Jane Bunnett and Maqueque, Playing With Fire, Linus Entertainment ***1/2

Toronto musician saxist/flautist Jane Bunnett has pioneered impossible to describe Cuban and beyond invigorating explorations for a long time but there are new faces always coming through and this latest fizzes with energy. This time around …

Published: 22 Mar 2023. Updated: 12 months.

Toronto musician saxist/flautist Jane Bunnett has pioneered impossible to describe Cuban and beyond invigorating explorations for a long time but there are new faces always coming through and this latest fizzes with energy. This time around guitarist Donna Grantis (from the Prince 3rdeyegirl band) in the sound makes a difference in the latest line-up of Maqueque particularly on 'A God Unknown'. A reliably sprawling sound and all the more likeable for that, violinist Daniela Olano, sister of the band’s pianist Danae Olano, is also new in and has written 'Daniela’s Theme'. Playing With Fire highlights also include Mingus at the Bohemia (1956, Debut) piece 'Jump Monk,' a number you don't often find covered these days. But the Mingus Big Band ghost band certainly interpreted it as compellingly in the mid-1990s on Gunslinging Birds. Its rampaging clapping rhythm, vocalese and runaway sense of momentum give the new treatment a distinctive flavour and twist all of Maqueque's own derivation.

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Whassup Watford? Cleveland Watkiss, Omar, Zara McFarlane, Xhosa Cole and more this spring

Cool for cats the great jazz singer Cleveland Watkiss, Omar, Zara McFarlane, Xhosa Cole, Leon Foster Thomas, Emma Rawicz, DJ Ruth Fisher and Always Look on the Bright Side of Life arranger John Altman are heading up the Jazz Junction in Watford …

Published: 22 Mar 2023. Updated: 12 months.

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Cool for cats the great jazz singer Cleveland Watkiss, Omar, Zara McFarlane, Xhosa Cole, Leon Foster Thomas, Emma Rawicz, DJ Ruth Fisher and Always Look on the Bright Side of Life arranger John Altman are heading up the Jazz Junction in Watford this spring. MOBO winner Zara first heard by us singing Stevie's 'My Cherie Amour' a few times then in 2011 having signed to Brownswood and debuting with Until Tomorrow her solo career took off. She did a gig in front of a few of the jazz hack & liggerati's finest in Clerkenwell pub the Wilmington Arms that time warming up with the Cole Porter standard ‘Night And Day’ quickly moving into her own musical territory. With a pre-Dem Ones Binker and Moses and Peter Edwards in her band ''her boys'' as she referred particularly to the sax-drum dynamic duo ‘More Than Mine’ easily won over the simpatico crowd later on. She delivered her mischievous lyric against a simple keyboard cue from Edwards who next month MDs the Aladdin Sane Bowie show featuring Jake Shears. Watford dates are 18-21 May. Details

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Zara McFarlane, top. Main photo: press.