The post xmas jazz dessert, Polar Bear at the Old Market last week being the notable exception, seems to have come to an abrupt halt this coming Friday. Ironically the genre breaking reputation of jazz accumulates more conservative followers the older it gets as an art form (discuss). It always facsinates me to meet people the same age as me or younger that hate electric jazz or anything later than Count Basie or Duke Ellington. For my money Ellington is a great rocker. Check out some of the versions of Caravan on Youtube. Don't get me wrong - I got into jazz listening to Mike Brecker and that inevitqably leads to a love of Coltrane and bob. But for me it is not the only show on the planet. Jazz has more to offer. The BJC always seemed to be hip to this but the last two months have been rather archealogical for my taste. Polar Bear, since their appearance on Jools Holand, might be a bit expensive for one of the countries best jazz clubs. But to see in excess of two hundred peole screaming for more at a jazz gig is wonderful.
Back to this Friday after my ranting digression - It seems to be a bit like busses,nothing for ages and then three come along at the same time. We are faced with a cornucopia of treasures. So which to choose? For those who are fans of the new wave jazz Acoustic Ladyland, which for my money is the best of the bunch, are playing at Bexhill. Worth travelling for despite the carbon foot print. However there are some serious competitors that can be seen more locally without ripping up the planet.
The iconic Jerry Dammers is at the Dome on Friday with a great big band playing a tribute to Sun Ra. Dammers built his reputation around Ska, anti racism and anti Thatcher protest. The Specials, which he founded, was a great band. He wrote Free Nelson Mandela which became a political anthem for a generation. Interestingly the music of Sun Ra was at the free end of jazz. It had that quirky celebratory sound that was a genre all of its own, Brotherhood of Breath, Monk, Ornette, Art Ensemble etc. Dammers has the pull to bring in some of the cream of the British jazz scene so for those that have a penchant for any of these elements,or several of them, are in for a treat.
Last but by no means least Phronesis are playing at the BJC on Friday. With some players from the Loop Collective (includes players from Acoustic Ladyland and Polar Bear) and one of the worlds best drummers, Mark Guliana from New York. Mark plays in Avishai Cohen's band. Their "Emotional Storm" features one of the all time great drum solos and Christine and I were privileged to be sat behind Mark at Ronnies the year before last when he played that very solo with Avishia. It is people like Mark, Trilock Gurtu, Antonio Sanchez and of course Elvin Jones that taught me how musical a good drummer is and how drumming is so much more than rhythm and can transform the music.
So a hard choice. Everyone that loves jazz should be out this Friday even if you have to rent out the cat to buy the ticket.
I shall probably go to the club unless I can persuade Christine to come to the Dome. See you there?
Steve
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http://www.brightonjazzclub.co.uk/