Jazz musician Chris Ingham and folk musician Chris Wilbraham cast their expert eyes over the local music scene
JAZZ by Chris Ingham
Saturday, May 11
RAY GELATO (Haverhill Arts Centre, 8pm, £15/£10 u18s, haverhillartscentre.co.uk, 01440 714140) The Swinging Cat Jazz Club welcomes back the Godfather of Swing Ray Gelato on sax and vocals with Tim Lapthorn (piano), Rob Statham (bass), Nic France (drums) plus hostess Hannah Horton (sax).
Sunday, May 12
CHRIS INGHAM QUARTET: HOAGY! (Venue 16, Ipswich, 2.30pm, £15, ipswichjazzandblues.com) Celebrating the great American songwriter Hoagy Carmichael with music from the quartet’s recent CD Hoagy II. Featuring Chris Ingham (piano/vocal), Paul Higgs (trumpet), Geoff Gascoyne (bass) and George Double (drums).
PHIL DAWSON QUINTET (Colchester Arts Centre, 7.30pm, £17.50, colchesterartscentre.com) An Afro-Brazilian special featuring star of ‘The Voice’ Carolina Lelis accompanied by Phil Dawson (guitar), Marcelo Andrade (songwriter/multi-instrumentalist), Maurizio Ravalico (percussion), Matheus Nova (bass) and Marius Rodrigues (drums).
Tuesday, May 14
ROGER BEAUJOLAIS (Maddermarket Theatre Bar, Norwich, 8pm, £16/£8 u25, norwichjazzclub.co.uk) Vibraphone wizard Beaujolais promoting his latest CD release saluting Milt Jackson Bags Of Vibes with Simon Brown (piano), Simon Wood (bass), Tom Jiggins (drums).
Friday, May 17
FREDDIE GAVITA (Hunter Club, Bury, 7.30pm, £18, headhunterslive.org, 07799 650009) Best Trumpet winner of the 2017 UK Jazz Awards and mainstay the Ronnie Scott’s Club Quintet presents ‘Freddie Plays Freddie’, a salute to the legendary Freddie Hubbard, with Chris Ingham (piano), Owen Morgan (bass) and George Double (drums).
FOR THE DIARY
Wednesday, May 22
CLARK TRACEY QUINTET (Stoke By Nayland Golf Club, 8pm, £18, 01787 211865, fleecejazz.org.uk) Legendary drummer’s latest group featuring Alex Clarke (saxes), Graham Harvey (piano), Emily Masser (vocals) and James Owston (bass).
Thursday, May 23
HANNAH HORTON (Diss Corn Hall, 7.30pm, £17, thecornhall.co.uk, 01379 652241) Part of the Jazz at the Corn Hall series, Parliamentary Jazz Award-winner saxophonist/composer Horton is joined by Chris Ingham (piano), Owen Morgan (bass) and George Double (drums).
LULU PIERRE QUARTET (Hidden Rooms, Cambridge, 7.30pm, £20, cambridgejazz.org) Up and coming torch song stylist with echoes of Sarah Vaughan and Nancy Wilson, Lulu Pierre is joined by Alex Webb (piano), Tony Kofi (tenor sax), Hamish Moore (bass) and Dan Hester (drums).
Sunday, May 26
ALLISON NEALE QUARTET (Yalm Food Court, Norwich, 19.30, £11.55, norwichjazzclub.co.uk) Shades of Paul Desmond and Jim Hall with this highly refined group featuring US-born Allison Neale (alto sax), Colin Oxley (guitar), Jeremy Brown (bass) and Matt Fishwick (drums).
Thursday, May 30
CLARE TEAL SEVEN (Apex, 7.30pm, £29, theapex.co.uk, 0124 758000) Popular swing singer and broadcaster with her all-star band featuring Jason Rebello (piano), Simon Little (bass), Ed Richardson (drums), Giacomo Smith (clarinet), Pete Horsfall (trumpet), Dave Archer (guitar).
Sunday, June 9
KYM CYPHER’S BRIGHTER TOMORROW (Colchester Arts Centre, 7.30pm, £16, colchesterartscentre.com) Upbeat performer sometimes described as ‘funky saxophonist meets 1940’s jazz singer’, Cypher is joined by Chris Cobbson (guitar), Anders Olinder (keyboard), Mike Green (bass), Mike Cypher (drums).
Email cjr.ingham@outlook.com or visit www.chrisingham.co.uk
FOLK by Chris Wilbraham
The John Peel Centre has a new folk session starting on Sunday, May 19, between 5 and 8pm. It is the brainchild of George Monger, who I met with his wife Eileen last summer after playing in Stowmarket Market Place. I asked him how this has come about and to describe his long experience of folk music:
“I got into traditional music in my mid-teens living in Romford and later at Hull University, where I frequented the Folk Union One Club, home of the Watersons. Afterwards, I became involved with Brentwood Folk Club, joined the Blackmore Morris Men and started dance calling with the Flying Serpent Ceilidh Band. We came to Suffolk in the 1970s to work at the Museum of East Anglian Life. I organised mini-festivals featuring people such as Blackmore Morris Men, Dougie Maclean and Paddy Butcher. I also started a folk club based in The Pickerel, where we had Derek Brimstone and Peter Bellamy as guests and founded the Hageneth Morris Men. We promoted only the second music event at the newly-opened Wolsey Theatre with Scottish band Silly Wizard, and later were asked to arrange folk bands to play in the social club at Stowmarket Sports Centre, booking Ar Log a and Arizona Smoke Revue among others. Over the years, Eileen and I have been involved in different music events – promoting the Davy Spillane Band, supporting local rock bands involving our sons amongst other things.”
One of their sons now plays harp for Florence and The Machine, another drums in various bands, including The Hosepipe Band, and a third plays bass for New Model Army. It is no surprise then that George was quick to join the board when the development of The John Peel Centre was proposed.
“A proper venue for all sorts of music events was a facility severely lacking in the town. The JPC is committed to promote a range of music and performance - John had wide musical tastes.
“The folk guests over the last few years have included Martin Simpson, Granny’s Attic, John Kirkpatrick, Martin Carthy and Andy Irvine. As a member of the JPC Events Group I have some focus on the promotion of the folk, world and acoustic music events and MC the Whole Shebang Open Mic nights.
“We have now opened the ground floor rooms in the premises at 11 Market Place, mainly as a café and bar. It is also an ideal space for intimate performances and sessions – as proven during the EATMT Traditional Music Day last September. The sessions went so well the JPC will be opening the space for folk sessions on the third Sunday of the month. Singers and instrumentalists are invited to come along and share a few songs and tunes. Everyone is welcome to sing, play or just listen.”
There is also a gig from Gambian master musician Kora player Suntou Susso on June 7 to look forward to.
Here are some other gigs happening sooner:
Friday, May 10
John Peel Centre, Stowmarket, 7.30 pm, The Buffalo Skinners. £15.
Golden Hind, Cambridge, 8pm, Cambridge Folk Club: Peggy Seeger in conversation with Mark Walsh. Floor spots: Martin Baxter; Lara Gisborne. £16.
Cambridge Junction, 7pm, Newton Faulkner. £32.50.
Monday, May 13
Colchester Arts Centre, 8pm, Grannies Attic, support from Moose Rosser. £15.
Wednesday, May 15
Arkenstall Village Centre, Haddenham, 7.40pm, Ely Folk Club, Gerry Colvin, support from Eric Sedge. £13.
Banham Barrel, 8pm, Later with James Veira.
Friday, May 17
Risbygate Sports Club, Bury St Edmunds, 8pm, Milkmaid Folk Club, Eric Sedge. £10.
White Horse, Beyton, 8pm, Ask the Poet+The Larks, charity gig for Myeloma UK.
Wingfield Barns, 7.30pm, The Black Feathers. £15.
Golden Hind, Cambridge, 8pm, Cambridge Folk Club: Double Header with Johnny Wright & Lexie Green; Cobalt Tales. £12.
Sunday, May 19
John Peel Centre, Stowmarket Market Place, folk session.
Email chris.wilbraham@tinyonline.co.uk
