Geoffrey strides into jazz piano history, while Kate digs even deeper

[Serial_Apologist]

Sat 11 May
4pm - Jazz Record Requests

http://www.alynshipton.co.uk/blog

5pm - J to Z
Julian Joseph presents Norwegian saxophonist Trygve Seim live in concert at the 2018 Tampere Jazz Happening. Plus, fresh from his role as musical director for the reprise of the 1960s TV show Jazz 625, British pianist Robert Mitchell shares tracks from that era and beyond.

Sounds promising!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00051g1

12midnight - Geoffrey Smith's Jazz
As part of Radio 3's Piano Season, Geoffrey Smith salutes the giants of stride - James P Johnson, Fats Waller, Willie "The Lion" Smith and Art Tatum.

There are others, too.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01n11df

Mon 13 May
11pm - Jazz Now
Soweto Kinch presents David Sanborn in concert at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival, and Kate Westbrook talks to Emma Smith about her Granite project - a soliloquy backed by the Granite Band and inspired by the quarries of Dartmoor.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00051hw

I'm going by RT's blurb, rather than the bbc website, which mentions there being an interview with Steve Williamson, but says nothing about Kate Westbrook, because Steve's interview was last week.

[Alyn_Shipton]

S-A sorry to mess up your title, but on Jazz Now (a) Steve Williamson was not last week, that was Esinam, Randy Brecker, and Don Was/Zev Feldman on Blue Note's 80th. (b) Kate's interview was scheduled for this week, but has had to be postponed as Sanborn played a bit longer than planned and we wanted to include as much of the concert as possible, (c) Steve Williamson's interview and excerpts of music from his tour is indeed going out this Monday. The website is usually more up to date than Radio Times which has to have copy submitted some weeks ago. Oh and Geoffrey's show is a repeat from Sept 2012.

[Serial_Apologist]

S-A sorry to mess up your title, but on Jazz Now (a) Steve Williamson was not last week, that was Esinam, Randy Brecker, and Don Was/Zev Feldman on Blue Note's 80th. (b) Kate's interview was scheduled for this week, but has had to be postponed as Sanborn played a bit longer than planned and we wanted to include as much of the concert as possible, (c) Steve Williamson's interview and excerpts of music from his tour is indeed going out this Monday. The website is usually more up to date than Radio Times which has to have copy submitted some weeks ago. Oh and Geoffrey's show is a repeat from Sept 2012.

Thanks for these corrections, Alyn. This must be a different Steve Williamson interview then from the one we heard a few weeks ago, (unless I am dreaming!)

[Alyn_Shipton]

That was another programme called J to Z. Asking him about his favourite tracks. We tend to talk to people on Jazz Now about the music they're actually playing...

[Serial_Apologist]

That was another programme called J to Z. Asking him about his favourite tracks. We tend to talk to people on Jazz Now about the music they're actually playing...

[Serial_Apologist]

Steve Williamson at the Pizza Express, Sept 9 2014:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db6rfwmIlcc

Extraordinary stuff.

[Ian Thumwood]

That was another programme called J to Z. Asking him about his favourite tracks. We tend to talk to people on Jazz Now about the music they're actually playing...

Alyn

Having just got back from his gig in Southampton, all I can say is that I hope that you held Steve Williamson's feet to the fire. (As long as you took his really snazzy brogues off first.) I last saw him with Gary Crosby about 20 years ago and he was terrific. This evening the line up featured a trio plus a string quartet which looked really interesting on paper but still not compelling enough to have the concert hall more than 25% full. The opening string trio performed version of Inner Urge, Lonely Woman and Brilliant Corners which were great fun and delivered with elan. This last about 25 minutes before the second set which opened with a brilliant version of the standard "Invitation" where Williamson was really in the zone. A funkier second number was almost as good but the gig took an amazing nose dive once the trio (introduced only as Christian names) was joined by the now string quartet. A discordant version of "Wise One" ensued with a second part which was a variation on the tune. Littered with altered harmonies, Coltrane's beautiful tune felt violated. The next piece offered more of the same. Bi-tonal and discordant string vamps and over fussy hip-hop drumming sounding like a Steve Coleman record with the needle stuck on the same groove. It was painful. Most of the front row snuck out as soon as Williamson turned his back! This vamp went on for about 15 minutes by which time the audience seemed either to be more engaged in what was on their mobiles or trying to stifle their yawns. The following composition repeated the same trick with an ugly vamp. Irrespective of the fact that the sound engineer was struggling with the amplification and Steve Williamson's saxophone started to fall to pieces mid-improvisation, even the Marvel Avengers would have struggled to save this gig. As much as I have appreciated his music in the past, the gig tonight was dreadful - the ideal soundtrack perhaps for Laura Kuenssberg's relentless Brexit commentaries with Williamson seemingly even less reluctant to get off the stage than Teresa May.

I have got to say that it is a long time that I have seen the musicians on the stage look even more bored than the audience. Playing the two bar discordant vamps must have been soul destroying for the girls in the string quartet. It looked no fun at all in the moments when I wasn't looking at my watch. I feel guilty that I abandoned my mate in the concert hall but he was too polite to leave early. I have now been to two successive gigs at the Turner Sims and they have both been dreadful but tonight's concert was diabolical. It was easily one of the very worst gigs I have been to. If Williamson wants to use strings, maybe he should employ someone who knows how to write for them. This is the fourth gig for me this year, two of which were classical concerts, including a Beethoven / Berlioz double bill. Got to say nothing so far has topped the London Sinfonia's "Music for 18 musicians " by Steve Reich - a lesson in how to make rhythm compelling in composition.

The best thing about the gig was that it transpired that I did not miss "I have got news for you" as this was apparently pulled due to the forthcoming elections. Finger's crossed that the England cricket match tomorrow will generate something that will be more exciting than tonight's debacle.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Your reviews are getting ever more colourful Ian! I'll take your word for the gig, but your review brought pleasure!

BN

[Serial_Apologist]

Your reviews are getting ever more colourful Ian! I'll take your word for the gig, but your review brought pleasure!

BN

Have to say I'd probably have concurred (concursed!) with Ian on this one! What a shame if Steve Williamson has lost the plot - I once held out for him as the brightest hope in the saxophone department of the Jazz Warriors generation. Excellent piece of writing though, Ian.

Oh, and listening as I am right now to JRR, I am minded that next year will be the 50th anniversary of the ECM label!

[Alyn_Shipton]

Or in fact this year - Mal Waldron Trio recorded Nov 1969 on ECM 1001.
I interviewed Mal about it for that long-ago series Jazz Legends....

[Serial_Apologist]

Or in fact this year - Mal Waldron Trio recorded Nov 1969 on ECM 1001.
I interviewed Mal about it for that long-ago series Jazz Legends....

Then I wonder if... well, never mind!

Half listening as I was just a moment ago, Alyn, did I correctly hear you state that you were "with" (as "on bass with") Eddie Henderson in a gig over here in the near future? Such an "admission" would just about have gained you admission to our school jazz club, when I was in it!

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Or in fact this year - Mal Waldron Trio recorded Nov 1969 on ECM 1001.
I interviewed Mal about it for that long-ago series Jazz Legends....

That was a good one, from a noisy bar in Cambridge or Oxford? Anyway, in my goto pile.

[Serial_Apologist]

That was a good one, from a noisy bar in Cambridge or Oxford? Anyway, in my go to pile.

Just exercising the nerve to edit your message to assure posters your weren't referring there to carpetting from some obscure presumably exotic location, Bluesie!

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Don't the young people say Goto now?! As in pick? "Thems my goto trainers"? I'm just glad Alyn still presents JRR in a Fench beret and tonic blue mohair suit...it's "traditional".

[Serial_Apologist]

Don't the young people say Goto now?! As in pick? "Thems my goto trainers"? I'm just glad Alyn still presents JRR in a Fench beret and tonic blue mohair suit...it's "traditional".

Well he does seem to know his onions!