Morning:
13°c
London faces a wave of bus and Tube strikes that could cause chaos for millions of passengers as unions walkout over pay and conditions
More...
An awesome and ridiculous film that leaves you thrilled beyond the point of your natural endurance
2012
Theatre
The show has suddenly become quite wonderful, and the galvanising factor is the terrific stage debut of Melanie C
Blood Brothers
Music
The British pop music industry may be eating itself but if Muse are the pick of what it can offer the world in 2010 then British music is in rude health indeed
Muse
I was smitten by both Gilberts enormous luxuriant moustache and the intelligence and nuance of this highly entertaining play
I totally recommend Babbo to anyone who is looking for really good and traditional Italian food
Always been a fan but never seen them live. I was ecstatic to be part of this epic event. WOW!
London,
Jack Massarik's rating
Reader rating
On song: Courtney Pine paid homage to New Orleans soprano-sax legend Sidney Bechet
Londoners are summering at home and buying British.
That’s how mission control at Ronnie Scott’s interprets the resounding success of BritJazz09, a patriotic fortnight conceived, it can be revealed, as “a bit of a gimmick for a quiet time of the year”.
To general delight and amazement there were full houses throughout, even for abstract sax maestro Evan Parker and “post-jazz” spitfires Polar Bear.
Some of our heaviest hitters had been taking new paths.
On Friday multi-reedman Courtney Pine paid homage to New Orleans soprano-sax legend Sidney Bechet, playing flute and a full reed array including bass clarinet. Afro-Cuban flavours from violin virtuoso Omar Puente were a bonus.
Saturday found pianist Kit Downes’s trio exploring repetitive trance-grooves pioneered by Esbjorn Svensson, a departure from his explosive nights with Empirical.
Likewise, Scottish sax man Tommy Smith had shifted from Coltrane to the mellower orbit of Jan Garbarek.
His power-trio, with Italian drummer Paolo Vinccia and Norwegian bassist Arild Andersen, covered everything from free-improv to Ellington, with laptop-triggered echo and ambient sound beneath.
Special mention should also go to urbane tenorist Iain Bellamy, in magisterial form on Thursday opposite Scott’s house pianist James Pearson, whose new trio album, Swing the Club, accurately describes what he has been doing these past three years.
His dazzling style encompasses Erroll Garner, JS Bach, Oscar Peterson, Dr John and almost anyone else.
BritJazz10 now looks a certainty.
Tonight and tomorrow: Sonny Fortune (020 7439 0747).
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
