Category: Features
Posted in Features
89. Edinburgh-based vocalist Becc Sanderson’s extraordinarily versatile voice takes in jazz & cabaret amongst other styles. Here is an audio of ‘My Old Man’: the crystalline clarity & story-telling qualities are a real delight.
Image from secondhandsongs.com https://soundcloud.com/becc-sanderson/my-old-man
Posted in Features
88. On 6th April, nearer the beginning of the pandemic quarantine here in Scotland, Scottish Jazz Space posted a truly beautiful tune by lyrical alto saxophonist Laura Macdonald. Here is another audio of her utterly beautiful playing in the gorgeous tune: ‘Juliett’. With Martina Almgren on drums, Paul Harrison on piano & Aidan O’Donnell on bass.
Image from: jazzwise.com https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rps696Tr9p4
Posted in Features
87. Some years ago this writer heard child psychologist / psychobiologist Colwyn Trevarthen deliver a lecture on the evidence for babies’ innate musicality. The following TEDx talk by one of Scotland’s most admired improvisers – saxophonist, composer & academic Raymond MacDonald – offers a similarly convincing argument. Wait for the brilliant Billy Connolly impression near the end..
Image from: youtube.com https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4-g4FPJA_8
Posted in Features
86. Though one of the Bevvy Sisters Gina Rae wasn’t in fact featured on the Bevvy Sisters’ tune on Scottish Jazz Space on 28 May last, here she is now! Still not singing Jazz – though she also has a beautiful jazz voice – but a really lovely folk song ‘What Would I Do,’ by Sandy Wright.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjX2k-pBxJs
Posted in Features
85. Today Scottish Jazz Space’s spotlight is on Scottish-Canadian jazz vocalist & winner of the Scottish Jazz Rising Star Award last year, Marianne McGregor. As luck would have it her album ‘Good Morning Warning’ is out tomorrow. Here’s a wee snippet. What a voice! 🙂
https://www.facebook.com/mariannemcgregormusic/videos/266128734447190/
Posted in Features
84. From Broughty Ferry, Dundee, and currently studying at Berkley College of Music, Boston, Cro Roberts is clearly on course to making himself a name in jazz drumming. And on the radio today! 👏
https://www.facebook.com/ciaran.robertsosterberg/videos/10221662818292272/
Posted in Features
83. Glasgow-born clarinettist Forrie Cairns retired in 2016, yet many will recall since the 1950s his superb, clear playing in The Clyde Valley Stompers, Bob Wallis & His Storyville Jazzmen, Quattro MacJazz & Forrie Cairns & The Clansmen. From the last mentioned band, here’s a cheering number, ‘Little Sir Echo’.
Image by quattromacjazz.com https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYgaSu7c8tM
Posted in Features
82. There are many videos of the versatile & irrepressible THE BEVVY SISTERS on Youtube, however this clip is an especially wonderful recording of ‘the sisters’ in full swing last year as part of the Edinburgh All-star band ‘Out Of The Ordinary’. The sisters are Heather Macleod, Gina Rae, Louise Murphy & David Donnelly. Just fantastic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CatXjNllSOA&fbclid=IwAR3YCN92er56F-SCM6xFFvqU8ACiUQ3HT5VPYuoeKeSNKtussoUUNRWbXko
Posted in Features
81. Today’s featured musician in this ‘Quarantine Series,’ is Edinburgh-based composer-pianist Rich Harrold. With constantly changing tempos & smart rhythms, this represents probably the finest joining of jazz with contemporary classical music one is likely to hear. Here in his group Trio HLK, with drummer Richard Kass & 8-string guitarist Ant Law, in ‘PainS’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhzcbScUIVQ
Posted in Features
80. OK, here’s a top tip you heard first from here: this Aberdeen band is going to be really big at music festivals over the next few years. The Hamlet Collective is superb fun, fusing jazz with Afro-beat & Scottish traditional music for example. Shout out too, to the band’s drummer Richard Glassby who has just been awarded the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s George Duncan Prize for Jazz Composition – nice one! 👏👏👏
Hamlet are: Matthew Kilner (saxophone), Gavin Hunter (trumpet), Finley Campbell (bass), Richard Glassby (drums) and Neil Kendal (guitar). https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=315765692372880