Music / Cuban
The week in Jazz Oct 23 – 29
Back in the dawn of time composer Meyer de Wolfe started out writing piano music to accompany the early silent films but as the ‘talkies’ emerged he moved on to making soundtrack music. With the post-war boom in television and cinema he had the brilliant idea of creating a massive store of ’library music’ that film-makers could pick through to find suitable theme tunes or background music.
By the late 60s these slightly cheesy pieces had become an irritatingly catchy genre, like the sibling ‘lift music’, and it’s that kitsch back catalogue that jazz composer Kevin Figes has plundered for Underscore (Southbank Club, Saturday 28). Like the de Wolfes Kevin has assembled a top ensemble of jazz musicians to play the music of the 70s and invites you to ‘bliss out on a tide of scenic sounds’.
The Arkestra – still cruising the cosmos
There’s a hefty contrast at Fiddlers the next night (Sunday 29) when the mighty Sun Ra Arkestra descend from their cosmic travels. Led by indomitable 93 year old Marshall Allen this amazing collective of ‘tone scientists’ continue the mission of the great Sun Ra in producing a highly distinctive collision of cool jazz, hot funk, retro swing and free expression. Join them for a celebration of the universal pleasure of fine music.
is needed now More than ever
Agelessly cool Georgie Fame
It’s great to see the re-vamped St George’s Hall offering a couple of jazz-related gigs this week, starting with top US western swing trio Hot Club of Cowtown (Wednesday 25) and following through with 60s R&B legend Georgie Fame (Friday 27). The Hot Club are celebrating their 20th year with a world tour but Mr Fame (who appears with two of his sons) is not far off his 60th year in the business.More classic swing of the Gallic kind returns to the Fringe on Wednesday (25) in the popular shape of Moscow Drug Club.
Andrew Neil Hayes reveals his better half
It will be interesting to see the sparks fly at the Gallimaufry on Wednesday, too, when Run Logan Run saxophonist Andrew Neil ‘Schoolboy’ Hayes hooks up with devilish math-jazzers Waldo’s Gift in what could be a very yin-yang evening. Even more incendiary stuff will be happening down the road at Crofter’s Rights for their Sound Cupboard triple-header of improvised music. The following night (Thursday 26) Hydra Books welcome Israeli experimentalists Ram Gabay and Yoni Silver as part of a free music triple bill.
Cuban hornblower Michel Padron
We have been fortunate to catch regular sightings of Cuban trumpeter Michel Padron in Bristol, playing with K’Chevere, Baila La Cumbia and the Dockside Latin Orchestra. Now the Havana Cuba All-Stars horn man has a new Bristol-based Latin jazz project Los Abbures that also includes montuno-monster Jim Blomfield on piano and makes its Bebop Club debut this week (Friday 27).
The Jam Experiment looking for fresh fruit
And there’s another debut at Future Inn on Thursday (26) in the shape of hotly tipped youngsters The Jam Experiment. Currently all Guildhall students in London they have been picked by both Jazz North and the BBC and two of the five (saxophonist Alexander Bone and trombone player Rory Ingham) made considerable waves at last year’s British Jazz Awards.
Check out the intergalactic Egyptian history of Sun Ra and the Arkestra
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