This article was written for Independent blogs. Standing at the bus stop the other day, I bumped into an acquaintance who had been working outside London for the last few years. When I asked how he liked living in Bristol, and then Liverpool, he reeled off a list of positives before saying, “but culturally, there… [Read more…]
January 16, 2012
by Catherine Marks
From January 26th – 28th Kings Place will play host to three jazz stars. Over three nights Jay Phelps, Soweto Kinch and Alex Wilson will each play their own concerts and also collaborate with each other on stage. Canadian-born Trumpeter Jay Phelps appears on the 26th to direct a suite for big band with special… [Read more…]
January 6, 2012
by Culture Capital
A version of this article was originally written for Londonist. If the church of St-Martin-in-the-Fields stood in nearly any other London location it would be the focus of its surroundings. But with Nelson’s Column and the National Gallery on its doorstep and the through-route from the West End running along its front steps, it has to… [Read more…]
January 3, 2012
by Catherine Marks
A visit to the Neil Cowley Trio’s website at the moment is particularly worth the click as it currently features an excellent ‘making of’ video for their new album. The band rehearse, experiment and record in the studio, playing in a tight-knit formation, frequently interrupted by moments of insincerity. It’s a great introduction to this… [Read more…]
December 23, 2011
by Catherine Marks
I’ve always described Portico Quartet to others as being the jazz version of Radiohead, and I think this might be their Amnesiac album. I’ve been looking forward to the release of their eponymous third LP – keen to see how the change in band line-up and the move towards looping and electronics would alter their… [Read more…]
December 17, 2011
by Culture Capital
A version of this blog piece was originally written for the Independent. This week on the Today programme, two well known names in classical music – Observer critic Fiona Maddocks and impresario Raymond Gubbay – discussed an article in The Economist that highlighted the resurgence of carol singing at Christmas. Their observations are spot on. Whether it is… [Read more…]
December 8, 2011
by Culture Capital
A version of this article was originally written for Londonist. Advent is a good time to visit the historic buildings of E1. Two of East London’s finest churches – Hawksmoor’s Christ Church in Spitalfields and Shoreditch Church – host a range of baroque and contemporary music concerts as part of the Spitalfields Music Winter Festival. Unsurprisingly,… [Read more…]
November 30, 2011
by Culture Capital
A version of this article was originally written for Londonist. Another classical music club promotion, with roots far away from anything resembling a concert hall, is making inroads in London. As widely reported, London has a thriving classical ‘club’ scene, from the candle-on-tables atmosphere of the 100 Club to the experimental, dance-influenced Shoreditch-based operation of Gabriel… [Read more…]
November 21, 2011
by Culture Capital
The Hagen Quartet performs at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on Wendesday 23rd November. This article was written for the concert programme. Many legendary chamber ensembles, from the Beaux Arts Trio to the Borodin Quartet, have had long and distinguished careers, but most have to weather the gradual succession of their members over time. The Hagen Quartet, together for 30 years this… [Read more…]
November 20, 2011
by Catherine Marks
“I don’t like jazz” is something that I hear a lot from fellow music enthusiasts who haven’t yet forayed into the world of jazz. Hearing this more and more recently, and having recently read Josh Jennings’ article ‘Rejuvenate Jazz Someone… Anyone’ on his excellent British Jazz Blog, I was prompted to put this article together.… [Read more…]
January 23, 2012
by Culture Capital
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