MUSIC 0 FESTIVAL
L
VIDA
On her small Scottish clarsach and the full size pedal version. Minneapolis-based Sunita is a top-flight harp player whose solo. faintly New Agey. albums have accommodated ancient Celtic with Jewish music from the Mediterranean Rim. Formerly the principal harpist with the" Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra and now with Minnesota ()pera. she‘s in Edinburgh with an unusual trio.
‘ln Vida we’re doing less overtly folk music and leaning more towards jazz. although the rhythms and melodic ideas are heavily influenced by the Klezmer and Sephardic music that I'm still involved with in Israel. and there are overtones of Africa and Spain.‘
Acoustic I’ussimz. Vida's first album. has arrangements of Ravel. Villa-Lobos and even Dave Brubeck's ‘Blue Rondo a la Turk' performed dynamically by superb cellist Laura Sewell. and Berklee Jazz College-trained percussionist/vibes player Steve Yeager. Together
they create a new chamber music: an original. engaging. highly musical and accomplished sound. (Norman Chalmers)
I Vida (Fringe) St John's Church. West End. Princes Street (Venue
127) 229 7565. 17/18 Aug. 7pm. £4.50 (£3.50).
ALBADROSS
Bang! is the title of the The Tron's opening night of Festival folkery in the established Edinburgh idiom of classical/jazz/ rock/folk fusion. The bar is set to resound to nightly collisions of styles and forms as more or less all the imaginative crossover musicians and singers — including players from all the top bands who now live or hang out in the
Vida: ‘a new chamber music'
capital. realign themselves in ever-changing permutations.
There are fifty or so appearing and even if the organisers are shy of committing specific names to dates. the quality is universally high;
_ witness the first night 5 line-up which includes
among others. jazz piano maestro Brian Kellock. Jim Sutherland (ex-Easy Club and Somotherland) on hand-drums and percussion. and Simon Bradley and Eilidh Shaw on twin attacking fiddles. Each evening will have a core band but expect a wild latejam session as musicians drop in after gigs. (Norman Chalmers) I Albadross (Fringe) The Ceilidh House and Tron Jazz Cellar (Venue 9) 220 1550. 16 Aug—2 Sept. Midnight—3am. £3.
Wolfgang Tillmans
Opening Times Tues-Sat: I l.00am- 6.00pm During August only
Sunday opening: l2.00am-S.00pm
Admission:
Venue 73 EDINBURGH
Edinburgh
z I .oo (50p)
COLLEGE OF ART FESTIVAL EXHIBITIONS
OPEN DAILY 108m - 5pm LAURISTON PLACE. EDINBURGH TEL: 0131 221 6032
The College am to promote student («dowry in Us: Arts 011th: Enwmmm
«me i Stills Gallery Edinburgh EHl IBP
won: 275 9876 Fax01312254901
M A R I N A ABRAMOVIC
OBJECTS -
PERFORMANCE -
VIDEO c SOUND
“Pushing the mental and physical limits. With the body as the centre,
has always been the basis for my \vOrk
If 1 cause myself pain in
order to liberate myself then the pain is okay."
THE FRUITMARKET GALLERY
Open daily. 10.30—8pm.
29 Market Street. Edinburgh
Admission 82(21)
: Absolute
Blues: Jazz
' Chicago Style
I They thought about not coming this
year, but the lure of another successful Fringe run has proved too
much for Robert Mazurek to resist,
and Absolute Blues: Jazz Chicago Style 3
will be back after all. The band made their Glasgow Jazz Festival debut in July after two highly successful years at the Fringe, and have won a lot of friends in Scotland in that time.
The trumpeter led a quartet on their
first visit to Edinburgh, but added a ‘ second horn last year in the shape of
saxophonist Eric Alexander, who will
join the band again this time around, although a late commitment j elsewhere will see him miss the early
part of the run. Mazurek and Alexander proved to be
fine front-line partners in the classic
hard bop manner, and the second horn
added an extra dimension to the
band’s characteristic hard-driving sound. Good jazz is in short supply on the Fringe, and these guys
j undoubtedly help plug that gap.
Alexander is not a Chicago native -
he was brought up in Olympia,
[HEREI- SCOTTISH
Eric Alexander: extra dimension
Washington, and studied jazz In New
' Jersey with the likes of Harold Mabern
and Joe Lovano. He made the move to Chicago after graduating in 1990, and was quickly recruited by organist Charles Earland for his band.
A second place in the Thelonious Monk Competition in 1991 brought him to wider notice, and he moved onto the ultra-competitive New York scene in 1992 on the back of it. He has recorded, both as leader and sideman, for the Delmark, Criss Cross and Muse labels, and is a fifth good reason for
. catching this hand during their latest
residence. (Kenny Mathieson)
Absolute Blues: Jazz Chicago Style
(Fringe) Tron Jazz Cellar ( Venue 9) 667
‘ 9390, 12-26 Aug (not Tue), 8pm,
18-20, 25—26 Aug, 2pm, £5.
PREMIERE
McM aster he was very amenable to our suggestions. The three young composers are all ones who we felt could
be a little uneven. she has signalled that she has the ability to stretch otit
influences — Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday come
SERIES
A collaboration between the Festival and Radio
‘1 Scotland. the Scottish
Premiere Series features
; three top-notch ensembles ' — The Chamber Group of 1 Scotland. The Hebrides
Ensemble and the headline-stealing Yggdrasil Quartet of
. Aberdeen — with a new
work in each programme
1 by composers at the
l forefront of Scottish
contemporary music. ‘We wanted to commission
some pieces from young Scottish composers.‘ explains Hugh MacDonald. Head of Music at BBC Scotland. ‘and decided that the best thing would be to build programmes of Scottish music around them.‘
John Lunn. James Clapperton and Magnus Robb are the chosen three and alongside their new work sit pieces by
g Kenneth Leighton. Judith Weir. Sally Beamish.
William Sweeney. John McLeod and Robert Crawford. ‘We felt that
1 there should be a high
profile.‘ says MacDonald.
‘and when we discussed the idea with Brian
come up with something really exciting. They are hugely impressive and have real talent.‘ For the first concert. the Chamber Group of Scotland
‘ premiere John Lunn‘s A
limit For The Dinninum. a set of variations on a twelve-bar blues. (Carol Main)
I The Scottish Premiere Series (Festival). Broadcasting House. 225
i beyond her ohvrotis
most immediately to
mind. in part because she has played both on stage. and picked tip vocal
mannerisms from them in the process — and arrive at her own distinctive voice.
She has been working
. with a live or seven-piece
5756. 13 (Chamber Group . of Scotland). 20 (Hebrides
Ensemble). 27 Atig (Yggdrasil Quartet)
2.30pm. free. btit by ticket 3
only.
DDIN’ IT RIGHT
A much publicised fly-on- the-wall television documentary showing singer Suzanne Bonnar‘s emotional reunion with her father made her something of a celebrity last year. but also served as a serious distraction from building her career as a singer.
With that behind her. she has been able to concentrate on her work. and if the results can still
l
band recently. btlt returns to piano accompaniment for Duin' It Right. a late night outing which will give her the chance to further refine her stagecral't as well as her singing. (Kenny Mathieson)
I Doin’ It Right (Fringe) Suzanne Bonnar. Gilded Balloon [1. Stepping Stones Theatre (Venue 51) 225 6520. 11—13. 31 Aug. 10pm; l5. 2‘) Aug.
1 1.30pm. £6.50 (£5.50).
ROBERT BURNS
Suzanne Bonnar: dolng right
72 The List 11-17 Aug 1995