Century celebrations

100th Beaufort Jazz celebrations

What an evening!  It was standing room only  in the Ellerbrook suite  as musicians and audience, old and new came to celebrate our 100th Beaufort Jazz evening.  It’s doubtful that we have ever had a better one. Needless to say there is a lot to report and there will be a full review on this blog in the next few days.  In the meantime many thanks to all the musicians who played and apologies if you didn’t manage to get to play on stage. It was such a packed and hectic evening that time just ran out even with the 11.30 finish.

Many thanks also to many people who got involved in the organisation of the event. It probably goes without saying that these occasions do not organise themselves and it takes a lot of time and effort to put on a voluntary music event such as Beaufort Jazz. Well done.

A special thanks is also needed for Aladdins Cave in Ormskirk who very kindly donated our special “100th” balloons to decorate the evening. Many will know them as suppliers of fancy dress but they also have a balloon decoration business for weddings and functions. If you are having a function, please check their website out here and give them a call.

One of the bands that didnt get to play on Monday was Trez Fez who gallantly stood down in order to allow other musicians to perform. Not to worry however as Trez Fez will be playing a special charity event this Saturday (12th Feb) at Aughton Village Hall. It is in aid of our local Queenscourt Hospice which is a tremendous local charity and throughly worthy of your support. The event starts at 7.30 and is only £6 entrance which is payable on the door. We understand that Polly Douglas and Douce Ambience will also play. Please make an effort to attend. If you need any further information, please call 07837 692 628. If you want to help promote the event please download the event leaflet here.

Enjoy!

The 100th Beaufort Jazz Evening! – Featuring Daniel John Martin

Daniel John Martin

Following our eighth anniversary towards the end of last year, someone casually asked what our next milestone might be? It was a good question and  after a little discussion and some maths we calculated that the February event would in fact be our 100th Beaufort Jazz Evening. It didn’t seem possible, but it is the case and Monday 7th February will be 100th time we have got together to enjoy our friendly evening of Gypsy Jazz.

It’s doubtful that we will get a telegram from the Queen but we are hoping for a full house. It would be good to see old faces again that havent managed to attend the last few evenings but might want to make a special effort for this one. Newcomers are aways very welcome,  just roll up on the night and take a seat – it’s that easy.

For our 100th celebrations we are very pleased to announce that Daniel John Martin will be our featured musician. Daniel is the Paris based jazz violinist and vocalist who has worked with some very familiar names during his career. If you have seen Daniel in France it could well have been at one of the popular jam sessions which he hosts alongside Angelo Debarre. These sessions have welcomed some splendid musicians over the years and they have been joined by Boulou and Elios Ferre, Moreno, Patrick Saussois, Rodolphe Raffalli, Andreas Oberg, Ludovic Beier and Kiyoshi Kabayashi – and many more.

Daniel is also well-known for his appearances at The Birmingham International Jazz Festival, The City of London Festival and many major French Jazz Festivals as well as finding time to record and appear at many of the recognised Jazz venues in Europe.

In his younger years Daniel spent many years travelling and living in South Africa before moving to Paris and studying violin at the Parisian conservatories. It was during these years that he “met up with jazz” and it has been his main musical interest ever since. Originally born in Congleton in Cheshire, his visit to Beaufort Jazz is therefore almost a homecoming after many years of travelling and performing. Please give him a very warm Beaufort Jazz welcome on what will be a unique and special evening.

Daniel’s website can be found by clicking here. There is also a promotional poster for the evening which can be found by clicking here. If you able to help to download the poster and promote the evening – it is greatly appreciated.

If you havent managed to make recent Beaufort Jazz events why not come down and share in our 100th celebrations? We will be back in the newly refurbished Ellerbrook Suite at the Briars Hall Hotel so there will be plenty of room for everyone to have a seat for the evening. As usual we will start promptly at 8pm with doors opening at 7.45pm. Entry is the usual £1.

Look forward to seeing you on 7th!

Review Bob Clarke and Petrus – introducing Daniel John Martin!

Petrus Beaufort Jazz Jan 2011

Normally winter weather in West Lancashire is fairly benign, however this year has been very different. Heavy snow and prolonged sub-zero temperatures have disrupted the region and made life difficult. As we approached the day of the Bob Clarke gig there was concern that we might have to cancel as some of the musicians accompanying Bob were snowbound. Despite a severe weather warning we did manage to go ahead as planned. Inevitably there were reduced audience numbers, which was a great pity as many Beaufort Jazz regulars missed a legendary gig.

Bob Clarke was of course our featured artist for December. The much traveled veteran violinist who had worked with some of history’s finest jazz musicians, was making his first appearance at Beaufort Jazz. The occasion was eagerly awaited. As you might expect, Bob was in fine form and most fortunately this historic little gig has been caught on video. We are hoping to be able to put some of this online in near future with more details of the gig, so please watch out for further information. 

Thankfully the weather had improved when we welcomed Petrus as featured musicians in January. Those of us who have seen Petrus before will remember that they cover a lot of musical ground, playing gypsy jazz ( in the style of Martin Taylor) along with standards and some Eastern European gypsy compositions. We heard a set which included such classics as Minor Swing, Norwegian Wood and All the Things You Are. They then concluded with Czardas – that song that everyone recognises but few can name.

Daniel John Martin Beaufort Jazz Feb 2011

If you missed Petrus you missed another fine Beaufort Jazz evening. You might however want to catch Les Bolger (their guitarist) who will be bringing the Les Bolger Guitar Ensemble to the Wilmslow Conservative Club on the 17th January. Les tells us they hope to have no less than six guitars on stage so definitely one for guitar enthusiasts.

Next month on Monday 7th February will be the 100th Beaufort Jazz evening. A huge milestone considering the difficulties in putting on a volounteer live music event. Well done to all the musicians and organisers who have kept Beaufort Jazz going through thick and thin.

As usual, we have tried to mark the occasion and are very pleased to announce that our featured act will be the Paris based violinist Daniel John Martin. Daniel will only be playing a small number of gigs whilst he is over here in the UK and we are delighted that he has found time to join us in Burscough. Daniel will be accompanied by Beaufort regulars and there will be a full announcement in the next few days. If you are reading this and you are nearer London than Liverpool, you will be pleased to know that Daniel is playing the famous Le QuecumBar with guitarist Romane on the 30th January.

Petrus to feature Monday January 3rd

Petrus to play Beaufort Jazz Jan 2011

Last Tuesday’s visit to Studio 2 at Parr Street was very enjoyable with Beaufort Jazz regulars descending en masse for the evening to see Clifton Harrydass and Trez Fez perform.  As you might imagine from a recording studio, the acoustics are exceptional and it was very good to hear familiar musicians play at Studio 2. The evening attracted an audience of about 60 who clearly enjoyed the event.

The cornerstone of the evening is the house band  at Studio 2 with John Mc Cormick on upright bass. This leads us very neatly into our  next Beaufort Jazz evening, as John also plays bass for Petrus, who will be our featured band on Monday January 3rd.

Some may remember that Petrus played the Southport Jazz Festival earlier in the year. It was an open air event and despite the windy Southport conditions they played a very enjoyable gig. We are delighted to welcome them to Beaufort Jazz and hope that the Briars Hall Hotel will prove to be a little less bracing.

Petrus promise us a varied set which will include Gypsy jazz and many favorite jazz standards. The line up also includes Tom Sykes on violin, Les Bolger on guitar and Danny Mannix on accordion. Tom of course needs no introduction but please welcome his fellow musicians as it looks like it will be their first visit to Beaufort Jazz.

We understand that the Ellerbrook Suite (our normal home for the evening) is being refurbished in January and therefore we will be in the restaurant again – as we were for the Bob Clarke gig. The good news is that we think that the Ellerbrook Suite will undergo some soundproofing as part of the refurbishment. If this is the case it may help solve the problem of the Suite being directly under the bedrooms. We will see.

All that is left is to wish you a Merry Christmas, for what remains of this Christmas Day and a very Happy New Year.

Best wishes

Parr Street Jazz – Clifton Harrydass with Trez Fez at Studio 2

A few months ago we got an email which suggested that Jazz enthusiasts should check out the Tuesday Jazz evenings at Studio 2 in Parr Street Liverpool. Apparently the venue was an unusual combination of Hotel, Bar and a recording studio which had welcomed some of the biggest names in music throughout the years.  After some time on the to-do list we finally managed to pay Studio 2 a visit.

The hotel can be found behind a slightly anonymous facade and once inside, Studio 2 can be found on the right at the back of the reception area. It s a small, intimate and quite friendly place with comfortable seating. The bar area is thoughtfully separated from the lounge area –  which makes for easy listening without the usual bar chatter and noise.

From conversation with regulars, it seems that the evening kicks off with the “house” band who are then joined by a guest artist. This evening the guest was the singer Doreen Edwards who has to be said is a splendid vocalist with an extensive repertoire.

The evening normally then concludes with a jam session where musicians have the opportunity to perform with the house band. Unfortunately we did not have the opportunity to stay till the end as we had a train to catch.

If Beaufort regulars contemplated a night out in Liverpool they might want to consider tomorrow evening when Clifton Harrydass with Trez Fez will perform at Studio 2.  The evening will probably start at 8 to 8.30 pm  and should obviously be very enjoyable. Try to make the effort –  you wont be disappointed.

Bob Clarke update

The Bob Clarke announcement below has generated a lot of interest and no doubt stirred old memories for some. We now have a few more photographs, courtesy of Bob’s grandson who took the trouble to scan and forward them on to us. We  also have  some background about the people who appeared in them.

Bob Clarke Janette Scott Shirley Eaton and Johnny Mulgrew

The photo in the post below shows Bob with Denny Purssord on the left and Johnny Mulgrew on the right, holding the hat out. Johnny maybe familiar to some as he appeared in the Bill Hall Trio for many years, along with Spike Milligan who played guitar.

This picture  is one of those you wonder how it came to be taken. Bob is on the left with the actresses Janette Scott and Shirley Eaton. James Bond aficionados will no doubt remember that Shirley was the bond girl in Goldfinger who met an untimely end by being coated in gold paint. Johnny Mulgrew is in the foreground with an unidentified youngster.

The final photo click here shows Bob with Wild Bill Davison who was the cornet player for many years in the Eddie Condon Band.

As you may have gathered, all the photos here are thumbnails and if you click on them will take you to a larger version of the photograph. Likewise a link (in blue text) will also take you to a photo or link.

Look forward to seeing you on Monday.

Bob Clarke to feature Monday 6th December!

Bob Clarke and friends

Next Monday will of course be our Christmas Beaufort Jazz evening – and to mark the occasion we are delighted to announce that our featured musician will be the veteran jazz violinist Bob Clarke. When we first heard that Bob had agreed to play, it has to be said that we were very excited about the prospect of seeing  a superb musician who has played with some of the great jazz legends during his long career.

Bob’s professional career began in the early 1950’s when he was often to be found playing in the Soho clubs of that era. It was an environment that he enjoyed working in and eventually Bob went on to play in some of the iconic Soho jazz venues such as the Mandrake Club and Ronnie Scotts – at its original Gerrard Street location. On one such gig, Stephane Grappelli happened to be in the audience and the two met and became friends, often dining together and no doubt discussing gypsy jazz at some length. In the late 50s he went to play in Moscow with the Denny Wright Trio and then went on to tour the world. Eventually Bob settled in Paris playing at many of the top venues including 10 years at the Crazy Horse.

During his travels he associated with many  legends and enjoyed a number of musical collaborations.  He met Elvis at the Lido in Paris and on a trip to Las Vegas met both Duke Ellington and Nat King Cole. Bob also played on a number of occasions with Diz Disley and introduced Diz to Stephane Grappelli who in later years would work together.

By 1977 Bob had now formed the Bob Clarke ensemble and returned to England from Paris. The gigs quickly followed with  a season’s contract at the Victoria Palace. Then in Silver Jubilee week they played the opening act at the London Palladium. Nowadays, Bob still ventures down to London to play and during the summer months can often be found at the Keswick Jazz Festival where he plays to a loyal and appreciative audience.

On Monday, Bob will be accompanied by his friend Peter Birtwistle and two Beaufort regulars, Mike Dexter on upright bass and Matt Wells on rhythm guitar. It will be quite a night for Beaufort Jazz. As well as being  a great evening of music it will also be small piece of Jazz history.

As usual the performance will begin promptly at 8pm so please take your seats in good time for the start.

Look forward to seeing you on Monday!

November Review

David Powell

It seems quite a while since our last evening on the 1st of November and some readers will have noticed that we hadn’t posted our usual review. Apologies for the delay and on the basis of better late than never…

Our featured band was of course the Powell Brothers –  the guitar and saxophone duo of David and Arthur Powell. It was their first appearance at Beaufort Jazz and we were very pleased to welcome them. As promised, their set contained many standards including what was a delightful version of that timeless classic -Stella by Starlight.  It’s clear that they enjoy their music and took great pleasure in performing for appreciative Beaufort Jazz regulars. As usual, the 40 or so minutes we set aside for the featured performance passed by all too quickly and hopefully they will put the first Monday of month in their diary and we will see them again in the near future.

The remainder of evening was our usual gypsy jazz jam and it reminded us with the jam format how different each month can be. There were many guest musicians and hence the evening had a good number of impromptu ensembles – and some surprises. Roy Gregory, normally to found as one half of Modjango  intrigued us all when he produced an accordion and gave us a short set which included a splendid rendition of Autumn leaves. The evening finished a bit later than usual due to the excellent turn out and we hope that next month will be equally as popular.

Arthur Powell

Next month promises to be a bit of a coup for Beaufort Jazz as we have a gypsy jazz musician who was a personal friend of Stephane Grappelli and who has performed at Ronnie Scotts and many of the great European jazz venues. He also toured America and met the likes of Nat King Cole and Duke Ellington.

If that wasnt enough, he then worked with Diz Disley for a number of years. Not only do we play host to fine musician but we are very pleased to welcome a man who was actually involved in the golden years of gypsy jazz. It’s a tremendous prospect to look forward to. There will be a full announcement here in the next few days – don’t miss it.

Our next Beaufort Jazz night will be on Monday 6th December.

Beaufort musicians – gig update

As we enter November the days may shorter and the weather colder, but at least we can look forward to some high quality live music events – one of which is the annual International Guitar Festival of Great Britain. Now in its 22nd year. the Festival has played host to many Beaufort musicians over the years. This year is no exception with the following two gigs coming to our attention.

Modjango are set to appear  at the Floral Pavillion Winter Gardens on November 5th,  the opening date of the festival. They are appearing with the Djangonauts in an evening which is a tribute to Django Reinhardt. Details can be found here

Also Tom Sykes will be playing in the Les Bolger jazz guitar ensemble. They will be appearing at the Floral Pavillion Winter Gardens on November 7th. Details of their gig to be found at this link

If you enjoy Beaufort evenings you are likely to enjoy these gigs. It’s also worth checking out many of the other performances on the Festival website which can be found here

Powell Brothers to feature Monday November 1st

The Powell Brothers

The next Beaufort Jazz night will be on Monday November 1st when we are very pleased to welcome the Powell Brothers as our featured musicians. Arthur and David Powell are a saxophone and guitar duo who  perform regularly throughout Lancashire and Merseyside and now make their the very first appearance at a Beaufort Jazz evening. These fine musicians have a distinctive sound which is reminiscent of a great era in jazz music. 

Their influences started at an early age when David heard the guitar greats Tal Farlow, Kenny Burrell and Johnny Smith. As he says on their website ” I wanted to be part of this exhilarating and magical music”.  On Monday they have promised us some great 20th century classics including East of the Sun, All the things you are and Stella by Starlight.

Having played for many years in larger bands Arthur and David are now playing as a duo and enjoying the opportunity to bring their own unique style to audiences across the North West. Once again it is certain to be a fine evening for Beaufort Jazz regulars and we look forward to giving them a very warm welcome. 

The performance starts promptly at 8pm so please arrive in good time. Entrance is only the usual £1 to cover costs.

Look forward to seeing you on Monday!

Anniversary celebrations

Neil Harrison and Ken Johnston - Zazous Anglais

Last Monday marked another milestone in the history of Beaufort Jazz as we chalked up our eighth anniversary in some style. Now firmly established at our new home in the Ellerbrook Suite at the Briars Hall Hotel, the future looks to be secure. The crisis of the closure of our old venue at the Beaufort Hotel is now well behind us and we are once again attracting many new faces to our monthly Manouche event.

One of the benefits of our new venue is the monthly featured opening event where musicians kick the evening off with an extended set. It usually lasts about 40 minutes and gives the opportunity for musicians old and new to perform a greater repertoire in front of a friendly and appreciative audience.

And so it was on Monday when the Manouche trio Zazous Anglais made the journey down the M6 from Lancaster in order to open the evening. They gave us standards such as Swing 39 and also included numbers that you don’t hear that often. Melodie Au Crepuscule and Bossa Sephora were new to many, likewise Chez Jaquet and David.  This ensured that we were able to enjoy a very original set. They concluded with Menilmontant to very warm and generous applause. Hopefully Zazous can join us again in the near future, If however you missed them, try to find them playing one of their regular gigs in and around Lancaster. You will not be disappointed.

Mark Knowles - Zazous Anglais

Ted Hanley was joined by Paul Turner on bass for his monthly smooth jazz session. Bill Cox and Steve Cronin joined with Pete Shannon to give us some familiar numbers from their Hot Club of Knotty Ash repertoire. The evening finished with Trez Fez forming one of their impromptu ensembles.

And so onwards to hopefully our ninth anniversary.  December’s evening will have its usual Christmas spirit with another milestone being reached early next year when we hope to be able to have a few surprises. More of this to follow in the New Year.

November’s featured act will be announced shortly.

Gig update – Zazous Anglais and Trez Fez

Just to update you with the latest gig news.

Neil Harrison - Zazous Anglais

If you were unlucky to miss the excellent Zazous Angalis last Monday then all is not lost They are appearing at the Lancaster Music Festival this coming weekend. Zazous will be playing two venues, on Saturday they will be playing at The Robert Gillow at 5pm with their second gig on Sunday when they will play The Bobbin at 3 pm.

Trez Fez will be playing at the Conwy Feast which starts Saturday 23rd October. The time and exact location of the performance to be announced shortly.

As many will know, last Monday was the 8th anniversary of Beafort Jazz. It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening and there will be pictures and a review in the next few days….

Beaufort musicians – gig update

A quick update with two events where Beaufort Jazz musicians will be playing in the near future.

Adam Palma will be playing at the Northern Guitar Show which will be held at the Aintree Racecourse Exhibition Centre on Sunday 28th November. The show will be open from 10am to 5pm. We hope to post a bit more about the show nearer the date.

Dobbies Garden World in Southport have started a monthly jazz evening.  Petrus (featuring Tom Sykes on violin) will be playing on Thursday 26th October between 5.30 and 6.30pm. Apparently this early evening event started in August with Vernon Fuller performing – unfortunately we didn’t learn about it in time to give Vernon a mention here.

Finally, don’t forget its our 8th anniversary tonight. Zazous Anglais will be our featured performance (see below), along with the many other fine musicians who will play. Hope you can join us.

Zazous Anglais to feature Monday 4th October

Zazous Anglais

 On what will be our 8th anniversary, the next Beaufort Jazz evening will be on Monday October 4th. To mark the occasion we are very pleased to bring a new act to the Beaufort Jazz stage and announce that Zazous Anglais will be our featured band for the evening.  

Inspired by french swing and the iconic jazz era of the 30’s and 40’s, Zazous play gypsy swing with a some considerable flair. Guitarist Neil Harrison can be seen regularly in Europe and has been a frequent performer on the Paris live music scene for some years. Neil has played with many artists including Ninine Garcia, Potsi, Christophe Brunard and Merino at such venues as the Chope des Puces and Au Clarion des Chasseurs in Paris.  

Needless to say, we are very pleased to have Zazous Anglais feature and share our anniversary celebrations. Their uplifting and melodic musical style is sure to be popular so Beaufort regulars will definitely want to put this in the diary as one not to be missed.  

Zazous Anglais are Neil Harrison – guitar, Mark Knowles – rhythm guitar and Ken Johnston – double bass.  

Doors at the Briars Hall Hotel will be open at 7.30pm for an 8pm prompt start so please try to take your seats in good time for the performance. Entry is only the usual £1 to cover costs.  

Look forward to seeing you on the 4th!

Beaufort Jazz Review – Monday 6th September

Adam Palma

  It might have been raining last Monday evening but no one at the Beaufort Jazz night was concerned as a full house settled down to enjoy an evening of special guitar. Our monthly featured act was of course Adam Palma, the man with diverse guitar skills who captivates audiences with his fretwork. Opening the evening with a solo spot, Adam gave us a number of self penned songs and then treated the audience to his signature version of “See you later Alligator” where he plays 4 parts on the one guitar. Very impressive.  

In the second half of his set Adam was joined on stage by John McMahon, Matt Wells and Dave Stearstree on guitar, with Tony Hamer on bass. Launching straight into “Caravan” the group then played all the gypsy jazz classics that make Beaufort Jazz evenings so enjoyable. As usual, an impressive set came to an end all too soon.  

Ted Hanley was then joined on stage by Tony Hamer and Brian Rennie on saxophone to give us a set of smooth jazz guitar for which Ted is renowned. Once again Ted had made the journey from east Lancashire to join us. It’s a journey he has made for a good number of years now and needless to say Ted is one of our keenest supporters.   

Following Ted, Trez Fez took to the stage with an expanded line up which included Tony and Brian with Phil Bernia on drums, Pete Shannon on bass and Steve Parry on Trumpet. Clifton Harrydass on steel pan completed the line up. As usual, they gave us a set of uplifting gypsy jazz. This friendly band always  welcomes guest musicians into their line up and their generosity is often rewarded with new and exciting music. Trez Fez are rarely the same but never lose their distinctive melodic sound. Their set concluded with the usual enthusiastic applause.  

As a finale, Adam returned to the stage accompanied by Clifton and Samuel C Lees on guitar. It was vibrant and energetic set to end an excellent evening’s entertainment. Unfortunately for us, the Briars Hall Hotel had a number of residents that night and we had to end the evening promptly at 10.30 pm. If you are reading about us for the first time and wondering why, the Ellerbrook Suite which is home to Beaufort Jazz evenings is situated directly under some of the bedrooms in the hotel. We accept this with good grace as the Ellerbrook Suite is pretty much the perfect location for us.    

At the end of the evening, we were reminded that next month will mark the 8th anniversary of Beaufort Jazz. Eight years of great music, friendly people and thoroughly enjoyable evenings. Needless to say we are hoping to mark the occasion in some way and will make an announcement shortly.  

The next Beaufort Jazz evening will be on Monday 4th October. Why not join us?

Adam Palma update

 

Adam Palma

 As announced below, Adam Palma will be our opening Beaufort Jazz featured artist for Monday 6th September.   

The promotional poster for the event is now available and can be found here If you think you can help promote the event please feel free to download and display the poster. Your help is much appreciated!   

The doors will be open from 7.30 onwards and the performance will start promptly at 8pm so please do try to arrive in good time for the start.   

The Briars Hall  Hotel have reminded us that they do serve food before the event – so why not enjoy a meal prior to the performance.   

See  you on the 6th

Excellent Django resource

Every now and again we try to publish something original about Django Reinhardt which we think will interest enthusiasts. The difficulty is that much of the original material has already been published on the web in one form or another. So when we find a good Django resource on the web we are very pleased just to link to and recommend that site.

So it is with this site hosted by Paul Vernon Chester. It contains an excellent wealth of information on Django throughout his life and travels and should be of great interest to all Django students. Please click on the blue link above to get to Paul’s website.

Our sources also tell us that Paul is quite an accomplished guitarist and hopefully he will find himself in the North West at some stage and be able to attend one of our Beaufort Gypsy Jazz nights

Finally, don’t forget that Adam Palma is our featured act for September (see post below). This is definitely one to put in your diary. More details to be announced shortly!

Adam Palma to feature Monday 6th September

Adam Palma

 Back in May we had one of those evenings which we hoped could go on all night. Beaufort Jazz regulars will remember that Vernon Fuller was our featured act that evening and as usual, gave us one of his superbly professional performances. It was certainly a difficult act to follow. Then as the evening drew to close, Adam Palma stepped onto the stage and performed a truly memorable guitar set. It was a splendid finale to the evening. 

Since then Adam’s musical commitments have meant that he has had difficulty in making further Beaufort evenings, which makes it all the more enjoyable to announce that Adam will be our featured opening act for Monday 6th September.  The set will contain many gypsy jazz favourites and we are also delighted to announce that Adam has agreed to do a special solo spot within the set. 

If you have a look at Adam’s diary it is easy to see why we have had great difficulty in getting him to feature. In July Adam was invited to Nashville to perform and conduct workshops for the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society. In November Adam will also be supporting and playing with the legendary Mr Tommy Emmanuel on tour. 

If this wasn’t enough, Adam has also just agreed some gigs with top British soul and funk saxophonist  Snake Davis  Most people will know Snake from his work with M People however he has played and recorded with artists ranging from James Brown, Paul McCartney, The Eurythmics and Amy Winehouse. Dates will be announced shortly, so if you are reading this and want to book them, you need to act quickly. 

As always its difficult in a short post such as this to do justice to an artist like Adam who has incredibly diverse guitar skills. So please check out his website which can be found by clicking the link here 

This is definitely not a Beaufort night to be missed. The performance will start promptly at 8 pm so please take your seats in good time for the start. 

Entry is only the customary £1 to cover the costs of the evening. Yes that’s right – you will be seeing some of the regions finest musicians for less than the price of a decent newspaper. How can you miss such an opportunity? 

Look forward to seeing you all on the 6th

A full house – last Mondays review

Paul Budgen and Clifton Harrydass

It’s always very encouraging when a lot of hard work produces results. So it was last Monday when Beaufort Jazz had a full house for the evening, comfortably filling the  Ellerbrook Suite with faces old and new.

The ever popular Trez Fez opened the evening with our special guest Clifton Harrydass featuring on steel pan. At first glance it might seem an unlikely combination for a gypsy jazz evening but it worked well and proved once again that good musicians can produce delightful performances from unexpected collaborations. The set contained many of the Hotclub favourites with Clifton adding subtly to the Trez Fez melodic sound. 

It has to said that the featured band format certainly works very well. Musicians get the opportunity to perform a 40 minute set and occasionally try something a bit different. Without this opportunity it probably wouldnt have been able to showcase Trez Fez and Clifton in this unique collaboration.

Previous featured bands have been just as impressive. In July we had Modjango make a welcome return to Beaufort Jazz to perform one of their vibrant sets. Both Roy and Paul Gregory had been taken ill that day but made a great effort to attend and play. Prior to that in June we were entertained by The Hot Club of Knotty Ash who brought an extended line up featuring violin and no less than four guitars. Both evenings were a great success and helped bring Gypsy Jazz to a new and appreciative audience.

Big John - Swing Manouche

After the featured act the evening offered musicians the usual opportunity to come together and play on the stage. Some  arrived as a prearranged group, whilst others arrived on their own to join in with a band or form an impromptu ensemble for the evening. It’s difficult to credit all these performances in a short post such as this but hopefully all musicians will get a mention here at some stage in the future.

The evening concluded with a welcome return to  Beaufort Jazz from Swing Manouche who now perform as a Trio with two guitars and double-bass. Welcome back gentlemen. As the room emptied, some musicians retired to the Orangery to jam informally whilst Clifton gave some enthusiastic onlookers a beginner’s lesson on the steel pan.

Needless to say, it takes a huge amount of effort to organise and promote the Beaufort Jazz evenings so it is most rewarding to see so many new faces. Hopefully the new people who attended will have enjoyed themselves and will want to join us again next month.

Many thanks to Will for the photographs

Trez Fez to feature – Monday August 2nd

Trez Fez - Hope Uni 2009

 How quickly a month goes by. It doesnt seem 5 minutes since we welcomed Modjango back to Beaufort Jazz as our featured musicians in July and now its time to  prepare for next Monday.  This month we are pleased to announce that Beaufort favourites Trez Fez  have agreed to feature as our opening act for the evening. They will be accompanied by our special guest, the very talented Clifton Harrydass.

 Beaufort Jazz regulars are very familiar with Trez Fez and their melodic interpretations of gypsy jazz standards  – but it’s not often we get to hear a full set from them and the opportunity to share their extensive repertoire. A recent perusal of their playlist suggests that they can cover over 60 numbers with some ease.

Their distinctive and instantly recognisable sound incorporates flute and accordion to complement the traditional gypsy jazz guitar, giving them a very uplifting and enjoyable sound. Much of the Trez Fez success comes from their willingness to innovate and explore new ways to perform. This includes inviting guest artists into the lineup whenever possible, which gives us the opportunity to introduce Clifton Harrydass.  

Paul-Trez Fez

 A London-based steel pan legend, Clifton is currently in Lancashire to do some recording. Not allowing such an opportunity to go begging, Trez Fez have managed to invite him along to guest with them on Monday. Some of us had a sneak preview of their collaboration at the Mustard Club last Thursday and it has to be said that the resulting sound is splendid and definitely not to be missed.  

As it is Clifton’s first visit please give him a warm Beaufort Jazz welcome. Hopefully you will be able to attend another thoroughly enjoyable evening.  

Entry is only £1 to cover costs and  the music starts promptly at 8pm

Look forward to seeing you on Monday! 

PS  – if you click here you will be able to see our promotional poster for Monday. Do you think you can print this and put it up to help us to promote the event? Any help is much appreciated!

Bickerstock starts on Saturday

Bickerstock 2009

If you havent heard of Bickerstock – it’s a  very popular local music festival held here  in rural West Lancashire.  It gets am honourable mention on this blog as Paul Draper (our resident Beaufort Jazz sound engineer) is the founder and principle organiser of Bickerstock.

Now in its seventh year, Bickerstock is what you would call a true community effort. Essentially a volunteer festival, generous people give their time unselfishly to provide live music and all the other support services needed to run the event. Last year a number of local charities benefited from Bickerstock – a point  which makes it even more worthy of your support.

It’s a true family event with food and refreshments and many different children’s activities on offer. So even if you only have a couple of hours to spare, its well worth the visit

Entry is free and car parking is available. To find out more, please check out the Bickerstock Website

Enjoy

 

A brief update

Just to keep you informed

Vernon Fuller will be performing at the Abode Hotel in Chester tonight as part of his series of concerts in conjunction with Jazz FM. Vernon will be appearing with Twin Frets and the start time is listed as 5.30pm.

Adam Palma informs us that later in the year he will be supporting Tommy Emmanuel in a number of concerts. This is excellent news for Adam and hopefully will introduce him to a wider audience.

Finally, you will have probably received an email from us asking if you wish to remain on the Beaufort Jazz email list. Please respond and confirm so we can keep sending you the regular newsletter. If you don’t currently receive the email and would like to – please sign up here.

Look forwarding to seeing you on Monday 5th