Column

The Snowboy Column (June)

Here we are, just starting the summer and it’s festival time folks! I was thinking, “How am I going to do a run-down of the best?”. Of course, we’re on the internet and I’ve found a web-site with all of them on. That was easy. So click on here jazzfests.net and enjoy yourselves!!!

VINTAGE AT SOUTHBANK

No doubt there’s a big news item elsewhere on the site for this incredible barrier-breaking festival. Last year it was at Goodwood and was the first festival of it’s kind. The brainchild of Wayne and Gerardine Hemingway MBE it was a weekend featuring the greatest music, fashion, design, food et al from the 1040’s to the 80’s. The festival won the prestigious ‘Best New Festival’ award at a huge ceremony at O2 and they sold 56,000 tickets as opposed to the expected 14,000. This year the festival takes over the Southbank from July 29th to the 31st and expands out to encompassing the 20’s and 30’s this time too. I am the curator of the 30’s and 40’s area and am presenting the very cream of Jazz from that period – from French Hot Jazz, Gypsy Swing and Western Swing to full-on 20 piece Swing orchestra’s. The highlight is that we managed to get the acknowledged worlds king of swing Ondrej Havelka & His melody Makers from Prague for the Saturday. This is a HUGE scoop and something to get very excited about. It took almost a year to negotiate. I’m dedicating virtually the whole Saturday to him, afternoon and evening. Elsewhere at the festival all lovers of black music from all the decades mentioned are catered for in a big way. Here’s the link to my area, known as THE TORCH

SNOWBOY NEWS

New Soul Weekenders

There seems to be lots of Soul weekenders coming out of the woodwork since the cancellation of the incredible Soul weekender at Prestaty in this October. I keep getting asked to DJ at them, which is great. I’ll give you details soon of them all and you can make your own mind up which one to chose!.

The Torquay Jazz Dance Weekender

I’m, of course, running my own Jazz Dance weekender at the Victoria Hotel, TLH Holiday Resort, Torquay in September with the most spectacular line-up known to man. CLICK HERE for more info.

Riviera Swing

And next month I will be announcing a 30’s & 40’s weekender called Riviera Swing that I’ll be running next March at the very same resort. I’m very excited about that.

Craig Charles Funk & Soul Show BBC Radio 6 & Jo Good

I’m being kept very busy at the moment as the music programmer for BBC Radio 6 Craig Charles Funk & Soul Show every Saturday night, and I’m a regular music panellist on the fantastic Jo Good Show on Radio London Sunday nights from 10 til Midnight.

Boisdale and Hideaway band dates

My band are is playing at the award-winning Hideaway Club in Streatham Saturday July the 23rd and the incredible new Jazz venue Boisdale at Canary Wharf on Saturday August the 27th. There’s a date at Ronnie Scotts in the Autumn but I can’t announce it yet.

There’s an exciting one-off Jazz event in Southend July the 19th but I’ll give you details for that next month.

It’s a shame to hear that Perry Louis’ great monthly Jazz Dance session Shiftless Shuffle is now finished at The O Bar in Soho. Let’s hope he finds a new venue soon for this essential session.

‘The Good Foot’ Packed Out

I’m proud to say that my Friday night residency at Madame Jo Jo’s, called The Good Foot, has been packed solid recently, so hopefully we’re doing something right! If you love 60’s & 70’s R&B, Funk, Soul, Rare Groove, boogaloo and Mambo then join us every Friday from 10 til 3am. My future guest DJ’s are:

June 3rd – EDDIE PILLER
June 10th – ‘THE IMPRESSIONS’ TOUR OFFICIAL AFTER-PARTY w/DJ PARI
June 17th – GUY HENNIGAN
June 24th – SI CHEEBA
CLICK HERE for more info on The Good Foot.

FIRST WAVE OF CONCERTS FOR
THE LONDON JAZZ FESTIVAL ON SALE

The London Jazz Festival in association with BBC Radio 3 returns this November, permeating the city’s many live music venues with its annual 10-day celebration of jazz. The first shows have just gone on sale, giving you a taste of what’s to come in the capital’s biggest pan-city music festival.

Friday 11 November - Jazz Voice: Celebrating a Century of Song
Barbican
Friday 11 November - Zakir Hussain: Masters of Percussion
Royal Festival Hall
Friday 11 November - Stephan Micus
Queen Elizabeth Hall
Friday 11 November - Steve Coleman
Southbank Centre / Purcell Room
Saturday 12 November - McCoy Tyner Trio featuring Jose James and Chris Potter
Barbican
Sunday 13 November - Steve Swallow Quintet + The Impossible Gentlemen
Queen Elizabeth Hall
Monday 14 November - Michel Portal
Queen Elizabeth Hall
Thursday 17 November - Richard Galliano: La Strada Quintet
Royal Festival Hall
Friday 18 November - Roy Haynes: Fountain of Youth Band
+ Peter King
Queen Elizabeth Hall
Friday 18 November - Abdullah Ibrahim
Wigmore Hall
Saturday 19 November -Henry Threadgill: Zooid
Queen Elizabeth Hall
Sunday 20 November,- Bill Frisell: 858 Quartet
Queen Elizabeth Hall
Sunday 20 November - Lucian Ban
Purcell Room

MARSALIS TO CELEBRATE
RONNIE SCOTT'S 5th YEAR OF RE-VAMP

Ronnie Scott’s welcomes legendary trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and his stunning septet back to the world-famous Soho club almost five years to the day since he marked the opening of the revamped venue in August 2006. It was following the club’s purchase, restoration and re-launch by theatre impresario Sally Greene, that the booking of Wynton Marsalis really announced that the new club meant business! Now, in celebration of the five year anniversary of the club’s re-launch, and working with international music producers Serious, Ronnie Scott’s is delighted to welcome the iconic trumpeter back for what promises to be an exhilarating week of magical music. Marsalis will perform two shows a night for five nights starting August 16th in what promises to be this summer’s hottest ticket.

‘THE HIDEAWAY’ WINS AWARD

Hideaway was named Jazz Venue/Promoter of the Year at the seventh Parliamentary Jazz Awards, voted for by the esteemed members of the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group (APPJAG). It was a star-studded event hosted by broadcaster Paul Gambaccini, with renowned jazz musicians such as Dame Cleo Laine and Jamie Cullen in attendance, as well as political giants such as Lord David Steel of Aikwood.

The award is an exceptional achievement for Hideaway, as it comes after only 18-months of business. The venue has successfully brought top jazz to South London six nights a week. Located in Streatham, the club is beautifully laid out and tastefully decorated with a real ambience, attracting locals and jazz fans from all over London.

A record number of MPs and peers attended the PPL sponsored awards ceremony, now Britain’s premier awards for the Jazz community, showing a cross-party love of jazz. APPJAG Co-Chairman Michael Connarty MP congratulated Hideaway and its fellow winners saying: “Each year we are knocked out by the consistent quality of the UK jazz scene, with long serving players, writers, educators and promoters being joined by a new generation of talent. We hope our Parliamentary Jazz Awards help encourage this creativity and draw others to share our enjoyment of British jazz”.

Hideaway was recognised by The APPJAG, which has members from the House of Commons and House of Lords across all political parties. Their aim is to encourage wider and deeper enjoyment of jazz, to increase Parliamentarians’ understanding of the jazz industry, to promote jazz as a musical form and to raise its profile inside and outside of Parliament. The Group’s officers are Co-Chairs Michael Connarty MP and Lord Colwyn and Secretary Joan Walley, MP.

REVIEWS

Eddie & Charlie Palmieri - Salsa Brothers (Nascente)

You’re always in safe hands with any Salsa-based compilation by UK Salsa expert and DJ Lubi Jovanivic. This is no exception. Here’s a much needed compilation of the two barrier-breaking Salsa/Latin Jazz pianist brothers – Eddieand Charlie Palmieri. This mainly focuses on their 70’s material on Coco, Seeco, Atlantic, Epic and Tropical Buddha and amazing it is. Frankly, every track is a glorious winner, and if you’re in any way interested in proper, un-cut Salsa and cerebral-yet-grooving Afro Cuban Jazz then you can’t do without this double-CD.

Ramsey Lewis – The Best Of (Jazz FM/Expansion)

Lovingly compiled by Expansion Records owner and DJ – Ralph Tee. This double-CD is just about anything you could possibly wish for from his 1970’s Jazz Funk output (although, strangely, Amazonias is conspicuous by it’s absence – one of the greatest Jazz Dance records ever made). It’s great to have this selection finally on a handy and useful package and, as you’d expect, it’s 100% quality throughout. For me, it brought back many memories and reminded me of songs I’d forgotten all about as well. You’ll love it too.

Funky Sensation 2 (Jazz FM/Expansion)

Based on a UK travelling Jazz FM club night called Funky Sensation (I believe), this is a timely, classy reminder of the music that goes under the umbrella "Jazz Funk". This double CD is packed full of goodies from the late-70’s and early-80’s, and as every track is a bona fide club classic from artists such as Brass Construction, Side effect, Freddie Hubbard, Gwen McCrae et al you can’t really go wrong.

Ray Lugo & The Boogaloo Destroyers – Mi Watusi (Freestyle)

Most people would be more familiar with Venusuelan-born Ray Lugo as the vocalist from the New York-based Afro Beat group Kokolo. Here he is branching out with a new project reviving the classic 60’s New Yorican club craze Latin Boogaloo. I have to say that it has been executed in the most lovingly authentic way. Everybody playing on the CD nails the style and it sounds very, very fresh indeed. It doesn’t matter that most of the material is covers. They’re all done with a lot of love and respect. I can this as being the tip of the iceberg with a whole new generation of groups inspired to play Latin Boogaloo after experiencing this.

Eddie Roberts & The Fire Eaters – Burn (Legere)

This is a new project from the leader and guitarist of Funk group, The New Mastersounds, Eddie Roberts. This band appear to be based in Spain, and other than Baritone/Flautist Chip Wickham, all the names are unfamiliar to me. This debut album by Eddie Roberts & The Fire Eaters is by far the best album I have heard this year and will, without doubt, be at the top of my Top 10 albums at the end of 2011. It’s content comprises mainly original compositions with a couple of covers (an absolutely staggering version of Hank Mobley’s Work Out) and the band firing on all cylinders throughout. Tough stuff indeed.

Colman Brothers – Colman Brothers (Wah Wah)

I’ve been familiar with the Colman brothers since their excellent El Nino 45 from a year or so back, so I was delighted to receive this, their debut album. It doesn’t disappoint. The style is mainly live musicians playing over sampled grooves – in this case, mainly 60’s Bossa & Samba, and it works well. I’d gotten bored of that much-copied recent fashion of the Italian Jazz Latin Quartet with club beats under it – type Jazz Dance, but this sounds very fresh indeed. The samples have been used intelligently and the playing is fantastic. I’m sure this is going to do very well, and at least on the dancefloors of the more intelligent left-field clubs.

Chip Wickham – Hit And Run/Apache (Lovemonk 45)

A great double-sider 45 from The Fire Eaters Chip Wickham. Both are mixing the Cuban rhythm ‘Mozambique’ with 60’s Fatback Funk making a heady mixture of Latin Funk indeed. Both sides are killers and it’s hard to recommend one above the other really. The b-side is NOT a cover of The Shadows/Incredible Bongo Band break classic of the same name but excellent none the less. You’ll be hearing this 45 around a lot in the Funk scene for many months to come.

Nick Pride & The Pimptones - Midnight Feast Of Jazz (Record Kicks)

Fantastic Funky Jazz from the North East of England. The CD is full of original compositions by Nick Pride himself which are strong and authentic. The playing by the whole band is great throughout and deliver with a kind of punky-forcefulness that’ll get the students fired-up. There’s so much below-average Funk being made at the moment and so let this be a sharp lesson to all of those bands. This is how it should be done. More please!

Seven Heven (BBE)

Here’s a superb new compilation on the ever-excellent BBE Records. What’s interesting and unique about this one is that it introduces us to the modern day glories of the 7” single. There are hundreds of different records coming out in this format and they’re not all trying to sound retro either. This project is lovingly compiled by the famous broadcaster, black music journalist and DJ, Mark Webster, and it’s top quality throughout. Musically it goes from 60’s Funky Hammond grooves ala The James Taylor Quartet, to Broken Beats, Neo Soul to Soulful Garage and it all makes sense. There’s a voyage of discovery waiting right here. Come on in.

Sunlightsquare – O Mi Shango (Sunlightsquare)

Here’s a great new Latin club track single, and in a handy 8 mixes too. Starting with 100% authentic Afro Cuban Bata-drumming in praise to the Yoruban Orisha (God) of Thunder it quickly marries up with classy contemporary dance beats, switching back and forth throughout. The horn section cleverly play the original vocal melody to the praise to Shango, but the untrained ear wouldn’t know that. That’s the clever thing, it doesn’t matter. It works, it’s a great joyous track and that’s it. Ahi nama! (right on!) Very tasty.

Banda Black Rio – Super Nova Samba Funk (Far Out)

The return of Brasilian Funk super-group, and what a winner! It’s been a long time coming. Long gone are the Earth, Wind & Fire influences. This is Banda Black Rio in a very much contemporary style. There’s nothing retro here. This time the band is being led by William Magalhaes, the son of the original bandleader & saxophonist Oberdan. It’s an all-star line-up with guest appearances from such legends as Gilberto Gil, Elza Soares, Seu Jorge, Caetano veloso next to Flame Liller and GOD PT3 from NYC Hip Hop crew Mobb Deep. The mixture brings it all together in a glorious way with incredible unique results.

CLUB LISTINGS

RONNIE SCOTTS

Wednesday 1st June – Thursday 2nd June DAME CLEO LAINE
Friday 3rd June – Saturday 4th June VINCENT HERRING & THE EARTH JAZZ AGENTS
Sunday 5th June THE RONNIE SCOTT’S JAZZ ORCHESTRA - THE COLE PORTER SONGBOOK
Sunday 5th June / 12 noon SUNDAY JAZZ LUNCH: Sheila Southern & The Derek Cox Combo
Tuesday 7th June - Thursday 9th June MICHEL LEGRAND
Friday 10th June – Saturday 11th June NICOLA CONTE
Sunday 12th June THE RONNIE SCOTT’S BLUES EXPERIENCE
Sunday 12th June SUNDAY JAZZ LUNCH: Alexander Stewart with The Alex Webb Quartet featuring Nathaniel Facey
Monday 13th June – Wednesday 15th June BOBBY HUTCHERSON QUARTET featuring JOEY DEFRANCESCO
Thursday 16th OMAR PUENTE
Friday 17th - Saturday 18th June GILL MANLEY: THE NINA SIMONE SONGBOOK
Sunday 19th June NATALIE WILLIAMS SOUL FAMILY
SUNDAY JAZZ LUNCH: BLUE HARLEM led by saxophonist AL NICHOLS & featuring vocalist SOPHIE SHAW
Monday 20th June – Tuesday 21st June DR LONNIE SMITH TRIO
Wednesday 23rd June - Friday 24th June (two shows Friday only)
LEE RITENOUR/DAVE GRUSIN & FRIENDS
Saturday 25th June FRANK MCCOMB
Sunday 26th June SUNDAY JAZZ LUNCH: Bennett to Bublé presented by Kevin Fitzsimmons
Monday 27th June – Thursday 30th June THE BRAND NEW HEAVIES

Ronnie Scotts, 47 Frith Street, Soho, London, W1D 4HT
Tel: 020 7439 0747
ronniescotts.co.uk

BOISDALE, CANARY WHARF, LONDON

Wednesday 1st June - Jazz FM’s Discovery Show £5-£20
Jonathan Kalb:
Thursday 2nd & Friday 3rd June: The Ray Charles Revue featuring Jeremy Sassoon
Saturday 4th June – Blue Harlem
Monday 6th June – Liz Fletcher
Tuesday 7th June – Eric Ranzoni Blues Band
Wednesday 8th June – Jazz FM’s Discovery Show
Thursday 9th June – Reuben Richards
Friday 10th June – Ray Gelato Giants
Saturday 11th June – Roberto Pla
Monday 13th June – Karen Sharp
Tuesday 14th June – Harry Plays Brubeck
Wednesday 15th June – Jazz FM’s Discovery Show
Thursday 16th June – 9.20 Deluxe featuring Pete Long
Friday 17th & Saturday 18th June - Otis Grand Blues Band and Special
Monday 20th June - T J Johnson
Tuesday 21st June - Jools Holland Rhythm and Blues Orchestra Wednesday 22nd June - Jazz FM’s Discovery Show
Friday 24th & Saturday 25th June • Absolute Earth Wind and Fire
Monday 27th June - Nigel Price Organ Trio
Tuesday 28th June - Ray Gelato and Kai Hoffman
Wednesday 29th June - Jazz FM’s Discovery Show

Boisdale Canary Wharf, Cabot Place, Canary Wharf London E14 4QT
Tel: 020 7715 5818
boisdale.co.uk

THE HIDEAWAY, STREATHAM

Wednesday 1st June – John Critchinson’s “Ronnie Remembered” Thursday 2nd June – Cuban Salsa class with Live Salsa band – Cuban Hideaway feat. Soneando
Friday 3rd June – Diz “Honey Bear” Watson
Saturday 4th June – Mari Wilson’s Threesome
Sunday 5th June – Jazz on the Lawn – OUTDOOR EVENT – Hideaway’s first (small but perfectly formed) festival, this is an afternoon event set within the walls of a beautiful Victorian garden in Cobham. With plenty to eat and drink, enjoy your jazz in the sun with the Nigerian-influenced rhythms of guitarist Femi Temowo and the electrifying, energetic grooves of the London Horns.
Sunday 5th June – Vince Dunn & Noel McCalla
Monday 6th June – Jam Session and Jazz Workshop
Wednesday 8th June – Louie Palmer Group feat. Mike Outram & Laurence Cottle
Thursday 9th June – Cuban Salsa class and club night - Cuban Hideaway Friday 10th June – Tommy Blaize
Saturday 11th June – Trio Manouche with Quentin Collins & Dave Shulman
Sunday 12th June – Groove Digger
Monday 13th June – Jam Session and Jazz Workshop
Wednesday 15th June – Juliet Kelly
Thursday 16th June – Cuban Salsa class and club night - Cuban Hideaway
Friday 17th June – Size Nine
Saturday 18th June – Soothsayers
Sunday 19th June – TBC
Monday 20th June – Jam Session and Jazz Workshop
Wednesday 22nd June – Dave O’Higgins & the Malcolm Campbell Trio
Thursday 23rd June – Cuban Salsa class and club night - Cuban Hideaway
Friday 24th June – Frank McComb
Saturday 25th June – Jazz Jamaica
Sunday 26th June – TBC
Monday 27th June – Liane Carroll: Album Launch
Wednesday 29th June –Andrea Vicari Trio
Thursday 30th June – Cuban Salsa class and club night - Cuban Hideaway

Hideaway, 2 Empire Mews, Streatham, London SW16 2ED
Tel: 020 8835 7070
hideawaylive.co.uk

SNOWBOY

Please feel free to contact Snowboy with any Jazz news/event info that you feel would benefit others at snowboy@bluesandsoul.com Thank you.