Gig Preview: First Ladies of Swing with Clare Teal & Guy Barker, GIJF March 31st

2017 seems to be filled with important jazz dates, not least the centenary of vocalist and civil rights activist Lena Horne.

As part of the Gateshead International Jazz Festival, vocalist & BBC Radio 2 presenter Clare Teal will celebrate Lena's life as part of her First Ladies of Swing concert.

Joined by her Hollywood Orchestra led by Guy Barker, Teal will perform songs from the Great American Songbook made famous by Ella Fitzgerald, Nancy Wilson, Nina Simone, Peggy Lee and of course, Lena Horne.

Trumpeter guy Barker played with Horne for 3 months in 1985 at the Adelphi Theatre in London.

At the heart of this programme are three specially commissioned pieces. Guy Barker has been asked to re-imagine three classics associated with Lena Horne to be performed for the first time at Gateshead International Jazz Festival.  The chosen songs are Stormy Weather, which was Lena Horne’s signature tune, Something to Live For, written by Billy Strayhorn and which Lena often performed, and the ever popular Singin’ in the Rain, which Clare Teal will interpret in her own unique style.

For more information on this, and the rest of the GIJF programme visit the Sage Gateshead website.

Gateshead International Jazz Festival 2017 - Programme Announced

You might be looking forward to settling in for your festive break, but for some the hard work never stops. The programme for the 2017 Gateshead International Jazz Festival has been announced this week so it's time to get your diary and start thinking about what you'll be seeing between 31st March and 2nd April. Here's just a few highlights to whet your appetite - we'll take a more in-depth look at the programme in early 2017...

Fresh from their large scale gig at this year's EFG London Jazz Festival, Laura Jurd and her group Dinosaur will be perform at the Sage joined by tuba player Daniel Herskedal's trio.

Stalwart of the European jazz scene, trumpeter Thomasz Stanko, is famed for his ability to bring together exciting musicians from across the world to perform with. He doesn't disappoint this time, as he is joined by the Finnish pianist Alexi Tuomarila and two US jazz giants, Gerald Cleaver and Reuben Rogers.

If you like your jazz to have some vocals, definitely don't miss Clare Teal as she appears with 17 piece Hollywood Orchestra led by Guy Barker.

Saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings will pay homage to the music of South Africa when he is joined by some of the best young South African musicians.

That's just the tip of the iceberg so visit the Sage website to find out more and stay tuned for a more comprehensive festival preview from us soon.

Jazz at Northern Aldborough Festival

                                                                Guy Barker & Ian Shaw

The Northern Aldborough Festival has been promoting live music in Boroughbridge in North Yorkshire annually since 1994. This year, the festival takes place from the 11th until the 20th of June, featuring performances in a wide range of styles. In their programme this year there are two jazz events featuring trumpeter Guy Barker with Ian Shaw and vocalist Martha D Lewis.

Guy Barker & Ian Shaw 
12th June, 7.30pm
The Old Hall, North Deighton

Award-winning trumpeter, composer and broadcaster Guy Barker joins forces with award-winning jazz vocalist, pianist and broadcaster Ian Shaw in an evening celebrating the fabulous force that is The Cinema. Behind the scenes, the bad, the bitchy, the beautiful, black and white romance, gangland murder and mayhem; Chaplin, Bogart, Baloo and Bond. With no apology, this jazz odd couple present a musical Babylon for all tastes . . . but no popcorn or children! With Guy’s mother an actress, his father a stuntman, and Ian’s childhood an obsessive period of black and white films and musty old Picturegoers handed down from an aunt, this two hour two-hander is a must.

Martha D Lewis: Trilogy of the Greek Blues
18th June, 7.30pm
St Andrews Church 

Lewis leads high powered, spirited top class world and jazz musicians in a 3 part show packed with an evocative nostalgic music journey which begins from shanty towns urban Athens 1910’s 'rembetika' repertoire; leading to Vintage Europeanized Greek music years of 40’s-60’s reminiscent of the Piaf and Dietrich era; and forwards to Lewis’ CD release, the award nominated ‘Homage To Roza ’an album of contemporary remakes of classic rebetika songs by the early Queen of Rembetika, Roza Eskenazy. Critically acclaimed as ‘Nu Rembetika’ this album is "a stimulating contribution to the margins and borders of World music leading to its own groundbreaking genre".  

For full information on the festival, visit the Aldborough Festival website.