Taking place in lush Victorian ‘pleasure gardens’ a half-hour drive from Salisbury, Larmer Tree Festival is a far cry from the urban localities associated with many of the jazz acts on the line-up.
Across two fast-moving sets, Cawley, Lockrane, singer Fini Bearman, bass-guitarist Conor Chaplin (creditably depping for Robin Mullarkey) and drummer Chris Higginbottom breezed through the music from the band’s eponymously-titled May release
Steve Gadd reeled out an impeccable set in front of an appreciative audience for the first main concert at the Pinède Gould in Juan-les-Pins of the 59th Jazz-à-Juan Festival
On stage the band made adroit use of effects, with octave pedals and heaps of reverb on the saxophones creating layers upon jarring layers
The Venus Unwrapped season at Kings Place has been shining ‘a new light on music by women’ since the beginning of the year, and this concert draws a significant figure out of the darkness.
Rumours of a rift in the UK jazz scene between the much-touted new scene of irreverent South London groovers and the faithful acolytes of the tradition don’t seem to have much credence here in the Verdict tonight as a mixed crowd of young aficionados and well-travelled elder hipsters fill every seat in the Brighton club.
Paul Zauner is a softly spoken man with piercing blue eyes and a welcoming aura that immediately puts you at your ease.
Waiting for the gig to start in Manchester’s International Anthony Burgess Centre, surrounded by images of the Clockwork Orange creator’s book jackets, the audience may have wondered about the connection between the eponymous venue and this ‘Celebrating Europe’ jazz festival double-bill.
