Two of the summer’s big jazz festivals have announced their 2014 line-ups – here’s Pink Pie’s look at what’s in store at Brecon and Love Supreme. The 30th anniversary Brecon Jazz Festival is headlined by Burt Bacharach, who opens the event on Thursday 7th August. I’m not being disrespectful by saying Burt was never the … Continue reading
With an album called L’Amour, you know what you’re going to get – love songs, right? Yes, but don’t expect any saccharin-sweetness here. Brigitte Zarie is much more sophisticated than that. This eagerly-anticipated follow-up to 2012’s Make Room For Me is a stunning collection of jazz numbers – all but two of them new, but … Continue reading
It doesn’t have much of a plot, its songs were mostly recycled from earlier productions, and the star was suffering a fever when he had to film the title song-and-dance routine, getting soaked to the skin in a shrinking wool suit. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, doesn’t it? But this was Singin’ in the … Continue reading
Much of Steely Dan’s music oozes California sunshine. Which is odd because Donald Fagen and Walter Becker are born-and-bred New Yorkers. But here’s something odder – jump a further 3,000 miles east and you find a new bunch of Dan-alikes, who are actually more Leigh-on-Sea than LA. I say “bunch”. Actually, I don’t know how … Continue reading
Maybe pop songs aren’t the best place to seek your philosophy of life, but if that’s where you’re looking, may I recommend you pay more heed to the acid-jazz/funk of Brand New Heavies than to the pop-pop/pop of Ronan Keating? Ronan told us in 2000, “Life is a rollercoaster/ Just gotta ride it” and I’ve … Continue reading
After some turbulent times, Brecon Jazz now seems to be in safe hands, with new operator Orchard serving up an impressive line-up of established stars and emerging talent. Among those surely destined for fame is Anthony Strong, who wowed a packed Theatr Brycheiniog on Saturday. With a show as sharp as his suit, 28-year-old Strong … Continue reading
This weekend, the world famous Brecon Jazz festival will live-stream a concert for the first time. Wales Meets Naples, a collaboration between Brecon Jazz artist in residence Huw Warren and Italian vocalist Maria Pia de Vito on the Chapter Stage at Brecon Cathedral will be available as a webcast on http://www.breconjazz.com/live at 5.30pm UK time … Continue reading
I’m sure the sunshine helped, but my day out at the Love Supreme jazz festival last weekend was a real 10 out of 10. The UK’s first greenfield jazz festival for many years benefited from a field that was indeed green, not mud brown, as it would have been if the weather had been less … Continue reading
Wales, the land of song, has produced no shortage of famous and talented singers (fame and talent don’t always come as a set, of course), and global singing stars have claimed Welsh roots.The latest to come to my attention is one who’s big on talent, but not as famous as she should be – Esperanza … Continue reading
Here’s my nomination for the summer anthem of 2013 – Shaun Escoffery’s Nature’s Call is a timely antidote to the hatred on our streets and social channels in recent weeks. Continue reading
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