Music Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival Hitlist EDINBURGH JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL*
■ Let’s Get Lost Filmhouse, 88 Lothian Road, 473 2000. 5.45pm. £6.50. Bruce Weber’s loving 1988 Chet Baker documentary delves into the legend of the beat-era jazz trumpeter/crooner. FREE Tricia Boutte Gospel Concert St Cuthbert’s Church, 5 Lothian Road, 473 2000. 6pm. A special fundraising gospel concert in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust, featuring the big freebooting voice of New Orleans singer Tricia Boutte fronting a specially assembled big band featuring pianist Morten Gunnar Larsen. ✽✽ Enrico Pieranunzi – Scarlatti The Hub, Castlehill Royal Mile, 473 2000. 6.30pm. £10. The brilliant pianist has created an ambitiously conceived and extraordinarily realised programme, in which he plays Scarlatti’s Piano Sonatas, as the composer intended, and then one by one creates improvised masterpieces based on each Sonata. ■ Ryan Kisor Quartet The Voodoo Rooms, 19a West Register Street, 473 2000. 8pm. £10. Powerful and charming trumpeter with a string of highly acclaimed albums in the classic NYC post bop vein. ■ A Funny Valentine Bosco, George Square, 473 2000. 8pm. £10. See Fri 31. ✽✽ Courtney Pine The Queen’s Hall, 87–89 Clerk Street, 668 2019. 8pm. £19.50. ‘Tradition In Transition’ is Pine’s personal homage to the New Orleans clarinet/soprano sax maestro, Sidney Bechet. An exceptional band includes Cuban jazz violinist, Omar Puente and the salsa/Latin pianist, Alex Wilson. ■ Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers The Jam House, 5 Queen Street, 473 2000. 8pm. £15. The master saxophonist and torch-holder for Jazz in Britain brings his latest project to the Festival. ■ Edith Budge Minto Hotel, 16-18 Minto Street, 473 2000. 8pm. £9.50. Budge celebrates the great ladies of jazz with standards, belters, blues and ballads. ■ The Thing The Lot, 4–6 Grassmarket, 473 2000. 8.30pm. £12.50. Nordic trio of legendary status, best known for taking punk and vintage garage-rock into jazz and free music. ■ Dick Hyman Piano Legends The Hub, Castlehill Royal Mile, 473 2000. 8.30pm. £20. A living legend of jazz piano, Dick Hyman playing early jazz piano – ragtime, stride, stomps and swing, plus duets on two grand pianos with Chris Hopkins and Bernd Lhotsky, showcasing music from the 20s and 30s.
Monday 3 Edinburgh ■ Morten Gunnar Larsen: Stride and Ragtime Piano Filmhouse, 88 Lothian Road, 473 2000. 11.30am. £6. The virtuoso Norwegian pianist who has dazzled audiences at previous Festivals and is internationally acclaimed as a master of ragtime and stride piano, will present an illustrated talk on stride and ragtime piano. ■ Seaside Skiffle Royal Overseas League, 100 Princes Street, 473 2000. 12.30pm. £8. Deep south blues and country meets English 50s working class passion featuring Eric Wales and Jerry O’Regan (vocals/guitar), with Hamish McGregor (bass) and Ken Ford (drums/washboard). ■ Joe Temperley Quartet with Carl Majeau The Hub, Castlehill Royal Mile, 473 2000. 6pm. £12.50. The saxophonist left the Fife coalfields to play with Humphrey Lyttelton in London and then to New York, and today is a founding member of Wynton Marsalis’ Lincoln Center Orchestra. ■ Jacques Loussier Trio Queens Hall, 85–89 Clerk St, 473 2000. 8pm. £22.50. Masterful French jazz pianist who has been electrifing audiences for 50 years with his unique and inspired reinvention of the works of JS Bach, Vivaldi, Ravel and more. ■ Batchelors of Jazz Minto Hotel, 16-18 Minto Street, 473 2000. 8pm.
✽✽ Roy Hargrove Quintet Trumpter Roy Hargrove has been arguably the most successful of the so-called Young Lions of the 80s, and has forged an impressive record in both straight-ahead and more contemporary jazz settings. Queen’s Hall, Fri 31 Jul. ✽✽ Enrico Pieranunzi A festival debut for this highly- regarded Italian pianist. He will lead his trio in the first of his two concerts. The second is a solo recital devoted to his Scarlatti project, in which he will perform the Baroque master’s sonatas as written, then improvise on each. The Hub, Sat 1 Aug; The Hub, Sun 2 Aug. ✽✽ Courtney Pine The saxophonist’s Tradition in Transition project is nominally a tribute to Sidney Bechet, but don’t expect anything too traditional-sounding as Pine leads his band in a typically eclectic, high-energy contemporary exploration of that legacy. Queen’s Hall, Sun 2 Aug. ✽✽ Phil Bancroft The festival’s Homecoming commission sees saxophonist Phil Bancroft explore a multi-faceted examination of the idea of home with an excellent seven-piece band, drawing in part on ideas gathered via a special website at www.smallastheworld.com Bosco, Mon 3 Aug. ✽✽ Dick Hyman European All Stars The American pianist is probably best known for his encyclopaedic History of Jazz concerts, but plys here in a classic jazz setting with (despite the billing) an Anglo-American line-up. The Hub, Tue 4 Aug. ✽✽ Edinburgh Jazz Festival Orchestra Scottish baritone saxophonist Joe Temperley worked with Duke Ellington in the 70s, and leads a scratch big band packed with major American and British soloists in this tribute to the master. Queen’s Hall, Wed 5 Aug. ✽✽ Moishe’s Bagel The Edinburgh-based five-piece share a love of jazz, Klezmer and the music of the Balkans, and they mix those influences in their own high-energy, dance-inspiring style. Queen’s Hall, Thu 6 Aug. 76 THE LIST 23 Jul–6 Aug 2009
£9.50. Dave Batchelor’s band features many of the stars of Scottish traditional jazz, with Alistair MacDonald (banjo, vocals) and Lennie Herd (trumpet). ✽✽ Phil Bancroft’s Home, Small As The World Bosco, George Square, 473 2000. 8pm. £12. Saxophonist Phil Bancroft examines ideas of Home in this special commission for the Scottish Jazz Expo and Year of Homecoming, with Paul Harrison (keyboards), Mario Caribe (bass), Graeme Stephen (guitar). ■ Echoes of Swing The Hub, Castlehill Royal Mile, 473 2000. 8.30pm. £15. They play traditional jazz and swing of the 30s with Chris Hopkins (reeds), Colin Dawson (trumpet), Bernd Lhotsky (piano) and Oliver Mewes (drums). ■ Stanton Moore Trio The Voodoo Rooms, 19a West Register Street, 473 2000. 9pm. £12. New Orleans funk with a serious jazz edge. ■ Rosendale, Ankarfeldt, Templeton The Lot, 4–6 Grassmarket, 473 2000. 9pm. £10. Pianist Peter Rosendal is a major star of the Danish jazz scene with Morten Ankarfeldt (bass) and Janus Templeton (drums).
Tuesday 4 Edinburgh ■ Spirits of Rhythm and Thomas L’Etienne Royal Overseas League, 100 Princes Street, 473 2000. 12.30pm. £9.50. Driving, exciting New Orleans jazz as Violet Milne takes the Lil’ Armstrong chair in a hot, classic set, driven by the authentic drum kit of Kenny Milne. ■ Ken Mathieson Classic Jazz Orchestra The Hub, Castlehill Royal Mile, 473 2000. 6pm. £12. Playing the music of Benny Carter, Ken Mathieson’s octet features the cream of Scottish classic jazz talent. ■ Todd Gordon with Clare Teal The Jam House, 5 Queen Street, 473 2000. 8pm. £15. A special concert of jazz vocal classics and hits from the show tune repertoire. ■ Blue Hyenas and Missing Cat Minto Hotel, 16-18 Minto Street, 473 2000. 8pm. £8.50. Blues night. ■ Les Doigts De L’Homme Bosco, George Square, 473 2000. 8pm. £10. From Lyon, this band are rocking the gypsy jazz tradition into a new direction, without chucking away the core values of swing and fiery guitar solos.
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Stars The Hub, Castlehill Royal ■ The Hot Club of Cowtown The Voodoo Rooms, 19a West Register Street, 473 2000. 8pm. £10. Hot jazz/western swing trio. ✽✽ Dick Hyman European All Mile, 473 2000. 8.30pm. £20. Renowned as a pianist, he’s also one of the greatest leaders and arrangers of early jazz alive. Here he is leading an exceptional band in playing classic jazz from the 20s and 30s. ■ Carl Majeau Qt The Lot, 4–6 Grassmarket, 473 2000. 9pm. £8.50. Winner of the Jazz At Lincoln Center/Wynton Marsalis’s American Youth Jazz competition, Essentially Ellington, sensational 17 year old Carl Majeau, from Seattle, plays a programme of great tenor sax tunes.
Wednesday 5
Orchestra Queens Hall, 85–89 Edinburgh ■ Swing 2009 Royal Overseas League, 100 Princes Street, 473 2000. 12.30pm. £8. Inspired by the 40s Parisian Hot Club music of Django Reinhardt, as well as the chamber-jazz swing groups from New York. ✽✽ Edinburgh Jazz Festival Clerk St, 473 2000. 8pm. £16. A hand- picked programme of Duke Ellington favourites in the the inaugural concert for the Edinburgh Jazz Festival Orchestra, a specially assembled big band packed with star soloists and led by saxophonist Joe Temperley, who will draw on his first-hand experience with the great man in the 70s. ■ Haftor Medboe Group Bosco, George Square, 473 2000. 8pm. £10. Reinventing European jazz with their unique compound of energetic grooves, intimate soundscapes and arresting melodies. ■ Bill Salmond’s Louisiana Ragtime Band The Jam House, 5 Queen Street, 473 2000. 8pm. £10. Swinging sounds delivered with real conviction, spirit and passion from this hugely popular Edinburgh group. ■ Dick Hyman Harpsichord Swing Signet Library, Parliament Square, 473 2000. 8pm. £20. A unique one-off concert in the spectacular setting of the Signet Library from this great American jazz pianist. ■ Martin Taylor/Sylvian Luc The Hub, Castlehill Royal Mile, 473 2000. 8.30pm. £17.50. Scottish guitarist Taylor teams up with the equally virtuosic French guitarist Luc.
Alyn Cosker Trio Flexing some proper musical muscle in this genuinely innovative power trio format, Cosker
infuses his musical hybrid with the many flavours he absorbs from his other adventures, be it rock, jazz, folk or beyond. Here, it’s a case of balancing the melodic with rocking dynamics with David Dunsmuir on guitar and Ross Hamilton on bass. ■ The Lot, Edinburgh, Fri 31 Jul.