Category Archives: Jazz Booth

Profiling Jazz

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All that jazz: catching up with Sector7

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Ahead of their Lunchtime Concert in the Gulbenkian Theatre on Monday 3 December, I caught up with Sarah Ellen Hughes, singer with the group, and asked her about what we can look forward to.

 

DH: Tell us a little about the group.

SEH: Sector7 originated as a jazz group, but now plays a selection of gospel, folk, jazz and soul, that has been brought to the table by the diversity of the members. We have 4 singers in the group and a rhythm section, allowing us to explore some a cappella work, but also some groove-based music with the band too.

DH: And what excites you about the music you perform ?

SEH: Vocal harmony is always exciting, and having four strong voices performing things in sometimes incredibly difficult and intricate harmonies is great to be a part of. We also have a new member at the moment, who is a beatboxer, so we’ve been able to incorporate that into a few tunes which is brilliant!

DH: So, what can we look forward to in your gig in a few weeks’ time ?

We’re going to be playing a selection of Christmas music and some Sector7 originals. There are plenty of great Christmas standards out there that we’re going to put a twist on and arrange in our own way. But we don’t want to do a Christmas overload as it’s only the first week of December, so we’ll also be playing some songs from our EP:

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Thanks to Sarah for her time; find out more about the concert on our online diary here.

Jazz Booth, Notes on Music, Now Hear This!

In memoriam: Jaco

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Today marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the untimely death of Jaco Pastorius, the outrageously talented bass-player who redefined the role of the bass in jazz and revolutionised its technical possibilities.

Now hear this…

Also to be heard drumming on ‘Teentown’ on the album Heavy Weather, he also showed his more lyrically melodic (yet no less inventive) side on Hejira, one of several albums he recorded with the great Joni Mitchell.

Here are Weather Report live in 1978, the heyday of jazz-fusion, with Wayne Shorter on soprano sax, Joe Zawinul on keyboards, Peter Erskine on drums, and the great man showing his melodic-playing skills.

Ave, Jaco: we salute you.

Jazz Booth, Summer Music

Special guests to appear in Big Band Gala at the Gulbenkian

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The University Big Band, conducted by Ian Swatman, will be joined by some very special guests when it returns to the Gulbenkian Theatre for its Gala evening  on Wednesday 6 June, at 7.30pm.

Appearing alongside the Big Band is British saxophonist Simon Bates, pianist Paul ‘Harry’ Harris, bassist with Jools Holland’s Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, Dave Swift and Mike Osborn (drums) in a rousing finale to the University’s musical year.

Kent's First Lady of Jazz: Ruby Mutlow

Conductor of the Big Band, Ian Swatman, is particularly excited about this year’s extravaganza. ‘’Simon Bates is regarded as one of the country’s finest saxophonists, and to have him appear with his own quartet is tremendous. All the players in their own right have illustrious careers; Dave Swift is in the middle of Jools Holland’s UK tour with the Jools Holland Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, and is fitting this date in especially amidst his tight schedule. Drummer Mike Osborn has become a regular and spectacular guest with the University Concert and Big Bands, and the combination of all these musicians, together with our own very talented singer Ruby Mutlow and all the University band musicians, is a very exciting prospect!’’

The event is part of the University’s Summer Music, a five-day festival of events both on campus and in Canterbury to celebrate the end of another year of music-making and the end of the academic year. The festival also includes the Music Scholars in a lunchtime concert at the Gulbenkian, the Sirocco Ensemble and Brass Group in a Lunchtime at the Labyrinth, Chamber and Cecilian Choirs at St Mildred’s Church, and the annual Music Society Sunday concert: including cream teas!

Details about all the events, as well as tickets for the Big Band Gala, online here.

More about saxophonist Simon Bates online here.

Jazz Booth, Notes on Music, Now Hear This!

In review: Julian Joseph Trio at the Gulbenkian Theatre

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My review of last night’s barn-storming gig by the Julian Joseph Trio (and surprise guest) has gone onto the Sounds New Festival’s blog this morning: you can read it here.

Julian Joseph TrioA fiery, inventive and terrific gig; and who was the special guest ? Well, you’ll just have to read it to find out…

Photo credit: Peter Cook.

Jazz Booth, Notes on Music, Now Hear This!

Julian Joseph Trio at the Gulbenkian this Sunday

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Colossus of the British jazz world, fearlessly inventive pianist, presenter on Radio 3, and stalwart of the British jazz scene, Julian Joseph brings his trio to the Gulbenkian Theatre this Sunday.

Julian JosephI’ve written more on Julian Joseph here, where he answers ‘Three Questions’ about coming to the Gulbenkian as part of the Sounds New Festival that’s ringing around Canterbury at the moment.

Here’s Julian Joseph playing ‘Autumn Leaves.’ Be sure not to miss this, a chance to hear one of the major figures of British jazz in intimate trio mode. Umissable: see you there…

Jazz Booth, Keeping It Real: reviews., Scholars Spotlight

Sax appeal: Music Scholar Tim Pickering takes part in the Sounds New Festival

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A University Music Scholar and saxophonist with the Concert and Big Bands, first-year Tim Pickering was invited to play in Canterbury’s Sounds New Festival of Contemporary Music on Saturday, as part of the ‘Big Brand New’ band. Here’s his story…

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Saturday 5th May… What an exciting day!

In the morning, I was invited to play my tenor sax in Whitefriars shopping centre in town with ‘Big Brand New’, an exciting new band set up by Peter Cook and the music department at Langton Girls School. Big Brand New is somewhat of a hybrid between a ‘traditional’ big band, and a junk orchestra! The musicians are from local schools, and a few University students, from Canterbury Christchurch and Kent.

The set started off with a few tunes composed by Peter especially for the band, followed by arrangement of Count Basie’s Flight of the Foo Birds. The final number we player was Herbie Hancock’s ‘Watermelon Man’, for which the ‘junk’ orchestra joined the rest of the band. There were several ingenious instruments being used, the bass line being played on tuned lengths of drainpipe, along with a percussion section comprising of everything from man-hole covers to buckets. There were also some assorted flutes and clarinets made out of lengths of PVC pipe!

The band certainly has some great potential, and it was brilliant to see so many young musicians getting stuck into taking solos and improvising… a daunting task, especially in the middle of a busy shopping square! I think that the use of the ‘scrap’ instruments was great – my favourite was the drainpipe bass! – I am very excited to be involved with the band. There is talk of in the future involving some of the school’s keen Music Technology students to mix some live sampling into the band, which will certainly make this band very different to anything else I’ve played in before!

After ‘Big Brand New’ had finished playing, KYJO (The Kent Youth Jazz Orchestra) took to the stage, just as the heavens opened! Despite the weather, they performed a fantastic set, and continued to draw a crowd, despite the conditions! They concluded with a lively performance of Jaco Pastorius’s ‘The Chicken’. Whilst listening to KYJO, myself and another sax player from ‘Big Brand New’ were interviewed by ‘CSR FM’ (97.4FM or online!) for their Saturday evening Jazz Show, 8-9pm. I’m sure there’ll be lots on about Sounds New in the next few weeks, so it’ll be worth tuning in.

In the evening, I was lucky enough to have a ticket to watch the BBC Big Band perform at the Gulbenkian… And just wow! I don’t think I need to say much more!

Two days in, and the festival has certainly started in style! I look forward to what the next few weeks bring…

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The Sounds New Festival of Contemporary Music runs until Tuesday 15 May.

Jazz Booth

Friday jazz with the Laurie Kay Trio tomorrow

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The Laurie Kay Trio comes to the Gulbenkian Theatre foyer  stage tomorrow, for an hour of classic jazz and swing at 5pm.

The event launches the trio’s once-a-month appearance on Fridays at the Gulbenkian, with an eclectic mix of swing, be-bop and boogie-woogie. A fixture in Canterbury throughout the 1990s, playing modern jazz, Laurie was also formerly principal clarinettist with the University Symphony Orchestra and a physicist at Kent.

The trio also appeared in Darwin College last year, which I featured on ‘On the Beat’ here.

Details about tomorrow’s appearance online here; a great way to start the weekend…