YORK’S plushest jazz venue is Middleton’s Hotel, Skeldergate/ Cromwell Road, and it has real ale at pub prices and jazz every Thursday. Tonight’s music is from the Mardi Gras Band, at 8pm (01904 611570). Long-running Sunday jazz in York is at Kennedy’s Café Bar, Little Stonegate, with John Marley (bass), Paul Smith (drums) and choice guests at 1pm (01904 620222).
At 7pm on Sunday the busiest man in York jazz, Karl Mullen, will be joined by vocalist Jen Low and surprise guests at the Rook and Gaskill, Lawrence Street (01904 652050).
Bob Smeaton’s wonderfully named One Foot In The Groove play the Victoria Vaults on Tuesday. Keyboardist Bob has formed this new band with the classic line-up of organ, bass, guitar, drums and saxophone and on Tuesday the band will be joined by chanteuse Jo Swiss.
The Phoenix Inn, George Street, will have its Wednesday jam session, fronted by James Lancaster (trumpet) and Chris Moore (piano), with Fatha (drums) and either Christian Topman or George Beastall on bass (01904 656401).
Outside York, Wakefield Jazz presents the Sarah Gillespie Band tonight (01977 680542). Vocalist Sarah’s band includes pianist Kit Downes.
The guaranteed sell-out this weekend will be at Jazz in the Spa, when Alan Barnes joins John Hallam and the Tom Kincaid Trio at the Trustees Hall, High Street (01937 844898). For out-of-towners, the club has an arrangement with Days Inn Hotel, Wetherby, for a special rate of B&B for two at £49. The hotel is at Wetherby Services A1 (M) and you should phone 01937 547557 and ask for the Jazz Rate.
The rocking Blueflies are back on the UK scene this weekend and their nearest session is at the Golden Lion Hotel, Northallerton on Sunday.
Scarborough Jazz operates every Wednesday at the Cask Inn, Cambridge Terrace, and next week’s guests will be Tessa Smith (vocals) together with one of the club’s favourite saxophonists, Stuart MacDonald 01723 500570).
REVIEW
Slowly Rolling Camera, Slowly Rolling Camera (Edition Records) ****
Pianist/composer Dave Stapleton is also head honcho of ground-breaking, Cardiff-based jazz label Edition Records, so he can do pretty much what he wants in the studio. He excels himself here, with a quartet augmented by Mark Lockheart (saxophones), Neil Yates (trumpet) and an eight-piece string section, for which he has written some potently atmospheric scores.
Track one, Protagonist, has a drum ‘n’ bass broken rhythms impetus, close to something by Roni Size and Jocelyn Brown’s Sing and Dream A Life is reminiscent of Massive Attack’s Protection with Tracey Thorn. The soulful vocal by Dionne Bennett on Rain That Falls is augmented by strings and an emotional tenor solo from Mark Lockheart.
The strings are once more richly gorgeous on the title track, with Lockheart’s soprano saxophone over Bennett’s wordless vocal and cello answering the vocal lines.
It is no surprise that the album’s producer, Andy Allan, hails from just 25 miles away across the River Severn in Bristol, where he has worked with Massive Attack and Portishead. If you enjoy the soundscapes of those two, you will love Stapleton’s latest tour de force.
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