IN FOCUS : COURTNEY PINE words : JON DOYLE English jazz musician Courtney Pine is widely acknowledged as the major force in the transformation of British jazz over the past 20 years . Born to Jamaican immigrant parents in North London in 1964 , Pine rose to fame in 1986 with his debut album Journey To The Urge Within – the first ever jazz album to make the UK top 40 and earn a Silver disc – and he has had continued success ever since . His latest work has been more experimental , fusing contemporary jazz with UK garage and drum ’ n ’ bass , and incorporating musicians from Africa , Europe and the Caribbean to form a vibrant and multicultural sound that defies any one genre . Pine finds fresh ways to honour his Afro-Caribbean roots while constantly seeking to push British jazz into new and exciting territories .
Fri 9 Aug , 9pm , Market Hall , Brecon , tickets : £ 18.50 .
IN FOCUS : MAVIS STAPLES words : JON DOYLE Successful solo artist and former member of the iconic family band The Staple Singers , Mavis Staples ’ 60-year career has been rich and eventful . Friends of Martin Luther King , The Staple Singers were the voices of the civil rights movement , bringing messages to the crowds through gospel harmonies . Add to this her history of recording with artists such as Ray Charles , Prince and Aretha Franklin , not to mention an alleged marriage proposal from none other than Bob Dylan , it is hardly surprising that Rolling Stone named her as one of the Top 100 Singers Of All Time . Her new album , You Are Not Alone , a follow-up to 2007 ’ s civil rightsthemed We ’ ll Never Turn Back , was produced by Jeff Tweedy from the US alternative rock band Wilco .
Sat 10 Aug , 9pm , Market Hall , Brecon , tickets : £ 30 .
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