All gigs take place at:
East Hastings Sea Angling Association
The Stade, Hastings, TN34 3JF
Doors open 7.45 for 8.30 start.
Tuesday 5th June
THEO TRAVIS DOUBLE TALK
Theo Travis: Tenor Sax, Flute
Mike Outram: Guitar
Pete Whittaker: Hammond Organ
Nic France: Drums
This will be an evening of powerful bluesy progressive jazz, with smoking Hammond organ, explosive guitar solos, emotional tenor sax and flute and all driven by powerhouse drumming. Theo Travis has an international reputation as one of the foremost saxophonists and flautists on the contemporary British jazz scene.
He has appeared on over 120 albums and played at Ronnie Scott’s in London over 70 times. His many musical interests come together in this distinctive quartet project.
With Travis on tenor and soprano saxes and flute, the band includes the soulful Hammond organ of Pete Whittaker, the soaring guitar of Mike Outram and the powerful but subtle drums and percussion of Nic France. Reviewing their most recent album Transgressions, the BBC website said: Travis’ tenor is a warm, mellifluous instrument and together with the luscious, bluesy Hammond organ they create something unexpected a prog-rock/jazz/blues hybrid album of genuine power and excitement.
Tuesday 3rd July
PETER FRAIZE
Peter Fraize: Saxophone
Terry Seabrook: Organ
Jack Kendon: Trumpet
Milo Fell: Drums
American saxophonist and composer Peter Fraize appears with the terrific Terry Seabrook Trio. Fraize is known for his impassioned high-energy playing, intricate and melodic writing and his no-boundaries’ approach. His music has traces of Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane. Brought up in a musical family in Northern Virginia, Peter took up the saxophone at the age of 9 and formed his first jazz group at 16. He studied both jazz and classical music at the New England Conservatory of Music before transferring to the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, where he appeared with a range of European jazz groups.
Since his return to America in 1989, he’s been involved with numerous and varied jazz and rock projects. He has toured widely, especially in Peru, Japan and Europe. He was last on the South Coast in 2016, when he appeared at the Love Supreme Festival.
Based in Washington, DC, he has been Director of Jazz Studies at George Washington University since 1994, where he teaches saxophone and jazz harmony.
Tuesday 7th August
PETE BROWN and KEVIN FLANAGAN
Pete Brown: Vocals
Kevin Flanagan: Saxophones
Simon Thorpe: Bass
John Donaldson: Piano
Darren Beckett: Drums
Something completely different. The tradition of combining poetry and jazz has a long history. In this country the legendary poet and singer Pete Brown was at the forefront, working with Dudley Moore, Stan Tracey and Bobby Wellins in the 60’s. He appeared at the Albert Hall alongside many of the great U.S. beat poets including Allen Ginsberg. It was through his association with 
jazz that he met Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton. Pete’s songwriting partnership with Jack produced many of Cream’s greatest songs including ‘Sunshine of Your Love’, ‘White Room’, ‘I Feel Free’ etc. A rare chance to hear this award-winning artist in an intimate setting.
US saxophonist Dr Kevin Flanagan, now resident here, has played sax for countless stars including B.B. King, Led Zepplin, Sex Pistols and Portishead. He also worked with the hugely successful Tommy Chase group in the 80’s. Influenced by the ‘beat’ writing of Jack Kerouac and Pulitzer Prize winner Gary Snyder, Kevin has constructed a unique mix of readings and jazz. He plays the first set, Pete the second.
Tuesday 4th September
PAUL McCANDLESS and CHARGED PARTICLES
Paul McCandless: Wind instruments
Murray Low: Keyboards
Aaron Germain: Bass
Jon Krosnick: Drums
Three-time Grammy Award winner Paul McCandless from San Francisco is a world-renowned multi-instrumentalist and composer. Since 2014, he has been performing his original compositions with the celebrated jazz trio Changed Particles.
Brought up in small-town Pennsylvania, Paul played both classical music and jazz from an early age. This is reflected in the instruments he plays: the oboe, English horn, bass clarinet, soprano and sopranino saxophone and a collection of folk flutes.
During a distinguished career spanning four decades, he has brought the soaring lyricism of his playing and composing to two seminal bands: the original Paul Winter Consort and the innovative quartet OREGON. He has appeared with such musicians as Pat Metheny, Wynton Marsalis, Steve Reich, Al Jarreau and many others. The music he plays with the long-established trio Changed Particles traverses a range of genres including swinging jazz, funky-fusionish tunes, romantic ballads, purely improvised adventures and original McCandless styles that have no names.
Tuesday 2nd October
GILAD ATZMON plays Coltrane
Gilad Atzmon: Saxophone
Frank Harrison: Piano
Yaron Stavi: Bass
Enzo Zirrili: Drums
Gilad Atzmon has been described as the “hardest-gigging man in British jazz”. He has toured extensively around the world as a powerhouse multi-instrumentalist: he plays saxophones, clarinet and ethnic woodwind nstruments. Much influenced by both John Coltrane and Charlie Parker, Atzmon’s powerful playing style combines great bebop artistry with Middle-Eastern roots (he was born in Israel). His live performances have been described as “breathtaking and overwhelming”.
He has recorded 15 albums and 2003’s ‘Exile’ was the BBC’s Jazz Album of the Year.
In 1998 he joined Ian Dury’s band The Blockheads and remained with them after Dury’s death. He has recorded with Robbie Williams, Sinead O’Connor, Robert Wyatt and Paul McCartney and is featured on Pink Floyd’s last album ‘The Endless River’.
Alongside his straightahead bebop quartet, Atzmon has toured extensively with his Arabic-tinged Orient House Ensemble (they’ve produced 8 albums). His appearances are always greeted with enthusiasm. “For sheer improvisational firworks, quirky humour and genre-defyng invention,” wrote one critic, “one will be hard-pressed to find a bandleader as unique as Gilad Atzmon.”
Tuesday 6th November
REMI HARRIS
Remi Harris: Guitar
Caley Groves: Guitar
Mike Green: Double Bass
Remi Harris has been described by Jamie Cullum as “an incredible guitarist”. His unique style draws inspiration from Gypsy Swing, Jazz, Blues, Rock, Electronic and World Music. He has toured worldwide as well as performing at Buckingham Palace, the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall with Jamie Cullum and live on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 3.
Primarily self taught with the help of his Dad’s guitar magazines and records, Remi started playing at the age of 7, initially inspired by rock and blues guitarists of the 60s and 70s such as Jimi Hendrix, Peter Green and Jimmy Page.
In his late teens he developed an interest in jazz music, in particular artists such as Django Reinhardt, Wes Montgomery and Stan Getz. Since then he has been growing a reputation for blending all of his influences into his own individual style of playing.
In his live shows Remi plays an eclectic mix of original compositions, improvisations, jazz standards and new arrangements of music from Django Reinhardt, Jimi Hendrix, Wes Montgomery, Charlie Parker, Peter Green and many more.
Tuesday 4th December
MARTIN and MULLEN celebrating Wes Montgomery
Claire Martin: Vocals
Jim Mullen: Guitar
Mike Gorman: Organ
Ed Richardson: Drums
Celebrated jazz singer Claire Martin, ranked by Jazz Times USA as “among the four or five finest female jazz vocalists on the planet”, and fabled guitarist Jim Mullen have worked together frequently over the years. But for 2018 they have developed a new project celebrating the work of legendary guitarist Wes Montgomery, who died 50 years ago at the age of just 45.
From the late ‘50s to the late ‘60s, Montgomery was the pre-eminent jazz guitarist in the world. And he had a huge influence on many who followed. Among those who have acknowledged their debt to him are George Benson, Kenny Burrell, Jimi Hendrix, Pat Metheny and Stevie Wonder.
And, of course, Jim Mullen. Just like Wes Montgomery, Jim plays exclusively using his thumb.
Claire Martin needs little introduction to the Jazz Hastings audience. She tours constantly, quite often appearing with our very own Liane Carroll, and has made more than 18 albums (three of them with Jim Mullen). One of the most recent led The Times to call her “our finest jazz singer”