JAZZ JAZZ FROM SWEDEN
Various venues, Scotland-wide, Thu 8 Feb-Mon 19 Mar
The Swedes are finally coming, and if this five-week extravaganza of Swedish jazz is a little later than
originally envisaged, it promises to be a memorable one. Assembly Direct and the Stockholm-based Rikskonserter
first started to plot an intensive focus on the music of a country with a long history of jazz involvement back in 2005.
A two-day taster at the Edinburgh Jazz Festival that
year was intended to herald this festival in 2006, but the
dates slipped a little. The events now planned will take place in twelve towns and cities across Scotland, from lnverness and Aberdeen in the north to Biggar and Langholm in the south.
The central belt is well served with events, and the double bill featuring E.S.T. and singer Viktoria Tolstoy in
Glasgow (Sat 10 Feb) will provide an early highlight in a programme that ranges from the high quality traditional jazz of the Swedish Jazz Kings and mainstream trumpet ace Jan Allen (who will team up with Brian Kellock) to the cutting edge contemporary music of the aforesaid E.S.T. and the likes of Jacob Karlzon and Fredrik Ljungkvist.
Interaction between the visitors and Scottish musicians is also on the agenda for a number of gigs, and the whole programme will reflect Assembly Direct’s Roger Spence’s contention that Swedish jazz is both very diverse and very high quality.
‘We don’t think there has been a festival with this kind of intensive focus on the music of one country in Scotland before, certainly not on this scale. It is an opportunity to add another dimension to the jazz festival programme, and we believe we can create more interest around a programme like this than just bringing in artists for one-off gigs.’ (Kenny Mathieson)
EPIC ROCK AEREOGRAMME The Classic Grand, Glasgow, Mon 12 Feb
If you‘ve ever sniffed around the Scottish post-rock underground. you might be familiar with the work of Aereogramme. but. trust me, you won’t be familiar with this Aereogramme. Because. after two years out of the limelight. the band are back. except this time in an altogether more magnificent form.
The band's recent third long-player. My Heart Has a Wish That You Would Not Go. sees them transmogrified from promising loud- quiet dynamicists into fully—fledged epic rock outfit with a scope and vision to their newly confident sound which is nothing short of staggering. And it's all thanks to i!|ness. apparently. Two years ago. after coming off a mammoth tour and severai years of debauchery and on-stage primal screaming. singer Craig B suffered a chronic throat infection which left him virtually mute for three months. With the singer forced to reconsider every aspect of his songwriting and performance. a whole new kind of sound came out.
At the same time. Craig and his bandmates were becoming more and more influenced by cinema. As an experiment. they decided that every new track was to be specifically influenced by a film. and that the whole album should act like the soundtrack to the biggest. most widescreen and panoramic movie never made.
The end result is a band of incredible musical ambition. expansive songs and music with an emotional power that is awesome to behold. Change isn't always for the best in life. but it's sure as hell proven to be for Aereogramme. (Doug Johnstone)
ROCK THE NOISETTES King Tut’s, Glasgow, Thu 8 Feb
Mishaps in rock music are hardly a rarity. However. if we are to believe the far-fetched tales of The Noisettes' Shingai Shoniwa. good can often come of them. ‘One Stormy night in 2003. Dan (Smith, guitar) went up the ale soaked steps of the Old Tiger's Head pub to make a roll-up and was struck by lightning.‘ she explains. ‘I found him grinning. his body warm and the suave look that one often has upon receipt of a revelation on his face. After a short pause Dan said. ‘I think we need a drummer'. Towards the end of that year we met Jamie (Morrison) on the moon. through a friend of a friend and the Noisettes were born.’
Well what did you expect from a girl whose life ambition was to join the circus? One thing you can put faith in when it comes to this lot. however, is the quality of the music. Raised on a diet of Alice Coltrane. Patti Smith, Howlin' Wolf and Mbira (thumb piano from Zimbabwe). Shoniwa and her refreshingly unique outfit have made one of the most diverse records of the year in the form of infectious debut Whats The Time Mr Wo/f, mixing scratchy guitar-fuelled punk with soulful smoky vocals. bluesy attacks and the occasional pretty acoustic ditty.
Live shows are as unpredictable as their eclectic scund with reports of equipment leaping. tribal make-up and even the odd roasted hog on a spit. ‘Sometimes we’ll dress up. clown around and allow ourselves to fall prey to the night.‘ adds Shinowa. ‘The older generation got Queen. Madonna and Prince so if current critics believe that the passionate consumers of music today should be spoon-fed an indie band/singer- songwriter ghetto comprising of artists so safe and self-conscious that half of them appear to be falling asleep on stage. then its a tad selfish. I have always wanted to entertain from more of a theatrical place.‘ she says. ‘Be a master of illusions'. (Camilla Pia)
I The Noisettes a/so play an acoustic iii-store at Fopp, Union Street. G/asgow, Thu 8 Feb. 5.30pm.
1 1:") Feb 2007 THE LIST 67