, which happens in a couple of weeks, on Saturday, June 28, in the walled garden of Nowton Park, Bury St Edmunds, sponsored by bts Group and The National Union of Teachers. Fittingly enough Tony will be helping to get the Main Stage action started as part of The Doghouse Collective, who kick off a 30-minute set at 11am. He will also be part of an eclectic line-up on The Greenstage, performing with Doghouse Ceilidh Band for a Barn Dance at 12.45pm. Other Greenstage events include a group of sets entitled Anglian Journey, starting at 3pm with Briticana, a Cambridgeshire-based music and publishing collective, and a songwriting session from The Bridge, another collection of East Anglian folk artists, at 2.20pm.
Unlike at Cambridge Folk Festival, many who play as part of the local scene are looking forward to the chance to be part of the action. In fact, the first music played will be from a line-up that includes Giles Washburn and Becca Rose as part of The Greenstage Open Stage which starts at 10.30am.
Other locals will get to perform on the Main Stage with Peter and Jane closing the event and The Larks appearing at 12.30pm, following Milkmaid Folk Songwriting Competition winner Chad Mason from Noreich, who starts his set at 11.40am.
Sound Tradition, a local act who perform their a capella repertoire nationally and internationally, begin the part of the festival many will be looking forward to most. After their set, which begins at 2.20pm. Chris Fox, who has refined his act touring nationally for five years, will take to the stage, followed at 4.10pm by headline act Jez Lowe, a stalwart of the English Folk world since 1979. Like all the best songwriters, he writes about what he sees. Hailing from County Durham the decline of the mining industry features strongly and he has been part of a group known as The Pitmen Poets, alongside Benny Graham, Billy Mitchell and Bob Fox. Fairport Convention, The Dubliners, The Unthanks, The Tannahill Weavers and The Young Uns are some of the acts that have covered his songs.
Both stages have a break in their programme to allow the Glenmoriston Pipe Band to march into the arena from the car park, pageantry not seen at many folk festivals I’ve attended.
Having supported them at Ely Folk Club last summer, I can tell you that Camus will be up to the job of reigniting the Main Stage with their own North Eastern Heritage, including Northumbrian pipes.
Norwich based Alden and Patterson have been delighting audiences for years with their mix of tunes and songs, on this occasion they will be joined by crack bass player John Parker who regularly travels from his Midlands home to accompany all manner of fine artists.
In addition to all the music there will storytelling to entertain children of all ages, sculpture weaving, numerous food outlets and and a bar.
Tickets bought in advance cost £27.50. Tickets for under 18s are free. See the festival website for details.
Here are next week’s gigs:
Friday, June 13
Pakenham Church, 7.30pm, Callaghan.Support from the Larks. £18.
John Peel Centre, Stowmarket, 7.30pm, Peggy Seeger. £33.
Sunday, June 15
John Peel Centre, Stowmarket, Folk Session, 5-8pm.
Monday, June 16
The Dove, Bury St Edmunds, 7pm, Folk Session.
Tuesday, June 17
Rose and Crown, Bury St Edmunds, 4-7pm, Daytime Session.
Wednesday, June 18
Arkenstall Village Centre, Haddenham, 8pm, Ely Folk Club: The Shackleton Trio, support from Vic Lennard. £13.
Banham Barrel, 8pm, Later with James Veira.
Friday, June 20
Risbygate Sports Club, Bury St Edmunds, 7.45pm, Milkmaid Folk Club: Winter Wilson plus support. £11.
Canopy Theatre, Beccles, 7.30pm, Iona Lane. £13.
