The Other Side of the Rainbow is in Wakefield

On Friday Wakefield Jazz hosts 'the Other Side of the Rainbow' the songs of Duncan Lamont. Duncan is a renowned saxophonist, having played with many of the greats, Frank Sinatra, Benny Goodman and Count Basie to name but three. In between the touring and playing Duncan has also amassed a large collection of songs he has written and has a Grammy nomination under his belt, on Friday a selection of these songs will be performed by two singers, Esther Bennett and Beverley Beirne with John Crawford on Piano, Simon Read on Bass, Matt Parkinson on Drums and of course Duncan Lamont on Sax.

Esther has been touring these songs with Duncan at all the major clubs in the south, with singers Sarah Moule, Tina May and Beverley Beirne.

 

 

I caught up with Esther for a chat:

MBS - When did you first come across the music of Duncan Lamont?

EB - I knew who Duncan was, but first met him properly at the 606 Jazz Club properly to talk to.

 

MBS - What draws you to Duncan's  songs?

EB - The words, that cover all of life's experience. The craftsmen ship of the harmonies and melodic lines, the fact that they cover every area of the jazz canon. I often wish to cover certain aspects of the jazz repertoire i.e covering songs from "Kind of Blue" or learning more songs written by Jobim - Duncan covers these areas/feels/flavours in his songwriting - so as well as representing any patricluar aspect of the jazz repertoire one is also singing an original.

 

MBS - It's unique to have more than one singer on a project, what inspired this idea?

EB - Duncan likes as many singers to perform his songs as possible. There are also different songs that attract different personalities and life experiences so the other singer will be able to do the songs that I don't think appeal to or represent my experiences.

I think that this also makes the whole gig more interesting - variety being the spice of life etc.

There's also the practical angle ie admin wise where you have another pair of hands to get gigs and promote them and bring in an audience.

 

MBS - How long has the project been going on?

EB - About 3-4 years.

 

MBS - How did you meet Beverley?

EB - Through you! and through facebook, which has it's negative sides but - can also prove to be incredibly useful for all kinds of reasons.

In fact it was through a negative experience on fb that we met - you were defending singers where a rather offensive but not particularly professional musician was being abusive about us. I then found out that your wife was a singer and that you were based in Leeds and I thought - ah - if I'm sourcing gigs up north it would be sensible, for all sorts of reasons, to combine with this very talented lady.

 

 

 

MBS - Have you any other gigs in Yorkshire?

EB - Yes - we're performing at The Ilkley Jazz Festival! As I'm sure you know! 

There are some "maybes" but it's not sensible to mention them until they are confirmed.

 

MBS - What else is on the horizon?

EB - Other gigs in London with Tina May (606 Jazz Club, Pizza Express Dean St and Music in the Garden at Wavendon and my own Birthday gig at The Vortex London where I will be doing other material that I have been working on and some numbers from my CD "Just in Time" which was produced by Ian Shaw

 

MBS - Do you like Marmalade.

EB - Yes I do - chunky cut

 

For more information please check out the Wakefield Jazz website

http://www.wakefieldjazz.org/bands.htm

A track of one of Duncan's songs sung by Esther Bennett
https://soundcloud.com/ilkley-jazz/i-didnt-know-you-at-all

A live track of one of Duncan's Songs sung by Beverley Beirne 

https://soundcloud.com/beirnesmith/the-darker-side-of-the-rainbow?in=beirnesmith/sets/Wildman

 

Mark

Interview with Benet Mclean

　

Benet Mclean is a jazz pianist, singer, writer and violinist, who I have caught a couple of times playing in London. Ahead of his Wakefield Jazz gig on Friday 14th March I caught up with him for a chat on the email! For more details of the gig please check http://www.wakefieldjazz.org/bands.htm
Some of you might have spotted him playing in Jay Phelps band last week at Seven Jazz Leeds!



MBS - Is this tour an album tour or will there be other material being played in Wakefield?
BM - Everything's gone by in a bit of a blur recently. I've been involved in another project called Projections of Miles which has been good and I've had several dates with my own group in places such as Derbyshire , Lincoln & more. This date in Wakefield marks the end of a string of dates for us . . . I wouldn't quite call it a tour but it certainly has been an interesting ride. We're playing a mix of stuff , some as yet unrecorded too. I would say 60% from the previous albums and 40% new music (to be recorded in the future). We're really excited about the new release on 33 Jazz Records "Benet M. Live @ the 606" and we want to build on the kind of sounds and ideas we got on that album.
　

MBS - You have been a pianist and keys player in other peoples bands in your career has this informed your own music?
BM - That's a good question. Inevitably I think it has. Immediately Kevin Haynes Gruppo Elegua comes to mind. My tenure with Dennis Rollins' Bad Bone & Co was really helpful for me to observe presentation options (if that makes sense?). Knowing there are different ways to present the music. I don't wanna get on the straight-aheader's nerves - but I've never really been to interested in turning up to a gig, having a beer and kinda going on and jamming on standards with pretty much the same formula on every tune. I've always been attracted to different ways of doing things i think. Even some of the people that i was so fortunate enough to have as mentors & musical colleagues when I was a child growing up (such as Yehudi Menuhin, my amazing school music teacher Miss Osborne, Kora player and composer Tunde Jegede & many more) have really had a lasting vibe to me. I feel lucky and feel I'm just as much a fan of music as being a musician - when heroes of mine come and play at Ronnie Scott's in London - myself and a couple of friends alway bring albums of the appearing artist to hopefully get an autograph !
　

MBS - Do you ever sing with a pianist other than yourself?
BM - A few times, yes. I used to sing backing vocals in this 'super-in-vogue' club in London called the Ten Rooms. Celebrities used to be sitting around drinking. The music was loud!! The music was a far cry from the bebop that we love.
　

MBS - This is your third album as a leader, what is the inspiration behind this one?
BM - Yes, I'm excited about this album - it was recorded last year & is a live album recorded at one gig at the 606, also featuring superb saxophonist Duncan Eagles. I'm not as enthusiastic about live albums that feature material sort of collected from the best parts of gigs. You probably get a stronger selection in a way - but I think might lose the "live at the gig" feel of the album. This album is not only from one gig but it's pretty much from one set too . . . it's pretty much our 2nd set from that gig. I have trouble digging my own stuff though - a lot of times I just hear what could have been better.
　

MBS - When song writing what comes first, the lyric, the melody, the rhythm or the Harmony?
BM - For me every time it's different. And I'm not a prolific writer too. If an idea comes to me that seems to be leading to a new song then I get the pen and paper out. But I hardly ever sit down and say "right I'm gonna write something now". If it comes then cool . . . but otherwise i'm cool with that too. I'm also, I guess one of my contemporaries, that never uses a computer at any stage of the writing process & still even handwrite all the parts for the band. I like computers and all . . . but I guess I'm just old fashioned. For me the music writing process is head,heart,time to evolve, then pen,paper.
　

MBS - What makes you want to interpret a particular song?
BM - If it moves me - if it kind of gets inside you.

　
MBS - You have a healthy interest in art, do you paint?
BM - Not so much these days - I have exhibited some of my paintings and drawings in the past. But honestly I don't really see myself as a fully fledged artisan. It's just something I might do if I'm not doing much creative music for a period you dig?
　

MBS - Do you like Marmalade?
BM - Love Marmalade actually. Love it... I wanna get paid in Marmalade for the next gig please

Here is one of Benet's youtube clips paying homage to the great jazz pianists as a taster of what to expect on Fridayhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eGhiqRv-Wg

For more about Benet please check out his web sitehttp://www.benetmclean.com/