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.
BUZZ 11