| | Ali Afleck Gin Mill Genies | | The Blue Lamp welcomes back Scotland’s main exponent of authentic early jazz music. As a very knowledgable jazz historian Ali has earned her solid reputation as the quintessential ‘go to’ vocalist for authentic trad Jazz / prohibition era blues and as she is also an American AND a swing dancer, Ali is uniquely placed to deliver this music with cultural authority! Representing the Pioneers of early music (particularly the forgotten heroines!) Ali’s fresh interpretations breathe new life into this highly specialized music and this sees her leading the charge for bringing old school Jazz back to the attention of our modern ears! Her band, The Gin Mill Genies, are passionate about ‘pre electric’ and piano-centric prohibition era blues, gospel and jazz. The band offer a chance to hear ancient rarely heard Southern blues songs performed with prowess. The musicians include our favourite trumpet genius, Colin Steele, Aberdonian Steve Hamilton on piano, Max Popp on drums and Roy Percy on bass. With an ever growing repertoire, Ali delights in her “lifetimes work” of exploring the jazz archives to find ancient gems to share – from saucy and fun, to dark and sinister, her bands are working hard to resurrect amazing forgotten songs and as an early jazz historian Ali offers up interesting and educational stage chat in a bid to help keep this rich musical heritage alive! Passionate, expressive, unique and above all, refreshingly unpretentious…Ali Affleck is the real deal – a bona fide Jazz and blues vocalist with a heartfelt vintage twist. “Music from another Place and Time but puts a smile on the faces of the Here and Now” Jim Gilvchrist, Scotsman 18th April, 8pm at The Blue Lamp | | Admission: £12, concession £10, students £5 | |  |
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| Alex Munk Flying Machines| Flying Machines fuse visceral improvisation with anthemic melodies and lusciously textured soundscapes to captivating effect. With the release of their latest album New Life on Ubuntu Music in October 2018, the band have firmly establishing themselves as one of the biggest breakthrough acts to have emerged from London’s exploding music scene in recent years, rising to prominence with glowing reviews in the likes of Guitarist, Prog Magazine, European Jazz Network and Jazzwise (One to Watch 2019) with their unique fusion of progressive rock with contemporary jazz. New Life represents a significant milestone in the band’s development. From thundering, all out metal assaults, to ambient meditations and plaintive melodies, Flying Machines push the envelope in terms of extremities of dynamics and explorations of form, working alongside the Grammy, MOBO and nominated producer Sonny Johns. The band also document their foray into the anarchic freedom of group improvisation for the first time, with unrestrained, improvised interludes that dove tail gracefully into more expansive and through composed material, a risk-embracing approach that now informs the band’s electric live performances. Alex Munk – Guitar
Matt Robinson – Piano/Keyboards
Huw Foster – Electric Bass
Dave Hamblett – Drums “A wonderful young guitarist with a unique musical voice” Stan Sulzmann, acclaimed UK saxophonist “…silkily curling phrasing and rugged rhythm changes” John Fordham, The Guardian “…a very superior outing by a talented group, sporting seductive and original compositions throughout. Undoubtedly Flying Machines is heading for great heights.” Roger Farbey, All about Jazz | 25th April, 8pm at The Blue Lamp | | Admission: £12, concession £10, students £5 | | | |
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| Fraser Urquhart Quartet‘Fraser Urquhart, winner of rising star at 2017 Scottish jazz awards, is one of Scotland’s most in-demand pianists for his emotional sensibility, extensive repertoire and commitment to the evergreen traditions of straight-ahead jazz music – swing, standards and bebop. He performs regularly at Jazz Festivals across Scotland with the finest of the UK’s jazz musicians. More recently he co-led his first recording and tour in London with top saxophonist Fraser Smith and their quintet in a tribute to Dexter Gordon. Tonight sees Fraser team up with pianist turned clarinetist Tom Gibbs to recreate some of the magical small band clarinet music from the 1940s and 50s. ‘ 2nd May, 8pm at The Blue Lamp | | Admission: £12, concession £10, students £5 | | | |
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| Tim Garland’s Weather Walker Trio | | Throughout an international career starting in the late 1980’s Tim Garland has become known as a unique polymath in the British and wider European music scene – playing tenor and soprano saxes, bass clarinet, and flute first with Ronnie Scott’s band in his 20’s and more recently with Chick Corea, whose album The New Crystal Silence won Tim a Grammy for his symphonic orchestrations. Having been the driving force behind several celebrated trios such as Lighthouse, Acoustic Triangle and Storms / Nocturnes, Garland’s experience has led him to a point of utmost clarity and intricacy in his work. To quote Chick Corea, one of Tim’s longtime collaborators over a period of eighteen years, “his level of genius is rare”. The material for Weather Walker is born from Tim’s love of the natural world, in particular the Lake District. Jason Rebello has been close friends with Tim for almost 30 years and his own international career spanning Sting, Jeff Beck and an award winning solo album, makes him one of the UKs most experienced and creative pianists. Yuri Goloubev, Moscow’s own wunderkind of the bass, has a truly breathtaking expressive voice on his instrument, perfectly complimenting Grammy-winning Garland’s compositions which pack lyricism, power and interaction in equal measure. We are sure that these players and this music in the intimacy of the Blue Lamp will live on in your memory. Not to be missed! | 9th May, 8pm at Blue Lamp | | Admission: £12, concession £10, students £5 | | | |
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| Nikki King ‘Love and Blues’ | | Winner of the UK Perrier Jazz Vocal Award, Scottish Style Award and Spirit Of Scotland Music Medal, Niki King has released five albums and performed in leading jazz venues including The Blue Note (New York and Tokyo), London’s Jazz Cafeì and Ronnie Scott’s. Special guest performances include The Average White Band, Al Green and Gregory Porter. Love and Blues honours some of the greatest jazz/blues icons including Etta James, Nina Simone and Billie Holiday. King’s powerful, heart felt performances have garnered five-star reviews and she’s been described as ‘the outstanding Scottish female vocalist of our times’ (List). With Niki will be Marcus Ford on guitar, Paul Gilbody on bass, Mat Clements on percussion and Aberdeen’s hero, Spider Mackenzie on harmonica. | 16th May, 8pm at The Blue Lamp | | Admission: £12, concession £10, students £5 | | |
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| Espen Eriksen Trio | | The jazz world is not short on piano trios, but it’s not every day one comes across a trio with a personal musical language. Espen Eriksen Trio was formed in 2007 and has released four critically acclaimed records on the Norwegian label Rune Grammofon. The trio’s music relies on highly melodic and lyrical instrumentals and a “less is more” approach and is often credited for its unique voice within today’s jazz scene by the international press. To quote BBC in their review of the trio’s second album “A wonderfully plaintive jazz record, abandoned to the lost art of melodic minimalism, stripped back and beautifully near bare. No smoke and mirrors, just the graceful chemistry of superb musicians at the top of their game”. The last two years the trio has worked a lot with the British saxophone star Andy Sheppard, resulting in multiple tours and the record “Perfectly Unhappy”, released in 2018. Their concerts have been broadcasted by BBC, Westdeutscher Rundfunk and Lithuanian National TV. After extensive touring worldwide, Espen Eriksen Trio comes through as a tight unity with a dazzling use of dynamics, ranging from melancholic moods to hypnotic grooves. Espen Eriksen – piano/compositions Lars Tormod Jenset – bass Andreas Bye – drums | 23th May, 8pm at The Blue Lamp | | Admission: £12, concession £10, students £5 | | |
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