Narberth Jazz News for September 2024
Hello Narberth Jazz people,
Welcome to the autumn season of our monthly live jazz sessions. We continue at the Plas Hotel Narberth who have hosted us so generously for the past few years. Don’t forget that members can suggest any changes to the NJ set up that they would prefer. We have used several different venues in the past and we are open to all suggestions.
Our next event at the Plas will be from the recognised expert on New Orleans piano styles and players, Dale Storr from Sheffield.
Dale is the best New Orleans player I’ve ever heard”~ Richard Hawley
Described by Jazz Journal magazine as the “piano man’s piano man…” and “a national treasure” , Dale Storr’s musical journey has now brought him recognition as one of the UK’s leading exponents of New Orleans piano.
Inspired by his parents record collection of early Rhythm n’ Blues and Rock n’ Roll, the evocative music of New Orleans quickly became a passion for the young pianist. He immersed himself into the styles of heroes like Dr.John, James Booker, Professor Longhair, Allen Toussaint, Fats Domino and Huey ‘Piano’ Smith to name but a few. His piano studies took him to Sheffield where he established himself as a highly sought after pianist backing many top blues stars from the U.K. and America.
However the music of his beloved New Orleans was always going to take precedence and from 2008 Dale went solo with his now acclaimed ‘Sounds of New Orleans’ show.
“Storr’s music is authentic barrelhouse pianism and singing and should be on the play list of all broad minded jazz lovers~ Jazz Journal magazine
We have enjoyed his intoxicating piano mastery, and sharing his encyclopaedic knowledge of the crescent city. Dale will draw you in with the rich history behind the music telling the often risqué stories of his much loved piano heroes.
He will be weaving his magic for us on Thursday 19th September.
Next month we are proud to present one of the true stars of British jazz when Alan Barnes comes to play for us with the John Gibbon Trio on October 17th.
Alan Barnes is a prolific international performer, composer, arranger, bandleader and touring soloist. He is best known for his work on clarinet, alto and baritone sax, where he combines a formidable virtuosity with a musical expression and collaborative spirit that have few peers.
His range and brilliance have made him a “first call” for studio and live work since his precocious arrival on the scene more than thirty years ago.
His recorded catalogue is immense. He has made over thirty albums as leader and co-leader alone, and the list of his session and side-man work includes Bjork, Bryan Ferry, Michel LeGrande, Clare Teale, Westlife, Jools Holland and Jamie Cullum. He has toured and played residencies with such diverse and demanding figures as Ruby Braff, Freddie Hubbard, Scott Hamilton, Warren Vache, Ken Peplowski, Harry Allen and Conte Candoli.
In British jazz, the young Barnes was recognized – and hired – by the established greats of the time: Stan Tracy, John Dankworth, Kenny Baker, Bob Wilber, and Humphrey Lyttelton. But he is equally respected for his longstanding and fruitful collaborations with contemporaries such as David Newton, Bruce Adams, and Martin Taylor.
Alan Barnes’s unique musicianship, indefatigable touring, and warm rapport with audiences have made him uniquely popular in British jazz. He has received over 25 British Jazz Awards, most recently in 2014 for clarinet, and has twice been made BBC Jazz Musician of the Year.
I was relishing the prospect of Barnes’s casually consummate musicianship, deadpan humour (he could be a comedian, if jazz ever fails him), and indomitable belief in a respected place for the music’s rich history in this eclectic and often forgetful world.
John Fordham – The Guardian.
Barnes plays music that was radical 50 years ago but he infuses it with so much passion and energy you could believe it was minted on the spot, which is always part of the story with jazz.
John L. Walters, The Guardian.
In November we bring you will bring the New Orleans band style back to Narberth with the Vick Partridge Five.
Don’t forget to get your tickets from
Events from 1st January – 21st NovemberNarberth Jazz
See You soon
Declan and the NJ team