Boisdale of Canary Wharf enhances its musical programme in June by launching a series of great shows dedicated to the blues. The Boisdale Blues Festival begins on June 14th with a night hosted by Jools Holland, featuring Chicago based Mud Morganfield, the son of the iconic Muddy Waters, who is in his own right one of the greatest bluesmen in the world. Mud will be followed by two acclaimed rising stars of the British blues scene, Errol Linton and Jordan Marsh.
Boisdale’s blues programme continues throughout June and further highlights include British guitar legend Albert Lee (described as “the greatest guitarist in the world” by Eric Clapton) on Friday 15th, The Congo Faith Healers on Saturday 16th June, Earl Thomas with Paddy Milner and The Big Sounds on Tuesday 19th, Giles Robson and The Dirty Aces on Thursday 21st and Jools Holland’s favourite bluesman Big Boy Bloater on Saturday 23rd.
The first wave of confirmed headline events include: An evening of music curated by superstar guitarist Ronnie Wood, who will be inviting some of his favourite musicians to join him for an exclusive tribute to the legendary Chicago-based blues label Chess Records; “Van Morrison Sings The Blues”, one of popular music's true innovators performing a unique concert of the music that continues to inspire him; Tom Jones will be revisiting 2010’s acclaimed gospel and blues set Praise & Blame as well as showcasing exclusive material from his forthcoming new album; the inimitable Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes will be bringing their intoxicating live show to both London and Manchester; distinguished soul and blues legend George Benson returns to the UK for shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall & Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall; renowned actor turned pianist & singer Hugh Laurie will be making a highly anticipated homecoming to perform music from his globally acclaimed 2011 debut Let Them Talk; and blues mainstay Robert Cray and his band will be roaring into town for what promises to be a blistering night of blues at O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire.
Furthermore, in what is a major coup for BluesFest 2012, Ronnie Wood has been commissioned to create the festival’s artwork. As revered an artist as he is a guitarist, Wood’s paintings are displayed in galleries around the world and the striking portrait he has produced for the festival cements his position as one of the art world’s most unique and enduring talents.
The broad scope of BluesFest 2012, which aims to present the finest in blues and the genres and artists it has influenced, is reflected by slots for former Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor; the “Screaming Eagle of Soul” Charles Bradley; phenomenal blues-rock outfit Gov’t Mule, gritty US guitarist and acclaimed songwriter John Hiatt; and one of the most talked about young guns on the scene, JJ Gray.
Tickets are available to purchase by visiting www.bluesfest.co.uk or by calling Ticketmaster on 0844 844 0444. *VIP tickets also available.
For more information, please contact Joe Baxter at AirMTM on 020 7386 1600 / joe@airmtm.com
With the May Bank Holiday weekend fast approaching, the Cheltenham Jazz Festival is boasting ticket sales in advance of 2012’s event, which runs from the 2nd – 7th May. More than 13,000 individual tickets have been sold so far and record attendances are expected as gig-goers prepare for six days of fantastic performances, covering the full spectrum of jazz and related music from the likes of Jamie Cullum, Marcus Miller, Imelda May, Gregory Porter, Paloma Faith, Candi Staton, Bill Frisell, Steve Winwood, Melody Gardot, John Taylor, Lighthouse Trio, Roberto Fonseca and many more....
New for 2012, the Cheltenham Jazz Festival welcomes a host of emerging talent to the Verve Lounge over the May Bank Holiday weekend. Held in association with the Verve Records label, itself owned by Universal Music, this free stage will showcase a selection of some of the finest young and up-and-coming artists on the scene.
Verve Records will be opening a coffee lounge right next to the Free Stage, meaning you can grab a coffee, meet the artists and enjoy the music in comfort.
“Cheltenham Jazz Festival has presented an exciting opportunity for us, as we inject new energy into the Verve label. As well as introducing some great fresh talent to the festival’s audience the stage will be an opportunity for us to showcase potential future Verve artists.
“We are also hosting a remix competition, as part of our Verve Remixed series. Cheltenham is one of the best festivals in the jazz calendar and has always given a platform to new artists so it was a natural fit for the label to get involved.” Mike Bartlett, Universal Music
With a great a range of new talent on display alongside wonderfully established artists, the 2012 Cheltenham Jazz Festival truly offers something to please all tastes and stands out as an unmissable highlight in the country’s cultural calendar.
www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/verve-lounge
Jodie Marie
Shaping up to be one of 2012’s brightest hopes, Jodie Marie, releases her debut album, ‘Mountain Echo’, on the classic Verve label on March 5th 2012. A gifted singer-songwriter with an elegant yet piercing light-blues touch, Jodie Marie could be the third point in a triangle formed by Joan Baez and Carole King.
Grace
18-year-old singer songwriter, Grace Lamarr has a distinctive voice with a rich velvet tone. In her music studies she has found influences and inspirations from a wide and eclectic range of music. Grace has been song-writing from the age of 10 and has developed the art of storytelling and poetry into her music. Her unique voice paired with her enchanting performance is captivating.
Natalie Duncan
Natalie started out playing covers in pubs and cafés around her native Nottingham, occasionally slipping in her own material. Buoyed by the reaction she added more, and has since gone on to sign to iconic jazz label Verve Records and work with the likes of Goldie. She lives in London with Kuku the cat and Aretha her keyboard.
Sam Johnson
Sam Johnson started writing at the age of 5, becoming interested in jazz and blues at 13. Since then he has performed with Jocelyn Brown and studied at the London School for Performing Arts & Technology, before signing to Verve Records.
Alexander Stewart
At just 24 years of age, Manchester-born singer Alexander Stewart has already created a buzz as one of the most precociously talented vocalists of the new generation. With a warm, urgent voice that shows off his early love of Billie Holiday and Tony Bennett. He has a judiciously off-beat choice of material and a decidedly contemporary energy level.
Laura Mvula
Laura developed a passion for vocal music through writing and arranging for various local ensembles and also leading city-wide schools projects in Birmingham. Since then she’s started on her own solo projects, working with Brit nominee, producer and composer Steve Brown (Spend! Spend Spend!), and manager Kwame Kwaten (Rumer).
Louise and the Pins
Louise and the Pins have already made an imprint on the live scene, having played with the likes of Martha Wainwright and Laura Marling. Wakefield born Louise Hull describes her sound as rockabilly, with a strong torch singer element: “I want to bring people into my world…I want to hurt their hearts and I want to create music that makes people feel something; real music.”
Martyna
Martyna is a singer songwriter whose roots are in acoustic music but her heart is in jazz. She has worked with the likes of Boo Hewerdine, Cara Dillion and David Knopfler. She appeared at the Sligo Jazz festival with Norma Winstone and Anita Wardell, and she’s currently writing her new album.
Verve Lounge at Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2012
Friday 4th May
17.00 - 17.45 - Jodie Marie
18.00 - 18.45 - Grace
19.00 - 19.45 - Natalie Duncan
Saturday 5th May
13.40 - 14.25 - Sam Johnson
15.45 - 16.30 - Alexander Stewart
19.15 - 20.00 - Natalie Duncan
Sunday 6th May
16.00 - 16.45 - Laura Mvula
17.00 - 17.45 - Louise and The Pins
19.15 - 20.00 – Martyna
The full festival line-up is available at www.cheltenhamfestivals.com
A collection of the best work from cinematic composer Nino Rota, featuring themes from Federico Fellini’s ‘La Dolce Vita’ and Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘The Godfather’
To commemorate the centenary of Nino Rota’s birth, Warner Jazz / Milan Music present the Nino Rota Collector edition, gathering some of the most beautiful themes ever written by the composer for the silver screen.
Born in Milan into a musicians’ family, Nino Rota composed his first oratorio in 1923 when he was just 12 years old. Later he studied at the Curtis Institute of Philadelphia and returning to Milan in 1933, Nino Rota began his celebrated career with the soundtracks to Raffaelo Matarazzo’s ‘Treno Popolare’ (1933) and Renato Castellani’s ‘Zazà’ (1944).
While actively working for Italian cinema, he met Federico Fellini, who was working on his first film ‘Lo Sceicco Bianco’ (1952). Following the success of this soundtrack, Rota retained an exemplary collaboration with Fellini for the rest of his life, especially with ‘I Vitelloni’ (1953), ‘La Strada’ (1954), and the groundbreaking ‘La Dolce Vita’ (1960).
Further notable scores include Fellini’s ‘8½’ (1963), which remains one of the most important elements of the film, bringing coherence and enhancing drama, while remaining in the spectator’s mind long after the film has finished.
Further to his collaborations with Fellini, Nino Rota also composed for Luchino Visconti (Rocco and his Brothers (1960) / The Leopard (1963), and later in his career for Francis Ford Coppola, penning the extraordinary theme for ‘The Godfather’, which gained Rota the Oscar for the best original movie score in 1972.
The Nino Rota Collector amalgamates all of Rota’s iconic compositions into a complete compilation, creating a slice of cinematic music history to be enjoyed by future generations.
Released 23rd April 2012
For more information and review copies, please contact AirMTM,
0207 386 1604 / rupert@airmtm.com
Clara Ponty releases new vocal album ‘Into The Light’ – a collection of twelve original compositions with tracks featuring Jean Luc Ponty and Nigel Kennedy
Acclaimed songwriter, pianist and vocalist Clara Ponty releases ‘Into The Light’ on May 7th 2012, co-produced by Stuart Bruce (Stevie Wonder, Frankie goes to Hollywood, Yes, Kate Bush) and featuring guest appearances from her father, jazz violin pioneer Jean Luc Ponty, experimental cellist Vincent Segal and maverick composer and showman violinist Nigel Kennedy. Musically, the album touches on pop, jazz, classical, Celtic, West African, and folk genres and explores a wide range of subjects including spiritual paths, views modern life and life experiences.
‘Into The Light’ is also the first album that features Clara as a vocalist, as well as the talented pianist and songwriter for which she is originally known. Her soothing vocals demonstrate an urge to add another dimension to her wide-ranging instrumental pieces, compositions that draw on composers as varied as Debussy and Steve Reich, on classical technique, jazz sensibilities, and even delicate hints of Latin rhythms (as in the gorgeous “Coeur à Coeur” featuring her father Jean-Luc Ponty’s deft violin). As Clara explains:
“I was intrigued by the possibilities. The voice can hold a note far longer than the piano can, and you can give a more personal expression to it. This step was natural and channeled more of my femininity and sensuality.”
Prior to the release of ‘Into The Light’ , Clara achieved considerable success composing solo, however the partnerships on her new project have influenced her own talent and taken her work on a foray into the unknown. This unique direction manifested itself lyrically through her collaborations with the wordsmith, poet and cult jazz lyricist Mike McGurk. As Ponty notes: “Mike has a pure quality to his work….. He has the exceptional combination of philosophical depth and a childlike joy that really stands out.”
The result of working with these musical and poetic dignitaries, combined with Pony’s insatiable appetite to learn develop as an artist is an album that is both easily accessible and experimentally unique.
Released May 7th 2012
For more information, including interview requests, please contact Rupert Burley on rupert@airmtm.com / 020 7386 1604
One of the world’s most exciting modern composers, Clint Mansell, is responsible for the creation of a plethora of epic and celebrated film soundtracks, including Requiem For A Dream, The Fountain, Black Swan, The Wrestler and Pi, through his lifetime collaboration with groundbreaking film director Darren Aronofsky.
Mansell’s soundtrack to the 2010 romantic drama ‘Last Night’ has been unavailable until now, and this original recording of the sought after film score provides a legion of fans a chance to appreciate his emotionally charged compositions all over again in a different context.
The beautiful, piano-driven score (featuring the widely familiar end credit song ‘Final Movement’ with vocals by Peter Broderick), can be appreciated as an enhancement of ‘Last Night’s’ scenes and script, but stands alone as a masterpiece in itself, to be enjoyed by dramatic cinematic music lovers around the world for years to come.
Released April 16th 2012 - Warner Jazz
Multi Latin Grammy winner Maria Rita’s releases new album 'Elo' on Warner Jazz. The Brazilian siren's hugely successful debut album Maria Rita went platinum, selling over a million copies worldwide, while her second album Segundo granted her two additional Latin Grammys for Best MPB album and Best Brazilian song. Her subsequent success took her across the world, with performances at the Montreux Jazz and the North Sea Festival, as well as Irving Plaza in New York, and the San Francisco Jazz Festival.
Maria Rita is the daughter of two icons of Brazilian music, Elis Regina and Cezar Camargo Mariano. While her third album Samba Meu was a tribute to her country’s native samba, the concept for Elo was drawn from fan’s song requests at live performances. Maria Rita re-creates the intimate setting of her appearances at Sao Paolo's Tom Jazz club, as she is joined by the trio of pianist Tiago Costa, bassist Sylvinho Mazzuca, and drummer Cuca Teixeira.
Under The Bridge Celebrates First Birthday with Massive Free Music Festival
* 12 bands * 7 hours * 4 venues * 600 yards *
Landmark Fulham venue Under the Bridge is going for it on its first birthday on Friday April 27th, throwing the party to end all parties – a massive, free music festival which will see an eclectic range of hotly tipped bands and artists descend on the area for an incredible evening of live music.
Since the venue’s incarnation early last year, Southwest London’s music scene has been given a new lease of life and the arrival of Fulham Fest is set to cement the area’s growing reputation as one of the capital’s newest musical hotspots. The festival will stage seven hours of grassroots music across a range of local venues and will feature a wide-ranging mix of sounds, from indie and electro pop to folk and beyond.
Under The Bridge celebrates a stellar first year which has seen packed shows from international stars such as Bruno Mars, Kaiser Chiefs and James Morrison as well as sparkling recommendations from the likes of Ellie Goulding, Paul Rodgers and Jamie Cullum.
Fulham Fest takes place on Friday April 27th. Tickets are available in advance from the Under the Bridge website:
www.underthebridge.co.uk
The Drums Play Exclusive Free Early Morning Gig at Floridita
Thursday 1st March 2012, 8.15AM
The New York Bakery Co has signed up New York band The Drums for an exclusive early morning gig at Floridita (100 Wardour St, Soho, London, W1F 0TN), featuring some of their best known songs, over a bagel breakfast. The 20-minute acoustic set will feature songs from their debut self titled album and 2011’s Portamento and is a unique opportunity to see the band at an intimate London venue during their hugely popular tour. 2011 saw the first ever New York Bakery Breakfast Club featuring a 20-minute performance of the much-loved American high-school musical Grease. This year it is the Drums turn to bring a taste of the Big Apple to the UK.
The Drums, comment:
“We always prefer to play smaller, more intimate shows whenever possible, and giving fans a chance to see us play a free, acoustic show over a bagel breakfast in one of our favorite cities is an opportunity that we’re really excited about!” The early morning gig will start at 08:15am and fans can get free tickets by emailing their interest to thedrums@breakfastbagels.com. Doors will open and a delicious bagel breakfast will be served from 08:00am.
Andrea Bocelli, the biggest-selling solo artist in the history of classical music, will be performing five huge shows across the UK and Ireland in 2012.
This massively anticipated run of dates will kick off in Dublin on November 6th before heading to Belfast, Birmingham, Liverpool and London. The tour will see Bocelli performing music from throughout his career which has seen him sell over 70 million albums.
Tuesday November 6th 2012
Dublin The O2
Thursday November 8th
Belfast Odyssey Arena
Saturday November 10th
Birmingham LG Arena
Sunday November 11th
Liverpool Echo Arena
Wednesday November 14th
London The O2