Kenny Mathleson selects the best oi the Festival. Full details oi all events are in the tree programme. Telephone 5571542ior details.
FRIDAY 7
I Opening Bail Heritage Hall. New Orleans French Quarter. Caledonian Brewery, Slateford Road. 5568181. 8pm—12.30am. £10. The Festival‘s newest venue launches with the semi-authentic sounds of New Orleans. from France‘s Hot Antic Jazz Band and Glasgow‘s George Penman’s Jazzmen. I Orphy Robinson with Annavas and The Mondesir Brothers The Blue Note. Jazz Festival Club. Chambers Street. 650 2395. 8—11.30pm. £8. Blue Note recording artists kick off a high-profile weekend centred around the Pyrotechnics project. The
Mondesirs are. London‘s hottest (occasnonally
over-heated) rhythm ticket, while vibes man Orphy is into a cooler. more collective groove. See Preview.
The late night Jam Session (midnight-2am, £3) features the Steve Hamilton Trio, and runs nightly until Sat 15. with saxophonist John Burgess. and trios led by Brian Keiloclt and Chick Lyall. A more mainstream nightly Jam Session also takes place elsewhere in the Club (midnight—2am, £3 half-day).
I Brilliant Comer Playhouse Theatre, 18—22 Greenside Place, 557 2692. 8pm—4am. Admission varies from £3 to £6. Runs until Sat 15. See Music Preview and Listings.
SATURDAY 8
I Stephens Grappelli
Sitenane Grappelli
Usher Hall. LOthian Road. 2281155.8—llpm. £7—£ 1 5. The venerable
Blues cats take over both venues in the French Quarter. although the programme is a little uninspired. Hard working Edinburgh favourites Blues 'N' Trouble top the bill.
SUNDAY 9
I Jazz On A Summer's Day Princes Street Gardens. Princes Street. 11am-6pm. Free. A repeat of last year's two-stage extravaganza. opening with a Gospel Service (it is Sunday. after all) featuring the cast of Salty Dog. and going on to a choice of traditional and modern styles from many ofthe Festival's artists. including Acker Bilk (who will then nip over to The Roxburghe for his evening set there).
I Golden Age of Classic Jazz Queen‘s Hall. Clerk Street. 668 2019.
10.30pm. £5.50—£8. A celebration of the music of
cornet starJoe ‘King‘
French violinist is always a 5 Boston-based New Blaclt
EagieJazzBandandthe
HotAnticJazzBand.
| Sylvan Richardson Jnr Band The Blue Note.Jazz
FestivalClub.Chambers Street.6502395.
‘ 8—11.30pm.£8. The
popular visitor. His easy swing and elegant melodies have lost much oftheir bite over the years. but remain pleasant enough listening.
I Salty Dog Queen‘s Hall. Clerk Street. 668 2019. 7.30pm. £6.50—£10.
; World premiere of a new ; revue set in New ()rleans
in 1925. starring an all-Black American cast of singers. musicians and dancers. Runs until Wed 12.
I A Celebration oi Scottish Youth Jazz Jazz Festival Club. Chambers Street. 6502395. 3—5pm. £2.
t Full-day membership £5;
half-day £3. A chance to check out the stars of the future. Also runs from Mon 10—Sat 15.
I The Hot French Connection The Roxburghe Hotel. Charlotte Square. 556 8181 . 7.30—1 lpm. £7. The French theme continues with more visitors from across the Channel. The HotAntic Jazz Band and the Qumoustier Siompers bring their own slant on traditional jazz.
I Qjango Bates with Human Chain The Blue Note. Jazz Festival Club. Chambers Street. 650 2395. 8—1 1.30pm. £8. The multi-talented pianist. horn player and composer‘s band share a bill with Annavas (see Fri 7). An enticing prospect for those with a taste for eclectic contemporary jazz.
I Blues Festival New Orleans French Quarter. Caledonian Brewery. Slateford Road. 556 8181. 1pm till late. £15: evening £10; weekend £25. Continuous action as the
Oliver (probably the last man to boast Louis Armstrong as second cornet in his band) and trumpeterJabbo Smith. featuring the
ex-Simply Red bassman
has impressed with Andy
Sheppard‘s ln Co-Motion (see Fri 14). but leads his own band in the last Blue Note/Technics bill. shared with Diango Bates (see Sat 8). I Blues Festival New Orleans French Quarter. Caledonian Brewery. Slateford Road. 556 8181. 1pm till late. £15: evening £10. The second night of the Blues Festival raises
the temperature a little
with the only real major name in the line-up. the James Cotton Big Band (11pm). Once again.
continuous action in
Heritage Hall and the DML Jazz Big Top.
MDNDAY10
' I Humph’s lntemaiional
All-SiarsJazz Festival Club. Chambers Street. 650 2395. 8-1 1.30pm. £5 (day): £3 (evening). Trumpeter Humphrey Lyttelton leads an attractive collection of
jazzmen from all over the
place. featuring Austrian saxophonist Christian Planner. They share the bill with the New Black Eagle Jazz Band and the Charleston Chasers.
I The Blue Note Jazz Festival Club. Chambers Street. 6502395. 8—11.30pm.£7. A modern counter-balance to a day dominated by traditional jazz. featuring the Kevin MacKenzie Quartet from Scotland. Expressions
from England. and the Nicolai Bentzon Trio from Denmark. The Blue Note runs until Sat 15. featuring Scottish (or partly so) bands like the Chick Lyall Quartet. Eddie Severn Quartet. Miite Travls's EH15. Lindsay Cooper Band. New Yorlt Jazz (with ex-Blakey trumpeter Valery Ponomarev) and Ah-Um.
TUESDAY 11
I British Jan Legends Usher Hall. Lothian Road. 228 1155.8pm. £7—£ 15. Trad and mainstream stars George Melly. Acker Bilit and his ParamountJazz Band. and the excellent Humphrey Lyttelton Band with Helen Shapiro. which is not to be confused with his All-Stars (see Mon 10).
I From Kansas City To New York Queen's Hall. Clerk Street. 668 2019. 10.30pm.£6.50-£10. A look at the development of jazz styles with two highly distinguished - and contrasting - pianists. the scholarly Dick Hyman and the irrepressible Jay McShann. See Preview.
I Two Tenors DML Jazz Big Top. New Orleans French Quarter. Caledonian Brewery. Slateford Road. 5568181. 830—] 1pm. £8. Excellent mainstream jazz in prospect. with trumpeter Warren Vache teaming up with saxman John Barnes. and the eponymous two tenors of Scott Hamilton and Christian Planner. The Roger Nobes Quartet support both pairings.
i WEDNESDAY 12
I Pat Metheny—Dave
Hall. Lothian Road. 228 1155. 8pm. £l0—£25. The i guitarist and his stellar
the biggest contemporary
jazz names ever featured
in this Festival. and ifthe
i ticket prices reflect that
fact. it could well be a
; genuinely memorable
i occasion. See Preview.
' I Howard Alden/Dan
Barrett Quintet The
' Roxburghe Hotel.
‘ Charlotte Square. 556
? 8181.7.30—11pm.£8. For
; my money. this is one of the best mainstream bands around. Co-led by guitarist Alden and
f trombonist Barrett. they are consistently
resourceful musicians. and make a welcome return to the Festival. They share this slot with
Warren Vache And The
1 Roger Nobes Quartet and
j the Leyden Jazz Orchestra.
a swing outfit from
Holland.
,THURSDAY13
' I Gala Concert Usher Hall. Lothian Road. 228 1155. 8pm. £8—£16. The EIJF Gala Concert was
A the only night this venue
I was available for jazz. one ofthe reasons the Festival stepped out ofthe shadow ofthe international
' Festival this year. Dick Hyman will give the
European premieres of his
Piano Concerto and Friendly Conversation for J as: Band and Symphony Orchestra. with the Scottish Chamber
Orchestra. Warren Vache. Scott Hamilton. Jay McShann and the Alden/Barrett Quintet.
’ See Preview.
FRIDAY14
I Andy Sheppard's ln Co-Motion Queen‘s Hall. Clerk Street. 668 2019. 8pm. £6.50—£10. The saxophonist has been working this exciting electric quintet hard since their last visit to Edinburgh. back in the band‘s infancy. and it
Holland-Roy Haynes Usher
1 collaborators are arguably
should show in their
music.
I Farewell Bail New Orleans French Quarter. Caledonian Brewery. Slateford Road. 556 8181 . 8pm—1.30am. £10. The traditional. premature farewell fling features five traditional and Dixieland jazz outfits in the Heritage Hall. with a more mainstream overflow in the DML Big Top.
SATURDAY 15
I Summit Reunion Queen‘s Hall. Clerk Street. 669 2019. 8pm. £7.50—£l 1. Veteran mainstream reed players Bob Wilbur and Kenny Davem are re-united in a partial re-run of their imaginative Soprano Summit outfit. augmented by Canadian pianist Oliver Jones.
I McJazz—The Music at Sandy Brown and Al Fairweather'l‘he Roxburghe Hotel. Charlotte Square. 556 8181. 730—] lpm. £7. A musical tribute to two celebrated Scottish jazzmen. the late Sandy Brown and trumpeter. Al Fairweather. who is still around to blow with the band.
I Hangover Session Heritage Hall. New Orleans French Quarter. Caledonian Brewery. Slateford Road. 556 8181. 8pm—12.30am. £10. Actually this would probably do a hangover no good at all. but might well set another going. Musical highlight is likely to be trumpeter Janusz Carmello And The Roger Nobes Quartet.
P
16 The List 31 July— 13 August 1992