April 25th, 606 Club- Queensland Relief Fund Charity Concert

PREVIEW: CHARITY CONCERT IN AID OF THE QUEENSLAND RELIEF FUND Trudy Kerr writes about a special event at the 606 Club on Monday April 25th

When Sophie Garner contacted me to tell me that she was organising a fundraising event for the victims of the Queensland Floods, I was touched.

I am a Queenslander, born and bred, but have lived in London for the past 20 years. It is hard to imagine the size of the area destroyed by flood in Queensland but indeed entire towns have been wiped out. (not to diminish the recent devastation in Japan where so many lives were lost) In Toowoomba they received 150 mm of rain in 40 minutes, creating an inland tsunami with 7 metre high waves. The water could not be contained by the dam that protects Brisbane, so the equivalent of two Sydney Harbours of water had to be released daily and this caused Brisbane to flood.

Although my immediate family were not affected, some of my relatives and friends have suffered from flooded homes and lost jobs. Also the beautiful Brisbane Jazz Club (above), the hub of live jazz in Queensland on the banks of the Brisbane River, was completely submerged by the flood and needs donations for a complete rebuild.

In true British style, with a heartfelt conscience for those less fortunate, many of the great UK singers and musicians have united to offer their services free of charge for the event at the 606 club in Chelsea. Steve Rubie at the club has also been extremely generous, offering his club for this special night too.

So, people of London, come to the 606 on Monday 25th April and please give generously to the Queensland Flood Appeal.

You will be entertained by this star-studded line up: -

Sophie Garner
Ian Shaw
Liane Carroll
Gill Manly
Natalie Williams
Georgia Mancio
Emma Blake
Kaz Simmons
Kerry Hodgkin
Polly Gibbons
Nia Lynn
Pete Churchill
Mark Fletcher
Janette Mason
Simon Little
Simon Wallace

There'll a song from me too, and with this kind of event, you just never know who might show up on the night. So come along and support!

More details on the 606 Club website. Admission £18

Liane writes about Ian..Ian writes about Liane

(Ian Shaw and Liane carroll. Photo credit: Corrie Scott, at the Holders Season, Barbados)

Ian Shaw and Liane Carroll will be performing in the Saturday night Base series at Kings Place on March 26th. They've written for us about the joys of performing as a duo together:

Ian on Liane . . .

Liane Carroll and I met on a train bound for some festival gigs. The year was 1492. We locked horns over many many things. Large gin and tonics in sunny French festival hotels were the ordre de jour. Our first musical collision was in a motel in Le Mans. There was a piano, we were keeping the bar open in a most unFrench way..and that was it. She wailed an Ellington and a Laura Nyro and my eyes filled with tears at the brittle beauty of her musical and emotional honesty.

Twenty odd years later we are often together, crashing each other's band sets, doing two Steinway, four handed shows, singing with big bands, guesting on each other's albums. These times with Liane are so brimmed with "moment" they keep me as sharp as a Sabbatier. To accompany her, in a pianist role, is fulfilling beyond measure. We hear the same stuff, the same harmonic nuances...and it is always, for me, a rare and beautiful thing. It never goes wrong, and in its often shabby-round-the gills form, it gives me energy and reminds me why I do my job.

Liane on Ian . . .

When I was a child, certain music would make me "fizz", Usually, it was sweeping orchestral scores, raging big bands and wonderful singers that you KNEW were singing from the bowels of their joy, pain, love, despair etc. I used to fantasize that when I was older, I would be lucky enough to sing and play with such orchestras, big bands and singers, and practiced every day, pissing my piano teacher off because I was more interested in jazz than classical, which she would equate with having to have me exorcised, or something equally as blinkered and patronising, but I never swayed.

Then 20 years ago I had a brief encounter on a train to Le Mans with a man whom, to this day, I believe is the very best of ALL that made me fizz. Ian Shaw is not only one of my dearest friends, but a revolutionary who breaks down all musical barriers, and just happens to make the most wonderful noise I've ever heard. I am honoured and privileged every single time we play together, and I don't ever want it to stop.


Boooking for the Base at Kings Place

Ian Shaw will also be performing songs from his new Abbey Road Sessions CD (Splashpoint) at the Pizza Express Dean Street on March 9th and 10th - pizzaexpresslive.co.uk

Jamie Cullum Interview

In advance of this Friday's benefit for the Vortex in Margate, we interviewed Jamie Cullum(Photo BBC)

Are you looking forward to this Friday’s Vortex Benefit in Margate?

Truthfully it's my first time in Margate! It was David Mossman who called me up and asked if I would be interested in helping the festival and the Vortex. David is a tireless and important figure for British Jazz and I would never be able to turn him down. I love the Vortex and without it the British Jazz scene would be much poorer. It is a fearless music venue and hub for the best we have here.


Have you worked with Ian (Shaw) and Liane (Carroll) before?

I know and love both Ian and Liane very well. I would also call them influences on me. Both musicians are singers who go way beyond singing the song, though if called upon they can "torch" it up with the best of them. Ian, Liane and Claire Martin showed me early on that choosing a repertoire as a singer was of the utmost importance. Turning up with the same tired arrangements of the usual standards is no way to make your mark. Through them I learned the importance of crate digging for great songs and then putting your big muddy footprint all over them. They are incredible world class singers. I've shared the stage with them many times and its always an education for me. Come Saturday after the gig I shall be scuttling back to the woodshed.............spanked and inspired!


What’s coming up in your Tuesday BBC Radio 2 show?

The radio show has really become a part of my life. It is an honour to have a such a big platform to play jazz. Credit to BBC Radio 2 for not messing with the playlists. They are totally open and supportive. We have Kurt Elling in session in a couple of weeks which is so exciting for me. Also we are trying to get other shows to start injecting a little jazz into their playlists - The Bad Plus, Gregory Porter and Sara Mitra could end up getting air time elsewhere on R2.

At the Cheltenham Jazz Festival I’ve heard you’re doing a solo performance ? Is that true? What are the challenges?

I always like to do some solo shows when I'm between albums. It really helps me think differently about what I'm doing. At the moment I'm effectively staring in front of a blank sheet that needs new songs on it for album no.6. Playing solo is a huge challenge for me and that can only be a good thing!

Thanks, and enjoy Margate on Friday.

BOOKINGS FOR FRIDAY's SHOW

Make haste to Hastings

A chance to learn from a legend. Here's Liane Carroll's Facebook

Hi Guys. Am doing 3 day jazz vocal workshop in hastings with Sophie Bancroft 18th till 20th March. £270 including hot lunches (accom extra) starts 6pm fri 18th finishes with lunchtime gig at Porters Sun 20th. Also, a 1 day vocal workshop with myself and Sara Colman Sat 2nd April £170 including hot lunch. Comment if interested, and I'll write to you. Both already half full.

Vortex Fundraiser - Jamie Cullum in Margate - New Date Feb 4 2011

SEE OUR INTERVIEW WITH JAMIE CULLUM PREVIEWING THE MARGATE GIG

UPDATE TO PREVIOUS POST: "Due to unforeseen circumstances the Vortex Fundraiser at The Winter Gardens in Margate has been postponed until 4th February 2011. Jamie Cullum is extremely sorry about this and promises to make the show extra special in the new year.

All original tickets for the show, now called ‘Jamie Cullum and friends’ will remain valid for the new date but if you wish to receive a refund on a ticket you have already purchased you must contact the box office by 10th December on 01843 296111.

Tickets £27.50, £25.00. Call: 01843 292795 or 296111.

(I'm wondering if they'll do the song Kurt Weill wrote about Margate....)

Note: The Vortex , which Jamie is supporting through this gig, is a dedicated arts venue in Dalston staffed almost entirely by volunteers. It puts on adventurous programming every night of the week, has a maximum capacity of only 100. Despite its international renown, it has only ever got on to Arts Council England's radar once: ACE paid for half the cost of the club's piano.