much.’ Hersh deftly and diplomatically props up this tenuous theory. ‘The trio approach and the power of the trio is really attractive to us. Maybe in the trio you’re scared you‘re gonna sound wimpy and you make up for it by being louder than everybody else!’
As the seminal biscuit advert so mightily and rightly put it: ‘Triiiiiiiio!’ Throwing Muses — a fearsome threesome coming your way.
Throwing Muses play the Queen ’3 Hall, Edinburgh on Fri 18 and the Mayfair, Glasgow on Sat 19.
Gellarjazz
The Edinburgh Jan Project grew out oi the lack oi opportunities ior local musicians and visiting soloists to play in smaller but properly organised venues in the city. At present, there is little in between unrewardlng pub gigs and The Oueen's Hall, with the occasional exception oi a gig at The Merlin, and they often iail to receive the kind oi audience awareness possible with a regular venue.
The Edinburgh Jazz project will make use oi the Cellar Bar at the Tron Ceilidh House, owned by sympathetic landlord Cy Laurie, who also runs the Riverside Club in Glasgow. Bill Kyle, one of the organisers, acknowledges that the room is not the ideal shape, but there are plans to improve the sound beiore the launch. The Jazz at the Tron season will open with visits irom Polish trumpeter Janusz Carmello (Wed 16) and guitaristJim Mullen (Sun 20), and will run on those two nights thereafter, with the emphasis on mainstream iazz midweek, and more modern on the weekend.
Other visiting soloists in the opening season (which runs until late October) are Spike Robinson and Stan Sulzmann, but a principal object oi the new club will be to provide a platiorm ior Scottish musicians. To that end, they will both leature existing bands like the Chick Lyall and Kevin Mackenzie Quartets, and also utilise the ‘pool' system, whereby a leader
y!
I‘ll; V”. - .‘ ,5, .tr Jim Mullen
will put together a band ior the occasion. Properly run, this could be a
signiilcant addition to the Edinburgh jazz scene, and comes at a time when Assembly Direct are also about to launch an ambitious new national touring circuit ior Scottish musicians, starting in October. Bass player Lindsay Cooper, meanwhile, hopes to run an improvised music night at The Tron on Mondays, which would cover a particularly neglected area. Watch this space. (Kenny Mathieson)
Ivory hunting
The OT tmphy, designed by Ann Mari
Whether you like them or loathe them, it seems that competitions in music are here to stay. Attractive to sponsors and media, they are also increasingly important ior those who win, both as a way oi earning money and as a means at exposure to a wider public. This month in Glasgow sees the third Scottish lntemational Piano Competition, which with help irom BT has upped its prize to £20,000, a specially-commissioned trophy by Scottish artist Ann Marie Shilllto and promise engagements with top professional orchestras. For the iirst time, the competition is open to all nationalities. Over 1000 entry iorrns were sent out to 50 countries and applications have been whittled down to 50 outstanding pianists, all under the age at 32, representing 22 nations, including iourteen - all male —irom Britain. The high calibre and the lntemational nature oi applicants is evidence that the event is now recognised world wide as one of the most prestigious in the competition
. ~ AL‘} ‘ v J .1 t a p 5? M T‘ "'9 . . Ml: : mi A... . ‘ Ir ;.
esnillito, based on an 18th century square piano
calendar.
Faced with the mixed delights and difficulties of choosing the eventual winner is, to use that ubiquitous competition label, a distinguished jury. Headed by Dr Philip Ledger, Principal oi the RSAMO, the other members come irom Russia, Spain, Hungary, Austria, Australia and the USA. in the sort oi development which is to be welcomed muslc competitions, two oi the panel, Vera Gomostaeva irom Moscow and Hans Grai irom Vienna, will give three days oi masterclasses alter the competition to invited young pianists with support irom The Foundation for Sport and the Arts. The preliminary rounds are on 14—19 September with the grand iinale on Sunday 20 with the BBC 880 at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. (Cami Main).
The Scottish lntemational Piano Competition is at the RSAMO irom Mon 14—Sat 19 and Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on Sun 20.
PREVIEW IIISIB
V LISTEN!
studio. Mon 14: Misdimeener, Journey’s End. The Adored and Jett Rink;Tue 15: Baby Bones, Colony, Sioux Nation and Whistle Over Washington; Wed 16: Tonca, Nephritis and Freakshow; Thurs 17: The Void, Bite The Dust, Sonic Def and The Homecoming; Fri 18: the final, featuring the winners from each heat.
I Glasgow band The Hemingways are the pseudish types (or perhaps they're only being pseudo-pseudish) behind the Kazoo Club, opening at The Bogle Stone (ex-Traders) on 17 September. We quote: ‘The purpose of the Kazoo Club will be to provide a place for the musicians and artists of Glasgow to hang out and feel self-important, provide a place to play without having to go through the ritual of putting in a demo 2 tape and hassling the
I management for the next
a two months (just come along to the club any Thursday and you can get up and play) , and also to provide an outlet for that artistic bent that everyone seems to have .' This outlet turns out to be a
multi-media event called the Art Jam. ‘While the
rhythms of the music are exciting the aural senses, Glasgow artist Gordon Muir will be creating a work of art inspired by the racket. Been done before, I hear you say, but the difference is at the Kazoo Club anyone can join in, create your own masterpiece.’ What the heck, it’s free, it’s on every Thursday and The Hemingways promise to provide the backing for these spontaneous performances. It could (possibly) be the night out we‘ve all been waiting for.
I Space cadets who just can‘t get close enough to their heroes should keep the afternoon of 17 Sept free. Yes, just a few hours before they take the stage at King Tut's, Spiritualized will be signing albums (and more than likely a few T-shirts, shoulders, buttocks and whatever else is thrust into their nimble fingers) at Music Mania on Byres Road. The appointed time is 3—4pm , kids.
The List 11— 24 September 1992 25