Beats’n’Pieces Big Band • Dark Knights of Soul
Festival Pavilion | 8.30pm, double bill (60 + 105 mins)
To bring mjf 2010 to a rousing close, two large Mancunian ensembles -- music for listening and dancing: edgy big band sounds and rollicking funk.
Beats’n’Pieces Big Band
Ben Cottrell – director, electronics
Chris Snead, Graham South, Owen Bryce – trumpets
Tim Cox, Simon Lodge, Paul Strachan – trombones
Sam Healey – alto saxophone
Sam Andreae, Kenji Fenton – tenor saxophones
Anton Hunter – guitar
Patrick Hurley – keyboards
Nick Blacka – bass
Finlay Panter – drums
A young and vibrant group with a big sound, using traditional big band instrumentation and ideology but updating that custom with influences from rock, pop and electronica. Ben’s influences include Maria Schneider, Acoustic Ladyland, Gil Evans, The Beatles and Radiohead – the latter featured tonight in a new suite of rearrangements and re-imaginations of Jonny Greenwood tunes, inspired by Colin Towns’ work with the music of Kurt Weill, Frank Zappa and the Mahavishnu Orchestra, amongst others.
Dark Knights of Soul
World Première
Morgan Pugh – bass guitar
Steve Parry, Russell Bennett – trumpets
Atholl Ransome – flute, tenor saxophone
Kenji Fenton – clarinet, tenor saxophone
Jim Corrie – alto & baritone saxophones
Steve Buckley – guitar
Steve Brown – keyboards
Rob Turner – drums
Sam Bell, Rick Weedon – percussion
The Dark Knights Of Soul bring the evening and mjf to a rollicking close with music for listening & dancing: Morgan’s compositions are aimed at the head and the feet; building on his reputation as one of Manchester’s funkiest band-leaders, composers and producers, he goes live with his latest studio incarnation – tight, opulent horn arrangements, some flamboyant soloing and a rock-solid rhythm section.
£7.50 – click for ticket information
Hear the sound (Beats’n'pieces):
Hear the sound (Dark Knights of Soul):
