Column

The Snowboy Column (March)

Welcome back. The line-ups for both Cheltenham and Oxford Jazz Festivals have been announced and I’ll be going through the bands next month. There seems to be a lot of activity around the Jazz world at the moment, as my column shows this month.

SNOWBOY TOUR DATES

Yes, I’ll be on tour this month all over the UK. My special guest will be the greatest living Salsa singer Herman Olivera. Herman, of course, shot to fame as lead vocalist with Manny Oquendo’s Libre and is currently with the King Of Latin Music – Eddie Palmieri. I hope you can try and get along to one of the dates.

25/03 - Jazz Café, London
26/03 - Tunnels, Bristol
27/03 - Arts Centre, Colchester
30/03 - Lakeside Theatre, Nottingham
31/03 – Sage, Gateshead
01/04 – Wardrobe, Leeds
02/04 - Band on the Wall, Manchester
ticketmaster

TORQUAY JAZZ DANCE WEEKENDER

Well thanks very much to Tony Morrison, Rob Charlemagne and everyone at the LatinFest UK Salsa Weekender for incorporating our Jazz Dance weekender within it. The DJ line-up of Dr Bob Jones, Colin Curtis, myself, Chris Dinnis, Perry Louis and Nick Hosier represented well with amazing music throughout. The dancers were certainly treated to some of the best Jazz on record. I was very proud to see lots of Salsa dancers come in to our area and have a dance too. The famous Jazz painter, Oscar Romp, flew over from Austria just for one day, but, less glamorous I know, it was amazing to see people travelling from all over the country. I must also thank Blues & Soul for their much-needed support. We’re doing it all again September the 9th to the 12th. The weekend pass is only £50 this time too. Don’t miss out. Phone Tony on 07966 390802.

THE GOOD FOOT NEWS

So, it’s all change at my club session The Good Foot at Madame Jo Jo’s, Brewer Street, London. The music policy of floor-shaking 60’s & 70’s R&B, Deep Funk, Soul, Boogaloo, Mambo and Rare Groove is as strong as ever but we are also proud to announce the greatest DJ’s from the UK in those music styles, such as BBC Radio 6’s Craig Charles, Eddie Piller, Ian Wright, Gary Dennis, Perry Louis and Si Cheeba appearing in rotation. As well as that, we are now proudly in association with ACE records and will be launching one of their CD compilations of the greatest Black music of the 60’s and 70’s every single month. Here are this months forthcoming guests:

March 11th – Gary Dennis
March 18th – Craig Charles – BE EARLY!
March 25th – DJ Lubi and Si Cheeba, The Snowboy & Herman Olivera Tour After-Party
April 1st – Eddie Piller and Adrian Gibson
Madame JoJo's Information

LEEDS JAZZ DANCE SESSION

27th March: DJ Lubi's Sunday Sermon featuring Aron Kyne Latin Jazz Band live with special guest DJ Jimmy Blue Note (Hard Jazz & Groove Session) spinning Brazilian jazz, fusion and Blue Note/Prestige Records organ grooves! 7-11pm. Free entry, live sets 8.15pm and 9.30pm. Citrus Bar, North Lane, Headingley, Leeds, LS6 3HG.

ORA LAUNCHES JAZZ SUNDAYS IN MARCH

Thai restaurant ORA is delighted to launch its new Jazz evenings to be held every Sunday from 20th March - 10th April, when acclaimed musical group, City Jazz, will take up residency at the restaurant. City Jazz, formed by saxophonist Sam Sharp, has many years experience playing around the world and at prestigious venues in London such as the Royal Albert Hall, the South Bank Centre and The Barbican Centre. Sam has invited guests to accompany him each week, playing a mix of jazz music in both classic and contemporary styles, giving West End diners an exciting and alternative Sunday night out.

The evenings will run from 18.30-22.30. ORA, 6 Little Portland Street, London W1W 7JE
ora-restaurant.co.uk

NEW LIVE MUSIC CLUB MAKING WAVES

Oolyakoo Music Room puts on Jazz every Thursday at The Tattershall Castle; a terrific little ship moored I minute away from Embankment Tube Station.. At the Oolyakoo Music Room, you will hear a variety of sounds; from edgy bands, straight ahead bands and vocalists to world music, Latin and blues. Hosted by the most excellent Yots.K; the face of Oolyakoo.

March 10 Killer Shrimp featuring Ed Jones & Damon Brown
March 17 Tony Heiberg/Bob McKay’s Ireland Revised Quintet

13 YEAR OLD GUITARIST TO PLAY RONNIES

At thirteen years of age, Slovakia-born, Hungarian gypsy Andreas Varady is the youngest musician ever to headline one of the most famous jazz clubs in the world - Ronnie Scott’s. Already dubbed a “guitar genius”, and “incredibly gifted” by local media, “the boy who's not much bigger than his guitar” claims the Belfast Telegraph “has become something of a sensation”.

Since the age of four, Varady has been taught by his father, Bandi, himself an accomplished musician. At the age of eleven, Varady moved to Ireland and honed his craft attending jazz workshops and busking on the streets of Limerick. It was there he first reached a national audience on RTE's The Guitar competition, and soon after the gigs came rolling in. Already he has performed with many of his guitar heroes - Louis Stewart, Andreas Oberg, Frank Vingola and Martin Taylor, who was so impressed, he featured him as a guest on his Spirit of Django show at the Edinburgh Jazz Festival, and on February 2nd, announced Varady as the first to receive a scholarship to the Martin Taylor Academy.

Andreas plays mainly by ear and was inspired at an early age by Django Reinhardt, and later Wes Montgomery, George Benson and Bireli Lagrene. But it wasn't until Varady contacted Irish drumming star, David Lyttle online last year, that he formed a magnificent group with Lytlle on drums, Michael Janisch on bass and, his father on rhythm guitar. The four played together only once before recording Varady's debut, Questions, a first-take-no-post production scenario.

Andreas plays Monday 21st March 2011
Ronnie Scotts, 47 Frith Street, Soho, London, W1D 4HT
T: +44 (0)20 7439 0747
ronniescotts.co.uk

BRIT JAZZ WEEK IN AUSTRIA AND GERMANY

Air Artist Agency has announced their Brit Jazz Week in Germany and Austria, featuring six of the UK’s best acts from their roster.

The Brit Jazz Week comprises 76 gigs across 13 different cities, with 14 different clubs hosting performances from a different one of the bands each night. Between them, the bands have been recognised by the MOBO and MOJO Awards, Mercury Music Prize and just about every British jazz award available. They have all toured internationally but this is the first time any of them will be presented in Germany and Austria in such a big way.
With influences as diverse as Indian music, hip-hop, rap, trip-hop and rock, the bands involved are ex-Portishead jazz-rockers Get The Blessing, saxophonist Jason Yarde, Indo-Jazz clarinettist Arun Ghosh, pianist Kit Downes, The Julian Siegel Quartet and rapper-saxophonist Soweto Kinch.

This tour will be launched with three nights of performances in London’s Pizza Express Jazz Club (Dean Street):

11th March – Get The Blessing / Arun Ghosh
12th March – Julian Siegel Quartet
13th March – Kit Downes Trio + Jason Yarde / Andrew McCormack’s ‘MY Duo’ + Jason Yarde’s ‘Trio WAH’
pizzaexpresslive.co.uk

CLUB LISTINGS

THE HIDEAWAY CLUB, STREATHAM

Wed 2 - Compassionate Dictatorship
Thur 3 - Cuban Hideaway (salsa class) with Live Salsa Band
Fri 4 - Jo Harman and Company feat. Mike Mayfield,
Sat 5 - Benet McLean
Sun 6 - Lianne Carroll
Mon 7 - Jam Session and Jazz Workshop
Wed 9 - Julia Biel
Thur 10 - Cuban Hideaway (salsa class)
Fri 11 - 24Pesos
Sat 12 - Tony Kofi
Sun 13 - Maroon Town
Mon 14 - Jam Session and Jazz Workshop
Wed 16 - Jazz Breakers
Thur 17 - Cuban Hideaway (salsa class)
Fri 18 - Soul Purpose: A Teena Marie Tribute
Sat 19 - Lillian Boutté
Sun 20 - Tony O'Malley
Mon 21 - Jam Session and Jazz Workshop
Wed 23 - Bob Martin Quartet
Thur 24 - Cuban Hideaway (salsa class)
Fri 25 - Katie Leone
Sun 27 - Jazzbomb
Mon 28 - Jam Session and Jazz Workshop
Wed 30 - Tim Whitehead's 'Personal Standards' Quartet,
Thur 31 - Cuban Hideaway (salsa class)

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

RONNIE SCOTTS

Tues 1st - Weds 2nd Mar - AARON PARKS TRIO
Thurs 3rd - Fri 4th Mar - COURTNEY PINE Presents EUROPA Album Launch Shows
Sat 5th March - HAMISH STUART
Sun 6th Mar - RONNIE SCOTT’S JAZZ ORCHESTRA
Sun 6th Mar / 12 noon - 4pm - SUNDAY JAZZ LUNCH: Marlene Verplanck
Mon 7th - Thurs 10th Mar - JACK BRUCE
Fri 11th - Sat 12th Mar - MADELINE BELL
Sun 13th Mar - NATALIE WILLIAMS SOUL FAMILY
Sun 13th Mar / 12 noon – 4.00pm - SUNDAY JAZZ LUNCH: Lillian Boutte and the Ikos
Mon 14th – Fri 18th - DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER (with the BBC Big Band on Fri 18th),
Sat 19th Mar - THE AFRICAN JAZZ ALLSTARS
Sun 20th Mar - RONNIE SCOTTS BLUES EXPERIENCE
Sun 20th Mar / 12 noon – 4pm - SUNDAY JAZZ LUNCH: Sarah Weller Sextet, Doris Day “Day By Day”
Mon 21st Mar - ANDREAS VARADY QUARTET
Tues 22nd - Weds 23rd Mar - TRIO OF OZ with Rachel Z and Omar Hakim
Thurs 24th Mar - JOYCE
Fri 25th Mar - JOE LOVANO US FIVE
Sat 26th Mar - KING PLEASURE & THE BISCUIT BOYS
Sun 27th Mar – SKIP McDONALD + THE BAKER BROTHERS (double bill)
Sun 27th Mar / 12 noon – 4.00pm - SUNDAY JAZZ LUNCH - Caroline Nin: Edith Piaf to Marlene Deitrich
Mon 28th Mar - Tues 29th Mar - GOLDEN STRIKER TRIO: Ron Carter, Mulgrew Miller, Russell Malone
Wed 30th – Thurs 31st Mar - MARLENA SHAW

Ronnie Scotts, 47 Frith Street, Soho, London, W1D 4HT
T: +44 (0)20 7439 0747
ronniescotts.co.uk

THE PIZZA EXPRESS, DEAN ST, SOHO, LONDON

Thu-03- Tues 08 Mar - RICK BRAUN & RICHARD ELLIOT
Wed-09-Thurs 10 Mar - IAN SHAW: THE ABBEY ROAD SESSIONS
Fri-11-Sat 12 (first show) Mar - BRIT JAZZ IN GERMANY & AUSTRIA: THE LAUNCH
Sat-12-Mar - MAGNUS ÖSTRÖM (2ND SHOW)
Sun-13-Mar - DENMARK STREET BIG BAND – LONDON PREMIER SWINGING BIG BAND
Sun-13-Mar - BRIT JAZZ IN GERMANY & AUSTRIA
Mon-14-Mar - OMAR PUENTE
Tue-15-Mar - DYLAN HOWE QUARTET
Wed-16-Mar - WENDY NIEPER & ROLAND PERRIN ALBUM LAUNCH FESTIVITIES! PLUS SPECIAL GUEST DENYS BAPTISTE
Thu-17-Mar - THE THREE VOICES PROJECT: NORMA WINSTONE, MARIA PIA DE VITO, DAVID LINX AND HUW WARREN
Fri-18- Sat 19 Mar - PB UNDERGROUND
Sun-20-Mar - KATRIONA TAYLOR BAND
Sun-20-Mar - TESSA SOUTER QUARTET
Mon-21-Mar - A NIGHT OF VOICE AND PIANO IN AID OF ‘BRAINSTORM’
Tue-22- Weds 23 Mar - STEVE GROSSMAN & DAMON BROWN QUINTET WITH SPECIAL GUEST JOE COHN
Thu-24-Mar - BUCK CLAYTON LEGACY BAND
Fri-25-Mar - SABRINA MALHEIROS
Sat-26-Mar - LONDON HORNS
Sun-27-Mar (1:30pm) - AIMUA EGHOBAMIEN: ‘POURED GENTLY’ ALBUM CELEBRATION
Sun-27-Mar - KATE WILLIAMS SEPTET
Mon-28-Mar - JEAN-MARIE MACHADO & DAVID LIEBMAN
Tue-29-Mar - MATTHEW HALSALL
Wed-30-Thurs 31 Mar - CHARLES MCPHERSON QUARTET

REVIEWS

Jazz FM Presents The Legends Of Blue Note (Blue Note)

Jazz FM have done incredibly well to come back. Starting as an amazing Jazz station to then playing almost NO Jazz within a few years. Now a digital-only station they have come back strong and have enormous listenership all over the world and the most authorative DJ’s in the business – such as Mike Chadwick, Helen Mayhew and Robbie Vincent. It’s only right that they should hook up with Blue Note records for a compilation, and very good it is too. I’m not going to wearily type out all 27 tracks but rest assured that they’re all on here - from Moanin’, Sidewinder and Blue Bossa to Blue Trane and Ornithology. As the CD encompasses all eras of Blue Note from Be Bop to Soul Jazz to Jazz Funk to jazzy House it can be an odd listen at first, but after a few plays it all works seamlessly. There are no surprises here, it’s just something good and solid for the collection.

Ray Gelato & KAI Hoffman – Hey Boy! Hey Girl! (Double scoop)

CD’s like this are a great leveller. Of course, any style of music has to progress and here we are in 2011 with the Punk Jazz crossover and Rock Jazz etc, but listening to this CD it’s all such a breath of fresh air. Recorded at Derek Nash’s studio, we are treated to 16 tracks of authentic 40’s and 50’s swing from one of the UK’s institutions of Jazz – Ray Gelato. He sings and delivers as good as the greats and plays a mean tenor sax too, of course. This time it’s a duets album of beloved standards with Kai Hoffman; whom is often featured in Ray’s shows and is an artist in her own right. They sing naturally together like the friends they are and there’s a nice bit of horse-play between them too. My favourite track? A faithful reproduction of Keeley Smith’s ‘Reprise’ version of Old Black Magic. With Imelda May leading the way in the national charts, it proves that there’s a massive taste for the classic sound. An essential purchase.

Bar Tunes 5 (Chin Chin)

I understand how these compilations work with these kind of CD titles: Bar and Restaurant owners buy and trust them and they work well and sell well for the use of classy background music in the venues. This compilation, however, works on a much higher level and is full of lot’s of dancefloor-friendly Jazz-based winners. Some that I completely missed first time around. This CD has been put together by label-owner Peter Wanders and he has selected great stuff from the likes of Bahama Soul Stew, Lizzy Parks, Valique, and Timmy Lassy, and covers many styles from Bossa to Electro Swing. With the famous Southport Dance Weekender coming up soon, I know I shall have this in my bag for my DJ sets.

SNOWBOY

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