Brighton Jazz club - New Venue

The BJC has now started up at the Komedia in the North Laine. The acoustics are good and I like the atmosphere, especially now the air is clean. It also gets the benefit of the Komedia publicity machine which will make a fantastic difference. The BJC has been a well hidden secret treasure ever since it moved from the original Concorde by the pier.

Gilad Atzmon - Refuge - 5 stars

Saw Gilad at the first gig of his new tour at the Brighton Jazz Club last week. He uses a lot of electronics for this album and it sounds great. He had some problems getting the sound right due to an horrendous crackling noise which resulted in a near riot and him finishing the first set acoustically. He was not phased at all (I would have died). It made me realise just how much mental energy and confidence he has. Have three of his previous albums and don't really listen to them much. Bought the latest album - Refuge - on the strengths of the gig. Refuge is due to be issued on 1 October. Gilad was saying that he thinks this is his best album to date. I have to agree. By a long mile. It really is up there with the best contemporary jazz. Great tunes, some fantastic soloing and really good arrangements and great band. Am playing constantly at the moment. This one gets 5 stars from me. Buy the CD here http://www.gilad.co.uk/

Robert Wyatt

Was Robert Wyatt the most influential progressive / jazz rock musician of the 60's?

"Soft Machine were never a commercial enterprise and indeed still remain unknown even to many listeners who came of age during the late '60s, when the group was at its peak. In their own way, however, they were one of the more influential bands of their era, and certainly one of the most influential underground ones. One of the original British psychedelic groups, they were also instrumental in the birth of both progressive rock and jazz-rock. They were also the central foundation of the family tree of the "Canterbury Scene" of British progressive rock acts, a movement that also included Caravan, Gong, Matching Mole, and National Health, not to mention the distinguished solo careers of founding members Robert Wyatt and Kevin Ayers." AMG.

http://wm04.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:gifuxqr5ld0e~T1

Robert's music continues to be blindingly beautiful. His new album, Comicopera, comes out next month. I have pre-ordered it.