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BAG YOUR JANUARY BARGAIN

From rock royalty's The Pretty Things appearing at Ventnor's Winter Gardens (16 January) to the best swing music of the 30's, 40's and 50's at Quay Arts (9 January), the Isle of Wight has gathered together a brilliant range of musical talent for visitors to enjoy. And with ticket prices starting at just £9, these events are a great opportunity to bag a January bargain!

The Swing Commanders at Quay Arts centre

The Island’s Quay Arts is set to swing into the New Year in style on Saturday 9 January with five voices, six specialist musicians and fourteen instruments, in over two hours of the best music of the 30s, 40s and 50s.

This musical extravaganza bursts into life the moment the performance starts. Founder member, Peter Riley with his unique rhythm guitar in his own individual style, interwoven with a more traditional double bass, but is best remembered for his superb voice and magnetic stage presence. An aficionado of Western Swing, he has now emerged as one of the most charismatic front men on the Country, Swing and Jazz scenes. 

Stunning new girl on the block - and at the mike is Cumbria's Kathleen Ord, one of the three young classical violinists, whose performing and recording experience ranges from classical choirs to big-band jazz and ceilidh bands. She brings swinging alto sax solos to an ever-widening Country, Forties Swing and jazz repertoire.

Former member of 'Broadcaster' and in great demand as a session musician, top guitarist, 'Champion' Simon Brady is not only acknowledged as  the best mandolin player on the British Country scene but is now attracting considerable attention on his unique, 10-string Williamson Hawaian steel. 

Also starring is the girl with the wild hair and Texas fiddle, former classical violin soloist, Gaynor Sutcliffe. She uses her wide musical experience and expertise to bring a unique slant to the band’s Latin, Swing and Country styles.  When not leading the dancers on the floor, her powerful vocals, piano accordion solos, keyboard backings and double bass extravaganzas have added a dynamic impact to the band's live performances.

Finally we have glamorous, classically trained violinist, vocalist Naomi Koop brings a gypsy jazz style allows her to add a new dimension to Country and Forties Swing fiddle and is a central element of the band's triple fiddle versions of some Western Swing classics.

The performance starts at 8pm (doors 7pm) and tickets, price £11, are available in person from the Quay Arts Box Office, Sea Street, Newport Harbour, or call 01983 822490 (www.quayarts.org).

The Cherokees at Ryde Theatre

Also on Saturday 9 January, Doug Watson, Brian Shape, Keith Roberts & Friends – the boys from The Cherokees are back for their annual visit to the Island, and they promise to get you up dancing. 

Tickets, price £9, are available from The Venue, Ryde Theatre, Lind Street, Isle of Wight.  Doors: 8pm, age 18+ only.  Tel. 01983 568099. 
For more live events taking place at Ryde Theatre this January, visit www.rydetheatre.co.uk.

Empirical at Quay Arts centre

Empirical kick off the new year’s season of Jazz Café at Quay Arts on Friday, 15 January playing songs from their latest album, ‘Out ‘n In’ touring nationally.  

This visionary British ensemble are comprised of four members including alto saxophonist Nathaniel Facey, Tom Farmer on double bass, Shane Forbes on drums and sensations man Lewis Wright who delivers funky rhythms on his vibraphone with lashings of modern inspiration.  This young band is part of a new swathe of young city jazz artists whose passion emanates from a love of a combination of the traditional and contemporary jazz form.

Empirical’s first album ‘Out to Lunch’ was based on this concept and did incredibly well, their latest album ‘Out ‘n In’ touring at Quay Arts draws further on this combination with a hard post-bop style that has been admired on both sides of the Atlantic. 

Their debut record was Jazzwise Magazine’s Album of the Year and Mojo Magazine’s Jazz Album of the Year, also winning the Peter Whittingham Award 2008.  Drawing on jazz, classical and African musical traditions, Empirical’s fresh sound is original and sophisticated. 

Each member contributes with equal zest, combining their individual ideas into a band identity that nods to their inspiration and is a tribute to avant-garde jazz multi-instrumentalist Eric Dolphy, (1928 – 1964), they are emphatic he is timely for a new era.

‘As well as being a personal hero of ours, Eric Dolphy was a pivotal musician in the Avant-Garde movement of the late 1950s/60s who influenced his peers and subsequent generations – we are evidence of that.  His influence on jazz music as a composer, as well as instrumentalist, is often celebrated so, having played the music from his classic album Out to Lunch, we decided to broaden our look at his legacy.’ Empirical

Dolphy’s style was considered revolutionary by some and anti-jazz by others at the time, his music was an outcry against social injustice and led straight into the two big movements of the time – the Black Panther movement and Martin Luther King.

With so much available at the click of a button it is difficult to create outrage with music today, but through exponents such as Empirical their visionary ideals live on in their music.

The performance starts at 8pm (bar & menu from 6.30pm onwards).  Tickets, price £10, are available in person from Quay Arts Box Office, Sea Street, Newport Harbour, or call 01983 822490, (www.quayarts.org)

The Pretty Things at the Winter Gardens, Ventnor

Saturday 16 January

Yes, they’re back and kicking with R ‘n B, psychedelia, pure acoustic blues and a mix of all their most recognisable numbers - every bit as good as the reputation that precedes them, if not better with age!

Featuring the hoarse vocals of Phil May, delivered with more energy and power than Mick Jagger alongside the stinging leads of “rock-royalty” guitarist Dick Taylor (who actually played in early versions of the Rolling Stones with Jagger and Keith Richards, the Pretties recorded a clutch of raunchy R&B rockers in the mid-'60s that offer a punkier, rawer version of the early Stones sound. Remember their first two albums? As well as a brace of fine major and minor British hits (of which "Don't Bring Me Down" and "Honey I Need" were the biggest), it featured first-rate original material and covers and remains the group's most exciting and influential of recordings.

The Pretty Things went through the 60’s and 70’s via their psychedelia phase, creation of the rock opera “S.F. Sorrow“ in 1967 that influenced Pete Townsend’s now renowned “Tommy” the following year, changes of line up, the punk era, the 1970’s progressive and hard rock phase without Taylor and reunited along the timeline for various gigs in their original RnB vein. Then in 1999 they reformed and created “Rage…Before Beauty”, followed eight years later with “Balboa Island”.

Now they are here on stage at Ventnor’s Winter Gardens - two young ‘Pretties’ in the line up – George Perez on Bass & Jack Greenwood on Drums - with three total originals still going strong – founders Phil May and Dick Taylor, plus Frank Holland also on guitar, who has been with them for over 20 years.

The night starts at 7.30pm as local band The Malchicks rev things up ready for Amen Boogie who get the sweat up ready for The Pretty Things to pump up the volume at 10pm for a 90 minute straight set. Ending the night until 1am and keeping the pace going in the gaps is DJ Kaf-Tan on 60’s and 70’s vinyls.

Quite a mix for all tastes and ages to shake off the post-Christmas blues and a rare opportunity to see the real line up of The Pretty Things here in Ventnor on the Isle of Wight.  After this, they are off on tour of Japan and then the USA.

Box Office:
Buy by phone: 01983 856200 or 856206
Buy in person: The Music Shop, 6 Pier St., Ventnor.
Tickets: £15 in advance, £17 on the door, £12 NUS & Benefits (proof required)
Promoter terms and conditions apply