Jazz breaking news: Dennis Rollins Velocity Trio Takes Off On Tour
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Top UK trombonist Dennis Rollins (pictured) completes a busy year – which has seen him play a starring role in iconic alto sax man Maceo Parker’s touring band –with an extensive UK tour to promote his fiery latest album The 11th Gate.
Out on Friday, 11/11/11, on which the Doncaster-based trombonist also celebrates his 47th birthday, the album is released by respected New York label Motéma whose illustrious roster also includes the likes of Randy Weston, Monty Alexander, Geri Allen, and this year’s breakthrough singing star Gregory Porter, while Rollins is the label’s first British signing.
The 11-track album features Rollins’ innovative trombone-led Velocity Trio – a rare sight amongst guitar/sax-led Hammond organ groups – that includes keyboardist Ross Stanley and excellent young drummer Pedro Segundo. The jazz-rooted album explores a variety of heavy Hammond-led grooves, one stunning multi-tracked trombone piece with plenty of intense trio interaction between these three virtuosos. The release date also reflects the belief in some circles that 11 November 2011 heralds “an age of ‘Global Awareness’ focusing on the evolution of human collective consciousness and the need to recognise each individual's unique spiritual being.” All of which Rollins expands on in an in-depth interview in this month’s issue of Jazzwise on sale now.
The band sets out on tour this week that includes an appearance at Camden’s Forge on Thursday 17 November as part of the London Jazz Festival, the dates are as follows: Millennium Hall, Sheffield (11 Nov); The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock (12 Nov); Ropetackle Arts Centre, Shoreham-by-Sea (16 Nov); The Forge, Camden, London (17 Nov); Eden Court Theatre, Inverness, Scotland (25 Nov); Links Hotel, Montrose, Scotland (26 Nov); The Old Fire Station, Oxford (3 Dec); Taliesen Arts Centre, Swansea (10 Dec); Perth Festival of the Arts, Australia (13 Feb); Jersey Jazz Festival (31 Mar); Colchester Arts Centre (1 April), Hope University, Liverpool (24 April); Civic Theatre, Doncaster (25 April); Seven Jazz, Leeds (3 May) and Drill Hall, Lincoln (4 May).
– Mike Flynn