New dawn for Oxford jazz as the Spin moves from the Wheatsheaf to the Old Fire Station

The Oxford Mail report that the Spin jazz club at the Wheatsheaf is to move to The Old Fire Station on George Street. With any luck the new venue will continue the Spin's long held and deserved reputation for excellence. Opening the new space will be the Oxley-Meier Guitar Project on 13 May, this coming Thursday night at 8.30pm streaming and introduced by the legendary Soft Machine guitarist John Etheridge. The band are Pete Oxley, Nicolas Meier, Raph Mizraki, Paul Cavaciuti and Keith Fairbairn. I've only visited the club a few times the first to hear a Coltranian evening by tenorist Gilad Atzmon: reviewed here and most recently dropping in on a sound check for Steve Waterman. The place was packed that first night for Gilad and it proved a fine venue for jazz. Onwards and upwards.

Photo, top: a still from a YouTube Oxley-Meier promo video. Link to more details of Thursday's stream

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As regulars know we are big fans of Fermanagh great Pat McManus down marlbank way, the spiritual home of the site high near Cuilcagh indeed not far from Pat's heartlands of Derrylin and Teemore. Pat in turn nearly always pays tribute to Gary Moore, one of Ireland's greatest ever bluesicians with 'Belfast Boy' when he can play clubs with his trio.

It's incredible, breaking music-news today, that Moore who died young, only 58 in 2011, is currently resting at no. 1 in the new jazz and blues chart just published with How Blue Can You Get. The album includes previously unreleased songs from Gary's back catalogue including 4 originals, Elmore James, Sonny Thompson, Memphis Slim and BB King numbers (including the title track aka 'Downhearted'). Out, see link, on Provogue/Mascot

New dawn for Oxford jazz as the Spin moves from the Wheatsheaf to the Old Fire Station

A slow blues for the weekend from Gary Moore: no.1 in the UK jazz & blues chart