“Pigeon holes are for Pigeons!” I was once told by an old Jazz musician, Steve McKeand from Highland HotClub wasn’t that man in fact he’s not that old, but most definitely reflects those sentiments, his rising Gypsy Jazz (for want of a better description) Combo are about to release their first album and play their third major Festival this year.

Steve says “Jazz can be the freest form of music and we are happy to take Latin combined with the harmonies of the great American Song Book, Easter European Klezmer violin and high octane guitar and make it all swing”.

So at a Highland HotClub show (and on the new album) you will hear Bossa Nova, Tango, Country Swings, Rock, Pop Classical all served up in a Jazz melting pot.  They Play The Coffee Shop Strathpeffer August 5th and Jazz Space Merkinch 11 November.

A Jazz melting pot, with a big cooking pot, would be as good a place to start to describe  “The Supper Club”, being organised by Ruth Fisher and The Merkinch Community Center, in Inverness in November. The opening weekend Festival 11-12 November will feature every form of music in that aforementioned melting pot, from cutting edge new Jazz of BBC Best New Band Brass Jaw to the Dance Swing of Rick Taylor’s All Star Global Swing Band.

Rick announces the line up of that combo:

Trombone/Band leader – Rick Taylor

Trombone – Michael Ouers

Trumpet – Cameron Jay

Trumpet – Colin Steele

Guitar – Malcolm McFarlane

Drums – Tom Bancroft

Piano – Chick Lyall

Ruth, from Conon, long time director of the Aberdeen Youth Festival, says, “Now I’m back home for a while I thought it was my time to put something back, Jazz is my love, our aim is to produce and promote regular events that create a space and make a place for experiencing live Jazz. I’m inspired by the whole concept of “the third place/space” as I want to encourage a sense of community, belonging and inclusiveness in all that I do. Jazz sometimes gets a reputation for being exclusive, pretentious and maybe even difficult to understand or listen to. I would like to show you that in fact it needn’t be any of these things – I think it’s just great music!”

More information from http://www.thejazzspace.com/

Source: Rob Ellen