
Music / Jazz
Jazz pick of the week, Feb 16-22
So … Friday 20 should be a sort out (of sorts) given the choices of a) the Hackney Colliery Band (Lantern); b) Mike Collins’ Quartet (Bebop); c) Avellana, plus Lift to the Scaffold (Cube).
Fun loving groove merchants will definitely head for the Lantern and those Hackney hip-hop flavours (a la Hypnotic and others). Connoisseurs of intelligent European contemporary jazz, however, should get to the Bebop early to hear pianist Mike with Lee Goodall’s well-tempered sax and a whole new set of tunes as they launch their excellent new CD And Suddenly, Evening. That just leaves the retro-beatniks heading down to the Cube for that dreamy Miles Davis soundtrack.
Earlier in the week James Morton appears at The Fringe @ The Mall (Wednesday 18) for a proper blow with a jazz quartet before grooving into the Gallimaufry (Thursday 19). That date unfortunately coincides with the brilliant (and less frequently seen) Simon Spillet at Future Inn in a duo with Dave Newton’s reliably engaging piano AND a Coronation Tap return of Jonny Bruce’s highly entertaining Tribute to Trumpet Kings, hopefully with as supercharged a sextet as he brought last time.
is needed now More than ever
Sultry voiced singer Victoria Klewin’s True Tones jazz and blues band are at the Golden Lion on Thursday night, too, and the evening begins with the excellent Dakhla Brass in the Colston Hall Foyer who then head over to the Canteen for a later gig there. Thursdays, eh!
Gig pick of the week: Simon Spillet & Dave Newton (Future Inn, Thursday 19)
A nice pairing of musical stylists, Simon Spillet’s dazzling saxophone bop owes much to UK jazz legend Tubby Hayes, while Dave Newton has more awards for piano playing than his mantelpiece can stand. Put the two together and you can expect quality.