All gigs take place at:
East Hastings Sea Angling Association
The Stade, Hastings, TN34 3JF
Doors open 7.45 for 8.30 start.
Tuesday 1st October
TWO OF A MIND
Chris Biscoe: Baritone Sax
Allison Neale: Alto Sax
Simon Thorpe: Bass
Matt Fishwick: Drums
Saxophonists Chris Biscoe and Allison Neale formed Two of a Mind to explore afresh the freewheeling, wonderfully melodic interpretations of standard material recorded 50 years ago by Gerry Mulligan and Paul Desmond on the classic albums Blues in Time and Two of a Mind.
Reflecting the line-up of the originals, the new band is a quartet of baritone and alto sax, bass and drums. It evokes the spirit of these classic recordings while giving free reign to the
personalities of the musicians.
Multi-instrumentalist Chris Biscoe has featured on baritone sax with such big bands as Graham Collier and the New York Composers Orchestra. American born altoist Allison Neale’s beautifully crafted lines evoke the spirit of Paul Desmond and Art Pepper, with whom she has a particular affinity.
They will be joined by bass player Simon Thorpe, well known to Jazz Hastings from Hexagonal. And by drummer Matt Fishwick, who has played in the UK and USA with Scott Hamilton, Jim Mullen, Anita O’Day and many others.
Tuesday 5th November
JIM RATTIGAN’S PAVILLON
Jim Rattigan: French Horn
Martin Speake, James Allsopp and Mick Foster: Saxes
James Copus, Steve Fishwick and Robbie Robson: Trumpets
Mark Nightingale and Sarah Williams: Trombones
Hans Koller: Piano Dave Whitford: Bass
Tim Giles: Drums
Jim Rattigan is a rare thing in jazz: a French horn player – not many of them about – who for the last 19 years has also headed and composed for his own 12-piece group called Pavillon, each member of which can safely be described as “a player of note”.
He studied at Trinity College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music and for six years was a member of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. But during that time he was also always playing jazz.
He founded Pavillon in 2000 and has since recorded five albums. A sixth is in the pipeline. In 2016/17, the band enjoyed a highly successful Arts Council tour.
In a review, Dave Gelly in The Guardian described Rattigan as “a composer with a canny approach when it comes to combining the sounds of various instruments. The distinctive voice of the horn becomes familiar as it weaves among the saxophones and trumpets and takes its turn among the soloists.”
Tuesday 17th December
O’HIGGINS AND LUFT PLAY MONK AND TRANE
Dave O’Higgins: Tenor sax
Rob Luft: Guitar
Scott Flanigan: Organ
Rod Youngs: Drums
Jazz v
eteran Dave O’Higgins and young “firebrand” Rob Luft will lead a quartet featuring Thelonious Monk compositions (expect some rarely heard ones!) and tunes played by John Coltrane with especial reference to his choice of standards in the 1950s.
Both Monk and Trane were “modernists”, but also steeped in swing and the rich tradition of the beboppers. Dave and Rob intend to respect this lineage whilst putting their own mark on it. Expect some swing, fun, grooves and moods from this exciting new collaboration.
Dave has worked with some of the world’s finest musicians, including Jimmy Smith, Nancy Wilson, Peggy Lee, Stephan Grapelli, Jamie Cullum, John Dankworth, Cleo Lane and Frank Sinatra.
Rob, a 25-year-old Londoner, was named “Breakthrough Act of the Year” in last year’s Jazz FM Awards and was nominated “British Jazz Musician of the Year” in the Parliamentary Jazz Awards 2018.
They will be joined by Irish keyboard player Scott Flanigan and American drummer Rod Youngs, last seen at Jazz Hastings in February.