Matt Anderson Jazz Quartet at Leeds University School of Music

A new academic year at Leeds and the first term along boasts a pretty good lineup of lunchtime concerts at the School of Music. The first one saw Matt Anderson Jazz Quartet - Matt Anderson (saxophone) Martin Longhawn (piano) Sam Vicary (double-bass) Sam Gardner (drums). This quartet of long-time collaborators and friends was formed during studies at Leeds College of Music; now living further afield, this was a unique opportunity to hear them play together once more.

A really fun hour of music - not my normal style of music but well performed, with very good examples of communality in music making. Pieces by Gardner, Anderson and Longhawn as well as American Songbook classic and final Charlie Parker.

The rest of the Lunchtime Concerts are listed at http://concerts.leeds.ac.uk/

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Pigeon Funk

Notes on a very random purchase. Earlier today I acquired Venetian Snares 'Rossz Csillag Alatt Sz ü letett ' purely on the basis of the language and artwork. Its certainly something different - and most definitely not pop. After a bit of searching: Venetial Snares is, according to Wikipedia, the performing name of Aaron Funk, who seems to specialise in experimental tracks in odd time signatures. Article here . The sleeve notes for this album (whose title is Hungarian for 'Born under a bad star') poses the question: what if, for just a day, we could both be pigeons? Interessant. Apparently this concept (a day in the life of a Hungarian pigeon) is non-typical of Venetian Snares sound, but one could ask, does Mr Funk do 'typical'? On first listening, the sound of this CD mixes classical/traditional Hungarian sounds and breakbeats. but aside from that? Definitely a 'listen for yourself' artist; try the website , fan site or myspace .

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The Venezuelan maestro comes to Cardiff

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PrettyInScarlett

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