Xhosa Cole Straight Ahead: Solar

Solar aloha – Xhosa Cole interviewed by David Lewis on tonight's Straight Ahead show begins at midnight. The tenor saxophonist at the moment on the Brit scene, conversational topics include what Birmingham means to the dapper ace. Xhosa, as regular

Published: 10 Feb 2021. Updated: 3 years.

Solar aloha – Xhosa Cole interviewed by David Lewis on tonight's Straight Ahead show begins at midnight. The tenor saxophonist at the moment on the Brit scene, conversational topics include what Birmingham means to the dapper ace. Xhosa, as regular marlbank readers will know, was tremendous last year in blistering form in action leading his quartet playing from Larry Young's Unity. Birmingham as a jazz scene despite more recent calamitous Corona forced shutdowns has proved very much on the ascendant in recent years as a saxophone hub of rare talent. First: alto ace Soweto Kinch; then tenorist/clarinettist Shabaka Hutchings broke through. And now award-winning retro stylist Cole is the latest to flicker nationally and internationally. Andy Hamilton was inspiration to many of the new generation back in the day. The city's fine hardcore improv traditions centring on Fizzle moreover has got its far-from-Brumdrum thing going online recently despite Lockdown's ravages. Click for the Solar interview with Xhosa

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Matt Carmichael looks lively

After a fling of a first listen you might well feel the need to dance a jig in the absence of all gigging at the beginning of 'The Spey'. Jings, crivvens an' help ma boab! Oor Wullie certainly would. Nicola Sturgeon may even descend from a …

Published: 9 Feb 2021. Updated: 3 years.

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After a fling of a first listen you might well feel the need to dance a jig in the absence of all gigging at the beginning of 'The Spey'. Jings, crivvens an' help ma boab! Oor Wullie certainly would. Nicola Sturgeon may even descend from a chandelier to its strains suitably stirred. The lead-off track from the lively folk rhythms of Where Will The River Flow whips along at quite a lick. Tenorist Matt Carmichael shows a lot of spirit going by what we know so far beetling along with pianist Fergus McCreadie, Ali Watson on double bass and Tom Potter on drums sensibly nailed to the floor for health and safety reasons before the quartet have the wit to collectively hoist up their trews and kick into a dazzling burn-up that would have made Michael Brecker and dare I say Rab C. Nesbitt proud. Ancient jazzers may grumble that it's hardly Brigadoon, sad face emoji. The same cracking band, however, took the Vortex by storm on a memorable night a couple of years ago. Out on 12 March