Tuesday 26 August 2008

Pick of the week: Jazz

Courtney Pine
The Rake, Lancaster
Saturday 24
UK sax caption Pine is an inventive explorer of the connections between Africa, the Caribbean, America and Europe, and he's one of jazz's great entertainers.

Simon Spillett
Royal Clifton Hotel, Southport
Sunday 24
BBC Jazz Awards winner and sax newcomer Spillett is a hard-boppish, tradition-rooted participant but with plenty of creative independence.

Jeff Barnhart
Trustees Hall, Boston Spa, Saturday 23
Clifford Village Hall, Wetherby, Sunday 24
American virtuoso swing, stride and boogie piano player and vocalizer injects new life into the classic songs of the thirties and forties.







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Saturday 16 August 2008

Gelka, Less Is More

It's probably fair to say that Hungary is better known as the home of goulash, Franz Liszt and the Rubik's Cube than for its dance music scene. And after listening to Gelka�s debut album, you could be forgiven for presumptuous the creators hail from the Balearics rather than Budapest, so effortlessly does the music here epitomize the kind of pleasant but flat fare served up by endless Ibiza-themed chill-out compilations over the last 15 years.



Perhaps unsurprisingly, Gelka (named after Hungary's erstwhile state-owned electronics furbish up service, in case you were concerned) first surfaced five age ago on a Caf� Del Mar album and it's non hard to see wherefore the couple has appeared regularly in the series since. Lazy beats, lackadaisical Groove Armada's At The River � style horns and relaxed, ever-so-slightly funky guitars master here, with the casual mildly soulful vocal thrown in for good amount, mostly good manners of Ghanaian-born chanteuse Sena.



The non exactly typically Magyar-named Alex and Sergio of Gelka are now signed to Nightmares On Wax's DJ Ease�s Wax On label, but there's very little of the Yorkshire band's eclectic experiment in evidence on Less Is More. Most tracks just ramble along quite pleasantly; the odd sliver of soft melody here, the occasional toe-tapping rhythm there, with respectful nods to Kruder and Dorfmeister and Air's Moon Safari flitting in and out of the ! mix.



Gelka's few attempts to branch out from their well-tried and tried and true sound are decidedly interracial. Burlesk's skewed, stoned oompah band vibration brings some welcome oddity and personal identity, but last number Tea Kettle's Dream is a baffling 21st century reworking of Pink Floyd's thankfully largely forgotten 1970 curio Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast, culmination proceedings with a purposeless and unfunny collage of snoring and kitchen appliance noises. What went before was barely groundbreaking either, but fans of the now rather tired simmer down genre may find Less Is More is more or less the kind of narcotic fix they are looking for for.






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Thursday 7 August 2008

Johnny Hodges

Johnny Hodges   
Artist: Johnny Hodges

   Genre(s): 
Blues
   Jazz
   



Discography:


Three Shades Of Blue   
 Three Shades Of Blue

   Year: 1970   
Tracks: 10


Triple Play   
 Triple Play

   Year: 1967   
Tracks: 13


Johnny Hodges and Wild Bill Davis (CD 1)   
 Johnny Hodges and Wild Bill Davis (CD 1)

   Year: 1966   
Tracks: 10


Everybody Knows Johnny Hodges   
 Everybody Knows Johnny Hodges

   Year: 1964   
Tracks: 16


Johnny Hodges with Billy Strayhorn and Orchestra   
 Johnny Hodges with Billy Strayhorn and Orchestra

   Year: 1961   
Tracks: 11


Johnny Hodges and Wild Bill Davis (CD 2)   
 Johnny Hodges and Wild Bill Davis (CD 2)

   Year: 1961   
Tracks: 13


St. Louis Blues   
 St. Louis Blues

   Year: 1960   
Tracks: 15


Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges: Side By Side   
 Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges: Side By Side

   Year: 1959   
Tracks: 9


Jazz Masters 35   
 Jazz Masters 35

   Year:    
Tracks: 15




Possessor of the well-nigh beautiful front ever heard in wind, altoist Johnny Hodges formed his style early on and had little reason to change it through the decades. Although he could stomp with the best sway players and was masterly on the vapours, Hodges' delectable acting on ballads has ne'er been topped. He played drums and forte-piano former on forward switching to treble adolphe Sax when he was 14. Hodges was taught and divine by Sidney Bechet, although he presently put-upon alto as his main ax; he would regretfully drop soprano all told later on 1940. His early experiences included playacting with Lloyd Scott, Chick Webb, Luckey Roberts, and Willie "The Lion" Smith (1924), and he besides had the chance to work with Bechet. However, Johnny Hodges' substantial vocation began in 1928 when he joined Duke Ellington's orchestra. He promptly became one of the virtually crucial solo stars in the banding and a real pacemaker on alto; Benny Carter was his just close equal in the thirties. Hodges was featured on a unnumbered telephone number of performances with Ellington and as well had many chances to lead recording dates with Ellington's sidemen. Whether it was "Things Ain't What They Used to Be," "Come Sunday," or "Mania Flower," Hodges was an indispensable phallus of Ellington's orchestra in the mid-thirties and '40s. It was consequently a jolt, in 1951, when he distinct to allow for Duke Ellington and lead a band of his have. Hodges had a quick score in "Castle Rock" (which ironically showcased Al Sears' tenor and had no actual contribution by the alto saxist), but his jazz band concluded up struggling and breaking up in 1955. Hodges' reelect to Duke Ellington was a joyous occasion and he never real left hand once over again. In the sixties, Hodges teamed up with organist Wild Bill Davis on some roger Huntington Sessions, in the lead to Davis connexion Ellington for a time in 1969. Johnny Hodges, whose unchanging fashion constantly managed to sound wise, was still with Duke Ellington when he short died in 1970.






Monday 30 June 2008

New film follows the path of 300








The producers of 300 are taking another trip to an epic battlefield. Gianni Nunnari and Mark Canton will produce War Of Gods, a story with a similar tone to the last year�s ancient saga, which earned more than $450 million US worldwide.

War Of Gods concerns the battles waged by Theseus, a warrior from Greek mythology, who leads a fight against imprisoned titans. It will be shot by music videos veteran Tarsem, who directed Jennifer Lopez in The Cell.











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Wednesday 25 June 2008

Frenzal Rhomb

Frenzal Rhomb   
Artist: Frenzal Rhomb

   Genre(s): 
Rock: Punk-Rock
   Ska
   



Discography:


Shut Your Mouth   
 Shut Your Mouth

   Year: 2001   
Tracks: 16


A Man's Not a Camel   
 A Man's Not a Camel

   Year: 2001   
Tracks: 15


We're Going Out Tonight [Ep]   
 We're Going Out Tonight [Ep]

   Year: 1999   
Tracks: 3


Not So Tough Now   
 Not So Tough Now

   Year: 1997   
Tracks: 19


Once A Jolly Swangman Always A Jolly Swangman   
 Once A Jolly Swangman Always A Jolly Swangman

   Year:    
Tracks: 24


Meet The Family   
 Meet The Family

   Year:    
Tracks: 18




The irreverent Australian tinder unit Frenzal Rhomb formed in 1993; their card includes vocaliser Jason Whalley, guitar player Lindsay McDougal (a replacement for original guitar player Benjamin Costello), bassist Lex Feltham, and drummer Gordy Foreman (the third in a chronological succession including Karl and Nat). After touring as the reenforcement move patch American tinder bands Offspring, Bad Religion, and blink-182 were mastered under, the grouping released its start album, 1995's Coughing Up a Storm. Retitled Once a Jolly Swagman Always a Jolly Swagman, the album was issued on America's Liberation judge deuce old age later.


Hyped by NOFX's Fat Mike, Frenzal Rhomb became one of the biggest independent Australian bands with the freeing of their sec album, Non So Tough Now. After headlining the Australian stage of the 1998 Vans Warped Tour (and being recruited for the American edition as well), the grouping released its third album, Suffer the Family. A Man's Not a Camel followed in 1999 and Shut out Your Mouth appeared iI long time later on. Sans Souci came prohibited on Fat Wreck in June 2003 and featured young bassist Tom Crease. A subsequent world circuit brought Frenzal Rhomb to all corners of the ball, including newmarket in Taiwan, South Africa, Israel, the U.K., and Japan.






Monday 16 June 2008

Bruce Lenkei

Bruce Lenkei   
Artist: Bruce Lenkei

   Genre(s): 
Indie
   



Discography:


Indolent Perambulation   
 Indolent Perambulation

   Year: 2004   
Tracks: 11




 






Monday 9 June 2008

Young Aussie TV star killed by train

A young Melbourne actress has been killed by a train on her way to buy her brother a birthday present.

Jessica Jacobs, 17, tripped and fell on railway lines at Cheltenham railway station on Saturday, May 10, and was struck by a train, family friend Jeff Joseph said.

She was heading to buy her brother Adam a birthday present, he said.

Jessica, known as Jesse to her friends, was well known in the world of children's television, starring in Saddle Club, Worst Best Friends, Fergus McPhail and Holly's Heroes.

She also appeared in live productions, including the Sound of Music with Bert Newton and Lisa McCune.

Mr Joseph said Jesse, a student at Sandringham Secondary College, was a tenacious, popular and bright girl.

Her funeral will be held tomorrow at the Holy Trinity Church in St Kilda.





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