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
Tuesday, October 8
SIMON SPILLETT BIG BAND (Maddermarket, Norwich, 8.30pm, £25, norwichjazzclub.co.uk) Acclaimed as the best British big band in years, this roaring aggregation is fronted by tenorist and author Simon Spillett. Featuring tracks from his salute to Tubby Hayes Dear Tubby H the all-star ensemble features, among others, Nathan Bray, Mark Armstrong, Freddie Gavita (trumpets), Andy Flaxman, Mark Nightingale, Ian Bateman (trombones), Pete Long, Simon Allen, Alex Garnett (saxes), plus Rob Barron (piano), Alec Dankworth (bass) and Pete Cater (drums).
Wednesday, October 9
ROGER BEAUJOLAIS QUARTET (Stoke By Nayland Golf Club, 8pm, £20, fleecejazz.org.uk, 01787 211865) Bringing his ‘Bag Of Vibes’ show saluting MJQ vibraphonist Milt Jackson, Roger Beaujolais leads a superb quartet featuring Robin Aspland (piano), Paul Jeffries (bass) and Milo Fell (drums).
FOR THE DIARY
Sunday, October 13
ERROL LINTON (Venue 16, Ipswich, 2.30pm, £15, ipswichjazzandblues.com) Chicago-style blues from harmonica ace Linton and his band.
Wednesday, October 16
JEFFERY WILSON & JOHN HUMAN (Theatre Royal, 1pm, £10, theatre Royal.org, 01284 769505) Jeffery Wilson (clarinet/saxophone) and John Human (piano keyboard) present their ‘The Reduced History of Jazz’.
Friday, October 18
KING OF SWING: PETE LONG PLAYS BENNY GOODMAN (Diss Corn Hall, 7.30pm, £18, thecornhall.co.uk, 01379 652241) Acclaimed musical director of the Ronnie Scott’s Orchestra and one the country's most exciting clarinettists salutes Benny Goodman. With Chris Ingham (piano), Malcolm Creese (bass) and George Double (drums).
Sunday, October 20
IVARS GALENIEKS MEMORIAL JAZZ JAM (Yalm Food Court, Norwich, 7.30pm, £6.50, norwichjazzclub@gmail.com) In honour of the late, great Latvian bassist who was a stalwart of the East Anglian jazz scene, with the Simon Brown Trio and guests.
Wednesday, October 23
BRYAN CORBETT QUINTET (Stoke By Nayland Golf Club, 8pm, £20, fleecejazz.org.uk, 01787 211865) Sounds from classic Blue Note records with Bryan Corbett (trumpet/flugelhorn), Chris Bowden (alto sax), Paul Deats (piano), Tom Hill (bass) and Andrew Wood (drums).
Thursday, October 24
JOSEPHINE DAVIS SATORI (Hidden Rooms, Cambridge, 6pm & 7.30pm, £15 & £20, cambridgejazz.org, 01223 514777) Dynamic ensemble led by award-winning saxophonist and composer Josephine plays music inspired by Josephine’s Nordic roots in the Shetland Islands, weaving contemporary jazz with a hauntingly evocative folk influence. Also featuring Alcyona Mick (piano), Dave Whitford (bass) and Jay Davis (drums).
Friday, October 25
ALLISON NEALE QUARTET (Hunter Club, Bury, 7.30pm, £18, headhunterslive.org, 07799 650009) US-born, London-based saxophonist Allison Neale is one of the finest exponents of the melodic, West Coast style on today’s scene. Her acclaimed 2020 album Quietly There saluted the exquisite 1960s collaborations between altoist Paul Desmond and guitarist Jim Hall, while her current quartet features some of the most experienced, expressive and empathetic musicians in the UK. With Colin Oxley (guitar), Jeremy Brown (bass) and Matt Fishwick (drums).
Sunday, October 27
JE SUIS SWING (Maddermarket Theatre Bar, Norwich, 7.30pm, £17.30, norwichjazzclub.co.uk) French and American standards with a Hot Club feeling featuring Julie Hewitt (vocals), David Rees (vocals), Zak Barrett (clarinet), Simon Hurley (guitar), Robert Ford (guitar), Andy Staples (bass), Simon Brown (piano), Alex Best (drums).
FOLK with Chris Wilbraham: chris.wilbraham@tinyonline.co.uk
I thought you might like a performer’s view of last Friday at Deepdale festival.
We arrived around midday and parked near The Orchard Stage to unload our gear. As we crept past the listening audience to leave our instruments we took in the music and harmonies of Sakaash, a duo led by Niki Gregory. After reparking, we returned to catch the end of their set. We chatted and learned of Niki’s experience sharing a record label with artists like Ocean Colour Scene in Birmingham in the 1990s, before realising that demand for singer/songwriting acts had diminished after the earlier success of artists like Suzanne Vega and Tracy Chapman. She is now a successful psycho-analyst, continuing to create and perform music on her own terms, something she feels would have been compromised if she’d remained within a male dominated recording industry.
Also unencumbered by a recording contract, we clambered onto the stage. At Deepdale when an act finishes, the audience is encouraged to take in music on one of the other stages, so our sound check happened in relative privacy and we were relaxed and had great on-stage sound when Chris Haylock introduced us to a growing crowd. Our set went well, despite the distraction of my grandson Freddie being in the front row. I dedicated one song to my Mum, who wore her first festival wristband at last year’s festival, almost the last time she saw us play.
We stayed in the Orchard to catch Elizabeth and Jameson’s set with a couple of beers, while Freddie played in the mosh pit. Griff’s song about enjoying his brother’s hand-me-downs was a highlight.
They were followed by Christina Alden and Alex Patterson who reminded us how well they play and how tightly they harmonise.
It was time for Freddie to go home, so we headed for The Barn to catch Hemingway, a Norwich-based band with three guitarists who worked together to create a fine wall of sound for lead singer Matt’s vocals to soar above.
After grabbing food we settled down at The Orchard to catch Kathryn Williams and Dan Wilson. We expected this to be the highlight of our day and weren’t disappointed. The on-stage banter was gentle and quirky, their songs touching in their tender humanity, musical skills illuminating them perfectly.
The quality of the musicianship we witnessed throughout the day was startling. It continued in The Barn with Wendsum, a four piece of cajon, guitar, vocal/flute and occasional harmonium and poetry.
Spain-based Track Dogs got their audience bouncing with a combination of Latin rhythms interspersed with blue grass songs, sometimes around a single mic.
Bonfire Radicals finished the day with their energetic tunes from all over the world.
Deepdale is always worth the trip in our experience.
Here are next week’s gigs:
Friday, October 4
Risbygate Sports Club, Bury St Edmunds, 8pm, The Milkmaid Folk Club: The Jigantics, support from John and Pauline Pierce. £12.
The Beer Café, Bury St Edmunds, 3-5.30pm, Folk session.
Hadleigh Folk Club, Ansell Centre, 8pm, Tony Winn and Helen Mulley + Andy Smythe. £8.
Golden Hind, Cambridge, 8pm, Cambridge Folk Club: Open Stage with special guest Laura Dannan. £3.
Saturday, October 5
Cambridge Junction, 7pm, The Men They Couldn’t Hang. £27.
Monday, October 7
Colchester Arts Centre, 8pm, Benji Kirkpatrick, support from Armoured Man. £13.50.
Wednesday, October 9
John Peel Centre, Stowmarket, 7.30pm, Izzy Yardley. £9.
Banham Barrel, 8pm, Later with James Veira.
Friday, October 11
Golden Hind, Cambridge, 8pm, Cambridge Folk Club: Pete Morton, support from False Colours. £12.
