MUSIC 0 FESTIVAL

L

VIDA

On her small Scottish clarsach and the full size pedal version. Minneapolis-based Sunita is a top-flight harp player whose solo. faintly New Agey. albums have accommodated ancient Celtic with Jewish music from the Mediterranean Rim. Formerly the principal harpist with the" Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra and now with Minnesota ()pera. she‘s in Edinburgh with an unusual trio.

‘ln Vida we’re doing less overtly folk music and leaning more towards jazz. although the rhythms and melodic ideas are heavily influenced by the Klezmer and Sephardic music that I'm still involved with in Israel. and there are overtones of Africa and Spain.‘

Acoustic I’ussimz. Vida's first album. has arrangements of Ravel. Villa-Lobos and even Dave Brubeck's ‘Blue Rondo a la Turk' performed dynamically by superb cellist Laura Sewell. and Berklee Jazz College-trained percussionist/vibes player Steve Yeager. Together

they create a new chamber music: an original. engaging. highly musical and accomplished sound. (Norman Chalmers)

I Vida (Fringe) St John's Church. West End. Princes Street (Venue

127) 229 7565. 17/18 Aug. 7pm. £4.50 (£3.50).

ALBADROSS

Bang! is the title of the The Tron's opening night of Festival folkery in the established Edinburgh idiom of classical/jazz/ rock/folk fusion. The bar is set to resound to nightly collisions of styles and forms as more or less all the imaginative crossover musicians and singers including players from all the top bands who now live or hang out in the

Vida: ‘a new chamber music'

capital. realign themselves in ever-changing permutations.

There are fifty or so appearing and even if the organisers are shy of committing specific names to dates. the quality is universally high;

_ witness the first night 5 line-up which includes

among others. jazz piano maestro Brian Kellock. Jim Sutherland (ex-Easy Club and Somotherland) on hand-drums and percussion. and Simon Bradley and Eilidh Shaw on twin attacking fiddles. Each evening will have a core band but expect a wild latejam session as musicians drop in after gigs. (Norman Chalmers) I Albadross (Fringe) The Ceilidh House and Tron Jazz Cellar (Venue 9) 220 1550. 16 Aug—2 Sept. Midnight—3am. £3.

Wolfgang Tillmans

Opening Times Tues-Sat: I l.00am- 6.00pm During August only

Sunday opening: l2.00am-S.00pm

Admission:

Venue 73 EDINBURGH

Edinburgh

z I .oo (50p)

COLLEGE OF ART FESTIVAL EXHIBITIONS

OPEN DAILY 108m - 5pm LAURISTON PLACE. EDINBURGH TEL: 0131 221 6032

The College am to promote student («dowry in Us: Arts 011th: Enwmmm

«me i Stills Gallery Edinburgh EHl IBP

won: 275 9876 Fax01312254901

M A R I N A ABRAMOVIC

OBJECTS -

PERFORMANCE -

VIDEO c SOUND

“Pushing the mental and physical limits. With the body as the centre,

has always been the basis for my \vOrk

If 1 cause myself pain in

order to liberate myself then the pain is okay."

THE FRUITMARKET GALLERY

Open daily. 10.30—8pm.

29 Market Street. Edinburgh

Admission 82(21)

: Absolute

Blues: Jazz

' Chicago Style

I They thought about not coming this

year, but the lure of another successful Fringe run has proved too

much for Robert Mazurek to resist,

and Absolute Blues: Jazz Chicago Style 3

will be back after all. The band made their Glasgow Jazz Festival debut in July after two highly successful years at the Fringe, and have won a lot of friends in Scotland in that time.

The trumpeter led a quartet on their

first visit to Edinburgh, but added a second horn last year in the shape of

saxophonist Eric Alexander, who will

join the band again this time around, although a late commitment j elsewhere will see him miss the early

part of the run. Mazurek and Alexander proved to be

fine front-line partners in the classic

hard bop manner, and the second horn

added an extra dimension to the

band’s characteristic hard-driving sound. Good jazz is in short supply on the Fringe, and these guys

j undoubtedly help plug that gap.

Alexander is not a Chicago native -

he was brought up in Olympia,

[HEREI- SCOTTISH

Eric Alexander: extra dimension

Washington, and studied jazz In New

' Jersey with the likes of Harold Mabern

and Joe Lovano. He made the move to Chicago after graduating in 1990, and was quickly recruited by organist Charles Earland for his band.

A second place in the Thelonious Monk Competition in 1991 brought him to wider notice, and he moved onto the ultra-competitive New York scene in 1992 on the back of it. He has recorded, both as leader and sideman, for the Delmark, Criss Cross and Muse labels, and is a fifth good reason for

. catching this hand during their latest

residence. (Kenny Mathieson)

Absolute Blues: Jazz Chicago Style

(Fringe) Tron Jazz Cellar ( Venue 9) 667

9390, 12-26 Aug (not Tue), 8pm,

18-20, 25—26 Aug, 2pm, £5.

PREMIERE

McM aster he was very amenable to our suggestions. The three young composers are all ones who we felt could

be a little uneven. she has signalled that she has the ability to stretch otit

influences Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday come

SERIES

A collaboration between the Festival and Radio

‘1 Scotland. the Scottish

Premiere Series features

; three top-notch ensembles ' The Chamber Group of 1 Scotland. The Hebrides

Ensemble and the headline-stealing Yggdrasil Quartet of

. Aberdeen with a new

work in each programme

1 by composers at the

l forefront of Scottish

contemporary music. ‘We wanted to commission

some pieces from young Scottish composers.‘ explains Hugh MacDonald. Head of Music at BBC Scotland. ‘and decided that the best thing would be to build programmes of Scottish music around them.‘

John Lunn. James Clapperton and Magnus Robb are the chosen three and alongside their new work sit pieces by

g Kenneth Leighton. Judith Weir. Sally Beamish.

William Sweeney. John McLeod and Robert Crawford. ‘We felt that

1 there should be a high

profile.‘ says MacDonald.

‘and when we discussed the idea with Brian

come up with something really exciting. They are hugely impressive and have real talent.‘ For the first concert. the Chamber Group of Scotland

premiere John Lunn‘s A

limit For The Dinninum. a set of variations on a twelve-bar blues. (Carol Main)

I The Scottish Premiere Series (Festival). Broadcasting House. 225

i beyond her ohvrotis

most immediately to

mind. in part because she has played both on stage. and picked tip vocal

mannerisms from them in the process and arrive at her own distinctive voice.

She has been working

. with a live or seven-piece

5756. 13 (Chamber Group . of Scotland). 20 (Hebrides

Ensemble). 27 Atig (Yggdrasil Quartet)

2.30pm. free. btit by ticket 3

only.

DDIN’ IT RIGHT

A much publicised fly-on- the-wall television documentary showing singer Suzanne Bonnar‘s emotional reunion with her father made her something of a celebrity last year. but also served as a serious distraction from building her career as a singer.

With that behind her. she has been able to concentrate on her work. and if the results can still

l

band recently. btlt returns to piano accompaniment for Duin' It Right. a late night outing which will give her the chance to further refine her stagecral't as well as her singing. (Kenny Mathieson)

I Doin’ It Right (Fringe) Suzanne Bonnar. Gilded Balloon [1. Stepping Stones Theatre (Venue 51) 225 6520. 11—13. 31 Aug. 10pm; l5. 2‘) Aug.

1 1.30pm. £6.50 (£5.50).

ROBERT BURNS

Suzanne Bonnar: dolng right

72 The List 11-17 Aug 1995