BBC4

[sidewinder]

More jazz on BBC4 this weekend, at the start of the LJF season (virtual edition).

Highlights tonight - excellent documentary about Ella plus a 1965 BBC recording with the Johnnie Spence Orchestra (including Tubby Hayes) and the Tommy Flanagan Trio. Really excellent stuff. Followed by a repeat of ‘Jazz Divas Gold’.

Sunday night has an initial broadcast of the new Ronnie Scott documentary. Equally unmissable.

[adh1907]

I liked the Ronnie doc but it really jumped around a lot, talking about the original club or the early years then jumping to 1965 Ella or Sarah. Slightly annoying.

[sidewinder]

Yep, I would have liked to see more of some of those rare bits of film at the club. Dizzy in 1975 with what looked like a UK Big Band plus his usual rhythm section of the time doing ‘Manteca’?... Awesome !

That said, I thought it was a great documentary and told the story of both the club and of Ronnie and Pete King themselves as individuals, very nicely. 

The Ella at Ronnies from 1974 shown afterwards was priceless too. Joe Pass !

[adh1907]

The latter part of the documentary around Scott’s problems in later life was very moving. 

There was a clip off him practising sax and answering the phone (“what time? When can you get here?”) for a booking which reminded me that I did speak to him in the 80s booking seats at the club.  Nice telephone manner! 
 

Anthony

London

[mjazzg]

Excellent Jazz 625 last night.  Gave a really good overview of the current scene.  Nice to see 90 minutes of live Jazz on at primetime even if it was on BBC4. 

I knew all the artists and have albums by a good many but I thought Ezra Collective's trumpeter Dylan Jones really stood out.  Kokoroko have a great mix of styles going on and for perhaps the first time I was really convinced by Nubya Garcia's playing (having experienced one of the most intensely exciting nights seeing her live a couple of years ago).  Nice nod with the, very good, version of Hum Dono by Sarathy Korwar (whose stream the previous evening was very good too).  Nice to see the Manchester segment too.

Before the programmes I watched a great concert stream from The Church Of Sound featuring Nathaniel Facey, Gary Crosby, Moses Boyd and Sarah Tetteh amongst others. Facey was on fire

Edited 21 Nov 2020 by mjazzg

[sidewinder]

Good hosting by the affable Moses Boyd.

Nubya Garcia obviously a gifted talent.

Wasn’t impressed with their perfunctory treatment of the archive clips. Those old shows need to be treated with the respect they deserve and shown in their entirety. 10s of Diz and Moody was an abomination !

Edited 21 Nov 2020 by sidewinder

[mjazzg]

I thought it was a pleasant surprise that they thought to refer to the old shows at all. The programme was very much about now after all.

Moses needs to stop saying "incredible" all the time, if I'd had a drink every time he said it I wouldn't be typing this now

[sidewinder]

Rather than treating the old clips in that slapdash manner,  which came across as amateur, better to omit them completely from that particular show and just repeat the old shows in full after restoration and with the respect they deserve. The same way they did for that Sonny Rollins restoration.

I hope in future shows of this type that they include other young UK musicians such as Trish Clowes, Ant Law and Laura Jurd, to name but three. Plus how about board member Alex Hawkins?

Edited 21 Nov 2020 by sidewinder

[mjazzg]

2 hours ago, sidewinder said:

Rather than treating the old clips in that slapdash manner,  which came across as amateur, better to omit them completely from that particular show and just repeat the old shows in full after restoration and with the respect they deserve. The same way they did for that Sonny Rollins restoration.

I hope in future shows of this type that they include other young UK musicians such as Trish Clowes, Ant Law and Laura Jurd, to name but three. Plus how about board member Alex Hawkins?

But that would have to be a different programme.  Can't imagine Ms Clowes, Jurd or Mr Law jamming it down at Steamdown .  Not the same influences either.  I can hear Alex Hawkins crossing the divide though, especially given his work with the South African legacy.  I'd be surprised he he hasn't played with Shabaka

[sidewinder]

At least BBC4 is broadcasting jazz again - which is something !

My recorder timer for this programme recognised it as a series - so maybe there is more to come?

[Alexander Hawkins]

22 hours ago, mjazzg said:

But that would have to be a different programme.  Can't imagine Ms Clowes, Jurd or Mr Law jamming it down at Steamdown .  Not the same influences either.  I can hear Alex Hawkins crossing the divide though, especially given his work with the South African legacy.  I'd be surprised he he hasn't played with Shabaka

I really enjoyed the programme too...some amazing playing from everyone. Sons of Kemet in particular I loved - live, they're really something. (Yes - Shabaka, Tom Skinner, and I are the same generation - although maybe Tom and I are a couple of years older? - so we've played on each others things, and indeed - Shabaka and I have also played together in Louis Moholo-Moholo's group)...

I also saw that stream from Church of Sound, and agree - Nathaniel sounded phenomenal. Great gig! 

Edited 22 Nov 2020 by Alexander Hawkins

[sidewinder]

I’ve been enjoying the LJF performance by Henry Lowther’s Still Waters. Always a pleasure to catch these guys live.

Saw Shabaka and the Sons of Kemet when they did that Swanage Methodist Church gig from the pulpit and they almost blew the roof off. That was the old lineup with Seb Rochford.

Edited 22 Nov 2020 by sidewinder

[mjazzg]

2 hours ago, Alexander Hawkins said:

Shabaka and I have also played together in Louis Moholo-Moholo's group)...

 

And I've seen you live doing so, can't imagine why I wasn't more sure that you'd played together. Must pay more attention.

[Alexander Hawkins]

To be fair, I spend so much time listening in awe to Louis on those gigs that I sometimes forget *I* was there!

[mjazzg]

58 minutes ago, Alexander Hawkins said:

To be fair, I spend so much time listening in awe to Louis on those gigs that I sometimes forget *I* was there!