Straight No Chaser are back this weekend and performing at The Hassocks Hotel. Joined by pianist Tom Phelan and vocalist Jaqui Sampson it should be a great gig packed with our normal mix of big band arrangements; classic, modern and originals.
Come early if you want to get a seat!
Performing on Sunday 18th we have a handful of great singers including Lou Beckerman:
LOU BECKERMAN
Lou Beckerman has been working as a vocalist, songwriter and guitarist since the mid-70’s incorporating a wide variety of material in her work: blues, lyrical, jazz and folk. More recently she has almost exclusively returned to her roots in jazz and has fallen in love again with this wonderful and endlessly beautiful musical form. With her distinctive mix of vocal discipline and freedom, her repertoire has expanded to include Latin, swing and soft ballads through to stonking blues – delivered clearly and stylishly.
With her improvisational style, an instrumental approach to the voice and soulful sound her vocals have been described as ‘a stairway to heaven’ and ‘like being rolled in honey’.At the heart of Lou’s work has always been her love of music and her joy in using it to enhance people’s lives.
To contact Lou email: info@loubeckerman.com
The Straight no Chaser ‘Singers Night’ will be returning to The Hassocks Hotel on Sunday 18th September.
We have a couple of our regular singers joining us, plus a handful of new artists who will be performing some great vocals with the big band.
Gig starts at 7.30, and we expect it to be very popular, so come early to get a good seat, or book with the pub on 01273 842113.
Of course as well as the vocal numbers there will be a good selection of our normal high octane big band repertoire, and as normal we don’t charge apart from putting the hat around… so no excuse for missing out on this treat.
The big band is taking most of August off gigs, time for us to enjoy the summer! So we won’t be performing at our regular Hassocks and Brunswick gigs. However we are performing at a beautiful event on Aug 21 at Lainston House near Winchester. We have performed several times now at this delightful venue so if you want to hear some great music on a summers day do come down.
Tickets available from the venue. More info here:
http://www.lainstonhouse.com/EXCLUSIVE_HOTELS/events/exclusive_event.aspx?pr=1251
As the leader of the Big Band I get continuous emails from singers who would like to perform with us. This got us thinking about a different gig that might be able to take advantage of this currently untapped talent.
Our May gig at the Hassocks will be a special vocal night where we will invite new singers to come along and sing a couple of tunes with the band.
Slots are filling up fast, so if you are a great vocalist who would like the chance to sing with our magnificent big band then get in touch very soon!
Alex.
What a great gig on Sunday! The band were joined by Mornington Lockett who really was in fine form, performing some amazing solos through the course of the evening.
It really was a delight having such a fine performer playing with the band and as well as providing a treat for our audience it has really motivated and spurred on our regular musicians.
The set, without vocals worked out well, with lots of jazzy treats. The new tenor features we had found were also great and included a large number of charts composed by Paul Busby who did us the honour of coming down to listen to us perform them. If you missed the gig don’t fret too much as Simon and Russell will be performing these nee charts at gigs soon!
Look forward to future guests spots later in the year. Next feature will be with trumpeter Steve Waterman at the Hassocks in June.
Fast looming before us is our next gig featuring a ‘guest’ player.
10th April sees the return of the big band to The Brunswick venus in Brighton and joining us will be saxophone supremo Mornington Lockett. We will be playing a jazzier set that normal, but one that will feature many favourites from the our repertoire.
Mornington has featured with many jazz greats including Jim Mullen, Arturo Sandoval, Ronnie Scott, Stan Tracey, Don Weller, Jimmy Smith and The New Jazz Couriers.
” One of the country’s most accomplished contemporary
improvisers … with a fearsome technique and an advanced
harmonic approach “
Time Out
” Saxophonist Mornington Lockett must be one of the most complete masters of the instrument alive today… “
The Observer
” Locomotive tenorist outsteams the competition “
The Guardian
” Abrasive and roaring one moment, then cutting suddenly to a
gentle caress – exciting stuff “
The Venue
” Sounds like Hendrix on sax “
Noel Gallagher
Sunday 10th April
The Brunswick Venue
Holland Road
Brighton
8pm Entry £5 (£3 conc.)
Good gig last night, with some really polished performances. It is funny how focussing on recording really takes the bands playing up a notch as we think about every detail in the charts. Playing the charts at gigs afterwards is much more fun, but you can really hear the difference in quality in the music.
It was wonderful to have Sue Rivers singing with the band again last night. I think we worked out that we hadn’t seen her for the past 5 years! Sue sounded great and had some exciting and varied charts for the band to play, her jazzy style and tone went down beautifully with the crowd last night! You can find out more about Sue and her music at her website http://www.suerivers.com/ . She has a new CD that is available from her website which is highly recommended.
I didn’t get any pictures of the gig last night, so you if you have any please send them my way, to my email or via our facebook!
Now time for me to get down to mixing the latest batch of recordings!
Alex
Well its almost time for the first gig for my new little project, given the great name (by Gary Wright) of the Albon Project, which as I can’t think of anything better is sticking for the moment!
Its been a while since I have been running a small band, and I thought it was time to step back and return to my roots a bit, revisiting some of my own material I was writing ten years ago, and that has got buried in the intervening years.
First outing for my new group, is this coming Sunday, 2nd January at The Brambletye Hotel, Forest Row. The gig starts at 8.00 and its FREE Entry. Also a bank holiday the next day so no excuse for not coming out and having a beer listening to some great music.
The project will be working with a big mixture of material, incorporating funky african beats along with latin and free ideas.
The group will be slightly amorphous with guests joining as the project progresses but for this first gig we have a stellar lineup of:
Alex Bondonno: Saxes
Joe Thomas: Piano
Nick Mcguigan: Bass
Noel Joyce: Drums
ALBON PROJECT: The Brambletye Hotel, Lower Square
Lewes Road, Forest Row, East Sussex RH18 5EZ
01342 824 144.
8.00pm Sunday 2nd November
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