Jazz musician Chris Ingham and folk musician Chris Wilbraham cast their expert eyes over the local music scene
JAZZ with Chris Ingham: cjr.ingham@outlook.com/chrisingham.co.uk
Friday, August 23
STEELY JAZZ *WAITING LIST ONLY* (Hunter Club, Bury, 7.30pm, £20, headhunterslive.org, 07799 650009), A fresh look at the songs of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, aka Steely Dan, lovingly arranged for jazz quintet. With Chris Ingham (piano/vocal), Harry Greene (sax/guitar), Paul Higgs (trumpet), Geoff Gascoyne (bass) and George Double (drums).
FOR THE DIARY
Sunday, August 25
GRAHAM CLARK (Yalm Food Court, Norwich, 7.30pm, £11.50, norwichjazzclub.co.uk) Swing and Latin standards with Graham Clark (violin) and the Simon Brown Trio.
Wednesday, August 28
TONY KOFI & THE ORGANISATION (Stoke By Nayland Golf Club, 8pm, £20, 01787 211865, fleecejazz.org.uk) A selection of hard-hitting tunes in the blues, jazz and funk idioms with award-winning saxophonist Kofi, plus Liam Dunachie (organ), Simon Fernsby (guitar) and Pete Cater (drums).
Saturday, September 7
ALAN BARNES (Haverhill Arts Centre, 8pm, £15/£10 u18, haverhillartscentre.co.uk, 01440 714140) Multi award-winning, multi reedsman Alan Barnes kicks off the Swinging Cat Jazz Club hosted by saxophonist Hannah Horton and her regular team Tim Lapthorn (piano), Rob Statham (bass) and Nic France (drums).
Sunday, September 8
BLUE TOWN TRIO (Venue 16, Ipswich, 2.30pm, £15, ipswichjazzandblues.com) Grooving standards with a blues tinge fronted by Zoe Francis (vocals) with the legendary Jim Mullen (guitar) and ever-resourceful Ross Stanley (organ).
Wednesday, September 11
VASILIS XENOPOULOS/PAUL EDIS QUARTET (Stoke By Nayland Golf Club, 8pm, £20, 01787 211865, fleecejazz.org.uk) Classy group co-led by Greek tenorist Xenopoulos and British pianist, the quartet specialise in eclectic, groove-based, melodic sounds blending hard bop, Latin jazz, gospel and even folk. With John Williamson (bass) and Billy Pod (drums).
Friday, September 13
FLANAGAN (Diss Corn Hall, 7.30pm, £18, thecornhall.co.uk, 01379 652241) Mark Flanagan is a blues guitarist who has played with Jools Holland's Rhythm and Blues Orchestra since 1988. Tonight he fronts his acclaimed blues/folk/roots trio Flanagan spotlighting his own heartfelt original songs and featuring Adam Double (bass) and George Double (drums).
Wednesday, September 25
CHRIS INGHAM QUARTET - HOAGY II (Stoke By Nayland Golf Club, 8pm, £20, 01787 211865, fleecejazz.org.uk) More appreciation of the great American singer-songwriter-pianist Hoagy Carmichael and his uniquely wry and joyful oeuvre. With Chris Ingham (piano/vocal), Paul Higgs (trumpet), Simon Thorpe (bass) and George Double (drums).
Thursday, September 26
ADAM GLASSER QUARTET (Hidden Rooms, Cambridge, 6pm & 7.30pm, £5 & £20, cambridgejazz.org, 01223 514777) Harmonica virtuoso Glasser leads a workshop (6pm) on South African Jazz and shares insights into his journey as a chromatic harmonica player, followed by a concert (7.30pm) of rarely heard township jazz standards from South African composers Abdullah Ibrahim, Caiphus Semenya, Victor Ndlazilwana and Themba Mkhize. Featuring Ant Law (guitar), Steve Watts (bass) and Corrie Dick (drums)
Friday, September 27
ART THEMEN (Hunter Club, Bury, 7.30pm, £18, headhunterslive.org, 07799 650009) Long-awaited return to Bury St Edmunds of the indestructible and legendary tenor saxophonist Art Themen with Chris Ingham (piano), Malcolm Creese (bass) and George Double (drums).
FOLK with Chris Wilbraham: chris.wilbraham@tinyonline.co.uk
Post gig last Friday we chatted with Ivan, the landlord of The Walnut in Stowmarket, about his album night on Sunday, August 25. He will play music from his top 20 albums, chosen for the effect of the whole album listened to from beginning to end. His choices surprised us a little and I thought I would ask friends about their favorite albums. There were predictable names and some surprises.
The way we listen to music has changed since the advent of CDs made it easy to skip tracks without risking scratching precious vinyl or tangling tape in a fast forward manoeuvre. Now, streaming makes it more usual to listen to a playlist than an actual album from beginning to end.
But fine albums have been recorded in this time. I recall the pleasure of discovering gems like Mirrorball and Friend of Ours nestling beside the hits on Elbow’s The Seldom Seen Kid.
Twenty-two-year-old year old songwriter Robin Torbitt has recent releases on his list. Billie Marten’s Feeding Seahorses by Hand is his favorite album to draw to. “Lots of beautiful songwriting - would work just as well acoustic since music production/ textures are subtle and tasteful.” He also includes Crackup by Fleet Foxes. “The way the tracks flow into each other is really interesting.”
His choice of Grace by Jeff Buckley I was expecting from someone and a Joni Mitchell album too. Hejira was his nomination. Billy Joel’s 52nd Street was a surprise. “. . .this is what I imagine being a musician in New York in the 70s was like. Very uplifting throughout.”
Singer Paul Gill included Sgt Pepper which I expected to feature, as well as Radiohead’s Ok Computer. Less predictable was The Decemberist’s The Hazards of Love. “An alt folk rock concept album drawing on the famous Child ballads, weaving together musical and lyrical motifs at once familiar and fresh to the knowledgeable folkie.”
He also included Billie Holliday’s Lady in Satin. “The last of her albums to be released in her lifetime, with bandleader Ray Ellis and produced by Irving Townsend (Miles Davis' Kind of Blue). Her voice has lost some of its cornet-like piercing tone at this stage, but this is compensated in its heart-breaking fragility.”
Dick Gaughan’s Handful of Earth is an entry which I’m thoroughly enjoying: “So much presence, passion and undeniable skill. His tone and ornamentation pinpoint perfect, and his commitment to every story, every word unmatched.”
Singer/mandolinist Liz Miller mentioned long journeys with a Walkman listening to Alanis Morisette’s Jagged Little Pill then flipping the tape over to listen to Ocean Colour Scene’s Mosley Shoals. Her children have introduced her to The Race for Space by Public Service Broadcasting “which has to be listened to end to end”.
Making Movies by Dire Straits reminds her of her dad marking books listening to full albums. “More recently, I listen to albums when exercising on the ergometer - William the Conquerer’s Maverick Thinker is a great companion.“
Dave Reece, who stages folk gigs in Pakenham church, included Tender by Lady Maisery, who he’s booked to play in October. “Bleakness which is softened by warm and comforting harmonies.”
Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here might have been expected to make an appearance and Don McLean’s American Pie is one I own and listened to relentlessly back in the day. Beverley Craven’s eponymous album was a less predictable choice, as was Judie Tzuke’s Welcome to the Cruise.
“Sukarita and her hit Stay With Me Till Dawn are lush and sumptuous but the real cherry on the top is For You.”
I hope, like me, you will enjoy listening to music you weren’t aware of and might re-engage with music you knew after reading this.
In the meantime, here are next week’s gigs:
Monday, August 19
The Dove, Bury St Edmunds, 7.30pm, Round the Room Session.
Tuesday, August 20
Rose and Crown, Bury St Edmunds, 4-7pm, Daytime Folk Session.
Friday, August 23
Beyton, 8pm, Open Mic on The Green.
