If it's the end of June, it must be Lowdham Book festival: our third visit following our first in 2006 and then last year (2007). It's been going much longer than that but hey we were late arrivals.
There was less water than last year (the cricket field no longer resembled a lake) and there were no sandbags in the streets. But nicely we did get a second encounter with the lovely Creme de la Crime crew including the delightful Maureen Carter. Maureen was understandably excited that her fifth Bev Morriss novel - due out August - had some preview copies out for sale. So I was well happy to fill out my shelves by picking up books 3 and 4 - Baby Love and Hard Time respectively - (to add to last year's Working Girls [book 1] and Dead Old [book 2]), and obviously to get Bad Press [book 5] a little earlier than the shops. I was also pretty chuffed to get a follow-up to Roz Southey's Broken Harmony (Chords and Discords), another mystery fiction with a healthy dollop of historical musical knowledge thrown in. With a couple of books selected at a bargain price, I walked off with 6 books. Way-hey! That's my non-existent summer weeks off sorted then -- darn, I will have to start reading at lunchtime again!
Anyway, Maureen was especially lovely - we even had a little hug after our chat - and it all felt great. I even felt good about my splurge (I only bought one second hand book - a copy of Le Guin's Earthsea Quartet as I had been trying to get a single volume copy for some time) as Cloud managed to turn up with 10 books.
Yes, that is 17 between us.
We are addicted to books. And no, we apparently can't handle it...
After Lowdham we drove through Southwell, past the glorious Minster and the Museum of the British Horological Society (Cloud jested - in honour of Tim Vine - that we didn't have time to stop there), and on to Newark for a wander around the streets of Newark and the castle and a visit to our nearest [aka not very bloody near at all] Waitrose. Then it was back home for Doctor Who --- on which note, see previous post. La-la, head in the sand, I'm not listening, I'm denying every and all speculation, I will be reading your reviews of that ep after watching the finale and then I will give you my considered opinion.
So don't come chucking your thoughts this way yet: come back after lunch next Sunday by when I should have watched the finale at least once.
So to Sunday: and Lichfield Jazz and Blues festival. It was a lot busier than last year, but just as much fun. Good music, great company and - apart from a couple of showers that sent me scurrying indoors - the chance to sit outside and scoff food listening to good music.
As they say, nice.
Showing posts with label Lichfield Jazz and Blues Festival. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lichfield Jazz and Blues Festival. Show all posts
Monday, June 30, 2008
Monday, June 25, 2007
Empirical: jazz musicians to look and listen out for!
It's been a heck of a weekend. The season 3 finale of NCIS; a day out in Leicester; some gratuitous shopping; Doctor Who (am saving myself to comment on that till after the finale next week); AND the Lichfield Jazz and Blues festival.
It was at the latter we had the joy of seeing Empirical, a young band of jazz musicians who frankly blew everything else we saw into a hat. Yes, trombonist Gareth Roberts' quintet were incredible (and very Welsh he was too!); yes, the Zoe Rahman's piano-led trio were delightful (she brought a particularly light touch to the proceedings even when she was banging the hell out of the keys). And clearly John Etheridge has some serious guitar skills, though I have to say he was a tad too rock-guitar-soloist for my taste - and not so much in a good way (ironic really given that our friend Nick who tipped us about the whole event practically falls over himself to criticise the failings of 'popular beat combo' performers).
But Empirical were on another level entirely. As I was flagging and under the weather it took some work to stay as long as we did, missing only the finale headline act of Jacqui Dankworth. But after a blistering opening set, we were determined to stick out to see their second set of the day.
Empirical are five young musicians of awe-inspiring talent and the band is currently comprised of:
Jay Phelps - trumpet
Nathaniel Facey - alto sax
Kit Downes - piano
Tom Farmer - double bass
Shane Forbes - drums
They are just a delight to watch and their musicianship, composition skills and energy on stage are mesmerising. Their album is due out next month. Buy it, but especially go and see them live.
It was at the latter we had the joy of seeing Empirical, a young band of jazz musicians who frankly blew everything else we saw into a hat. Yes, trombonist Gareth Roberts' quintet were incredible (and very Welsh he was too!); yes, the Zoe Rahman's piano-led trio were delightful (she brought a particularly light touch to the proceedings even when she was banging the hell out of the keys). And clearly John Etheridge has some serious guitar skills, though I have to say he was a tad too rock-guitar-soloist for my taste - and not so much in a good way (ironic really given that our friend Nick who tipped us about the whole event practically falls over himself to criticise the failings of 'popular beat combo' performers).
But Empirical were on another level entirely. As I was flagging and under the weather it took some work to stay as long as we did, missing only the finale headline act of Jacqui Dankworth. But after a blistering opening set, we were determined to stick out to see their second set of the day.
Empirical are five young musicians of awe-inspiring talent and the band is currently comprised of:
Jay Phelps - trumpet
Nathaniel Facey - alto sax
Kit Downes - piano
Tom Farmer - double bass
Shane Forbes - drums
They are just a delight to watch and their musicianship, composition skills and energy on stage are mesmerising. Their album is due out next month. Buy it, but especially go and see them live.
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