Column
The Snowboy Column (September)
Well, August was a very busy month. My residency at Madame Jo Jo’s (‘The Good Foot’) has been going well through the Summer, and I’m enjoying being the music programmer for Craig Charles Funk & Soul Show on BBC 6 Music every week.
My Afro Cuban Jazz group finally played at the amazing Boisdale club at Canary Wharf in London’s docklands. What a beautiful venue and so much potential I’m looking forward to the Love Soul weekender in Ibiza at the end of September and the Goldmine Revival in a few weeks and 2 out of the 8 compilations I’m doing for BBE are now well under way (more of them next month). It was sad that we had to cancel the Torquay Jazz Dance Weekender though. I’m afraid that it was a case of too many people promising to go but not actually buying tickets. It’s a shame but those that were at the first one will always have the memory of a great time; alas never to be repeated.
There’s so much going on in the life of the Snowboy at the moment but I musn’t complain. It seems that since having been working for Wayne Hemingway’s barrier-breaking Vintage festivals for the last two years putting together the entertainment for the 40’s area others have been offering me festivals and weekend events of that ilk. It’s something that I’d previously never considered; after all, I’m a Latin Percussionist and DJ first and foremost. I’ve had quite a few exciting meetings recently but I can’t reveal anything at this point.
‘RIVIERA SWING’ IN TORQUAY
I mentioned to you a few months ago that there is an incredible new 1940’s weekender in Torquay in March 23rd-26th 2012 called Riviera Swing. It’s very intimate, only holding 325 people, and is at the glorious Victoria Hotel with it’s three ballrooms. It’s Friday til Monday and the dancing will be to the John Miller Orchestra, The Jive Aces and The Little Devils with DJ’s Jeff Two-Tone Boogie, O-kay For Sound and Rob Be-Bop. There will also be singalongs, afternoon tea dances, cinema on a PROPER screen, dance lessons and a vintage market. If it sounds interesting to you, contact Tony on 07966 390802, e-mail – rivieraswing@live.co.uk or rivieraswing.co.uk Tickets are going really well I hear. Will it sell-out? We think so.
Talking of ‘sold-out’…………….
THE ‘GOLDMINE’ REVIVAL – SOLD-OUT!!!
I’m proud to announce that Septembers reunion of the country’s number 1 Jazz Funk club from back in the day, The Goldmine has sold-out. From 1973 to ’84 this barrier-breaking club was constantly voted the UK’s Number 1 club by readers of this very magazine. The DJ, of course, was the UK’s first true DJ superstar and taste-maker, Chris Hill. Chris Hill will be there and supported by myself. The venue is La Quinta, Benfleet Rd, Hadleigh, Essex SS7 1QB. Phone 07811 111333 to be put on the mailing-list to get priority booking for the next one. Watch out for a Blues & Soul review next month.
‘THE GOOD FOOT’ AT MADAME JO JO’S
Over a year old and going strong is my Friday night residency at Madame Jo Jo’s in Brewer Street, Soho, London. It’s called The Good Foot and, musically, it’s heavyweight 60’s and 70’s R&B, Funk, Soul, Boogaloo, and Rare Groove all the way. We run 10pm til 3am every Friday and it’s £8 admission. Here are my guest DJ’s for September:
9th – Ian Wright
16th – Jay Strongman
23rd – Greg Belson
30th – Dean Rudland
REVIEW
Jackson Sloan – Saturday Clothes (Shellac)
Jackson first came to our attention in the early 80’s as the lead singer of one of the UK’s premier Swing bands Rent Party. Since then he made a fantastic solo album going into the Be Bop territory and in more recent years is back fronting yet another amazing 50’s R&B group called Oo Bop Sh Bam. Jackson really is one of the UK’s truly legitimate and authentic Blues Shouters and easily comparable to the greats in the genre. Just having a chance conversation with our beloved King of all things Swing, Ray Gelato, it came to light that Jackson had written a ton of songs that he’d never done anything with. Ray requested to hear them and was blown away at the quality of songs and got him in the studio to record them. The album features an all-star line-up from that world, including Ray Gelato himself. It’s hard to believe that these are not cover versions. Every one sounds like a classic. If it wasn’t for the odd contemporary lyric I would still be convinced each song was a cover, such is the standard of songwriting. So with all that in mind and Jackson singing better than ever I needn’t really have to tell you that this is an essential purchase jacksonsloan.com
LISTINGS
RONNIE SCOTTS
Sept 1-3 - James Hunter
Sept 5-6 - The Family Stone
Sept 7-8 - James Pearson
Sept 9-10 - Incognito
Sep 12-13 - John Etheridge & John Williams
Sept 14 - Jacqui Dankworth Band
Sept 15-17 - Pee Wee Ellis
Sept 19 - Carol Grimes
Sept 20-24 – JTQ
Sept 26-27 - Roberta Gamberini
Sept 28-29 - Celebrating Miles - Kind Of Blue presented by James Pearson
Sept 30 - Colin Towns' Mask Orchestra performing 'Visions of Miles'
Ronnie Scotts, 47 Frith Street, Soho, London W1D 4HT
ronniescotts.co.uk
THE 606 CLUB
Tues 6th - EMILY SAUNDERS
Wed 7th - ABC&D of BOOGIE WOOGIE feat CHARLIE WATTS-drums,
AXEL ZWINGENBERGER and BEN WATERS-pianos, DAVE GREEN-bass
Thurs 8th - ABC&D of BOOGIE WOOGIE feat CHARLIE WATTS-drums,
AXEL ZWINGENBERGER and BEN WATERS-pianos, DAVE GREEN-bass
Fri 9th - TONY O'MALLEY
Sat 10th - ALEX GARNETT QUINTET feat STEVE FISHWICK-trumpet
Sun 11th (SUNDAY LUNCHTIME SPECIAL 1:30pm-4:00pm). SUNDAY AFTERNOON GOSPEL BRUNCH Sun 11th - CONNIE LUSH
MON 12TH - THE TOMMY BLAIZE BAND
TUES 13TH - DAN REINSTEIN
WED 14TH - SECTOR 7
Thurs 15th - TIM WHITEHEAD/TONY WOODS QUARTET
Fri 16th - MANTECA
Sat 17th - GILAD ATZMON
SUN 18th SUNDAY LUNCHTIME SPECIAL (1:30pm-3:30pm) with IRENE SERRA
SUN 18th - GEORGIA MANCIO
Mon 19th - MARK MCKNIGHT QUARTET
Tues 20th - ADAM GLASSER / “TRIO†FEATURING JOHN CRITCHINSON, DAVE CLIFF, ALEC DANKWORTH
Wed 21st - BEN CROSLAND’S BRASS GROUP
Thurs 22nd - KAREN SHARP
Fri 23rd - DAVE LEWIS’S “1 UP†featuring POLLY GIBBONS-vocals.
Sat 24th - PETER KING QUINTET with Special Guest MORNINGTON LOCKETT
SUN 25th ***Lunchtime Special*** 1:30pm - 3:30pm THE LONDON VOCAL PROJECT directed by PETER CHURCHILL
SUN 25th - BARB JUNGR’S “DURGA RISINGâ€
Mon 26th - DANNY ADLER’S “ROOGALATORâ€
Tues 27th - LUIZA ZAN FEATURING GUEST GUITARISTS SORIN ROMANESCU & ALEX MAN Wed 28th - SIMON MULLIGAN
Thurs 29th - SIMON ALLEN QUINTET FEAT QUENTIN COLLINS
Fri 30th "SAMARA"
THE 606 CLUB, 90 LOTS RD, LONDON SW10 OQD
606club.co.uk
THE HIDEAWAY
Mondays - 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th - Jazz Workshops and Jam Sessions
Tuesdays - closed
Thursdays - Cuban Hideaway
Sundays - Sunday Comedy Club
Wed 7th - Andrea Vicari Trio
Fri 9th AND Sat 10th - Wayne Hernandez
Wed 14th Alex Garnett
Fri 16th - Omar with the Quentin Collins/Brandon Allen Quartet
Sat 17th - Sax Appeal
Wed 21st - PD3 featuring Dick Pearce
Fri 23rd - Xova
Sat 24th - Soothsayers
Wed 28th - Simon Spillet Quartet
Fri 30th - The Fontanelles
The Hidaway, 2 Empire Mews, Streatham, London SW16 2ED
hideawaylive.co.uk
Snowboy
DON'T FORGET, YOU CAN READ MORE SNOWBOY IN OUR SEPTEMBER PRINTED ISSUE
Please feel free to contact me with any Jazz news/event info that you feel would benefit others at snowboy@bluesandsoul.com Thank you.
