E It seems no time at all since I was i writing in these pages that Courtney
audiences. The saxophonist's December concerts with Ellis Marsalis placed him in a straight jazz
’ Paradise Reggae Band.
Indianimmigrants who‘left
t in the rather different setting ofThe
PREVIEW MUSIC
V JAZZ
Return to; Pill’dise
Courtney Pine
Pine is no stranger to Scottish
setting. but this early return has him
The name is dedicated to the West
paradise‘ to come to this country. but :
' isslightlymisleadinginthat.
although there is a reggae feel to g
much of the material. they are essentially a soul-funk band with a
really good saxophone player. They
' made their recording debut with
and have been gigging hard 3 whenever time allowed. letting the
('loser To Home on Mango last year.
music settle into a tough. funky groove.
Those who only know Courtney through his jazz playing might be a little taken aback at what they hear. but this is actually a return to roots for the London saxman. Long before he was seduced by the image of a sax-toting Sonny Rollins on the cowboy-style cover of Way Out West. Courtney was cutting his teeth in the London soul and reggae scene.
"This was the music I started out playing.’ the saxophonist says. ‘and 1 still love to do it. I have learned an awful lot about the music and my instrument playing jazz. and I really
wanted to come back to this kind of 3 music and see where we could take it ' in the light of that experience.”
The seven-piece band includes
ex-Working Week singer Juliet
Roberts in its ranks. as well as
; percussionist Talvin Singh. who will
be playing a duo concert with Courtney in Glasgow during Mayfest. (Kenny Mathieson) ( 'ourtney Pine and The Paradise Reggae Band play at the Queen's , Hall, Edinburgh on Fri 26. Courtney i and Talvin Singh play the Pavilion. LGlasgow on 8 May.
Love or confusion?
; The mic stand goes flying. Fourtlmes. The singer talls oh the stage. Three
* times. The bass player gets knocked
over. Twice. The drumkit and the guitar I
amp are subsequent sorry victims oi a trontman who leaps betore he looks and staggers betore he sings. Their hall-hour set over, the band stumble, dazed and encoreless, through a perplexed audience at about iorty blessed souls, all unsure whether they’d just witnessed the best gig oi the year or been addled by a passing tornado.
Thus went Blur’s only Scottish show to date. A glimpse at wired, volatile energy, towering, spaced-out attitude and orgasmic potential. This is what the public want, and what the “Daily Star’ saw lit to exploit a iew weeks ago in one oi their mandatory exposes. it’s not the iirst time Blur have been
- subjected to their stereotyping licence.
‘lt’s an outrageous world, the whole tabloid thing. We’ve done absolutely nothing to justify being tabloid todder
and yet we’ve been treated as though 3 we’re Duran Duran.’
Damon Albarn, the man who takes
\ sl
Blur , hyperactivity to uncharted regions, is
j as amused as he is annoyed by the
! whole peculiar scenario. ‘lt’s just a big horrendous game, and I’d much rather be a player in the game but keep my head screwed on than pretend to be not interested. It’s pointless to kid yourseli that it’s not part at one never-ending machine —you’ve got to embrace being in a pop band as an entire way oi Iiie. You can have so much iniluence on people and it the press choose to pick up on your way oi liie then that’s their concern.’
It’s obvious why Blur have attracted the premature attention oi the tabloids. Like their current single ‘There's No Other Way’, they’re uptront, iniectious and untettered, a tact which Damon unwittingly confirms when he struggles to plumb the depths oi the Blur psyche: ‘The way we tunctlon is totally instinctive. I’m not cerebral enough to think things over— I can’t. Too much to do in liie.’ (Fiona Shepherd)
Blur play King Tut’s Wah Wah Nut, Glasgow on Wed 1 and The Venue, Edinburgh on Thurs 2.
/-
Out of the cellar
DSCB: The new model The Dutch Swing College Band make their iirst visit to the UK since the death at their only remaining iounder
' member, clarinettist and saxophonist
Peter Schilperoort, in November oi last year. Schilperoort had achieved the unusual distinction at being knighted (by Queen Juliana oi the Netherlands) ior his services to jazz, while his group had become one at the great institutions at European jazz.
The DSCB have several claims to lame, not the least oi which is that they are the longest surviving jazz group in Europe, with an unbroken history which goes all the way back to the Second World War, when a group at like-minded musicians gathered to play clandestine Dixieland jazz in
In Nazi eyes, jazz was a dangerous symbol oi resistance, and the band's members all supported the Dutch resistance. The group itseli grew out oi a secret music school held in a sound-prooied cellar. Over the years, they developed a high reputation ior the quality at their interpretation at this quintessentially American music, while remaining open to iniluences as diverse as Latin and country, not to mention an album with a military band.
Even without Schilperoort, though, who had grown increasingly irail in recent years, the quality oi their music is likely to remain high. The DSCB have generally recruited very good musicians into a line-up which has survived many changes at both personnel and iashion. ll they arguably reached their musical peak in the 708, when they often worked with excellent American musicians, they remain remarkably consistent standard-bearers ior traditional jazz. (Kenny Mathieson)
The Dutch Swing College Band play the John Wright Sports Centre, East
Kilbride on Fri 19. j
occupied Holland. ,
‘sy’f Supported by Govan Initiative
MAY SHOW
Arnold Brown
Ceilidh -Ian McPhail
Arnold Brown
Rootsie Tootsie Blues Band
Altan
Zut ! La Chute
and The Henry Brothers
Sean Hughes
Fraser Spiers Road Rockets
Sean Hughes
Schniekelfritz
Jack Dee & Hattie Hayridge
Ceilidh - Bobby Croney
Jack Dee 8: Hattie Hayridge
The McCluskey Brothers
Wildcat
Ken McLeod Jazz Orchestra
Walter McCorrisken Babel
Alan Hull
Fundogs
Katherine Tickell Ceilidh - Ian Muir
Jeremy Hardy Boogalusa
Jeremy Hardy
The Cottonfield Boys
Jimmy Logan
Nigel Clarke Quartet
Jimmy Logan
The Humpff Family Pierre Bensusan
Blues n' Trouble
Makvirag
Blues n' Trouble
Jonathan Richman
Ceilidh - Sonas Mor
Alan Stivell
25 Big Vern & The Shooters
FULL PROGRAMME ON REQUEST
Bookings: V The Ticket Centre s 041 227 5511
Join the Ferryfest Club. Attend as many shows as you wish . RENFREW FERRY
Clyde Place Glasgow 041 429 2683
10 11 11 12 14 15 15 16 16 17 17
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24
(3'3
l
The List 19 April — 2 May 199133