Posts Tagged ‘The Sub Ensemble’

Have a look at Peter Bacon’s comments about last Friday’s gig with The Sub Ensemble  on his Jazz Breakfast site here with a wonderful photograph taken by Garry Corbett.

It was indeed an excellent gig and an appropriate end to our autumn season.

Tony

Birmingham Jazz has just two gigs left before we take a short Christmas break.  We have The Gannets at the Hare & Hounds this Wednesday, 16th December at 8.30 and the final Rush Hour Blues of the year with The Sub Ensemble at Symphony Hall at 5.30 to 7pm on Friday 18th December. We are also supporting Dan Nicholl’s gig at The Cross tomorrow (Monday 14th December at 8.30) with his new band Hyderabad.
The Gannets are an offshoot of the Guillemots, the indie group nominated for the Mercury Award three years ago, and the group features Fyfe Dangerfield on keyboards.  The focus is on free improvisation with some electronics, but the music differs from much free jazz in that other genres, notably elements of rock, dance music and fusion, all blend into what is a potent mix.  The band features clarinettist Alex Ward, saxophonist Chris Cundy, Dominic Lash on bass, drummer Steve Noble as well as Fyfe Dangerfield.  You can check out a recent broadcast on the Jazz on Three programme here.

The great news about the Sub Ensemble gig at the Rush Hour Blues session is that saxophonist Mike Fletcher is back and will be playing with the band.  Mike had to stop playing a little time ago as a result of problems with his arm, but a long rest has improved things greatly and he is able to play again on a regular basis.  He spends much of his time in Spain now, but is definitely back for this gig.

Tony

Friday 18th December
Symphony Hall Foyer
5:30 – 7
£free

Check out The Sub Ensemble on Spotify:

(photograph by Russ Escritt)

Thanks to everyone who came down to Jazz Club at The Rainbow last wednesday for the invigorating performance by The Sub Ensemble.  Please have a read of Peter Bacon’s review ( Jazz writer at The Birmingham Post and Birmingham Blogger).

Jazz Club, The Rainbow
26-08-09
Getting the right band together is difficult enough in itself; keeping them together down the years in an uncertain world needs great determination and forbearance. Bassist Chris Mapp is managing just fine with the band that grew out of Sugarbeats, but last night illustrated the ongoing challenge.

It was the last gig for the drummer who has been there from the start, Alan Gardiner. He is sliding south to Brighton, and will, I reckon, be sorely missed. His ability to play a rock solid groove and yet bring light and energy to it as well has always been one of the band’s strong points.

But it was also the first gig with the band for trumpeter Aaron Diaz, and here there is great cause for celebration. Slightly reticent at first (or rather slightly down in the mix due to his softer tone when compared with that of fellow trumpeter Mike Adlington), he quickly started to look and sound at home and  played some of the evening’s strongest solos. The two-trumpet line-up was one of the things I liked most about later incarnations of Sugarbeats, and the chrome brightness it gives to the horn section suits perfectly the shiny vibe of the music.

So, as one door closes another opens, then… and I am sure there are some hot drummers around just longing to lock into the tight rhythm team of Mapp, keyboardist Rob Norman and percussion man Mark Robertson.

And up front? Needless to say Adlington continues to do the business, in his cool, always assured manner, and Colin Mills provides the wild card on baritone. There was one tune last night which paired Mills’ and Mapp’s bass clef instruments that I thought was particularly effective, and points to how Mills might be best used in the future. There is a tendency for his excellent solos to get lost in the mix if they are treated as conventional horn improvs against full rhythm backing (especially if Norman is feeling enthusiastic, as he was last night).

The band played lots of familiar favourites – 22-21, For You, Dual-eyed Entity, Beautiful Spring – and they were all sounding as fine as I have heard them, but the real stand-out of the evening was the band’s reworking of the 4Hero piece Humans. Like the encore, a Dee Dee Bridgewater tune (”done in one of my favourite styles: fast latin!” as Mapp told us), it showed the originality the band can bring to other material (though it must be stressed, Humans, is a near fresh creation compared to the original).

It is this strong and individual band character, and the huge bonus of the tunes former Sub saxophonist Mike Fletcher has bequeathed to them, that ensures them a healthy future. The cast may change but the story continues.

From Peter Bacon’s  Blog : http://thejazzbreakfast.wordpress.com/

www.myspace.com/thesubensemble

Next Wednesday 26th August sees The Sub Ensemble take the stage at Jazz Club at The Rainbow and we’re very pleased to announce their upcoming release with 4hero on a remix of 4hero tune Humans.

Doors open at 8.30pm at The Rainbow Courtyard and the band will start at 9pm. Entry is just £3.00.

The remix compilation features re-workings by Robert Mitchell’s 3io, Sonar Kollectiv Orchester and [re:jazz] and will be released in October.

Come along to The Rainbow and hear The Sub Ensemble, led by bass player Chris Mapp  perform an all orginal set of  instrumentals.

Please have a listen to them at www.myspace.com/thesubensemble

or click on the Spotfiy button below

photo by Garry Corbett

Wednesday 26th August
Jazz Club @ The Rainbow, Digbeth
8:30pm, £3

The Sub Ensemble’s unique brand of jazz-orientated music was a hit last summer at Jazz Club, so we’ve booked them again to round off the summer in style! Catch them while you can….
www.myspace.com/thesubensemble

Check out The Sub Ensemble on Spotify: