Jazz breaking news: Courtney Pine, Mina Agossi And Evan Parker For Fife Jazz Festival
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Courtney Pine, Cyrus Chestnut, Mina Agossi, Trio AAB, and Evan Parker, are some of the high profile names just announced for next month’s Fife Jazz Festival in Scotland.
A relative newcomer, the Fife event, which runs from 4-6 February and is promoted by Jazz Scotland, AttFife and The Byre Theatre, is Scotland’s first big jazz gathering of the year. Concerts are spread across the kingdom of Fife in cities and towns from Anstruther to Charlestown, with high profile concerts in Dunfermline and St Andrews.
Courtney Pine, (above) always a popular draw on the festival circuit, will be previewing music from his new album Europa now confirmed for a springtime release. Dominated by an eclectic Afro-European vision the album showcases Pine’s ever increasing leaning towards the bass clarinet which should be a dominating feature of the Fife show, opening up the Scottish audience to Pine’s challenging new dynamic direction.
US gospel-influenced pianist Cyrus Chestnut made his name in the 1990s in Betty Carter’s band and as a leader has a substantial track record of records under his belt typically delivered with his own unique twist on gospel music.
Evan Parker, a talismanic figure on the British and wider European improvising scenes for many years, brings his uniquely channelled saxophone sound to Fife along with improvising guitarist John Russell, and by complete contrast the lively French/Beninese singer Mina Agossi (right) returns to the UK after launching her sparky jazz and chanson-flavoured album Just Like A Lady at the tail end of 2010. Agossi is playing at the Fife Festival in a double bill with the fine pianist Zoe Rahman who will be performing a solo set. Rahman will also appear in Fife as a member of Courtney Pine’s band.
The festival line-up also includes leading Scottish drummer Tom Bancroft’s cutting edge outfit Trio AAB, the Fife Jazz Orchestra featuring crooner Matthew Ford, the Kings of Swing Big Band and the Fife Youth Jazz Orchestra. Also look out for a special showing of the new animated film Chico and Rita featuring music by Bebo Valdés.
– Stephen Graham
For full details go to www.fifejazzfestival.com