Cheltenham Jazz Festival Saturday

Saturday at the festival started with a little photoshoot for Jazz library of presenter Alyn Shipton in conversation with the lovely Henry Grimes.  Henry is a very gently spoken man and has a fascinating story to tell which Alyn explores in the interview which will be broadcast later in the month.

The first concert of the day was at the Pillar room and featured The Golden Age of Steam.  With two Edition Artists on stage (Kit Downes, organ and Tim Giles, Drums)  with the terrific James Allsopp on saxes this is a great new band with a very distinctive and abrasive sound.

Unfortunately due to a power cut at the Everyman Theatre the John Surman/Nikki Yeoh show was cancelled so the next show at the Pillar Room features Henry Grimes, fresh from his Jazz Library interview, playing in his group, the Profound Sound Trio, alongside Paul Dunmall on saxes and Andrew Cyrille on drums. This is a very good improv trio with three of the best known players in the field - a real tour de force and not for the faint of heart!

Back to Jazz library and this time Alyn was interviewing Dave Liebman, who was due to be playing with the BBC Big Band at the Everyman afterwards, unfortunately due to the ongoing electrical fault at a sub station in the street, this show was also very sadly cancelled.

Dave and Phil Robson and some of the band make the most of the sunshine outside the Everyman waiting for news.

So after the sad news of the cancellation of the Big Band concert there was still a brilliant show to see at the Pillar room. Robert Mitchells 3iO featuring Richard Spavin on drums and Tom Mason on bass were stunning. It was a packed audience and Robert and the band won masses of fans with a masterclass in piano trio writing and playing.

With great sighs of reliefs from Tony, Ian and Amy at the festival office power was finally restored to the theatre in time for Madeline Peyroux to take the stage and deliver a sublime set with a totally fantastic band.  Great show!

The evening was rounded off with a few drinks at the Hotel du Vin where the jazz party atmosphere carried on into the small hours - very nice to see Tony Levin stepping in on drums in the house band too!

Cheltenham Jazz Festival Friday Night

It hardly seems possible but here we are again in Cheltenham for the fist big festival of 2009.  It really does only seem like a couple of months ago that we here last!

On thursday night the BBC Big band with Guy Barker and his band did a great and at times moving tribute to Billy Strayhorn and his time with Duke Ellington.  Madeleine Bell and Ian Shaw were brilliant on vocals and so was newcomer Emma Smith.  Guy and the big band were terrific, Alan Barnes playing a couple of sublime solos.

Friday night saw the festival get under way in great style starting with a double bill at the Everyman.  First up was Pat Martino, whom we saw in Umbria last year and if anything his set here was even better.  Tony Monoco on Hammond was terrific.

The second half of the show featured sax player Julian Arguelles and band featuring guitarist John Abercrombie - this was the first concert for the two of them and it made for some great interplay between the two.  Tom Rainey on drums, as ever was as tight and on the button throughout the set.

Hey Julian. this ones a bit hard!
Pat Martino


Meanwhile, over at the Town Hall, and behind closed doors, Hugh Masekela was getting it together with a band put together at the very last minute when unfortunately the flight carrying his own band from South Africa was cancelled at the last minute leaving them at the airport and Hugh with a few phone calls to make.  Of course as it worked out the show was a brilliant success, sold out, and Hugh was amazing - it didn't take long to get the capacity crowd singing and dancing along with his african beats.  There were a lot of happy faces after this show!

Next up in the Pillar Room at 10pm were Get the Blessing, the four piece from Bristol have made a huge impact since coming on the scene and this show showed exactly why they are one of the hotest new bands on the scene. Sadly the lighting in the Pillar room was so crap that it was almost impossible to take photos - fortunately the were playing later on at the Jazz on 3 show in the Everyman theatre, which is were I headed off to next.

The Jazz on 3 show is now a firm favourite at Cheltenham and Jez and the team had a great line up for the audience, and so it was a little dissapointing bearing in mind these tickets are free that the place was barely half full.

First up on the show was Will Vinson, an alto player that I have not seen before, playing alongside guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel.  Very nice it was too, not pushing the boundaries exactly but tight, inventive and to the point.

The next slot was an absolute gem - now it's not often that you will hear me say, 'solo bagpipes', but in the hands of Paul Dunmall it was spellbinding and unmissable.  Paul is a terrific improviser and free player (just catch his solo on 'Lazy Blinker' on the Dave Stapleton Quintet album 'When Life Was In Black & White) but this 10 minute performance was quite sublime - The show is broadcast on Radio 3 on Monday night if you want to hear it for yourself.

The penultimate band were the Convergence Quartet, agaim whom I haven't seen before, but they were mightily impressive mixing totally free improv with some lovely written pieces.

Last on but none the less right on the button, were Get the Blessing, mixing treated sax and trumpet with electric bass and guitar the sound is almost perfect.  Catchy tunes and thumping beats make them a great live band - well worth the attention they are getting.