Category: Features
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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
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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
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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
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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
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79. Today a recent ‘at home improvisation’ from Stirling-based keyboardist Steve Hamilton, known around the world for his work with Billy Cobham, Pee Wee Ellis, Ray Charles, Bill Bruford & Eddi Reader to name a few, & to some of us for his electronic music also. Really lovely.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Iwp93uivVc
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78. It’s a truism to say that the jazz of today could not exist without the music that has come before, that of our elders. Today’s pick is a dear favourite of this humble listener: the late Glaswegian tenor saxman, Bobby Wellins, playing in The Stan Tracey Quartet, ‘Starless and Bible Black’. Beautiful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Frnd-wuhBic
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77. Another Scot who is dedicated to improvisation and nowadays calls London home, where she is Programmer at the Vortex Jazz Club and Chair of Jazz from Scotland, is trumpeter and activist, Kim Macari. Here she is in the chordless jazz quartet, ‘Family Band’ (Riley Stone-Lonergan on tenor sax, Tom Rivière on double bass & Steve Hanley on drums) at Amsterdam’s Bimhuis, last September. A fantastic set! ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoLri6UZrpA
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76. Reportedly while studying at Edinburgh Napier University, Inverness-born & now London-based bassist Kevin Glasgow used to play regularly on the Edinburgh jazz circuit. Would that he could still be seen hereabouts, as he has clearly evolved into one of the most searching bassists this listener has heard in a long time. Here he is in duo improvisation with brother-in-exploration, drummer Jamie Murray.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfOXKcU1qH4
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75. Music educators may not always receive the acknowledgement they quite obviously deserve. Trumpeter (Aberdeen Jazz Orchestra) and singer (Aka Ska) Pauline Black is also a hard-working educator, conducting youth music ensembles and directing both the Aberdeen University Jazz Orchestra and Band and the Jazz at the Blue Lamp Community Jazz Big Band. Here is the wonderful ‘Fever’ as played by this community big band in their recent lock-down project.
https://www.facebook.com/pauline.black.9277/videos/143759640564962/
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74. One consequence of featuring one Scottish musician (almost) each day throughout the present quarantine, is that it becomes crystal clear that Scotland is heaving with musical talent. A case in point is Glasgow-born, now London-based, double bass player Calum Gourlay in his eponymous quartet (with Helena Kay on Sax, Kieran McLeod on Trombone & James Maddren on Drums). This is Gourlay’s composition ‘Sick Cat’. Great composition, beautiful execution! ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUa5YaA7VkM