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
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).
FOR THE DIARY
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).
Wednesday, October 9
ROGER BEAUJOLAIS QUARTET (Stoke By Nayland Golf Club, 8pm, £20, fleecejazz.org.uk, 01787 211865) Bringing his ‘Bag Of Vibes’ show saluting MJQ vibraphonist Milt Jackson, Roger Beaujolais leads a superb quartet featuring Robin Aspland (piano), Paul Jeffries (bass) and Milo Fell (drums).
FOLK with Chris Wilbraham: chris.wilbraham@tinyonline.co.uk
After last week’s article about favourite albums, Eamonn Harvey has volunteered his selection:
“Strawbs’ Grave New World, Martin Carthy Signs Of Life, Bob Dylan Blonde On Blonde, The Bee Gees’ Horizontal, Show of Hands Country Life.
I heard the Strawbs when I was at college on the Old Grey Whistle Test. This album blew me away and I've been a massive fan ever since.
Bob Dylan. . . probably my favourite album of all time; Martin Carthy, the most brilliant interpretation of Folk and contemporary songs from one man and an acoustic guitar!
Show of Hands’ Steve Knightley is one of the most gifted songwriters around.
The Bee Gees - Robin Gibb’s melancholy voice takes me straight back to my teenage bedrooom with the lights out and thinking ‘Great! I've found a singer who sounds as miserable as I am now’”
In other news. The first Bungay Folk Festival begins on Friday, September 6 and finishes on Sunday 8th. There are a variety of performances happening at venues such as The Fisher Theatre, The Castle Bailey, St Mary’s Church and at smaller venues across the town.
Thanks to sponsorship from East Suffolk Council, The Town Trust, Bungay Town Council, Cultural Connections, The Fisher Theatre and Earsham Street Café, many concerts are free, including The Shackleton Trio in the Castle Bailey on Sunday at 1.30pm. The patron of the festival is Sam Kelly who performs with Jamie Francis on Saturday evening at 7pm in The Fisher Theatre. Tickets for this are £15, Colchester band The Medlars play in support. Five piece multi-instrumental band Solana play a ticketed concert in the theatre on Friday evening with Eliza Delf and the Wilderness in support. There is a chance to catch The Tin Giants in St Mary’s Church in a free session on Saturday afternoon, with acts like Peter and Jane also playing. Will Power, supported by Big Sky, plays a ticketed gig there in the evening.
Venues that stage folk events year round feature. Three Tuns Cellar hosts performances from solo singer Paul Gill and trio Tinaire, among others over the weekend.
There are far too many to mention all the artists who are performing. According to Paul Gill some sessions are open, including a slower session for beginner/intermediate musicians, giving you the chance to say that you played at Bungay Folk Festival!
There is plenty to see if you are turning up to see what is going on, but if you are hoping to attend a ticketed gig, definitely book first. According to organiser Pete Sewell, ticket sales are strong.
There are workshops on instruments such as bohdran, banjo and Appalachian harp and on East Anglian songs, songwriting and telling stories, among many other things throughout the weekend. Some workshops are already booked up, so it’s worth booking a place if you are interested.
Morris dancers and Molly sides dance at multiple sites throughout the town.
The event seems to be at once ambitious and inclusive, welcoming performers and fans to enjoy and explore all aspects of the folk genre at minimal expense.
Not many gigs next week, but much more happening in early September:
Friday, August 23
Beyton, 8pm, Open Mic on The Green.
Wednesday, September 4
Risbygate Sports Club, Bury St Edmunds, 8pm, Bury Folk Collective: Contemporary Folk.
John Peel Centre, Stowmarket, 8pm, Brigid O’Neil. £5.
Bell Hotel, Thetford, 7.30pm, Open House Music Night.
Friday, September 6
Hadleigh Folk Club, Ansell Centre, 8pm, John Ward Trio, plus Terry Hiscox. £8.
Risbygate Sports Club, Bury St Edmunds, 8pm, Milkmaid Folk Club: Arfur Doo. £12.
Bungay Folk Festival, various venues until Sunday.
