Jazz- Mingus Moves

Saxophonist Duncan Anselm was a prominent member of Bristol’s jazz community through the 1990s before he moved out of the city. Whilst in Bristol Duncan was a member of the fondly remembered Charles Mingus tribute Mingus Fingers, a septet led by bassist Dave Griffiths. He now revisits the Mingus repertoire with a new quintet.

Bassist Charles Mingus was one of the greatest jazz composers – expect fantastic tunes such as Better Get It in Your Soul and Tensions from the 1950s through to Duke Ellington’s Sound of Love and Opus 4 from the 1970s – all specially arranged for the new line-up. You’ll find groove, hard bop, collective improvisation, blues, and church influences to name but five elements in his masterful compositions. Mingus’s music is here presented in the firm belief that it should be heard more often and enjoyed more widely.
Over the last year, Mingus Moves has performed at Ilminster Arts Centre and The Red Hot Jazz Club in Glastonbury.

Duncan Anselm has gigged extensively around the South West since the 1980s, including several appearances at Swanage Jazz Festival, gigs with Harry Beckett and Nigel Price, and broadcasts on Radio 2 (‘Jazz Parade’) and HTV (‘At the Albert’). More recently Duncan has released two CDs on the Bopcentric Music label.

Saxophonist Sam Crockatt has played in venues all over the UK including Ronnie Scott’s, The Albert Hall, the Jazz Cafe, and the Sage Centre. His debut album Howeird features pianist Gwilym Simcock, who has gone on to fame with Pat Metheny. The album won the Parliamentary Jazz Award for Best CD. Sam has subsequently signed to the prestigious Whirlwind label for his most recent recording Mells Bells.

It’s the first time at the club for Somerset-based pianist Richard Jenkins, and who better to play the role of Mingus than Riaan Vosloo with his big muscular bass sound. Drummer Jon Clarke is well known in the Latin scene and previously played at the club with Jim Blomfield and Michel Padron’s quintet, but he is also a fine straight-ahead jazz player.