Here are the details of the bank holiday gig.
SPARKY'S LATIN ALL STARS will also be performing on bank holiday
Monday
at ; The Cock Inn, Sarratt, Herts WD3 6HH from 2.30pm-5.30 out in the open air
(weather depending) food is available & children are welcome, there is a play area,
good clean fun for all the family. Tunes such as 'Girl from Iponema', through to 'Hawaii 50'
& 'Night In Tunisia' .
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Monday 26 April 2010
Sunday 25 April 2010
Jazz Journal International
Latest magazine
Judy Carmichael: Peter Vacher meets the one-woman piano whirlwind who brings new meaning to the term self-starter
Monk and murder: Crime novelist and jazz enthusiast John Harvey talks to Mark Gardner
Milt Jackson: Richard Palmer asks: seminal musical mind or man fettered by the bars of his instrument?
Judy Carmichael: Peter Vacher meets the one-woman piano whirlwind who brings new meaning to the term self-starter
Monk and murder: Crime novelist and jazz enthusiast John Harvey talks to Mark Gardner
Milt Jackson: Richard Palmer asks: seminal musical mind or man fettered by the bars of his instrument?
Saturday 24 April 2010
Be Bop Big Band
Sea Breeze Jazz © 2002
Featuring trumpeter Carl Saunders with an all-star LA big band.
Arrangements by Herbie Phillips, Mike Barone, Bill Rogers, John Boice, John Hall, and Jackson Stock.
"Awesome. Spectacular. Breathtaking. Sublime. Simply put, one of the most memorable big-band albums in recent memory."
Jack Bowers, all about jazz
"Highly recommended, this is one of the best big band albums of the early 21st century. " 4 1/2 stars
Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
BE BOP BIG BAND
Carl Saunders has been leading big bands on a part-time basis ever since he was a youth, originally using arrangements given him by his uncle Bobby Sherwood. He had an occasional orchestra during his Las Vegas years and in Los Angeles ever since settling there in 1984. In 1999 Saunders finally recorded his big band, and the CD is on the Sea Breeze label.
Although several writers contributed charts for Be Bop Big Band, (Larry Dominello, Bill Rogers, John Boice, John Hall and Mike Barone plus two from Jackson Stock), it is the five arrangements by Herbie Phillips that set the mood for this rewarding project. The late Phillips, a close friend of Saunders from his Las Vegas years, was a talented trumpeter and arranger-composer who loved bebop. One of Saunders’ main motivations in recording his orchestra (in addition to being justifiably proud of the band) was the opportunity to showcase Phillips’ work.
The set gets off to a blazing start with Herbie Phillips’ “Compilation,” an exciting romp based on the chords of “I Got Rhythm.” There are rewarding solos from five of the band’s top improvisers: Saunders, the great altoist Lanny Morgan, trombonist Bob McChesney, tenor-saxophonist Jerry Pinter and pianist Christian Jacob. Ivan Lins’ most famous composition, “Love Dance,” is a particularly appealing arrangement by Larry Dominello that spotlights Saunders’ solo talents. Johnny Mandel’s “Emily” is usually taken as a slow ballad but Bill Rogers recasts it as a medium-fast jam, featuring the very fluent trombone playing of Andy Martin.
“I’m All For You” is a Carl Saunders original based on the chords of a familiar jazz standard for which its title is part of the lyrics. Jackson Stock’s chart swings hard and has superior solos from altoist Morgan and Saunders. Phillips’ “Perceptive Hindsight” has attractive chord changes and spots for three of Los Angeles’ better soloists (tenor-saxophonist Doug Webb, trumpeter Ron Stout and pianist Christian Jacob) to stretch out. As with the other selections, the ensembles are outstanding, very clean and swinging.
Quite a few of the sidemen in Carl Saunders’ orchestra have opportunities to solo, including four different trumpeters (which is quite unusual for a group that has a trumpeter as its leader). Saunders’ “Never Always,” arranged by Jackson Stock, has spots for Ron Stout and altoist Brian Scanlon. Phillips’ “Some Bones Of Contention” matches together two of the finest trombonists around. Andy Martin and Bob McChesney display their distinctive but complementary styles in solos and tradeoffs.
Herbie Phillips’ “Strike Out The Band” is not the same as Gershwin’s “Strike Up The Band!” Jerry Pinter and Bobby Shew (who played trumpet next to Saunders in the 1966 Buddy Rich Big Band) are the solo stars although it is the driving ensembles that set the intense mood for the piece. “Autumn In New York” (arranged by John Boice) is a ballad feature for Saunders, who has long had the ability to make every note count. John Hall’s “Dearly Befuddled” (no relation to “Dearly Beloved”) has some worthwhile Doug Webb tenor and a heated piano solo from Christian Jacob. The last of the Phillips pieces is “An Apple For Christa,” which lets one hear veteran trumpeter Bob Summers, Lanny Morgan and Andy Martin play speedy improvisations over the tricky chord changes.
Be Bop Big Band ends in the same way as Carl Saunders’ first two recordings as a leader, with a blues. His “Baby Blues” (arranged by Mike Barone) extensively features the leader, who shows once again that he is one of the major trumpeters around today.
Sea Breeze Jazz © 2002
Featuring trumpeter Carl Saunders with an all-star LA big band.
Arrangements by Herbie Phillips, Mike Barone, Bill Rogers, John Boice, John Hall, and Jackson Stock.
"Awesome. Spectacular. Breathtaking. Sublime. Simply put, one of the most memorable big-band albums in recent memory."
Jack Bowers, all about jazz
"Highly recommended, this is one of the best big band albums of the early 21st century. " 4 1/2 stars
Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
BE BOP BIG BAND
Carl Saunders has been leading big bands on a part-time basis ever since he was a youth, originally using arrangements given him by his uncle Bobby Sherwood. He had an occasional orchestra during his Las Vegas years and in Los Angeles ever since settling there in 1984. In 1999 Saunders finally recorded his big band, and the CD is on the Sea Breeze label.
Although several writers contributed charts for Be Bop Big Band, (Larry Dominello, Bill Rogers, John Boice, John Hall and Mike Barone plus two from Jackson Stock), it is the five arrangements by Herbie Phillips that set the mood for this rewarding project. The late Phillips, a close friend of Saunders from his Las Vegas years, was a talented trumpeter and arranger-composer who loved bebop. One of Saunders’ main motivations in recording his orchestra (in addition to being justifiably proud of the band) was the opportunity to showcase Phillips’ work.
The set gets off to a blazing start with Herbie Phillips’ “Compilation,” an exciting romp based on the chords of “I Got Rhythm.” There are rewarding solos from five of the band’s top improvisers: Saunders, the great altoist Lanny Morgan, trombonist Bob McChesney, tenor-saxophonist Jerry Pinter and pianist Christian Jacob. Ivan Lins’ most famous composition, “Love Dance,” is a particularly appealing arrangement by Larry Dominello that spotlights Saunders’ solo talents. Johnny Mandel’s “Emily” is usually taken as a slow ballad but Bill Rogers recasts it as a medium-fast jam, featuring the very fluent trombone playing of Andy Martin.
“I’m All For You” is a Carl Saunders original based on the chords of a familiar jazz standard for which its title is part of the lyrics. Jackson Stock’s chart swings hard and has superior solos from altoist Morgan and Saunders. Phillips’ “Perceptive Hindsight” has attractive chord changes and spots for three of Los Angeles’ better soloists (tenor-saxophonist Doug Webb, trumpeter Ron Stout and pianist Christian Jacob) to stretch out. As with the other selections, the ensembles are outstanding, very clean and swinging.
Quite a few of the sidemen in Carl Saunders’ orchestra have opportunities to solo, including four different trumpeters (which is quite unusual for a group that has a trumpeter as its leader). Saunders’ “Never Always,” arranged by Jackson Stock, has spots for Ron Stout and altoist Brian Scanlon. Phillips’ “Some Bones Of Contention” matches together two of the finest trombonists around. Andy Martin and Bob McChesney display their distinctive but complementary styles in solos and tradeoffs.
Herbie Phillips’ “Strike Out The Band” is not the same as Gershwin’s “Strike Up The Band!” Jerry Pinter and Bobby Shew (who played trumpet next to Saunders in the 1966 Buddy Rich Big Band) are the solo stars although it is the driving ensembles that set the intense mood for the piece. “Autumn In New York” (arranged by John Boice) is a ballad feature for Saunders, who has long had the ability to make every note count. John Hall’s “Dearly Befuddled” (no relation to “Dearly Beloved”) has some worthwhile Doug Webb tenor and a heated piano solo from Christian Jacob. The last of the Phillips pieces is “An Apple For Christa,” which lets one hear veteran trumpeter Bob Summers, Lanny Morgan and Andy Martin play speedy improvisations over the tricky chord changes.
Be Bop Big Band ends in the same way as Carl Saunders’ first two recordings as a leader, with a blues. His “Baby Blues” (arranged by Mike Barone) extensively features the leader, who shows once again that he is one of the major trumpeters around today.
Thursday 22 April 2010
FAT CATS BIG BAND
NEW VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE! For the next best thing to the live show, visit the Fat Cat Big Band's YouTube. http://www.fatcatbigband.com/
THE GARY ERWIN JAZZ ORCHESTRA
The Gary Urwin Jazz Orchestra.
We’re an eighteen-piece “big band” jazz group based in Los Angeles. First organized in 1997, the band is comprised of players with whom leader Gary Urwin had been associated over the years as an arranger and trumpet player. Gary's role is to arrange or compose all the music we do, and to lead the band when we perform or record.
With the active supprt of Business Manager and co-producer Pat Longo, we began work on our first CD ("Perspectives"), which debuted on Sea Breeze Records in 2000. Word of mouth spread quickly, and the band’s activities grew into enthusiastically-received live appearances, a follow-up Sea Breeze CD ("Living in the Moment") in 2003 reflecting the band’s development and growth, and our latest CD on Summit Records, "Kindred Spirits."
The band is committed to using familiar tools in a fresh way to stretch the idiom, while always swinging and remaining true to the jazz roots of the music.
The band has been referred to as “A veritable who’s who among the Los Angeles area’s most accomplished studio and big-band artists.” It enjoys the talents of well known Los Angeles jazz personalities Pete Christlieb, Wayne Bergeron, Bobby Shew, Carl Saunders, Rick Baptist, Kim Richmond, Dan Higgins, Charlie Loper, Alex Iles, Pete De Siena, Ron King, Christian Jacob, Trey Henry, Ralph Razze and many others.
We’re an eighteen-piece “big band” jazz group based in Los Angeles. First organized in 1997, the band is comprised of players with whom leader Gary Urwin had been associated over the years as an arranger and trumpet player. Gary's role is to arrange or compose all the music we do, and to lead the band when we perform or record.
With the active supprt of Business Manager and co-producer Pat Longo, we began work on our first CD ("Perspectives"), which debuted on Sea Breeze Records in 2000. Word of mouth spread quickly, and the band’s activities grew into enthusiastically-received live appearances, a follow-up Sea Breeze CD ("Living in the Moment") in 2003 reflecting the band’s development and growth, and our latest CD on Summit Records, "Kindred Spirits."
The band is committed to using familiar tools in a fresh way to stretch the idiom, while always swinging and remaining true to the jazz roots of the music.
The band has been referred to as “A veritable who’s who among the Los Angeles area’s most accomplished studio and big-band artists.” It enjoys the talents of well known Los Angeles jazz personalities Pete Christlieb, Wayne Bergeron, Bobby Shew, Carl Saunders, Rick Baptist, Kim Richmond, Dan Higgins, Charlie Loper, Alex Iles, Pete De Siena, Ron King, Christian Jacob, Trey Henry, Ralph Razze and many others.
Tuesday 20 April 2010
RAMSEY LEWIS
Biography
Ramsey Lewis was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Ramsey Lewis, Sr. and Pauline Lewis.[2] Lewis began taking piano lessons at the age of four. At 15 he joined his first jazz band, The Cleffs. The seven-piece group provided Lewis his first involvement with jazz; he would later join Cleffs drummer Isaac "Redd" Holt and bassist Eldee Young to form the Ramsey Lewis Trio.
The trio started as primarily a jazz unit and released their first album, Ramsey Lewis And The Gentlemen of Swing, in 1956. Following their 1965 hit "The In Crowd" (the single reached #5 on the pop charts, and the album #2) they concentrated more on pop material. Young and Holt left in 1966 to form the Young-Holt Trio and were replaced by Cleveland Eaton and Maurice White. White was replaced by Maurice Jennings in 1970. Later, Franky Donaldson and Bill Dickens replaced Jennings and Eaton; Felton Crews also appeared on many 1980's releases.
By 1966, Lewis was one of the nation’s most successful jazz pianists, topping the charts with "The In Crowd", "Hang On Sloopy", and "Wade in the Water". All three singles each sold over one million copies, and were awarded gold discs.[3] Many of his recordings attracted a large non-jazz audience. In the 1970s, Lewis often played electric piano, although by later in the decade he was sticking to acoustic and using an additional keyboardist in his groups.[4]
In addition to recording and performing, Lewis hosted a morning show on Chicago "smooth jazz" radio station WNUA (95.5 FM) until May 22, 2009. His weekly syndicated radio program Legends of Jazz, created in 1990, features recordings from artists such as David Sanborn, George Duke, Herbie Hancock, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Kurt Elling, Al Jarreau and Miles Davis. The show can be heard in 60 U.S. cities and overseas.[5] On December 4, 2006, the Ramsey Lewis Morning Show became part of Broadcast Architecture's Smooth Jazz Network, simulcasting on other Smooth Jazz stations across the country for the first time. However, the show was still based in Chicago until it was cancelled when WNUA switched over to a Spanish format.[6]
In 2006, a well-received 13-episode Legends of Jazz television series hosted by Lewis was broadcast on public TV nationwide and featured live performances by a variety of jazz artists including Larry Gray, Lonnie Smith, Joey Defrancesco, Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea, Kurt Elling, Benny Golson, Pat Metheny and Tony Bennett.[7]
Lewis is artistic director of Jazz at Ravinia (an annual feature at the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, Illinois) and helped organize Ravinia's Jazz Mentor Program.[8] Ramsey also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Merit School of Music, a Chicago inner-city music program and The Chicago High School for the Arts, the new public arts high school in Chicago. Early in 2005, the Ramsey Lewis Foundation was created to help connect at-risk children to the world of music. As an offshoot of that foundation, Lewis plans to form a Youth Choir and Youth Orchestra. In January 2007, the Dave Brubeck Institute invited Lewis to join its Honorary Board of Friends at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. Lewis is an Honorary Board member of the Chicago Jazz Orchestra. Lewis is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. In May 2008, Lewis received an honorary doctorate from Loyola University Chicago upon delivering the keynote address at the undergraduate commencement ceremony.
Lewis still lives in Chicago, Illinois, the city of his musical roots. He has seven children, fourteen grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
[edit]Discography
Album Date
Gentlemen of Swing 1956
Gentlemen of Jazz 1958
Lem Winchester with the Ramsey Lewis Trio 1958
Down to Earth (Music from the Soil) 1959
An Hour with the Ramsey Lewis Trio 1959
Stretching Out 1960
More From Soil 1961
Never on Sunday 1961
Sounds of Christmas 1961
Bossa Nova 1962
The Sound of Spring 1962
The In Crowd Live at the Bohemian Cavern 1962
Pot Luck 1963
Barefoot Sunday Blues 1963
Bach to the Blues 1964
More Sounds of Christmas 1964
At the Bohemian Caverns 1964
Country Meets the Blues 1964
The In Crowd 1965
Choice! The Best of the Ramsey Lewis Trio 1962-64
Hang on Ramsey (Live) 1965
Wade in the Water 1966
The Movie Album 1966
The Groover (Live) 1966
Hang on Sloopy 1966
Goin' Latin 1967
Dancing in the Street 1967
Up Pops Ramsey 1967
Greatest Sides, Vol. 1 1964-67
Maiden Voyage 1968
Mother Nature's Son 1968
Live in Tokyo 1968
Solid Ivory (His Greatest Hits) 1963-68
Another Voyage 1969
The Piano Player 1969
The Best of Ramsey Lewis 1970
Them Changes 1970
Back to the Roots 1971
Upendo Ni Pamoja 1972
Funky Serenity 1973
Newly Recorded . . . Golden Hits 1973
Solar Wind 1974
Sun Goddess 1974
Don't It Feel Good 1975
Salongo 1976
Love Notes 1977
Tequila Mockingbird 1977
Legacy 1978
Ramsey 1979
Routes 1980
Best of Ramsey Lewis 1981
Blues for the Night Owl 1981
Three Piece Suite 1981
Live At The Savoy 1982
Chance Encounter 1982
Les Fleurs 1983
Reunion 1983
The Two of Us (with Nancy Wilson) 1984
Fantasy 1985
Keys To The City 1987
A Classic Encounter 1988
We Meet Again (with Billy Taylor) 1989
Urban Renewal 1989
Electric Collection 1991
This is Jazz #27 1991
Ivory Pyramid 1992
Sky Islands 1993
Urban Knights I 1995
Between the Keys 1996
Urban Knights II 1997
Dance of the Soul 1998
Appassionata 1999
Urban Knights III 2000
Ramsey Lewis's Finest Hour 2000
Urban Knights IV 2001
Meant To Be (with Nancy Wilson) 2002
20th Century Masters - The Millennium
Collection: The Best of Ramsey Lewis 2002
Urban Knights V 2003
Simple Pleasures 2003
Time Flies 2004
Urban Knights VI 2005
With One Voice 2005
The Best of Urban Knights 2005
The Very Best of Ramsey Lewis 2006
Mother Nature's Son 2007
Songs from the Heart: Ramsey Plays Ramsey 2009
[edit]Awards and recognitions
Ramsey Lewis was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Ramsey Lewis, Sr. and Pauline Lewis.[2] Lewis began taking piano lessons at the age of four. At 15 he joined his first jazz band, The Cleffs. The seven-piece group provided Lewis his first involvement with jazz; he would later join Cleffs drummer Isaac "Redd" Holt and bassist Eldee Young to form the Ramsey Lewis Trio.
The trio started as primarily a jazz unit and released their first album, Ramsey Lewis And The Gentlemen of Swing, in 1956. Following their 1965 hit "The In Crowd" (the single reached #5 on the pop charts, and the album #2) they concentrated more on pop material. Young and Holt left in 1966 to form the Young-Holt Trio and were replaced by Cleveland Eaton and Maurice White. White was replaced by Maurice Jennings in 1970. Later, Franky Donaldson and Bill Dickens replaced Jennings and Eaton; Felton Crews also appeared on many 1980's releases.
By 1966, Lewis was one of the nation’s most successful jazz pianists, topping the charts with "The In Crowd", "Hang On Sloopy", and "Wade in the Water". All three singles each sold over one million copies, and were awarded gold discs.[3] Many of his recordings attracted a large non-jazz audience. In the 1970s, Lewis often played electric piano, although by later in the decade he was sticking to acoustic and using an additional keyboardist in his groups.[4]
In addition to recording and performing, Lewis hosted a morning show on Chicago "smooth jazz" radio station WNUA (95.5 FM) until May 22, 2009. His weekly syndicated radio program Legends of Jazz, created in 1990, features recordings from artists such as David Sanborn, George Duke, Herbie Hancock, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Kurt Elling, Al Jarreau and Miles Davis. The show can be heard in 60 U.S. cities and overseas.[5] On December 4, 2006, the Ramsey Lewis Morning Show became part of Broadcast Architecture's Smooth Jazz Network, simulcasting on other Smooth Jazz stations across the country for the first time. However, the show was still based in Chicago until it was cancelled when WNUA switched over to a Spanish format.[6]
In 2006, a well-received 13-episode Legends of Jazz television series hosted by Lewis was broadcast on public TV nationwide and featured live performances by a variety of jazz artists including Larry Gray, Lonnie Smith, Joey Defrancesco, Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea, Kurt Elling, Benny Golson, Pat Metheny and Tony Bennett.[7]
Lewis is artistic director of Jazz at Ravinia (an annual feature at the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, Illinois) and helped organize Ravinia's Jazz Mentor Program.[8] Ramsey also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Merit School of Music, a Chicago inner-city music program and The Chicago High School for the Arts, the new public arts high school in Chicago. Early in 2005, the Ramsey Lewis Foundation was created to help connect at-risk children to the world of music. As an offshoot of that foundation, Lewis plans to form a Youth Choir and Youth Orchestra. In January 2007, the Dave Brubeck Institute invited Lewis to join its Honorary Board of Friends at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. Lewis is an Honorary Board member of the Chicago Jazz Orchestra. Lewis is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. In May 2008, Lewis received an honorary doctorate from Loyola University Chicago upon delivering the keynote address at the undergraduate commencement ceremony.
Lewis still lives in Chicago, Illinois, the city of his musical roots. He has seven children, fourteen grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
[edit]Discography
Album Date
Gentlemen of Swing 1956
Gentlemen of Jazz 1958
Lem Winchester with the Ramsey Lewis Trio 1958
Down to Earth (Music from the Soil) 1959
An Hour with the Ramsey Lewis Trio 1959
Stretching Out 1960
More From Soil 1961
Never on Sunday 1961
Sounds of Christmas 1961
Bossa Nova 1962
The Sound of Spring 1962
The In Crowd Live at the Bohemian Cavern 1962
Pot Luck 1963
Barefoot Sunday Blues 1963
Bach to the Blues 1964
More Sounds of Christmas 1964
At the Bohemian Caverns 1964
Country Meets the Blues 1964
The In Crowd 1965
Choice! The Best of the Ramsey Lewis Trio 1962-64
Hang on Ramsey (Live) 1965
Wade in the Water 1966
The Movie Album 1966
The Groover (Live) 1966
Hang on Sloopy 1966
Goin' Latin 1967
Dancing in the Street 1967
Up Pops Ramsey 1967
Greatest Sides, Vol. 1 1964-67
Maiden Voyage 1968
Mother Nature's Son 1968
Live in Tokyo 1968
Solid Ivory (His Greatest Hits) 1963-68
Another Voyage 1969
The Piano Player 1969
The Best of Ramsey Lewis 1970
Them Changes 1970
Back to the Roots 1971
Upendo Ni Pamoja 1972
Funky Serenity 1973
Newly Recorded . . . Golden Hits 1973
Solar Wind 1974
Sun Goddess 1974
Don't It Feel Good 1975
Salongo 1976
Love Notes 1977
Tequila Mockingbird 1977
Legacy 1978
Ramsey 1979
Routes 1980
Best of Ramsey Lewis 1981
Blues for the Night Owl 1981
Three Piece Suite 1981
Live At The Savoy 1982
Chance Encounter 1982
Les Fleurs 1983
Reunion 1983
The Two of Us (with Nancy Wilson) 1984
Fantasy 1985
Keys To The City 1987
A Classic Encounter 1988
We Meet Again (with Billy Taylor) 1989
Urban Renewal 1989
Electric Collection 1991
This is Jazz #27 1991
Ivory Pyramid 1992
Sky Islands 1993
Urban Knights I 1995
Between the Keys 1996
Urban Knights II 1997
Dance of the Soul 1998
Appassionata 1999
Urban Knights III 2000
Ramsey Lewis's Finest Hour 2000
Urban Knights IV 2001
Meant To Be (with Nancy Wilson) 2002
20th Century Masters - The Millennium
Collection: The Best of Ramsey Lewis 2002
Urban Knights V 2003
Simple Pleasures 2003
Time Flies 2004
Urban Knights VI 2005
With One Voice 2005
The Best of Urban Knights 2005
The Very Best of Ramsey Lewis 2006
Mother Nature's Son 2007
Songs from the Heart: Ramsey Plays Ramsey 2009
[edit]Awards and recognitions
Monday 19 April 2010
DELTA LADIES
Event: DELTA LADIES - ROGER'S SPECIAL DO at THE CATS BACK
What: Listening Party
Start Time: 23 April at 21:00
End Time: 23 April at 23:00
Where: The Cat's Back 86-88 Point Pleasant SW18 1PP
What: Listening Party
Start Time: 23 April at 21:00
End Time: 23 April at 23:00
Where: The Cat's Back 86-88 Point Pleasant SW18 1PP
Sunday 11 April 2010
Chinyere Nnenna Pierce was born and raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Charles and Frances Pierce, and as a young woman she sang extensively in her community and the Union Baptist Church and at St. Paul AME. She has a brother Melvin and a sister named Debbie. Nnenna graduated from Simmons College in Boston, with a degree in health care administration. For a while worked for the Durham County Hospital Corporation, Durham, North Carolina. The Kennedy Center interview with Nnenna:
"I started singing in the church, like so many others. . . ." She suggests that her influences included several "not famous people," as well as such familiar names as Nina Simone and Billy Eckstine, artists whose records her parents played at home. "Its important to expose your children to a wide musical environment," she says, grateful that her parents did just that. Nnenna followed her grandmother's sage advice regarding those singing aspirations. "I did something that my grandmother told me: 'bloom where you're planted’, "don't get on a bus and go to New York or L.A., sing where you are."[4]
[edit]Family
In 1979, married architect Philip Freelon and raised three children, Deen, Maya and Pierce, before deciding to go pro as a jazz singer.[5] Their son Pierce Freelon is a Hip-Hop artist, a visiting professor of Political Science at North Carolina Central University and the founder of a website called Blackademics, where he has interviewed many notable figures such as Angela Davis, Maya Angelou, Nikki Giovanni, and Jesse Jackson.[6] Deen Freelon, a doctoral candidate in Communications at the University of Washington, Seattle, is the site webmaster. Daughter Professor Maya Freelon, is an award-winning visual artist.
[edit]Recording career
Tales of Wonder (2002)
In 1990, Nnenna Freelon went to the Southern Arts Federation’s jazz meeting and met Ellis Marsalis. "That was a big turning point. At that time, I had been singing for seven years. Ellis is an educator and he wanted to nurture and help. What I didn’t know at the time was that George Butler of Columbia Records was looking for a female singer. Ellis asked me for a package of materials. I had my little local press kit and my little tape with original music. Two years later, I was signed to Columbia Records.” She was in her late 30s when she made her debut CD, Nnenna Freelon, for Columbia Records in 1992. The label dropped her in 1994, and Concord Records signed her in 1996.[7]
In Maiden Voyage (1998), she leaves behind standard and comfortable conventions and releases an inner spirit that allows her to creatively soar to a higher dimension. Watch out! When a woman reaches this point there's no telling what will come next.[8] Freelon's seventh album is Tales of Wonder (2002), covers hit songs written and/or recorded by Stevie Wonder. She considers him one of the greatest artists of our time and describes how his music easily became her music, as it touched her life throughout the years. "A lot of Stevie Wonder's music is on the level of many other unique artists like Duke Ellington, like Thelonious Monk. When you hear Stevie, you know that's who it is. I put him in a genius class, he's fabulous."[9] On her Grammy-nominated release, Blueprint of a Lady: Sketches of Billie Holiday (2005), which comes highly recommended, Freelon pays tribute to the quintessential jazz vocalist Billie Holiday in the best possible way—without imitation and putting her own interpretations on material written by or associated with Lady Day. Her band, adjusted to fit the mood of each song, skillfully complements her at every turn. With Freelon is a group of veteran jazz artists who give her album a welcome presence. Tenor saxophonist Dave Ellis, trumpeter Christian Scott, and flutist Mary Fettig add stellar musical partnerships to the program. Freelon's long-term quartet of Brandon McCune, Wayne Bachelor, Kinah Boto, and Beverly Botsford provide cohesive accompaniment that serves as an intuitive accompaniment for her vocal offerings.
Nnenna Freelon will tour with the Monterey Jazz Festival 50th Anniversary Band on a 54-date, 10-week tour of the United States starting January 8, 2008. The band features trumpeter Terence Blanchard, pianist Benny Green, saxophonist James Moody, bassist Derrick Hodge and drummer Kendrick Scott.[10]
[edit]Discography
Year Title Genre Label Billboard[11]
1992 Nnenna Freelon Jazz Columbia 11
1993 Heritage 10
1994 Listen 20
1996 Shaking Free Concord
1998 Maiden Voyage 10
2000 Soulcall 13
2002 Tales of Wonder 7
2003 Church - Songs of Soul and Inspiration
Various Artists - Ooh Child - Nnenna Freelon Gospel Utv Records 157
Live at The Kennedy Center, Washington D.C. Jazz Concord
2005 Blueprint of a Lady 13
2008 Better Than Anything
2007: Freelon & The Count Basie Orchestra - (Pending Release 2007)
[edit]Grammy history
Career Nominations: 5
Nnenna Freelon Grammy Awards History
Year Category Genre Title Label Result
2005 Best Jazz Vocal Album Jazz Blueprint of a Lady -
Sketches of Billie Holiday Concord Nominated
2001 Jazz Vocal Album Jazz Soulcall Concord Nominated
2001 Best Instrumental Arrangement
Accompanying a Vocal Jazz Button Up Your Overcoat Concord Nominated
1998 Jazz Vocal Performance Jazz Maiden Voyage Concord Nominated
1996 Best Jazz Vocal Performance Jazz Shaking Free Concord Nominated
"I started singing in the church, like so many others. . . ." She suggests that her influences included several "not famous people," as well as such familiar names as Nina Simone and Billy Eckstine, artists whose records her parents played at home. "Its important to expose your children to a wide musical environment," she says, grateful that her parents did just that. Nnenna followed her grandmother's sage advice regarding those singing aspirations. "I did something that my grandmother told me: 'bloom where you're planted’, "don't get on a bus and go to New York or L.A., sing where you are."[4]
[edit]Family
In 1979, married architect Philip Freelon and raised three children, Deen, Maya and Pierce, before deciding to go pro as a jazz singer.[5] Their son Pierce Freelon is a Hip-Hop artist, a visiting professor of Political Science at North Carolina Central University and the founder of a website called Blackademics, where he has interviewed many notable figures such as Angela Davis, Maya Angelou, Nikki Giovanni, and Jesse Jackson.[6] Deen Freelon, a doctoral candidate in Communications at the University of Washington, Seattle, is the site webmaster. Daughter Professor Maya Freelon, is an award-winning visual artist.
[edit]Recording career
Tales of Wonder (2002)
In 1990, Nnenna Freelon went to the Southern Arts Federation’s jazz meeting and met Ellis Marsalis. "That was a big turning point. At that time, I had been singing for seven years. Ellis is an educator and he wanted to nurture and help. What I didn’t know at the time was that George Butler of Columbia Records was looking for a female singer. Ellis asked me for a package of materials. I had my little local press kit and my little tape with original music. Two years later, I was signed to Columbia Records.” She was in her late 30s when she made her debut CD, Nnenna Freelon, for Columbia Records in 1992. The label dropped her in 1994, and Concord Records signed her in 1996.[7]
In Maiden Voyage (1998), she leaves behind standard and comfortable conventions and releases an inner spirit that allows her to creatively soar to a higher dimension. Watch out! When a woman reaches this point there's no telling what will come next.[8] Freelon's seventh album is Tales of Wonder (2002), covers hit songs written and/or recorded by Stevie Wonder. She considers him one of the greatest artists of our time and describes how his music easily became her music, as it touched her life throughout the years. "A lot of Stevie Wonder's music is on the level of many other unique artists like Duke Ellington, like Thelonious Monk. When you hear Stevie, you know that's who it is. I put him in a genius class, he's fabulous."[9] On her Grammy-nominated release, Blueprint of a Lady: Sketches of Billie Holiday (2005), which comes highly recommended, Freelon pays tribute to the quintessential jazz vocalist Billie Holiday in the best possible way—without imitation and putting her own interpretations on material written by or associated with Lady Day. Her band, adjusted to fit the mood of each song, skillfully complements her at every turn. With Freelon is a group of veteran jazz artists who give her album a welcome presence. Tenor saxophonist Dave Ellis, trumpeter Christian Scott, and flutist Mary Fettig add stellar musical partnerships to the program. Freelon's long-term quartet of Brandon McCune, Wayne Bachelor, Kinah Boto, and Beverly Botsford provide cohesive accompaniment that serves as an intuitive accompaniment for her vocal offerings.
Nnenna Freelon will tour with the Monterey Jazz Festival 50th Anniversary Band on a 54-date, 10-week tour of the United States starting January 8, 2008. The band features trumpeter Terence Blanchard, pianist Benny Green, saxophonist James Moody, bassist Derrick Hodge and drummer Kendrick Scott.[10]
[edit]Discography
Year Title Genre Label Billboard[11]
1992 Nnenna Freelon Jazz Columbia 11
1993 Heritage 10
1994 Listen 20
1996 Shaking Free Concord
1998 Maiden Voyage 10
2000 Soulcall 13
2002 Tales of Wonder 7
2003 Church - Songs of Soul and Inspiration
Various Artists - Ooh Child - Nnenna Freelon Gospel Utv Records 157
Live at The Kennedy Center, Washington D.C. Jazz Concord
2005 Blueprint of a Lady 13
2008 Better Than Anything
2007: Freelon & The Count Basie Orchestra - (Pending Release 2007)
[edit]Grammy history
Career Nominations: 5
Nnenna Freelon Grammy Awards History
Year Category Genre Title Label Result
2005 Best Jazz Vocal Album Jazz Blueprint of a Lady -
Sketches of Billie Holiday Concord Nominated
2001 Jazz Vocal Album Jazz Soulcall Concord Nominated
2001 Best Instrumental Arrangement
Accompanying a Vocal Jazz Button Up Your Overcoat Concord Nominated
1998 Jazz Vocal Performance Jazz Maiden Voyage Concord Nominated
1996 Best Jazz Vocal Performance Jazz Shaking Free Concord Nominated
Thursday 8 April 2010
INTERVIEW OF GLEN PATRICK BY ELEPHANT SHELF
Event: A video watching do :-)
What: Film/TV Night
Start Time: Today, 08 April at 11:30
End Time: 24 April at 23:55
Where: On line at http://www.facebook.com/l/59e80;www.elephantshelf.com/blog
What: Film/TV Night
Start Time: Today, 08 April at 11:30
End Time: 24 April at 23:55
Where: On line at http://www.facebook.com/l/59e80;www.elephantshelf.com/blog
Monday 5 April 2010
Julie London (USA)
Early life
Born Gayle Peck in Santa Rosa, California, she was the daughter of Jack and Josephine Peck, who were a vaudeville song-and-dance team. When she was 14, the family moved to Los Angeles. Shortly after that, she began appearing in movies. She graduated from the Hollywood Professional School in 1945.
[edit]Marriages
In July 1947 she married actor Jack Webb (of Dragnet fame). Her widely regarded beauty and poise (she was a pinup girl prized by GIs during World War II) contrasted strongly with his pedestrian appearance and streetwise acting technique (much parodied by impersonators). This unlikely pairing arose from their mutual love for jazz music.[1] They had two daughters, Stacy and Lisa Webb. London and Webb divorced in November 1954. Daughter Stacy Webb was killed in a traffic accident in 1996.
In 1954, having become somewhat reclusive after her divorce from Webb, she met jazz composer and musician Bobby Troup at a club on La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles.[2] They married on December 31, 1959, and remained married until his death in February 1999. Together, they had one daughter, Kelly Troup and twin sons, Jody and Reese Troup.[3] Kelly Troup died in March 2002.
[edit]Later life
She suffered a stroke in 1995, and was in poor health because of her long-term cigarette habit until her death on October 18, 2000, in Encino, California, at age 74, survived by four of her five children. London was interred next to Troup in Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery, Los Angeles. Her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles.
[edit]Career
[edit]Singing
London began singing in public in her teens before appearing in a film. She was discovered by talent agent Sue Carol (wife of actor Alan Ladd) while London was working as an elevator operator. Her early film career did not include any singing roles.
She recorded 32 albums in a career that began in 1955 with a live performance at the 881 Club in Los Angeles.[4] Billboard named her the most popular female vocalist for 1955, 1956, and 1957. She was the subject of a 1957 Life cover article in which she was quoted as saying, "It's only a thimbleful of a voice, and I have to use it close to the microphone. But it is a kind of oversmoked voice, and it automatically sounds intimate."
Julie London's debut recordings were for the Bethlehem Records label. While shopping for a record deal, she recorded 4 tracks that would later be included on the compilation albums Bethlehem's Girlfriends in 1955. Bobby Troup backed London on the dates, and London recorded the standards Don't Worry About Me, Motherless Child, A Foggy Day, and You're Blasé.
London's most famous single, "Cry Me a River", was written by her high-school classmate Arthur Hamilton and produced by Troup.[5] The recording became a million-seller after its release in December 1955 and also sold on re-issue in April 1983 from the attention brought by a Mari Wilson cover. London performed the song in the film The Girl Can't Help It (1956), and her recording gained later attention in the films Passion of Mind (2000) and V for Vendetta (2006).
Other popular singles include "Hot Toddy," "Daddy" and "Desafinado." Recordings such as "Go Slow" epitomized her career style: her voice is slow, smoky, and sensual.
The song "Yummy Yummy Yummy" was featured on the HBO television series Six Feet Under and appears on its soundtrack album. Her rendition of "The Good Life" was featured in a 2008 British Airways dancing aquatic television advertisement for its new Terminal 5 at London Heathrow Airport, London, United Kingdom.
Her last recording was "My Funny Valentine" for the soundtrack of the Burt Reynolds film Sharky's Machine (1981).[1]
[edit]Film
Primarily remembered as a singer, London also made more than 20 films. One of her strongest performances came in Man of the West (1958), starring Gary Cooper and directed by Anthony Mann, in which her character, the film's only woman, is abused and humiliated by an outlaw gang.
[edit]Television
She performed on many television variety series and also in dramatic roles, including guest appearances on Rawhide (1960) and The Big Valley (1968). Her ex-husband Webb was executive producer for the series Emergency!, and in 1972 he hired both his ex-wife and her husband Troup for key roles. London played nurse Dixie McCall), while Troup was emergency-room physician Dr. Joe Early. She and her co-stars Kevin Tighe, Randolph Mantooth, and Robert Fuller also appeared in an episode of the Webb-produced series Adam-12, reprising their roles. London and Troup appeared as panelists on the game show Tattletales several times in the 1970's.
[edit]Albums
Bethlehem's Girlfriends (1955 - debut recordings)
Julie Is Her Name (1955, U.S. #2)
Lonely Girl (1956, U.S. #16)
Calendar Girl (1956, U.S. #18)
About the Blues (1957, U.S. #15)
Make Love to Me (1957)
Julie (1958)
Julie Is Her Name, Volume II (1958)
London by Night (1958)
Swing Me an Old Song (1959)
Your Number Please (1959)
Julie...At Home (1960)
Around Midnight (1960)
Send for Me (1961)
Whatever Julie Wants (1961)
The Best of Julie London (1962)
Sophisticated Lady (1962)
Love Letters (1962)
Love on the Rocks (1962)
Latin in a Satin Mood (1963)
Julie's Golden Greats (1963)
The End of the World (1963, U.S. #127)
The Wonderful World of Julie London (1963, U.S. #136)
Julie London (1964)
In Person at the Americana (1964)
Our Fair Lady (1965)
Feeling Good (1965)
By Myself (1965, produced exclusively for the Columbia Record Club)
All Through the Night: Julie London Sings the Choicest of Cole Porter (1965)
For the Night People (1966)
Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast (1967)
With Body & Soul (1967)
Easy Does It (1968)
Yummy, Yummy, Yummy (1969)
The Very Best Of Julie London (1975)
[edit]Charted Recordings
"Cry Me a River" (U.S. #9, 1955)
"Blue Moon" (South Africa #7, 1961)
"Desafinado" (Slightly Out Of Tune)" (U.S. # 110, 1962)
"I'm Coming Back To You" (U.S. # 118, 1963)
"Yummy Yummy Yummy" (U.S. #125, 1968)
"Like To Get To Know You" (Easy Listening #15, 1969)
[edit]Filmography
Nabonga (1944)
Diamond Horseshoe (1945) (bit part)
On Stage Everybody (1945)
A Night in Paradise (1946) (bit part)
The Red House (1947)
Tap Roots (1948)
Task Force (1949)
Return of the Frontiersman (1950)
The Fat Man (1951)
The Fighting Chance (1955)
The Girl Can't Help It (1956)
Crime Against Joe (1956)
The Great Man (1956)
Drango (1957)
Saddle the Wind (1958)
Voice in the Mirror (1958)
Man of the West (1958)
Night of the Quarter Moon (1959)
The Wonderful Country (1959)
A Question of Adultery (1959)
The Third Voice (1960)
The George Raft Story (1961)
[edit]Television Work
What's My Line? Mystery guests on September 29, 1957 (Episode # 382) (Season 9 Episode 5), (three episodes) (1957-1961)
Rawhide (one episode) (1960)
Dan Raven with Skip Homeier as June Carney in the episode "Tinge of Red" (1960)
The Barbara Stanwyck Show as Julie in "Night Visitors" (1961)
The Eleventh Hour as Joan Ashmond in the episode "Like a Diamond in the Sky") (1963)
The Big Valley (one episode) (1967)
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (two episodes, "The Prince of Darkness Affair," Part 1, Part 2, (1967), re-released as the feature film, The Helicopter Spies (1968)
Emergency! (1972–1979) series regular
Adam-12 (one episode, Lost and Found) as Dixie McCall
Tattletales (game show hosted by Bert Convy, 1974–1978)
Emergency: Survival on Charter #220 (1978)
[edit]References
Born Gayle Peck in Santa Rosa, California, she was the daughter of Jack and Josephine Peck, who were a vaudeville song-and-dance team. When she was 14, the family moved to Los Angeles. Shortly after that, she began appearing in movies. She graduated from the Hollywood Professional School in 1945.
[edit]Marriages
In July 1947 she married actor Jack Webb (of Dragnet fame). Her widely regarded beauty and poise (she was a pinup girl prized by GIs during World War II) contrasted strongly with his pedestrian appearance and streetwise acting technique (much parodied by impersonators). This unlikely pairing arose from their mutual love for jazz music.[1] They had two daughters, Stacy and Lisa Webb. London and Webb divorced in November 1954. Daughter Stacy Webb was killed in a traffic accident in 1996.
In 1954, having become somewhat reclusive after her divorce from Webb, she met jazz composer and musician Bobby Troup at a club on La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles.[2] They married on December 31, 1959, and remained married until his death in February 1999. Together, they had one daughter, Kelly Troup and twin sons, Jody and Reese Troup.[3] Kelly Troup died in March 2002.
[edit]Later life
She suffered a stroke in 1995, and was in poor health because of her long-term cigarette habit until her death on October 18, 2000, in Encino, California, at age 74, survived by four of her five children. London was interred next to Troup in Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery, Los Angeles. Her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles.
[edit]Career
[edit]Singing
London began singing in public in her teens before appearing in a film. She was discovered by talent agent Sue Carol (wife of actor Alan Ladd) while London was working as an elevator operator. Her early film career did not include any singing roles.
She recorded 32 albums in a career that began in 1955 with a live performance at the 881 Club in Los Angeles.[4] Billboard named her the most popular female vocalist for 1955, 1956, and 1957. She was the subject of a 1957 Life cover article in which she was quoted as saying, "It's only a thimbleful of a voice, and I have to use it close to the microphone. But it is a kind of oversmoked voice, and it automatically sounds intimate."
Julie London's debut recordings were for the Bethlehem Records label. While shopping for a record deal, she recorded 4 tracks that would later be included on the compilation albums Bethlehem's Girlfriends in 1955. Bobby Troup backed London on the dates, and London recorded the standards Don't Worry About Me, Motherless Child, A Foggy Day, and You're Blasé.
London's most famous single, "Cry Me a River", was written by her high-school classmate Arthur Hamilton and produced by Troup.[5] The recording became a million-seller after its release in December 1955 and also sold on re-issue in April 1983 from the attention brought by a Mari Wilson cover. London performed the song in the film The Girl Can't Help It (1956), and her recording gained later attention in the films Passion of Mind (2000) and V for Vendetta (2006).
Other popular singles include "Hot Toddy," "Daddy" and "Desafinado." Recordings such as "Go Slow" epitomized her career style: her voice is slow, smoky, and sensual.
The song "Yummy Yummy Yummy" was featured on the HBO television series Six Feet Under and appears on its soundtrack album. Her rendition of "The Good Life" was featured in a 2008 British Airways dancing aquatic television advertisement for its new Terminal 5 at London Heathrow Airport, London, United Kingdom.
Her last recording was "My Funny Valentine" for the soundtrack of the Burt Reynolds film Sharky's Machine (1981).[1]
[edit]Film
Primarily remembered as a singer, London also made more than 20 films. One of her strongest performances came in Man of the West (1958), starring Gary Cooper and directed by Anthony Mann, in which her character, the film's only woman, is abused and humiliated by an outlaw gang.
[edit]Television
She performed on many television variety series and also in dramatic roles, including guest appearances on Rawhide (1960) and The Big Valley (1968). Her ex-husband Webb was executive producer for the series Emergency!, and in 1972 he hired both his ex-wife and her husband Troup for key roles. London played nurse Dixie McCall), while Troup was emergency-room physician Dr. Joe Early. She and her co-stars Kevin Tighe, Randolph Mantooth, and Robert Fuller also appeared in an episode of the Webb-produced series Adam-12, reprising their roles. London and Troup appeared as panelists on the game show Tattletales several times in the 1970's.
[edit]Albums
Bethlehem's Girlfriends (1955 - debut recordings)
Julie Is Her Name (1955, U.S. #2)
Lonely Girl (1956, U.S. #16)
Calendar Girl (1956, U.S. #18)
About the Blues (1957, U.S. #15)
Make Love to Me (1957)
Julie (1958)
Julie Is Her Name, Volume II (1958)
London by Night (1958)
Swing Me an Old Song (1959)
Your Number Please (1959)
Julie...At Home (1960)
Around Midnight (1960)
Send for Me (1961)
Whatever Julie Wants (1961)
The Best of Julie London (1962)
Sophisticated Lady (1962)
Love Letters (1962)
Love on the Rocks (1962)
Latin in a Satin Mood (1963)
Julie's Golden Greats (1963)
The End of the World (1963, U.S. #127)
The Wonderful World of Julie London (1963, U.S. #136)
Julie London (1964)
In Person at the Americana (1964)
Our Fair Lady (1965)
Feeling Good (1965)
By Myself (1965, produced exclusively for the Columbia Record Club)
All Through the Night: Julie London Sings the Choicest of Cole Porter (1965)
For the Night People (1966)
Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast (1967)
With Body & Soul (1967)
Easy Does It (1968)
Yummy, Yummy, Yummy (1969)
The Very Best Of Julie London (1975)
[edit]Charted Recordings
"Cry Me a River" (U.S. #9, 1955)
"Blue Moon" (South Africa #7, 1961)
"Desafinado" (Slightly Out Of Tune)" (U.S. # 110, 1962)
"I'm Coming Back To You" (U.S. # 118, 1963)
"Yummy Yummy Yummy" (U.S. #125, 1968)
"Like To Get To Know You" (Easy Listening #15, 1969)
[edit]Filmography
Nabonga (1944)
Diamond Horseshoe (1945) (bit part)
On Stage Everybody (1945)
A Night in Paradise (1946) (bit part)
The Red House (1947)
Tap Roots (1948)
Task Force (1949)
Return of the Frontiersman (1950)
The Fat Man (1951)
The Fighting Chance (1955)
The Girl Can't Help It (1956)
Crime Against Joe (1956)
The Great Man (1956)
Drango (1957)
Saddle the Wind (1958)
Voice in the Mirror (1958)
Man of the West (1958)
Night of the Quarter Moon (1959)
The Wonderful Country (1959)
A Question of Adultery (1959)
The Third Voice (1960)
The George Raft Story (1961)
[edit]Television Work
What's My Line? Mystery guests on September 29, 1957 (Episode # 382) (Season 9 Episode 5), (three episodes) (1957-1961)
Rawhide (one episode) (1960)
Dan Raven with Skip Homeier as June Carney in the episode "Tinge of Red" (1960)
The Barbara Stanwyck Show as Julie in "Night Visitors" (1961)
The Eleventh Hour as Joan Ashmond in the episode "Like a Diamond in the Sky") (1963)
The Big Valley (one episode) (1967)
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (two episodes, "The Prince of Darkness Affair," Part 1, Part 2, (1967), re-released as the feature film, The Helicopter Spies (1968)
Emergency! (1972–1979) series regular
Adam-12 (one episode, Lost and Found) as Dixie McCall
Tattletales (game show hosted by Bert Convy, 1974–1978)
Emergency: Survival on Charter #220 (1978)
[edit]References
Friday 2 April 2010
THE 606 CLUB
The 606 Club has become one of London’s leading jazz venues over the last 30 years, run by musician Steve Rubie since 1976.
The Club currently books 2 bands a night on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and one Band a night from Thursday to Monday. With Sunday lunches (Big Bands and Gospel Choirs) and a special ‘Singers’ night on Sunday evenings the 606 Club is a major employer of British jazz and related music artists in the U.K.
The ‘606’ has a late night supper license, which requires non-members to eat a substantial meal in order to be served alcohol, so booking a table for dinner in advance is essential on Fridays and Saturdays. This basement Jazz Club has a reputation for great jazz and fine food with candle-lit tables and jazz murals adding to the relaxed ambiance.
Inside The 606 club
Founded as a small 30-seater venue at 606 Kings Road, it established a stellar reputation amongst musicians and audiences. Eventually it out grew the original Club and, although it retained the name 606 Club, moved in May 1988 to the present 165 capacity basement site at 90 Lots Road in Chelsea.
The Club originally established a policy of only booking U.K based musicians in order to support the local scene. In recent years this has changed with the Club’s new European Exchange initiative and support from Yamaha U.K. encouraging a rich cross cultural platform for British and Overseas musicians.
You can also book a table here.
For more information just visit their official website at www.606club.co.uk
The Club currently books 2 bands a night on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and one Band a night from Thursday to Monday. With Sunday lunches (Big Bands and Gospel Choirs) and a special ‘Singers’ night on Sunday evenings the 606 Club is a major employer of British jazz and related music artists in the U.K.
The ‘606’ has a late night supper license, which requires non-members to eat a substantial meal in order to be served alcohol, so booking a table for dinner in advance is essential on Fridays and Saturdays. This basement Jazz Club has a reputation for great jazz and fine food with candle-lit tables and jazz murals adding to the relaxed ambiance.
Inside The 606 club
Founded as a small 30-seater venue at 606 Kings Road, it established a stellar reputation amongst musicians and audiences. Eventually it out grew the original Club and, although it retained the name 606 Club, moved in May 1988 to the present 165 capacity basement site at 90 Lots Road in Chelsea.
The Club originally established a policy of only booking U.K based musicians in order to support the local scene. In recent years this has changed with the Club’s new European Exchange initiative and support from Yamaha U.K. encouraging a rich cross cultural platform for British and Overseas musicians.
You can also book a table here.
For more information just visit their official website at www.606club.co.uk
Sam Yahel
A distinctive voice among the new breed of Hammond B-3 organ players on the jazz scene, Sam Yahel has earned the top spot in Down Beat’s annual International Critics Poll as a Talent Deserving of Recognition for the past four consecutive years.
Yahel has worked with a string of notable jazz artists including tenor saxophonists Joshua Redman and Eric Alexander, former James Brown sideman and alto sax great Maceo Parker, guitarists Peter Bernstein and Bill Frisell, trumpeters Ryan Kisor and Jim Rotondi as well as having played on Norah Jones’ Grammy-winning Come Away With Me as well as on recordings vocalists Lizz Wright and Madeleine Peyroux.
Yahel has worked with a string of notable jazz artists including tenor saxophonists Joshua Redman and Eric Alexander, former James Brown sideman and alto sax great Maceo Parker, guitarists Peter Bernstein and Bill Frisell, trumpeters Ryan Kisor and Jim Rotondi as well as having played on Norah Jones’ Grammy-winning Come Away With Me as well as on recordings vocalists Lizz Wright and Madeleine Peyroux.
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