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PLAYING OUT LOUD!
ARTICLES
Motimba. Preview by Peter Ashton.
 Poole
Lighthouse is the venue for a feast of urban Latin music when Motimba play a
concert there on Friday March 18.
Motimba, is an international lineup of established musicians on the London scene
who have a wealth of experience in the fields of Latin, funk and Afro-jazz.
Since bursting onto the scene in June 1999 Motimba have built up a reputation
for powerful and energetic performances which have earned them a staunch
following on the club and festival circuit. What makes them highly original is
their unique spicy blend of very danceable funky Cuban timba, salsa and reggae
sung and rapped, with great humour, in a mixture of Spanish and English.
The recent interest around the UK in Cuban music focuses predominantly on "Son"
and traditional Salsa - music rich in tradition, where the fusion process
occurred generations ago. The music scene in Cuba today, however, has moved on,
with the new generation of musicians fusing their traditions with modern
influences from pop to jazz, creating new urban grooves such as "Timba".
Motimba's latest album, “Monkey Vibrations” reflects the contemporary Cuban
music scene and has received great critical acclaim:
"Just fantastic! What a great crossover of styles, but very much rooted in
the Latin tradition" Mike Chadwick, Jazz FM
"UK's most interesting latin band today mixing timba, salsa, soul, R&B, and
jazz. Groundbreaking." Lubi Jovanovic, Straight No Chaser magazine."
"A sort of Jamiroquai Goes Latin....a must for crossover fans." Bobby
Boogaloo, Oyé Listen magazine (Netherlands)
The album gives a taste of the exuberance the outfit exerts on stage, but the
band is apparently even more phenomenal live, when the tight rhythm section, hot
horns and energetic soloing really take off behind the vocals and dancing of the
charismatic Robert Henry and Enrique Bringas Puente.
The musicians at Motimba's core are:
Robert Henry (UK/Jamaica): Vocals
Enrique Bringas Puente (Cuba): Vocals, Percussion
Kishon Khan (UK/Bangladesh): Keyboards/MD
Patrick Zambonin (Switzerland): Bass
Justin Thurgur (UK): Trombone, Vocals
Graeme Flowers (UK): Trumpet
Finn Peters (Netherlands): Saxes, Flute
Jamie Trowell (UK): Drums
Mauricio Ravalico (Italy): Congas
Dave Pattnam (UK): Timbales, Bongos, Vocals
Flavio Arias-Diaz (Cuba): Vocals
Janet (Cuba): Vocals
Tickets for the Lighthouse gig are available through 01202 685222.
Equation. Preview by Peter Ashton.
 Folk-rock
crossover band Equation’s list of past members looks like a who’s who of the
cream of young folk artists. The band who play at Winchester’s Tower Arts Centre
on Thursday March 10 and The Anvil at Basingstoke on Saturday the 19th have
featured Kate Rusby, Cara Dillon and Luke Daniels in various lineups over the
last decade or so.
It all started when three brothers from the western edge of Dartmoor in Devon
got together to play following childhoods spent playing with their parents in
The Lakeman Family Band. Sean Lakeman on guitar, Sam Lakeman on piano and
keyboards and Seth Lakeman on violin branched out as The Lakeman Brothers in the
early 199`s and soon built a solid reputation as one of the most promising units
on the UK folk and acoustic music scene. They released the album “3 Piece Suite”
- all self-penned songs plus two songs sung by their good friend Kathryn
Roberts.
Kathryn, a vocalist, piano and woodwind player and fellow Barnsley vocalist Kate
Rusby who also played piano and guitar were at this time a duo, having known
each other since childhood. They started playing folk clubs and festivals during
the early 1990s and their partnership culminated in the recording of their
self-titled album of traditional songs which was voted the UK`s Folk Album of
the Year in 1995. Kathryn was also the first ever vocalist to win the
prestigious BBC Radio Young Tradition Award. When asked to play a tour of
Portugal in September 1994, Kate and Kathryn asked the Lakeman Brothers to
accompany them as a backing band. Billed as 'Blackadder', the tour proved a
groundbreaking success.
On their return to the UK the five agreed to form a permanent band and changed
their name to 'The Equation'.
The Equation soon became Equation and the band has enjoyed continued success
ever since. Cara Dillon replaced Kate Rusby before moving on to a solo career
and the band carried on playing in different permutations, playing the UK,
Europe and the USA and releasing several albums. Seth Lakeman left the band
after six years and he and brother Sam now accompany Cara Dillon. Kathryn
Roberts still fronts the band with her mellow vocals and Equation’s melodic
sound is as popular as ever.
Shane McGowan. Preview by Peter Ashton. Photo copyright
Claire Edwards.
 The
controversial Shane McGowan and his band The Popes are lined up to play what
should be a cracking gig at The Albert Bar on South Parade Pier in Southsea on
Saturday March 19.
Much has been written about Shane’s alcohol and drug intake, but as anyone who
saw his performance at last year’s Eastleigh Festival will confirm, the man
somehow pulls himself together when he gets onstage, even if he occasionally
falls over on the way there! As for his band, they are just stupendous. Not
having seen Shane with The Pogues I can’t make comparisons, but The Popes
really shone at Eastleigh.
Shane has written so many great songs; a poll on his website listed the fans’
favourites and we reproduce the Top 20 below:
Fairytale Of New York
A Rainy Night In Soho
If I Should Fall From Grace With God
The Broad Majestic Shannon
A Pair Of Brown Eyes
London You're A Lady
The Body Of An American
Sally Mac Lennane
Lullaby Of London
The Sickbed Of Cuchulainn
Mother Mo Chroi
Boys From The County Hell
Streams Of Whiskey
You're The One
Song With No Name
The Old Main Drag
Haunted
Turkish Song Of The Damned
Bottle Of Smoke
White City
Pleae contact Barking Spider Hotline on: 023 9243 6267 for ticket details on the
Southsea gig.
Ray Gelato. Preview by Peter Ashton
 Jazz
singer and sax player Ray Gelato who plays at Eastleigh’s Concorde Club on
Wednesday March 23 has had quite a career since turning professional in 1980.
Playing with The Dynamite Band and The Chevalier Brothers between 1980 and 1988,
Ray also appeared singing and playing in the hit British film “Scandal” in 1988.
In the same year he formed Ray Gelato and the Giants of Jive, a 7-piece band
which was the prototype of the winning formula swing band Ray uses today.
Their extensive list of gigs included shows at Carnegie Hall, the Nice Jazz
Festival, the Lugano Jazz Festival and many tours throughout the U.K. and
Europe. The group also recorded three CDs before disbanding in 1994.
I n 1994Ray formed his present band The Ray Gelato Giants. This highly
successful combination has played to critical acclaim all over the world,
including the Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy (four times), the Montreal Jazz
Festival, San Sebastian Jazz Festival (Spain), and concerts in New York City,
Philadelphia, Tampa, Chicago, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles. Closer to home,
Ray and the boys have played Ronnie Scott’s to rave reviews, Pizza on the Park,
and consistently packed the house at The 100 Club in London.
In 2000, Ray found the time to make another celluloid cameo with his appearance
in the Jude Law film, “Enigma” playing the sax and in 2001 The Ray Gelato Giants
opened for RobbieWilliams ' "Swing When You're Winning" concert at The Royal
Albert Hall
in London, before an appearance at Bryan Adams ' birthday party - at the
singer's personal request.
In 2002, The Ray Gelato Giants put on a fantastic show to a star-studded
audience at Paul McCartney 's wedding, performed for HM the Queen at The Ritz
Hotel in London, and also played at the home of music biz boss Richard Branson.
2003 was the best yet for Ray and his Giants as they played a 10-day residency
at the Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy and continuing to build a very healthy
fanbase in the US. Alongside the regular shows at the 100 Club and Dean St Pizza
Express, Ray finished off the year with an acclaimed three week residency at the
legendary Ronnie Scott’s Club.
Last year was another fantastic year for Ray and his band - at the beginning of
the year Ray was signed to a worldwide deal to the True Blue label (part of the
Telstar Music Group). He signed a multi-album major record company deal and
released the acclaimed 'Ray Gelato' album. The summer of 2004 saw Ray and his
band touring around the UK and Europe playing at all the major festivals in
Spain, Germany, Greece,
Switzerland and a ground breaking 7th successful 10 day residency at the Umbria
Jazz Festival in Italy.
Back in the UK, Ray and the band continued to expand their ever-growing fanbase.
He was asked to perform at the 2004 BBC Proms in the Park in front of an excited
audience of 40,000 in Hyde Park, London alongside The Corrs and the BBC Symphony
Orchestra, following up with a sold out weeklong residency at Pizza Express in
Dean St London. After tours of the UK, a United States East Coast tour and a
tour of Italy Ray and his band ended the year with a 3-week residency at the
legendary jazz venue Ronnie Scott's Club in London's Soho.
His current tour ends at The Bloomsbury Theatre in London on April 14, then he
and the band take to the road for shows in Turkey, France, Dubai, Spain,
Germany, US, Switzerland, Italy and Canada. Doesn’t the man ever rest?!
For details of the Concorde gig ring 02380 613989.
Arthur Lee. Preview by Peter Ashton
 One
of rock's most underrated bands Arthur Lee's Love play a set at The Brook in
Southampton on Thursday March 24. Way ahead of their time when they formed in
the mid-60s they have been an influence on many better-known bands.
Love made some of the most unique and best albums of the sixties. Under Arthur
Lee's leadership, they covered punk, psychedelia and acoustic music all with
equal enthusiasm and style. Lee also deserves credit for discovering The Doors
and getting them a deal with Elektra. Arthur Lee formed Love in 1965 and their
first album in the following year, "Love" has since been recognised
as a psychedelic-punk masterpiece. The second album, "Da Capo" from late 1966,
showed the group ahead of its time, and bursting with ideas following on from
their debut album. But Love's next album ”Forever Changes” in 1967 was the
defininitive Love album "Forever Changes", every bit as necessary in the rock
record collection of discerning music lovers as "The Velvet Underground And Nico",
Pink Floyd's "Piper at the Gates of Dawn" or Jimi Hendrix's
"Electric Ladyland". "Forever Changes"' was recently voted No 11 in Mojo
magazine's critics and listeners polls of the top albums of all time.
Love has been a source of inspiration for more than one generation of rock
artists:
“Love’s music has been a lifelong addiction to me,” says the great Alice Cooper.
“The music of Arthur Lee is as timeless as the music of The Doors” says The
Pixies’ lead singer Frank Black. And singer Robyn Hitchcock puts it very
succinctly when he says
“Arthur Lee and Love is what your mind feels, but what your mouth never gets
round to saying.”
Another don’t miss gig at The Brook - tickets are £17.50 via 02380 555366.
Bruce Katz. Preview by Peter Ashton
 Blues
and soul-jazz is the forte of the Bruce Katz Band from Boston USA, who play a
gig at Talking Heads in Southampton on Saturday March 19.
Bruce Katz occupies a unique space where blues, jazz, rock, soul, and the many
aspects of Americana all collide into a style of original instrumental music all
his own. He is as comfortable playing "soul-jazz" on the Hammond organ as he is
playing 1930's style stride piano or the meanest slow blues. Over the past 20
years, Bruce has been an in-demand sideman as well as leading his own band. He
has played and recorded with many of the leading names in blues and roots music,
including Ronnie Earl, Duke Robillard, Jerry Portnoy, Barrence Whitfield and the
Savages, Big Mama Thornton, Mighty Sam McClain, Debbie Davies and many others.
After a particularly long stint of touring in the late '80s with Barrence
Whitfield, he decided to come off the road and enrolled at the New England
Conservatory of Music in Boston where he earned a Master's degree in Jazz
Performance. It was during this time that he formed what became the Bruce Katz
Band.
Five months after graduation, he met Ronnie Earl, who soon invited him to join
his band, The Broadcasters. During his nearly five-year stint with Earl, Katz
toured the world and performed on six albums, writing and co-writing many of the
tunes, such as "The Colour of Love," "Ice Cream Man," and "Hippology." The album
“Grateful Heart” (Bullseye) won the Downbeat Critics Poll for Best Blues Album
of 1996.
In 1992, Katz debuted his first solo album, "Crescent Crawl", on the AudioQuest
label, releasing "Transformation" the following year. Just before the release of
"Mississippi Moan", his third solo album, Katz left the Broadcasters to
concentrate on a solo career. At that point, the Bruce Katz Band began ouring
the USA and Europe, and has since been his primary focus. Bruce then signed with
Severn Records and recorded a new album, "A Deeper Blue" released in 2004.
In addition to performing, Katz teaches piano, Hammond organ and theory at the
Berklee College of Music in Boston and teaches the first ever in-depth blues
history/analysis course there as well. He also conducts Master Classes in
Hammond B3 and Blues History, which he has done at various music festivals
worldwide.
Admission is £5 on the door on March 19 - the band will be on stage around 10pm
- ring 02380 678446 for more details.
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Motimba
Poole Lighthouse, Poole
Friday March 18
Equation
Tower Arts Centre, Winchester Thursday March 10 & The Anvil,
Basingstoke Saturday March 19
Shane McGowan Albert Bar, Southsea
Saturday March 19
Ray Gelato Concorde Club, Eastleigh
Wednes March 23
Arthur Lee
The Brook, Southampton Thursday March 24
Bruce Katz
Talking Heads, Southampton
Saturday March 19
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