Highlights of 2021 - Newcastle Jazz Co-Op - Entrepreneur Generations

 

                                                       ARQ at the Globe Newcastle
Dave Parker writes

The determination of Newcastle’s Jazz.Coop to keep live music going at its venue The Globe throughout the pandemic was rewarded in 2021 with two national awards – Co-op of the Year and All Party Parliamentary Jazz Award – and two further grants from the Culture Recovery Fund.

In 2021 arranged over 50 jazz gigs. Half of them were livestreamed from the empty Globe to an eager world of people longing for live jazz. We have continued to livestream since audiences have been allowed back because this enables more people to enjoy the music. Of the many excellent gigs in 2021 I going to highlight three, each definitive performances of a particular style of jazz.

In January Emma Fisk’s Hot Club du Nord gave a virtuoso celebration of Django Reinhardt’s birthday. We knew they are one of the best gypsy jazz bands in the UK, but the surprise was how naturally Emma Fisk took to the livestream format. With a tablet on her music stand she engaged with the online comments as though with an audience in the room.

In October a packed audience in The Globe (and online) was spellbound by ARQ – Alison Rayner Quintet. This was the finest original contemporary jazz performed by five musicians at the height of their powers – carefully crafted melodies delivered with joyous spontaneity.

Another sell-out concert was the Clark Tracey Quartet recreating the iconic Under Milk Wood suite written by his father Stan nearly 60 years ago. This was not a tribute band. The musicians and the narrator (Ben Tracey – Clark’s son) delivered a striking, fresh interpretation of a classic. Marvellous.

Dave Parker 

Dave stood down from the board of the Jazz.Coop at our AGM in October- thanks for eight years of dedicated (and successful) hard work !

 


from NorthernJazzLive https://ift.tt/3DXP5xQ Highlights of 2021 - Newcastle Jazz Co-Op - Entrepreneur Generations

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