JAZZ
PAUL TOWNDROW QUARTET
Tribute to a giant
Young Scottish saxophonist Paul Towndrow leads an excellent quartet in ‘Equinox'. a series of tributes to the music of the most influential of all the post-bop saxophone giants. John Coltrane.
Towndrow. who has made a significant impact on the Scottish scene in recent times. is joined by pianist Paul Harrison, Ross Hamilton on bass. and drummer Alyn Cosker. The saxophonist intends to cover the full range of Coltrane's career, from his bop-based music of the 50s through to the late experimental phase which preceded his death from liver cancer in 1967.
Coltrane left one of the most powerful legacies in all of jazz. and his influence has been pervasive. Like Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker before him. he influenced musicians on all instruments. not just his Own. The spirituality and musical invention which flowed through Coltrane's musrc sets a tOugh — maybe impossible — benchmark for these musicians to emulate. but it should be well w0rthwhile hearing them try. (Kenny Mathieson)
I Beat Jazz Basement, 07877 375374, 5, 72, 79, 26 Aug, 2 Sep, 70pm, £2.
FOLK TANNAHILL WEAVERS
Heavy dunts delight
Their eldest member was born in 1949. the youngest in 1979. and as fiddler John Martin of Scotland's Tannahill Weavers reveals. they've become a band with cross-generational appeal. ‘In America especially, peOple bring along their children, more and more with teenage kids.‘ The long- lasting professional band's continued popularity at home and abroad (where they do most of their work) is. John believes. down to “the heavy dunts . . . the bouzoungunaanes
POP THE DIVINE COMEDY
Sardonic songster returns
The first time the Divine Comedy played in Scotland back in ‘95, ‘We got things thrown at us,’ says Neil Hannon. ‘We were supporting Supergrass and we went on in suits and ties and the audience didn’t take kindly to it. It was like
50ps to the head.’
Now, seven years on and Hannon stands mostly alone against whatever is thrown his way after a recent shedding of band members. The circumstances behind which have remained somewhat clouded, but Hannon appears to be enjoying his new found freedom. ‘Well, it's the freedom to change a lot of nappies,’ he says, referring to recent fatherhood. ‘It wasn’t so much about getting away from anybody. It was about trying to re-align myself - trying to work out what I was doing.’ So he’s been spending some time doing a bit of musical soul searching (in-between the nappies) and sounds like a man with a slowly evolving plan. ‘I want to home in on trying to get the simplistic sound. I’ve been listening to a lot of Nina Simone and other kinds of minimalist performers. I want it to be more about the roots of it, the words and the vocal performances and the musical performances. I really want to make a show something really intimate. Hopefully an experience.’
It is this thoughtfulness that has marked Hannon out from a lot of contemporary songwriters, but he resists the pigeon-holing that is often imposed. ‘I think that life is not just very serious or very silly. I’ve always liked M‘A ‘S’H because sometimes it was deadly serious and sometimes it was mad. I try to write music like that. When people don’t quite know which one you’re being, then that’s quite useful. And annoying probably!’ And also quite hard to market. Does he find it difficult working within a music industry that’s preoccupied with types? ‘I find it nigh on impossible sometimes.’ he says with some exasperation. ‘The business is very fragmented these days. There is a huge dichotomy between the out-and-out pop music and maybe what you might call adult music and you can’t be allowed to straddle these things so they can fit you into their market thing and do their focus groups and bloody bar charts.’
The subject is obviously one which rankles, but listening to the lyrics of the Divine Comedy’s sizeable repertoire there is an irrepressible sense of fun and Hannon simply cannot hide his love language. ‘l’ve always had a love of words and as a result I’ve always like things that other people find really terrible. I used to love Richard Stilgoe on NationWide doing his little songs. Flanders and Swan and Cole Porter - I just giggle when I listen to them. I’ve never thought that you can’t say serious things without humour.’ So this time, he laughs, “£50 notes would do fine.’ (Ruth Hedges)
I Queen's Ha/I, 668 2079. 8 Aug. 7.30pm, 73 7 5.
under the tunes. with bass pedals and. of c0urse. the full Highland bagpipes.‘
The band has a lyrical side too. their last few albums having included some gorgeous slow airs penned by flute player Phil Smillie. as well as a strong suit in keyboard player Les Wilson's vocal harmony arrangements. But as John reminds us: ‘lt's entertainment. We've never lost the feeling that we're out to entertain, not teach
people a lesson.’ (Norman Chalmers)
I Reid Hall, 662 8740, 3 8. 4 Aug, 7.30pm, £70 (£8).
JAZZ
VALERY PONOMAREV OUINTET
Hard bop escapee Trumpeter Valery Ponomarev is writing his autobiography, and that should make fascinating reading. His personal account of his escape from the old Soviet Russia with a fake travel
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40 THE LIST FESTIVAL GUIDE 1—8 Aug 2002
‘sy Nu Militia mi;
Neil Hannon rejoices in the genius of Porter, M'A'S‘H and Stilgoe
visa in order to play jazz. and his link up with one of his great heroes. Art Blakey. is one of the great tales of modern jazz.
Ponomarev’s love of jazz was sparked by hearing a record by the great Clifford Brown, whose glittering career was snuffed out prematurely in a car accident in 1956. Ponomarev was studying classical music. but know immediately that would have to change.
‘When I heard that Clifford Brown record for the first time. with all that emotion and energy flowing out of the
music. I knew right away that it was the perfect music for what I wanted to play.‘ he says. ‘It struck me really hard. and I realised immediately that I wasn't going to be playing classical music any more. Jazz struck a chord with who I am, and I still feel that way about it now.’
These days. Ponomarev — now an American citizen — tours with his band in Russia. His hard-hitting bop underlines that jazz is a musical language understood just about everywhere.
‘I remember when I first played for Art
Blakey. he was shocked that a guy from Russia could play like this, in that musical language. I believe jazz is understood at an emotional level everywhere you go. and there are people who can play really good jazz most places you go. too. which was not the case even when | first started touring.’
(Kenny Mathieson)
I Bridge Jazz Bar, 4 78 2570. 33—70 Aug, I 7pm, £70 (7‘8).
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