While everyone else is getting on with their Christmas shopping, those of us who feel the spontaneous improvisatory spirit of jazz is a suitable philosophy for life in general will have decided that we can do all that materialistic stuff later – on Christmas eve, even.
In the meantime, there is the music to follow, and this week the place to start is the Symphony Hall foyer bar on Friday evening. It might start at 6pm or 7pm, depending on which website you look at, so I would get there at the usual Rush Hour Blues time of 5.30pm, just to be safe.
There, singer Cleveland Watkiss will be doing all kind of wild things with his voice, loops and samples, and also performing in his new band CWT – a trio with bassist Mark Hodgson and Empirical’s drummer Shaney Forbes.
It’s free.
Then it’s a dash across to the Town Hall where the BBC Big Band and vocalist Matthew Ford are doing swinging things with seasonal favourites like Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Winter Wonderland and Let It Snow. I’m a bit of a sucker for the idea of jazzy Christmas songs – it smacks of Kodachrome America in the late ‘50s, everyone dressed like slick Madmen and women, and Santa beaming down in his full Coca-Cola glory.
Jiggs Whigham will be leading the celebrations, and tickets are available from 0121 780 3333 or at thsh.co.uk
In the meantime, there is the music to follow, and this week the place to start is the Symphony Hall foyer bar on Friday evening. It might start at 6pm or 7pm, depending on which website you look at, so I would get there at the usual Rush Hour Blues time of 5.30pm, just to be safe.
There, singer Cleveland Watkiss will be doing all kind of wild things with his voice, loops and samples, and also performing in his new band CWT – a trio with bassist Mark Hodgson and Empirical’s drummer Shaney Forbes.
It’s free.
Then it’s a dash across to the Town Hall where the BBC Big Band and vocalist Matthew Ford are doing swinging things with seasonal favourites like Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Winter Wonderland and Let It Snow. I’m a bit of a sucker for the idea of jazzy Christmas songs – it smacks of Kodachrome America in the late ‘50s, everyone dressed like slick Madmen and women, and Santa beaming down in his full Coca-Cola glory.
Jiggs Whigham will be leading the celebrations, and tickets are available from 0121 780 3333 or at thsh.co.uk
For more information contact All About Jazz.
