The London Jazz Orchestra’s 30th anniversary season will close this Sunday afternoon July 3 with a concert featuring the music of Martin Speake and Henry Lowther.
There is an LJN connection here… Sebastian writes: The concert will have compositions byHenry Lowther
which we understand will be recorded for an album later this year. There are also four Martin Speake tracks recorded over Speake’s more than 25 years of making albums, in new arrangements byCharlie Rees . Charlie (incidentally) also works with us at LJN. I attended the first performance of the first of these four arrangements, “Change of Heart”, in February, when Charlie was also asked to conduct the orchestra. This time Scott Stroman
conducts the entire concert. The three new charts are: 1. “Always a first time”
: First recorded by Speake in 2013 with Jeff Williams and Mike Outram, its big band iteration will see its second public performance this Sunday – having recently been given its premiere by LJO at Morley College. 2. “Bill Wrathall”
: A new composition by Speake, dedicated to saxophone repairman Bill Wrathall, whose kind, friendly and welcoming nature was a fixture (and a major feature) for many years at Michael White Musical Instruments at Queen’s Parade, Ealing. 3. “Bouncing” :
A blues that is found in many Speake concerts. This arrangement is heavily inspired by Thad Jones and will also make its first release on Sunday.(
*) Doors 3 p.m. music 3:30 p.m. LINK:
