Tag Archives: live music

Ms Maurice at Woolwich Works – November 2021

28 Sunday Nov 2021

Posted by in London

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

Ms Maurice, led by Sheila Maurice-Grey, at Woolwich Works, November 2021

Down to Woolwich on the 54 bus on a Wednesday evening for Woolwich Works’ ‘W.Led Jazz Series‘. To say that a new, and very well-appointed, venue programming interesting jazz acts in Woolwich is a surprising and welcome development for 2021 would be a wild understatement. I was particularly keen to see Ms Maurice, led with a confident presence by Sheila Maurice-Grey of Kokoroko, Nerija, and other important groupings from the current London jazz scene. This particular band sounded to these ears heavily inspired by In A Silent Way-era Miles Davis – never a bad thing in my view.

Also on the bill, Juanita Euka who brought some serious rhythm playing, excellent dance moves and a very fine green jacket; plus Rosie Frater-Taylor who did some impressive scat singing over her guitar solos.

Juanita Euka at Woolwich Works, November 2021
Rosie Frater-Taylor at Woolwich Works, November 2021

Anthony Braxton ‘Standards’ at Cafe OTO – January 2020

24 Friday Jan 2020

Posted by in Diversions, London, Music, Photography, Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , ,

This week I was lucky to see Anthony Braxton performing at a sold out Cafe OTO, the last night of a three show residence in which he performed standards with a quartet.

It was a great experience, and a treat to sit so close to the musicians and watch them interact through the songs. Not every piece worked, but even those that didn’t had something interesting going on, and those that did – particularly Eddie Harris’s Freedom Jazz Dance – were pretty sublime.

The quartet was:

Anthony Braxton – saxophone

Alexander Hawkins – piano

Neil Charles – double bass

Stephen Davies – drums

Neil Young & The Promise of the Real; June 2016

15 Wednesday Jun 2016

Posted by in Music

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , ,


To the O2 Arena down the road on Greenwich Peninsula on a warm and airless evening, for Neil Young and his new band. The Promise of the Real might have the most terrible of terrible band names, but they did a great job of interpreting the different styles of NY’s various bands and musical phases. A surprising tour through the back catalogue, with a very different set from the last time I saw him at this venue, including some Greatest Hits (Heart of Gold), mid-90’s songs that I’d forgotten about entirely (Western Hero), two off On The Beach – particularly good – plus If I Could Have Her Tonight which had apparently been played the previous night in Leeds for the first time since 1968. His singing was strong and his guitar playing and tone – particularly with his Gretsch – was ace and uplifting. 

*obligatory Long May He Run conclusion*