Soweto Kinch keeps on doing good work at The Drum when he is not down in London, and on Sunday he brings the year’s Live Box sessions to a close with his own band and new material from his new EP, called A War In A Rack.
Expect verbal and saxophonic pyrotechnics and a good few laughs from this sharp hip-hop-jazz unclassifiable music.
The Live Box opens at 7.45pm in the Studio at The Drum, entrance is £5 (£3) and there is more information at www.the-drum.org.uk
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Meanwhile, Soweto’s dad Don brings his new play Not Quite Gospel to the Mixing Bowl at the Custard Factory next week. It’s a musical about love, faith and responsibility in an inner-city neighbourhood, and, while it is not quite jazz, it does feature the superb singer Eska Mtungwazi in the cast.
It’s on from Monday to Sunday, at 7.30pm, tickets are £8 (£6) and you can find out more at www.nucenturyarts.co.uk
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While now best known now as the founding member of pop band Guillemots, Fyfe Dangerfield is also Fyfe Hutchins, composer of choral and classical music.
But he pops on his jazz hat on Wednesday at The Hare & Hounds in Kings Heath as leader of The Gannets (yes, we get the seabird connection – ha ha), who also feature Alex Ward on clarinet, Chris Cundy on bass clarinet, Dominic Lash on bass and Steve Noble on drums. They are promising their own version of jazz history, taking in 30s swing, 60s free jazz and 70s fusion, all mixed up with some Noughties post-jazz knowing irony.
The gig starts at 9pm, tickets are £7 (£5 members and concessions) and there is more at www.birminghamjazz.co.uk
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Before all that, tomorrow’s Free Jazz offering in the Symphony Hall foyer bar between 5.30pm and 7pm is Latin-tinged electric jazz from a quartet led by trombonist Andy Derrick. The trombone is one of those instruments where cheerfulness cannot help but break through, and Latin rhythms also bring smiles, even when the days are short and grey. It’s free, too.
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Looking ahead, you can already book your seats for some very exciting jazz in early 2010.
On Friday, January 29, the Jan Garbarek Quartet comes to the Town Hall. On drums will be the truly marvellous Trilok Gurtu.
On Tuesday, March 30, Dan Bergland’s Tonbruket comes to the CBSO Centre. Bergland is the bass player from the late Esbjorn Svensson’s E.S.T.
And on Monday, April 19, the charismatic Philadelphian singer/songwriter Melody Gardot will be in Symphony Hall.
