13th September 2012 at Imperial Wharf, London SW6.
Imperial Wharf Jazz Festival (free event).
Country: Britain & Cuba (British resident). Style: Jazz - Modern.
Lineup: Courtney Pine (soprano sax/EWI), Omar Puente (violin), Cameron Pierre (g), Darren Taylor (b), Robert Fordjour (d).
Courtney Pine was born in London to Jamaican parents. He came to the fore with the Jazz Warriors in the mid 1980s, and has since led his own bands. In recent years this has included the Cuban violinist Omar Puente, who I photographed in a very different musical context at the Celebrating Sanctuary Festival: www.flickr.com/photos/kmlivemusic/sets/72157627027385999/.
More information: www.courtneypine.co.uk/.
Tags: Jazz Great Britain Courtney Pine Soprano Sax Saxophone Imperial Wharf Jazz Festival Imperial Wharf
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9th January 2018 at the Leytonstone Ex-Servicemens Club, London E11.
East Side Jazz Club, eastsidejazzclub.blogspot.co.uk/.
Country: Britain. Style: Jazz - Modern.
Lineup: Steve Williamson (soprano sax), Alex Ho (p), Gary Crosby (b), Clive Fenner (d).
Steve Williamson's parents were from Jamaica, and he started out playing Reggae before turning to Jazz. He made a big impact in the 1980s and 90s as part of the Jazz Warriors and with a series of albums as leader. His music always incorpoated a variety of styles and for an extended period he was more reguarly found playing Drum and Bass or African music than on the Jazz Scene. Over the last decade he has made something of a return, and I have seen him with Cary Crosby's Nu Troop (twice), Julian Joseph and Jean Toussaint. For photos of the last of these, see: www.flickr.com/photos/kmlivemusic/sets/72157631765981148/. The other musicians at this gig were Clive Fenner, the organiser of The East Side Jazz Club ,who I have photographed several times before at the club (www.flickr.com/photos/kmlivemusic/tags/clivefenner,-steve...); fellow ex-Jazz Warrior Gary Crosby, who I have photographed with Tomorrow's Warriors, Nu Civilisation Orchestra, Jazz Jamaica and Denys Baptiste (www.flickr.com/photos/kmlivemusic/tags/garycrosby,-stevew...); and Alex Ho, who I have seen before with Tomorrow's Warriors, but this was before I started taking photos of the band. Together they played the usual Jam Session mix of standards and familiar tunes by well known Jazz composers like Monk and Shorter.
Tags: Jazz Great Britain Steve Williamson Soprano Sax Saxophone East Side Jazz Club Leytonstone Ex-Servicemens Club
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11th May 2018 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall (Foyer), London SE1.
Part of "Ligeti In Wonderland" / Friday Tonic (free event).
Country: Britain. Style: Jazz - Modern.
Lineup: Steve Williamson (soprano sax), Hamish Nockles-Moore (b), Zoe Pascal (d) and guests: Rhiannon Dimond (violin), Jules Vaughan (viola), Miranda Lewis (cello).
I took photos of Steve Williamson with a different group of musicians earlier this year (www.flickr.com/photos/kmlivemusic/albums/72157664555094028/). Plus Hamish Nockles-Moore (www.flickr.com/photos/kmlivemusic/tags/hamishnocklesmoore...) and Zoe Pascal (www.flickr.com/photos/kmlivemusic/tags/zoepascal,-stevewi...) with Tomorrow’s Warriors groups.
Tags: Jazz Great Britain Steve Williamson Soprano Sax Saxophone Ligeti In Wonderland Friday Tonic Southbank Centre
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20th November 2019 at the 100 Club, London W1.
London Jazz Festival, www.londonjazzfestival.org.uk/.
Country: Britain. Style: Jazz - Modern / Township music.
Lineup: Frank Williams (tenor sax), Steve Williamson (alto sax), Robbie Juritz (tenor sax/bassoon), Julian Nicholas (tenor sax/soprano sax/clarinet), Dave Bitelli (baritone sax/flute), Claude Deppa (trumpet/flugelhorn), Chris Batchelor (trumpet/flugelhorn), David Defries (trumpet/flugelhorn/percussion), Paul Taylor (trombone), Annie Whitehead (trombone), Alastair Gavin (p), Michael Curtis Ruiz (bass g), Steve Argüelles (d), Kofi Adu (conga).
Brotherhood of Breath was formed in 1969 by South African pianist and composer Chris McGregor, evolving out of the Blue Notes, and continuing until his death in 1990. It has reformed from time to time since (e.g. 1993. 2004) to mark specific occasions These have become more frequently in the last year. The band here included five musicans from the late 1980s version of the band (Frank Williams, Robert Juritz, David Defries, Claude Deppa and Annie Whitehead), plus two more who were part of a 1993 tribute to McGregor (Steve Williamson and Paul Taylor). The music of the Brotherhood of Breath obviously owed a lot to the presence of South African exiles, but also to the British musicians who were always a significant part of the band. Those on stage here included no less than six musicians who played with Loose Tubes (Julian Nicholas, Dave Bitelli, Chris Batchelor, David Defries, Paul Taylor and Steve Argüelles). Many of tunes performed at this concert came from the last recording McGregor made with the Brotherhood of Breath, 1988’s "Country Cooking". I have taken photos before of several of the musicians (Williamson, Nicholas, Bitelli, Deppa, Batchelor, Taylor, Whitehead). To view click on the musician's name in my tags.
Tags: Jazz Great Britain Brotherhood of Breath Steve Williamson Alto Sax Saxophone London Jazz Festival 100 Club
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6th October 2012 at Bull’s Head, Barnes, London SW16.
Country: United States [US Virgin Islands] (British resident) & Britain. Style: Jazz - Modern.
Lineup: Jean Toussaint (tenor sax), Steve Williamson (tenor sax/soprano sax), Larry Bartley (b), Shaney Forbes (d).
After a spell as a Jazz Messenger with Art Blakey, Jean Toussaint moved to the UK in 1987. This gig saw him with his regular bassist Larry Bartley, plus Steve Williamson (another musician who came out of the Jazz Warriors and who I’ve seen a few times with Gary Crosby) and Shaney Forbes of Empirical. I have previously taken photos of Larry Bartley with Chris Biscoe (www.flickr.com/photos/kmlivemusic/sets/72157624790035795/ and www.flickr.com/photos/kmlivemusic/sets/72157627012715311/) and Shaney Forbes with Empirical (www.flickr.com/photos/kmlivemusic/sets/72157628187734945/).
More information: www.myspace.com/jeantoussaint.
Tags: Jazz Great Britain Steve Williamson Jean Toussaint Tenor Sax Saxophone Bulls Head, Barnes
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