|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
November 2007 to January 2008 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kirk
Lightsey Trio Jamil Sheriff Octet Killer Shrimp Cathie Rae Quintet Nikki Iles Quintet with Norma Winstone Clark Tracey Quintet - the farewell tour Alan Barnes 'Liquorice Stick Allsorts' with Liz Fletcher Snake Davis Quartet Renato D’Aiello's 'Sintetico' Quintet Empirical Frank Griffith Nonet |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kirk
Lightsey Trio
Gallery
(Friday 2nd November 2007) Since becoming resident in France, Detroit born Kirk regularly tours the UK in the company of his favourite Brits, calling in at Wakefield to great acclaim. There is no doubt that the trio is the most advantageous showcase for his prodigious talent as there is always the feeling of wanting more when someone else takes over. Kirk has played with them all - from Chet Baker to Dexter Gordon and Lester Bowie - and distils that immense experience into a McCoy Tyner sized orchestral sound with the inventiveness of Hank Jones. In March this year, Downbeat featured a major article on the NY club Bradleys, no longer open, which had specialised in piano jazz for 20 odd years. This was largely as piano duo with bass accompaniment only – exactly the style of Kirk’s recent CD with Rufus Reid. Dave
and Steve are soulmates who give exactly the support Kirk’s varied
playing requires. |
![]() |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jamil
Sheriff Octet
(Friday 9th November 2007) Jamil has brought this band to Wakefield whenever he has a new batch of compositions ready for performance. It has always given us a thoroughly good time. He
has retained the services of the best musicians to pass through Leeds
in the last decade - even after they have dispersed to other European
corners to lead their own bands. Jami’s writing and arranging are
both accessible and intriguing, designed to give the audience a good show
and the musicians a good workout. We are lucky to have such a talented
musician working on our doorstep. |
![]() |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Killer
Shrimp
Gallery
(Friday 16th November 2007) This is the name chosen by Ed Jones and
Damon Brown for their major new project. It features the rhythm section
of Ben Hazleton and Troy Miller. 'Sincerely Whatever' is a technically
brilliant, hard-hitting exploration of funk, latin, bop and even drum
& bass, rooted in straight-ahead jazz with furious interplay in a
spacious environment. |
![]() |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cathie
Rae Quintet
(Friday 23rd November 2007) Cathie is a singer with a dynastic pedigree in her Scottish home. Daughter of the legendary bassist Ronnie Rae she now manages his partner Fionna Duncan’s equally legendary Vocal Jazz Workshops. Eldest of six musician siblings; her sister Sylvia is married to Clark Tracey. She is steeped in the tradition and can draw upon the whole range of wonderful musicians in Scotland to work with. She has a Chet Baker tribute band with Colin Steele but on this occasion will be drawing on a wider range of sources and, perhaps, a few of her own compositions. "…this Rae has an engaging stage presence and a wide vocal range which, unlike some other technically gifted singers, she uses sparingly but effectively. Cathie chose classy but seldom-heard songs which reveal the greatest of her considerable talents - she has a natural sense of swing…and one of the songs "Time Out" revealed the singer to be no mean songwriter." Cathie
Rae - voice |
![]() |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nikki Iles Quintet with Norma Winstone Gallery With
support at 7.30pm from the Reuben Fowler (trumpet) Trio When Alec was asked to nominate a band
for this event it was no surprise that he opted for an artist who has
meant so much throughout the development of the Club. The repertoire will have a distinctive air of English song, but will also include originals by band members, relatively uncharted territory by the likes of Joni Mitchell and James Taylor and settings of Rupert Brooke. Brought together by a love of song, Nikki and Norma have been gathering suitable material for the ensemble over recent years. Mark, Mike and Steve have also matured in the same jazz environment as Nikki and provide ideal foundations for a sympathetic band. The American drummer, Jeff Williams, spent 2 years with Stan Getz in the seventies and has played with many American notables including Lee Konitz, Randy Brecker and John Scofield. More recently he played in the UK with a band featuring Joe Lovano and Tom Harrell. Norma
Winstone - voice Latest
CDs: |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Clark
Tracey Quintet - the farewell tour
(Friday 7th December 2007 - last gig) It is more than ten years since Clark
put together his “new” band of up-and-coming youngsters to
form the quintet which has now recorded three times. Clark
Tracey - drums |
![]() |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Christmas
Special Presentation
Gallery
Alan Barnes 'Liquorice Stick Allsorts' with Liz Fletcher (Friday 14th December 2007) Three set event with party food (No regular cooked food catering tonight) This new project of Alan’s is intended to be a different way of featuring the music of Benny Goodman and Django Reinhardt. Concentrating on the clarinet and creating a Benny Goodman small group, this is a line-up where inventiveness and interplay will be unavoidable. Swing and fun are the watchwords wherever an Alan Barnes band takes the stage - but for a Christmas party we wanted even more. Liz
Fletcher has been a joy in all the contexts we have featured at Wakefield. Alan
Barnes - clarinets |
![]() |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Snake
Davis Quartet
Gallery (Friday 4th January 2008) The Quartet, 'Fruit Tree' will be supporting
this gig led by Dave Evans. We
have seen Snake perform in many combinations of musicians from the 'full
on' Suspicions to the more restrained appearance with Helen Watson. He
hits the spot every time. You’ll be dancing in the aisles. Chris
‘Snake’ Davis - saxes and flute |
![]() |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Renato
D’Aiello's 'Sintetico' Quintet
(Friday 11th January 2008) Renato has played Wakefield twice before and his smooth accessible playing was instantly appealing to the Wakefield audience. His quartet brings continental style to material which is both familiar and friendly. Chris
Parker describes his style in a review he wrote in March 2007: John
Fordham gave Renato’s new CD four stars when reviewing it for the
Guardian: Renato
D’Aiello - saxes Latest
CD: Sintetico 33 records (33JAZZ151) |
![]() |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Empirical
(Friday 18th January 2008) This new young band were entered by the
BBC for the inaugural EBU Jazz Competition, at the North Sea Jazz Festival,
last Summer. They won. EBU judge, Kenny Werner, said of them : They
have been schooled by Courtney Pine and Dennis Rollins and have burst
on the scene with a wholly professional approach and stage presence. |
![]() |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Frank
Griffith Nonet
Gallery (Friday 25th January 2008) Frank Griffith is the American-born Head
of (Musical) Performance at Brunel University and a swinging clarinet
player. As a guest at Leeds College last year he fronted their Big Band
in a relaxed and highly entertaining mainstream performance of a selection
of standards. Latest
CD: The Coventry Suite (33 Records - 33JAZZ112) |
![]() |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||