7 Steps to heaven with Guildford Jazz

Guildford Jazz's 2nd gig in its new venue at Guildford Rugby Club last night started with 'So What' and ended with '7 Steps to Heaven'. I nearly jumped off my seat when trumpeter Martin Shaw announced the first Miles Davis tune of the evening - only that morning I had begun learning 'So What' in my double bass lesson. Destiny and fate knocking at my door I feel. But watching the skills of Marianne Windham on the bass, I realised that only true dedication and lengthy practise results in fine playing.

Marianne once again pulled together some amazing jazz names for a gig that started gently and ended with such a tremendous crescendo that half the room rose to their feet to applaud. Martin is one of the UK's leading jazz musicians and has that knack of playing completely effortlessly and with self-effacing calm. With an impressive musical CV that started with the trumpet at the age of 11, he continues to play jazz, pop and classical and, fortunately for today's young musicians, tutors the next generation of would-be trumpeters. He has worked with many leading jazz artists including Cleo Laine, John Dankworth, the BBC Big Band and 'pop' musicians including Sting, Jules Holland and Jamiroquai. A huge fan of Miles Davis, he peppered the tunes with anecdotes which made the evening even more enjoyable. Miles Davis was apparently instrumental in taking a new direction in jazz, moving away from the more frenetic sound of the Dizzy Gillespie school and introducing 'modal' music. He was the first jazz musician to improvise and compose according to modal structure; Kind of Blue is the definitive modal jazz album and Martin Shaw and the band played 3 smooth and melodic tracks from that album to ease us in gently.

Blue in Green was fabulously mellow and allowed pianist Robin Aspland the opportunity to give the first of many amazing, in fact truly amazing, solos on his keyboard. Robin also has the knack of looking uber relaxed, almost 'elsewhere' in fact, gazing happily around the room, barely looking at his keyboard yet producing the most complicated and beautiful sounds while the audience, and indeed the band, gaze on in wonder. Again he has played with many of the most famous UK and American singers and it is humbling that he, Shaw and others of their ilk, travel to Guildford to share their great musicianship.
Keeping step with Robin's intricate tunes was Marianne herself, a dedicated and talented bassist who works hard to enrich the Guildford jazz scene by inviting esteemed players to join her in the Surrey venues. However she remains one of the most modest players on the circuit; as a relative newcomer to the jazz world, she generously gives the floor to others but she is actually right up there with them! 
And talking of solos, the dark horse award of the evening went to drummer Sebastiaan de Krom who led us into a false sense of quietitude for the first few numbers, caressing the drums quietly with his brushes and allowing the occasional tinkle on the tambourine. But once the mellow sounds of  "Kinda Blue' had dwinded away, he threw himself into a Sonny Rollins number like a man that's had his arms tied all evening. De Krom teased every sound imaginable out of those drums - from whispering strokes and tinkling waterfalls to a thundering, rhythmic beat that stamped through my entire body and caused almost hysterical admiration from my fellow onlookers. Once again, De Krom delivers with an air of non-chalence that belies his incredible passion and talent - by the end of that unbelievable solo we were all mad for another drum roll.
Incredible jazz talent doesn't come lightly. Martin explained that Charlie Parker and fellow musicians were so incredibly good because they practised all the time, literally 7 nights a week every week, often doing 2 or 3 sessions a night. And they would tour for over a year, not even popping home for Christmas. Such devotion to learning an instrument, or many instruments, is nothing short of remarkable. It seems to me that the incredible jazz musicians that visit the Guildford jazz scene must also be putting in ridiculous of hours of practise. We are very grateful to them and this was another remarkable and lively evening - ending appropriately with '7 Steps to Heaven'. 

For all info about forthcoming jazz nights visit www.guildfordjazz.org.uk

Bennett double bill - crafted script and fine acting

An invite to a double bill penned by Alan Bennett at the Rose Theatre was an opportunity not to be missed. With 'spies' as the theme, although certainly not my Mastermind subject, it presented a good chance to learn something about a world I'd always wondered about. The two plays - An Englishman Abroad and A Question of Attributionshare common themes on the identities that the Cambridge spies, aka the Cambridge 4, had to adopt during their careers in espionage.

The first play tells of Guy Burgess's time spent in exile in Russia. A British-born Soviet spy who was active during World War Two and the Cold War, he fled to the USSR when he was warned of possible arrest in 1951. Alexander Hanson is truly fabulous in the role of Burgess in this Rose production. Louche, languishing but also charming he smacks of loneliness as he kicks around in his Moscow apartment, dreaming of fine suits and good food. He develops a friendship with his neighbour Coral, who is played with twinkling humour by Helen Schlesinger. Offering her supper which he then burns, Burgess shows extraordinary desire for the simple things he misses from dear old blighty, whisky and tomatoes seemingly all he now has to live on. He reminisces with Coral about England, but his allegiance to the country is tenuous " You see," he says, " I can say I love London. I can say I love England. But I can't say I love my country. I don't know what that means."

Alexander Hanson and Helen Schlesinger

Burgess never felt settled in Moscow, he sought solace in Russian lovers and drink and never bothered to learn Russian. In the end his alcoholism ravished his body and he died of drink related illness in 1963 aged 52. An Englishman Abroad is surprisingly gripping for play with little action. But the characters are endearing of course, Bennett's clever script is to be savoured. Sadly, many a precious line flutters by into the breeze as they simply tumble one after another, we are almost spoilt for choice. Words there are many, but I also admired the long silences afforded by Burgess and Coral - it takes brave acting just sit and simply stare. In this exiled environment, we truly get the ghastly feeling of waiting and utter ennui that Burgess must have experienced holed up in Moscow waiting for.....well, what exactly?

At the end of the play, Coral reminds the audience how very different the lives of spies today are to those in Burgess's era. He lived alone in exile; if he were alive today he would have written his memoirs and would most certainly be a guest on Desert Island Discs.

In A Question of Attribution we visit the world of Anthony Blunt, and this is an equally clever Bennett play, but drier without the antics of Burgess to lighten the plot. Michael Pennington is wonderful as Blunt, coping with lengthy and complex dialogue without faltering. He keeps his wits as the detective known as Chubb shows him slides of Old Masters interjected with endless slides of possible spies, challenging Blunt that he may have known them. Blunt was, like Burgess, openly gay and Julian Mitchell suggests in his play about spies, Another Country, that with homosexuality a crime at the time, gay people were practised at concealment and therefore were naturally inclined towards a life of espionage. Blunt was a little older than Burgess and others in their circle, and he became a kind of elder statesman. He spent the war years in intelligence and in April 1945 was appointed Surveyor of the King's pictures, (and then the Queen's) a post he enjoyed until 1972. When he was revealed as a spy there was naturally horror and embarrassment as he had been a frequent and welcome visitor to Buckingham Palace.

Bennett's use of the paintings is intriguing in this play, and a clever tactic as Blunt discusses the whole world of fakery and tries to unmask the 3rd man in a painting by Titian. It takes real focus to take in every line spoken in this extremely clever play, which is possibly over wordy and hot on detail. True Bennett fans I know will disagree! But I still enjoyed it and was grateful for a little humour brought by Helen Schlesinger who is superb and really rather cute as Her Majesty the Queen. 

All credit to Francis O'Connor's striking backdrops and Sarah Esdaile's assured direction which really bring these two plays to life. Single Spies is classic of the warm and confident productions put on by Rose Productions, and it's wonderful to see new life injected into the old spy stories that still fascinate, and occasionally shock us, today.

Single Spies plays at the Rose Theatre, Kingston until October 11. Box office www.rosetheatrekingston.org 0208 174 0090

Fantastic new venue for Guildford Jazz

Exciting times for Guildford Jazz last night as a packed house enjoyed the first night at their new venue. The Pavilion, at Guildford Rugby Club near Godalming, proved to be excellent in sound, atmosphere and parking which all bodes well for future gigs.
Marianne Windham, who runs Guildford Jazz, gathered some amazing musicians for the opening night and the energy and talent throughout both sets gripped the crowd. Two amazing alto sax players - Alan Barnes and Tony Kofi - stunned with their range and musical talent, working together and separately, moving through compositions by Barnes himself and well known tunes by Duke Ellington and Miles Davis. Alan's droll sense of humour was an enjoyable addition to the introductions to various numbers, and also revealed itself in his composition, The Snail, a wonderfully uplifting bossa nova. Alan's CV is staggering and too long to list here but Pasadena Roof Orchestra, Humphrey Littleton, Stan Tracey and BBC bands all feature and of course, numerous awards. Tony Kofi is also mutli talented, a player of alto, britone and soprano sax as well as the flute. He has also won many awards and composed original music for his 10 piece group, the Afro jazz family, and his quartet and trio.

Making up this dynamic quintet were John Turville on keyboards, Rod Youngs on drums and Marianne on double bass. John is an incredibly smooth pianist, rippling across the keys with ease, despite only having had 2 hours sleep! Marianne, who we should remember may not have played with these guys before, hit the fret board running - playing some incredibly complicated pieces and providing a very strong bass line to every number. Modest as ever, she attempted to keep her solo spots short, but Alan was having none of it and simply strolled away leaving her to delight the floor with another phrase or two. And last but far from least, Rod Youngs was simply one of the most mesmerising drummers I have seen. A quote from the Guardian once said, “Rod doesn’t so much hit the drums as massage them.. total mastery.” And that truly sums him up - he is totally immersed in his playing, moving from some very solid, incredibly rhythmic solos to gentle whispers with his drum brushes - totally hypnotic and wonderful to watch.
Writing it down reminds me that it is all the more amazing that these guys, who play some major international venues, came all the way to Guildford to play at the The Pavilion - or 'Fleet' Alan kept calling it, with his tongue in cheek humour. But we all knew it was Guildford Rugby Club and I am sure most of the audience will be going back for more.

The next gig at The Pavilion is on Weds October 8th - Martin Shaw plays Miles Davis.
For details of all Guildford jazz gigs visit www.guildfordjazz.org.uk Twitter: @guildfordjazz

The Pavilion
Broadwater Sports Club

Guildford Road

Godalming

Surrey

GU7 3DH

Daytona - charming yet punchy at Richmond Theatre

A play about three old folks and their interwoven relationships sounded like gentle, relaxing theatre to me. So, on a surprisingly blustery September evening, I set off for Richmond Theatre to see Daytona, leaving plenty of time to nab a precious parking spot around Richmond Green. With the charming Maureen Lipman as leading lady, accompanied by a companionable duo in Harry Shearer and Oliver Cotton, I anticipated fine acting but, I wondered - but would the storyline keep us hooked? I need not have feared. Oliver Cotton's script positively whips along, like the bitterly cold wind in the New York suburb where Jewish couple Joe (Harry Shearer) and Elli (Maureen Lipman) live in contented old age, enjoying their dancing classes and gently bickering over the small fry. The play opens with them practising their dance moves in preparation for a dancing competition the following day. But when Elli goes to her sister's for a final dress fitting, Joe's evening is disrupted by the unexpected arrival of his boisterous long-lost brother Billy, whom he hasn't seen since Billy walked out on the family business 30 years before.

Oliver Cotton as Billy

Oliver Cotton not only wrote the script, he gave himself the most colourful of roles. He is terrific as Billy, pacing the apartment in nervous apprehension, running his hand through his hair and shuffling his feet. His entrance lifts the play to another level, and we are hooked - wondering who he is and why he has turned up after 30 years absence. I am always intrigued when writers act in their own plays. Do they hanker to play a particular role for many years, so eventually they write a play around that character? Or are they already mid-writing when they think, "I am fascinated by this guy, and I can do the role justice." How wonderful to have the talent, power, wherewithal - to create a role of your choice. In this instance however, Cotton says the idea for the play came 'by a poolside in the Florida resort of Daytona, an hour north of Orlando. Lying by that crowded pool I suddenly imagined the inciting moment of the play and couldn’t get it out of my head."

Without giving the plot away, it becomes clear that Billy has committed a terrible crime and hopes his older brother will bail him out. But after an absence of 30 years, Joe questions why he should. In fact, he questions everything to that point that Billy shouts are him - "Why so many Why's? Quit asking so many questions." But of course there are plenty of questions  we all want to ask for Billy's outrageous story make sense. And there are questions we ask ourselves as an audience about what is right and wrong, and why can a crime committed many years ago slip through the justice system, yet be worthy of a jail sentence today? And is revenge acceptable in certain cases? Cotton explains that, as he wrote the play he became aware that Billy was seeking atonement - and because we like Billy, we kind of hope he gets it. And because this is essentially a thriller/comedy, we sometimes forget how serious a crime he has committed.

It's an enjoyably gripping play for one that looks, in the opening minutes, like it might be a quiet living room drama. It is keenly directed by David Grindley and the pace is terrific. All three actors are wonderful in their roles; Lipman is delightful, yet passionate as Eli and Shearer is endearing as her decent, but somewhat unexciting, loyal husband. Cotton explodes into their lives like a firework, dangerous yet enticing - frankly, I couldn't take my eyes off him. 

Daytona is at the Richmond Theatre until Saturday September 6th, then touring. Tickets from www.atgtickets.com/shows/daytona/richmond-theatre or 0844 871 7651

Pressure - tense forecasts from David Haig

With all the media attention surrounding the D-Day landings it is refreshing to find a new angle to convey the incredible impact of the decision to invade on any particular day. In his new play, Pressure, David Haig drives home the importance of the weather on that decision and the conflict between two weathermen whose differing forecasts could affect the outcome of the Second World War.

The action is takes place at Southwick House, Portsmouth and a convincing set complete with billowing curtains and the cracking sounds of storms overhead places us firmly in the nerve-wracking few days before June 6, 1944 when General Dwight Eisenhower (Malcolm Sinclair) has to decide when to give the order for the Allied Invasion of France, which later became named D-Day. The original date was set for June 5, with ideal conditions and the promise of a full moon, but predicted storms deemed the operation too precarious and so a decision to delay was proposed.

David Haig stars as Scotsman Group Captain Dr James Stagg, head of a team of meteorologists in charge of predicting the weather over the English Channel. Tim Beckman plays his jaunty opposition, the American Colonel  ‘Krick’ - two men from different nations with very different views on weather patterns.

Stagg is obsessed with the weather and Haig beautifully conveys his compulsive, almost neurotic, continual checking and re-checking of wind, rain and isotherms. He displays huge maps on the wall, moving pressure bars up and down and observing with near hysteria the building storm. Obsessed in the first act with the weather, and oblivious to those around him, we see his more emotional side as the play develops and we learn that his wife is in hospital, about to deliver their second child. David Haig has a wonderfully expressive face, his portrayal of George lll in ‘The Madness of...’ will stay with me forever, and once again he conveys brilliantly the agony of a man trying to do the right thing, but fearful of the consequences. (NB - seating tip - avoid the right hand side of the auditorium facing stage or you will mostly see the back of his head!)

Malcolm Sinclair is staggeringly like Eisenhower and plays the role with a great mix of power and compassion. His angst at sending thousands of young men to their possible death is apparent, and although he relies on the advice of Stagg and Krick, the final decision lies heavily with him. He has a love interest to ease his pressure, the lovely Lieutenant Kay Summersby, played with energy and sharp wit by Laura Rogers. The only female in the cast, she brings humanity and emotion to the proceedings.

There is an incredible amount of weather terminology in this play, and it sets the scene well for the impending storm and the pressure building both in and out of Southwick House. However, by the middle of the second act I felt I could probably pass a GCSE in wind speed - fantastic research but possibly too much detail.

But I don’t want to give any impression of a gloomy forecast. This is a pacey, exciting and inspired play with a great cast and lively direction by John Dove. It brings to life a relatively untouched aspect of D-Day, and evokes strong images of the practical challenges that had to be overcome to bring an end to the Second World War. 

Pressure runs at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester until June 28th 2014

Tickets via www.cft.org.uk  or call 01243 781312

RA Summer Exhibition - gripped by colour

The Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition continues to be an annual magnet for aspiring artists, despite the slim chances of acceptance. This year the RA received 12,000 entries, from which 1,200 artworks have been chosen for display. For the first time ever, artists submitted their woks digitally for the first round of judging, but how on earth do you you judge a piece of artwork (apart from possibly photography) on a screen? Looking today at the thumbnail images of some of my favourite works viewed at the press day, I realise how flat they are compared to the magnificence of the real thing. Clearly the job of the panel gets more difficult every year, and I was fascinated to learn how the selection and hanging of works takes place.

Hughie O'Donoghue, co-ordinator of the Royal Academy Exhibition, or 'Chief Hanger' as he calls himself, led us round the gallery and explained that the 'hanging committee' changes each year in order to bring a fresh approach. This year's crew have really cracked it. i was struck by the enormous diversity of work, the vibrancy of certain rooms and the contrasting calm of others. The whole exhibition feels easier to view, which is very welcome as even the keenest art buff needs time and energy to cover the whole show.

 "We have purposely kept some of the rooms more sparsely hung, others, such as the Small Weston Room are densely displayed," says Hughie. "This seems to work better from a viewing perspective. It gives us a chance to take a breath, observe, then move on."

Hughie was responsible for hanging the first room (Room lll) and revealed his first 'hang' - a huge painting by Anselm Keifer called Kranke Kunst. "From that the rest of the room fell into place," he says. "In this room I wanted to focus on painting in its most elemental forms, that is, colour, form, material and paint." The result is a truly fantastic and vibrant room - the best introduction to the Summer Exhibition I have seen for years. This is a show that sets your soul alight with the excitement of art, colour and the many directions it takes.

From Room lll, other rooms also take on a character of their own. The Large Weston Room is proud and almost showy with its great figurative works, and the Small Weston Room where works by amateurs and professionals hang side by side, is modest and dark. In here a lovely oil and acrylic by Simon Philpott sells for £450 while a blue & white acrylic by Tracey Emin sells for £66,000. A fascinating room that makes you pause and wonder - how on earth do we price a piece of art? This tiny room, with over 200 paintings and full of surprises, is perhaps my favourite. I imagine the incredible excitement of an unknown artist such as Surrey's Madeleine Pitt (Blood on the Wire, £200) who finds her painting hung just above a work by the esteemed Ken Howard (Double Self-portrait). Also in here we see 2 wonderfully simple watercolours by Una Stubbs called 'Benedict' and 'Martin' (you'll recognise them immediately).

Other rooms include architecture, made more interesting this year by the addition of working drawings and ideas. Also Room 7, devoted to new Royal Academicians - these are practicing professional artists in the UK, recognised by the RA as important artists who help steer the RA vision and support their activities. Hughie explained, 'This is a hard room to hang, with its many different styles and medium, but the work is very special, such as work by Anthony Eyton, an inspiration to us all as he is still painting in his 90s". I stand in awe in this room, mesmerised as always at work by Ken Howard, Bernard Dunstan and Frederick Cuming - his tiny oil, 'Snowscape', is perhaps my favourite in the exhibition, so beautiful that I don't want to leave it.

Other highlights include a room curated by sculptor Cornelia Parker RA. With a momochrome focus, Cornelia invited high profile artists such as Martin Creed and Richard Deacon to contribute work specifically for this room. This is a striking contrast to the riot of colour prevalent elsewhere and somehow ends the exhibition on a very calm note. But the vibrancy and joy of a heady mix of styles, colour, order and dis-order stays with me and, as I leave the RA and brace another shower of rain, a quote from Hughie stays with me:

"We are trying to be a broad church, to look at all types of art - conservative and eccentric. We aim for a wild garden where works compete for attention, so that it's up to the viewer, not the artist, to do the work."

And this they have achieved. A wonderful summer exhibition - a highlight already of the summer calendar - not to be missed.

The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition runs until August 17, 2014. Tickets from RA - www.royalacademy.org.uk

The Summer Exhibition has been held every year without interruption since 1769.

Jazz flying high at the Electric Theatre

I've said it before but I'll say it again - The Electric Theatre in Guildford pulls in some amazing musicians. Last night's jazz session included Mark Crooks (sax, clarinet), Colin Oxley (guitar) and Matt Skelton (drums) - all members of the great John Wilson Orchestra and in great demand. And modestly backing them with incredible musical dexterity on her double bass was Guildford's own Marianne Windham. 

Mark Crooks 

Mark studied clarinet at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and then at the Guildhall School of Music having won the Young Jazz Player of the Year Competition in 1991. He is now sought after in a wide variety of musical settings including classical work, sessions and shows on saxophones and clarinet but his real love is for jazz clarinet. His playing is simply mesmerising - Last night his Gershwin was so smooth it slinked its way around the room in a hypnotic haze. A bluesy tune, 'Lowlife' by Johnny Mandel, revealed his incredible handling of the tenor sax - and Skylark was so cool I couldn't stop myself grinning. As with many jazz musicians, Mark is totally lost in his music, eyes closed, seemingly miles away yet actually still right here with us as his band wait for a nod or a slight change in posture and join him in some incredibly tight, yet sensuous tunes.

Colin is a regular side-kick of Mark's, again, a man lost in his music and moving his way around his guitar with incredible skill and passion. He was voted Jazz Musician of the year in 2001 by the worshipful Company of Musicians and we can see why. And on the drums we had the laid back Matt, a drummer with an amazingly diverse range of musical bands and orchestras up his sleeve, including the BBC Concert orchestra and The Britten Symphonia. Intriguingly, Matt sometimes looks like his mind has wandered - his eyes gaze into the distance, his sticks gently patter on the drums. But do not be fooled - he is absolutely right here and with a nod from mark he is off into the most incredible drum roll and complex rhythms that brings gentle whoops of support from Mark. I rather like that surprise element in jazz.

And behind this great trio Marianne plays her double bass with real gusto. Incredibly she is relatively new to the music scene. She was a director of a thriving software company until she packed it in only a few years ago to play the double bass full time. She has worked with some of the leading names on the UK jazz scene, plays for big bands in London and the Southeast and is a member of the Surrey Mozart Players, one of the top non-professional chamber orchestras in the country. Importantly she works hard to keep jazz alive in the Guildford area and runs Guildford Jazz, which hosts some of the finest jazz musicians in Britain. Thrown in at the deep end at these Electric jazz nights (and many others) she looks as if she has been playing all her life, fingers whipping up and down the fret board and the pizzicato hand a blur as it pluck the strings. After last night's gig I congratulated Marianne on playing with some incredible musicians, many of who she has never met before. "Well most musicians are very nice," she says, "and I know that before I invite them to play. Apart from that it's a case of terror really, and that's maybe what makes jazz so great."  I am learning the double bass myself, so I will remember that little nugget next time I play - terror is a good thing!

Info on further jazz nights at The Electric Theatre - www.guildford.gov.uk/electrictheatre
For more information on upcoming jazz gigs and jazz related info contact Marianne via email at marianne@mariannewindham.co.uk and at www.guildfordjazz.org.uk

Moon Tiger - Rose Theatre Kingston

In a Guardian book club interview, Penelope Lively, the writer of Moon Tiger asked: "What is memory? An albatross around our necks, or the one thing we can't do without?" This intriguing theme runs throughout her book and in the current adaptation by Simon Reade which is showing at the Rose Theatre, Kingston this week. Presented by Royal Bath Productions and directed by Stephen Unwin, the play has great pedigree. I am a huge fan of Unwin's, having been captivated by his recent adaptation of Ghosts and A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, both at the Rose Theatre. Happily his directing of this play doesn't disappoint, although it doesn't have the wow factor of the previous two. This is a very different challenge - to engage an audience for two acts with the continuing narrative of a central character, in this case Claudia Hampton, played by Jane Asher. With one person dominating the dialogue it's hard to get to know the other characters in any depth, but by keeping the other actors on stage throughout, Unwin offers us interesting dynamics  to observe.
Great set design by Timothy Bird keeps us engaged with a large screen showing news footage and various striking images, including that of the Moon Tiger - the name given to the coil of silver ash left behind by a burnt out mosquito coil. These visual extras add great colour and life to a play that could become a bit slow as it is so very wordy. The wistful, lost-love type of narrative that is the backbone of this play needs punctuation and action to give it life. Jane Asher delivers with feeling the story of her life, nipping in and out of her eventual sick bed as she re-enacts various episodes with the aid of a strong supporting cast.
Christopher Brandon is fantastically versatile in his roles as brother, Italian surrogate son, Texan tourist and driver. I was mesmerised by his ability to convey a truck rumbling through the desert with nothing more than a chair - so mesmerised in fact, that I realised I'd zoned out of the narrative. This didn't seem to matter as this is a simple story, of Claudia growing up in the home counties then spending time in Egypt as a war correspondent. The rest of the cast also switch niftily and convincingly between characters, Jade Williams beautifully capturing the painful and awkward relationship between a daughter and her dying mother with whom she has always had a difficult relationship.
It's a good play but how I missed the steaming heat of the desert, the sound of cicadas, the intense heat of the sun - I felt the story might have been set any where, but maybe that 's the point, maybe it could be anywhere we choose it to be. I found it an enjoyable, comfortable romp through Claudia's story, the pains of her love life, the incestuous love between her and her brother, the awkwardness of parenthood, the ambiguity of historical memories. But somehow the narrative approach distanced me from the characters and, despite the obvious talent of the whole cast, I felt I never quite got to know them.

Moon Tiger plays at the Rose Theatre, Kingston until Saturday March 1 www.rosetheatrekingston.org

Ultimate sax from Art Themen

Wednesday night at The Electric Theatre. This is how a great jazz gig should be - people gathered at small tables, drink in hand, feet tapping and a broad grin on their faces. Because that's what really great jazz makes you do - grin broadly, just with the sheer amazement and joy that someone has so much talent and here they are, playing just 6 feet away from you.

Art Themen was at the Electric Theatre in Guildford last night by invitation of Marianne Windham who runs Guildford jazz. She gathers great musicians to play monthly jazz gigs at The Electric Theatre and at The Cavern in Farncombe and not surprisingly, Art's gig was a sell out. He is the consummate performer, not only wowing people with his amazing sax playing but endearing himself quickly to the crowd with amusing anecdotes and facts about the pieces he plays. He's an old hand at this, it's in his bones and he loves every minute of it. Art first appeared in the early Manchester jazz scene in the late 1950s, moving on to the early London blues scene and fronting the Stan Tracey quartet for 20 years from 1970. He has played with many of the jazz greats, and alongside other music stars such as Mick Jagger and Chuck Berry. But he's just as happy playing with good, local musicians and last night he was clearly very impressed with the Guildford gang.
Gigs such as last nights are all the more remarkable because the back up band are session players - their only rehearsal with Art was a quick run through just before the gig. Yet, they are such incredible musicians that they quickly get the groove of Art and each other, and, taking their lead from the smiley Art they played 2 amazingly tight sets - a little nod from Art, a broad encouraging grin and they're off.
Marianne herself is an amazing musician and last night her double bass skills were put to the test by Art and his love of playing in challenging keys, or suddenly changing the tempo. Her hands moved incredibly swiftly as she changed from blues to jazz and all ranges in between. Art loves to give the floor to his backing players and Marianne was frequently flung into the limelight with very little notice. A look of horror once or twice was quickly followed by a huge grin as everything fell into place, just as Art knew it would.
On the drums we had Martin Pyne - oh my word, Martin, what can I say? If I could bottle up his sheer passion and incredible talent and sell it on the High Street I would make a fortune. Martin can squeeze every emotion, sound, whisper, clash and ripple from his set of drums - effortlessly. In a quiet, unassuming way he brings incredible depth and colour to every tune.
And finally on the keyboards, Cheryl King. A post-graduate from the Guildhall School of Music Cheryl's technical skills and musical knowledge shine through as she confidently covers a range of jazz and blues. "So important to have a proper musical education" Art says to her admiringly. "I never had that" he says. But you would never know and did it really matter? I cannot imagine how he could play any better or more beautifully than he did last night. 

Don't miss out on jazz! - follow these links for future Surrey jazz events:
http://www.guildford.gov.uk/electrictheatre
http://guildfordjazz.wordpress.com
http://www.watermilljazz.co.uk

Hats off to Isabella Blow exhibition @Somerset House

Somerset House in London remains one of my favourite venues for the arts - even the walk over the Thames to the galleries puts a spring in my step - this week the river was positively racing along as the boats, tugs and water taxis strained against the current to reach their destinations.Somerset House's current highlight is the amazing Isabella Blow exhibition. If, like me, you are a bit of a fashion numpty, Ms Blow will be a familiar name but you might not be sure who she is. Somerset House says:- Born into the rarefied world of British aristocracy, Isabella’s thirty year career began in the early 80s as Anna Wintour’s assistant at US Vogue. Back in London in 1986 she worked at Tatler, then British Vogue. In 1997 she became the Fashion Director of the Sunday Times Style after which she returned to Tatler as Fashion Director. Driven by a passion for creativity, Isabella is credited for having nurtured and inspired numerous artists and designers.

Isabella Blow by Mario Testino 1997

So, is the exhibition simply full of lovely frocks and shoes? Happily there are plenty lot of those, and fashion students and glam dames will love them, but there's also a vibrant, pulsing excitement about the show.The glamour of the fashion world, (so adored by isabella Blow), its new collections and the great leap of courage designers take when they push the boundaries clearly comes across. Over 100 pieces from Isabella's collection are on show, she gathered together one of the most important private collections of late 20th Century/early 21st Century in British fashion design, which is now owned by Daphne Guinness.

While working as a junior on the fashion magazines, Isabella was hungry to find up and coming young designers. Philip Treacy was still a millinery student when she began to wear his hats and draw public attention to his designs. Beautiful hats by Treacy dominate this show, blazing colours adorned with feathers, plastic, shells, silk - one hat has a complete Chinese bamboo garden balanced on top. They are sheer fantasy and ooze exotic delight.

Another of Isabella's fashion darlings was Alexander McQueen - she bought all the pieces in his graduation show at St Martin's for £5,000, paid off at £100 a week, and they were delivered in a bin bag. I found the footage of his collections and shows quite mesmerising, and very moving in some strange way. The models confidently strutting up the catwalks are simply stunning and carry his designs with effortless grace and attitude. A film of the Alex McQueen show at Spitalfields in 1996 is racey, raunchy and out there. Antlers on heads, lace, lace everywhere, black feathers and foil. The show caused outrage outside Spitalfields church at the time - the military frogging and religious iconography were pushing fashion design to the limits. Alongside the film, actual clothes from the show are displayed on mannequins - a wonderful massive wool coat with a huge belt drowned the model - and looked amazing (but was no doubt a nightmare to wear!)

Geordie Craig, Editor at Tatler described Isabella as 'an academic with a punk rocker's anarchic sense' and it is evident that she liked to shock. She was a small lady with a huge presence and a very smart accent. One wonders if her influence would have been so keenly felt if she were less well connected. This show includes garments from the many designer talents she discovered and launched; along with Alexander McQueen and Philip Treacy we have Hussein Chalayan and Julien Macdonald, amongst others. I loved Hussein Chalayan's beautiful rusty brown dress, buried in soil with iron filings to give it that earthy look!

There is something incredibly moving about the courage of fashion, and in this case, the power and vision of one small lady who brought attention to some amazing designers and models. She once said that the mood-altering effect of hats was better than antidepressants, but however bright and amusing Isabella seems on the films and recordings at this exhibition, she struggled emotionally for many years. Depression, the strain of her own fame and of those she discovered, and a troubled background finally took their toll. In 2007, at the age of 48, she took her own life. This exhibition pays tribute to a wonderfully colourful, humorous and imaginative style icon who influenced so many people in her relatively short life.

Co-curated by Alistair O’Neill and Shonagh Marshall, Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore showcases Isabella’s idiosyncratic wardrobe amassed throughout her expansive styling career. The iconic collection, now owned by Daphne Guinness, is being loaned to the exhibition along with photographs, correspondence and footage contributed by those who knew her and whose lives she changed. 

Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore! is at Somerset House until 2 March 2014

Daily 10.00-18.00 (Last admission 17.00) Box office: http://www.somersethouse.org.uk

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