First gig of the year for the Beats ‘n’ Pieces Big Band will also be the first chance to hear some brand new material. Playing in the RNCM Studio Theatre at 6:30, before Guy Barker’s Amadeus Project in the main theatre.
It’s totally free to get in, so if you’re passing on your way home from work, or if you’re going to see Guy Barker anyway, just pop in and have a listen.
live at MFJ 09
| April 5, 2009 |
| 20:30 | to | 23:00 |
Guitar and trumpet duo playing a varied set with some standards, some originals and more than a little Monk.
Silver Apples, Burton Rd, West Didsbury. 5th April 2009
Free to get in, and has the “nicest ale in the world” according to Finlay Panter. And he’d know.
Posted: February 25th, 2009 | Author: Anton | Filed under: Listings | No Comments »
This should be an exciting Freedom Principle session with 3 contrasting acts for you to enjoy!
1st of April, Mint Lounge, Oldham st
7:30pm
Tickets £10 – available from www.skiddle.com
Polar Bear are a post-jazz band led by drummer Seb Rochford, who also features in the lineup of Acoustic Ladyland. They cite Deerhoof, Pit Er Pat, Thelonius Monk, Beethoven, Radiohead and Bjork among their influences and the music they make borders on drum and bass, electronica and dance music. In 2005 they were nominated for the Mercury Prize for their second album, Held On The Tips Of Fingers (Babel), which was also deemed one of ‘100 jazz albums that shook the world‘. Their eponymous new album on Tin Angel has received unanimously favourable reviews, including in the Indepedent (4/5), the Guardian (4/5), Uncut (8/10) and on DrownedInSound (8/10).
New York’s Dirty Projectors are quite simply one of the best live bands we’ve seen. Fronted by Yale graduate Dave Longstreth, they have released three albums including 2007′s Rise Above, an album that completely reimagined Black Flag songs. Earlier this year Dirty Projectors signed to Domino Records – and it is rumoured that they will release two albums in early 2009. They were last in town supporting Wire during this year’s Futuresonic festival, meaning this will be their first appearance in a year. They’re expanding their lineup from a quartet to a six-piece for this show.
Finally, Los Angeles-based experimentalists Lucky Dragons make what we believe is their Manchester debut. The duo of Luke Fischbeck and Sarah Rara have been making music for ages (18 releases and counting) and are currently signed to London label Upset the Rhythm. We’d file them close to Black Dice, Ariel Pink’s Haunted House, YACHT, High Places, Mt Eerie and Panda Bear. Catch them live to decide for yourself.
This very exciting event is a co-promote with Hey! Manchester www.heymanchester.com
Posted: February 22nd, 2009 | Author: Sam | Filed under: Freedom Principle | 1 Comment »
| February 23, 2009 |
| 21:00 | to | 23:00 |
Relatively new quartet playing original compositions with more than a healthy dose of free-improv.
Sam Andreae – saxophone
Anton Hunter – guitar
Finlay Panter – drums
Gavin Barras – bass
Free entry, good beer.
Posted: February 22nd, 2009 | Author: Anton | Filed under: Listings | No Comments »
[feat. Mike Walker & Stuart McCallum]
A night of amazing contemporary big band music featuring up-and-coming and established musicians from Manchester, including Mike Walker, Les Chisnall and Andy Schofield.
Andy Schofield & Jo McCallum Jazz Orchestra feat. Mike Walker & Stuart McCallum
An electrifying new 17 piece jazz orchestra storm through a selection of original works by North West composers and arrangers. The line up unites established artists with the cream of the region’s young emerging talent and the result is a contemporary take on the full-on big band sound, with a compelling mix of intriguing arrangements and emotive solo playing.
A new project for 2009 sees the ensemble featuring two national guitar greats, Stuart McCallum and Mike Walker, with the music of these artists being arranged for the jazz orchestra and performed with guest appearances from these musicians.
(Pending a successful application this project well be subsidised by an Arts Council grant)
myspace.com/andyschofieldjomccallumjazzorchestra
myspace.com/andyschofieldmusic
myspace.com/jomccallummusic
Beats & Pieces Big Band
The Beats & Pieces Big Band was formed at the beginning of 2008 as a 14-piece ensemble for the performance of distinctive contemporary jazz. The musicians featured are all Manchester-based players who have previously performed with each other in a variety of different contexts, and who share a need and a desire for such an ensemble in order to focus their large-ensemble playing in a way which embraces their broad musical influences. In addition to the jazz canon, these also include the music of groups such as Polar Bear, Acoustic Ladyland and Led Bib; of groundbreaking larger ensembles such as Colin Towns’ Mask Orchestra, the Maria Schneider Orchestra and the Matthew Herbert Big Band; and of revolutionary popular artists such as the Beatles, Radiohead and Björk.
The format of the band is an adaptation of the traditional big band line-up, consisting of 3 saxophones/reeds, 3 trombones, 3 trumpets, piano/Rhodes, guitar, bass and drums, as well as a laptop artist manipulating the sound of the band live in real time. All charts are originals by musical director Ben Cottrell, specially composed and arranged with the unique characteristics of each musician in the band in mind.
The Beats & Pieces Big Band is a young ensemble both collectively and individually, but has already made a big impression on Manchester’s music scene. The band were invited to open the Manchester Jazz Festival in the summer of 2008, supporting the Stuart McCallum Group, and were exceptionally well received. Capping an incredible first year of existence for the band, in the autumn of 2008 they were shortlisted for the Peter Whittingham Award for new and innovative work in jazz, a prize previously won by some of the brightest talents in UK jazz.
www.beatsnpieces.net
Posted: February 22nd, 2009 | Author: Ben | Filed under: Freedom Principle | No Comments »
