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-Sunday, November 8-24
CAMBRIDGE JAZZ FESTIVAL (Various venues in Cambridge, cambridgejazzfestival.info) Concerts, workshops, hangs, jams and more, for more than two weeks. Tickets going fast.
Sunday, November 10
PETE LONG SALUTES BENNY GOODMAN (Venue 16, Ipswich, 2.30pm, £15, ipswichjazzandblues.com) An electrifying romp through the classic Benny Goodman small group repertoire of the 1930s and early 40s, plus an opening set from FNY with Yula Andrews (vocal), Felix Serrano (guitar) and Neil Bateman (sax).
THE RONNIE SCOTT’S STORY (Cambridge Arts Theatre, 7.30pm, £25/£30) A blend of narration, rare archive photos, video footage and live jazz with the Ronnie Scott’s All Stars led by pianist James Pearson.
Wednesday, November 13
SIMON SPILLETT QUARTET (Stoke By Nayland Golf Club, 8pm, £20, fleecejazz.org.uk, 01787 211865) Reliably exciting hard bop from author/saxophonist Spillett with Rob Barron (piano), Alec Dankworth (bass), Pete Cater (drums).
FOR THE DIARY
Saturday, November 16
ARBENZ X (Hidden Rooms, Cambridge, 2pm, £15 & £20, cambridgejazz.org, 01223 514777) An exhilarating, hand-picked multi-generational combo fronted by drummer Florian Arbenz and featuring Immy Churchill (voice), Nick Smart (trumpet/flugelhorn), Ivo Neame (keyboards), Jim Hart (vibes/perc) and Szymon Mika (guitar).
Sunday, November 17
PAT METHENY (Saffron Hall, Saffron Walden, 7pm, from £39, saffronhall.com) Guitar legend in his first ever solo tour in a 50-year playing career.
Monday, November 18
JAMES PEARSON/TIM BONIFACE QUARTET (Old Hall Girton College, Cambridge, 7.30pm, £12-£15, cambridgejazzfestival.info) A jazz portrait of George Gershwin with James Pearson (piano), Tim Boniface (saxes), Jeremy Brown (bass) and Steve Brown (drums).
Tuesday, November 19
TOM JIGGINS QUINTET (Maddermarket Theatre Bar, Norwich, 8.30pm, maddermarket.co.uk) Norwich Jazz Club’s house drummer leads his own group on tunes by composers Sidney Bechet, Bill Evans, Charles Lloyd and Steve Swallow alongside a number of his own well-crafted compositions to complete a diverse and delightful set. With Martin Hathaway (sax/clarinet), Vij Prakash (trombone), Simon Brown (piano), Simon Wood (bass) and Tom Jiggins (drums).
Friday, November 22
ALAN BARNES (Hunter Club Arts Centre, Bury, 7.30pm, £18, headhunterslive.org, 07799 650009) Multi award-winning multi-reedsman Barnes joins Chris Ingham (piano), Malcolm Creese (bass) and George Double (drums) for high-end modern swing and droll anecdotes.
Sunday, November 24
KLEZMER WITHOUT BORDERS (Yalm Food Court, Norwich, 7.30pm, £15.50, yalm.co.uk) Klezmer fusing with jazz, latin and middle eastern sounds, creating a unique world music ensemble featuring Stewart Curtis (clarinet, saxes/flute), Ant Romero (drums/ darbuka), Pete Billington (keyboard) and Alex Keen (bass).
Wednesday, November 27
ART THEMEN ORGAN TRIO (Stoke By Nayland Golf Club, 8pm, £20, fleecejazz.org.uk, 01787 211865) Part of the Art Themen at 85: Live in Soho tour, the indestructible Themen leads this groovy trio with mischief and aplomb, strikingly supported by Pete Whittaker (organ) and George Double (drums).
Friday, December 6
A SWINGING CHRISTMAS (Diss Corn Hall, 7.30pm, £21, thecornhall.co.uk, 01379 652241) Festive fun with the Chris Ingham Quintet, featuring singer Joanna Eden (aka Jazz at the Movies) plus Mark Crooks (clarinet/saxophone), Geoff Gascoyne (bass) and George Double (drums).
FOLK chris.wilbraham@tinyonline.co.uk
Last Wednesday, The Larks needed to play a new song to an audience in preparation for the final of a songwriting competition, so we attended a session upstairs at Boosh Bar on Abbeygate, Bury St Edmunds. Our friend Giles had tipped us off about the fortnightly event and we joined him and eight other fellas, including organiser Steve Cook, taking turns to play a range of material, mostly on guitars, that stretched from The Beatles to Spanish classical compositions and from our original songs to banjo tunes played by Giles.
The culture of the group was very supportive. When it became evident a performer had bitten off more than he could chew, with several unexpected notes heard, the generous applause when he finished made me certain of his return next time, possibly with a less difficult piece.
Seeing a bunch of fellas sharing their passion for music, enjoying each other’s company and honing their performance skills, it’s not hard to see Steve’s motivation for leading the sessions, especially now I know of his career as a teacher. But I thought I would ask him anyway.
“It was the brainchild of John Amos, then a teacher at Howard Middle School. John was well respected in the local music scene. He played a massive role in extra curricular music and ran extremely popular evening guitar courses for teachers. By the mid 1980s, he was talking about having a regular players’ session at The Six Bells in Horringer.”
John’s guidance, a properly set up guitar and experience singing in a choir led to Steve reaching a high level.
“No one was expected to be a master musician, though many who attended were very good. Whatever your standard, or genre, you could play or sing what pleased you. It was always understood that if you wanted to play alone, you could say so and it would be respected. If you’d brought along a ‘joiner inner’, then people would play along with the greatest enthusiasm. In the early days it might be something like Sloop John B, these days more likely to be Wagon Wheel.”
Around 15 years ago the session, known as The Tuesday Club, moved to The Dove in Bury St Edmunds, where it still meets today with all comers welcome, especially youngsters who might carry the flame forward.
The Boosh was adopted more recently for those that can’t manage Tuesdays. “The Boosh sessions are quiet. You know when you’re playing that everyone will listen, and you don’t often get that in a pub or bar.”
The last of the regulars from the original group, Steve only organises the Boosh session now, but has helped set up gig nights at The Boosh, The Wine Cellar and lately, back at The Six Bells for players that want to progress to performing a full set to an audience. Steve has a huge knowledge of opportunities to play in Bury, which I can pass on by email if requested. I will certainly list the gig nights.
Friday, November 8
Wingfield Barns, 7.30pm, Megson. £16.
John Peel Centre, Stowmarket, 7.30pm, Freya Beer, support from Grace Calver and Flores Blue. £13.
The Golden Hind, Cambridge, 8pm, Cambridge Folk Club: Anthony John Clarke, support from Vic Lennard. £12.
Saturday, November 9
Cambridge Junction, 8pm, Mad Dog McCrea. £21.
Canopy Theatre, Bungay, 8pm, Winter Wilson. £11.
Monday, November 11
The Apex, Bury St Edmunds, 7.30pm, Blazin Fiddles. £24.
Colchester Arts Centre, 8pm, Martin Carthy: A Special Evening of Song & Conversation with Jon Wilks. £21.50.
Wednesday, November 13
Arkenstall Village Centre, Haddenham, 8pm, Ely Folk Club: Bob Fox, support from John and Pauline Pearce. £16.
Sudbury Arts Centre, 8pm, Heidi Talbot and Boo Hewerdine. £16.
Thursday, November 14
The Apex, Bury St Edmunds, 7.30pm, The Oyster Band. £30.
Friday, November 15
Risbygate Sports Club, Bury St Edmunds, 8pm, The Milkmaid Folk Club: Rattlebox plus support. £12.
The Golden Hind, Cambridge, 8pm, Cambridge Folk Club: Christine Collister, support from Clark and Johnson. £15.
