COME IN OUT OF THE COLD! Saturday 11 January sees Alan joining his good friend and outstanding vibraphone player Antony Kerr for a special gig at the National Jazz Centre in Southend. Here’s more info. It’s from 14:00 to 16:00 in this fascinating location filled with jazz memorabilia, information, archives, workshops and live music. Come on down and hear their take on the music of Coltrane, Miles and Monk.
2024 concluded with a rather unusual request for Alan to participate in a podcast. It took him back to 1976 when he was booked to record the iconic solo on the song The Saxophone Man on the album The Kick Inside that shot the teenaged Kate Bush to fame.
Professor Darrell Babidge, Chair of the Faculty of Vocal Arts at the prestigious Juillard School in New York runs the Kate Bush Fan Podcast and asked Alan to recall the session. It will doubtless introduce a whole new audience to a different kind of music too. Darrell asked if he could play out the podcast with a favourite track of Alan’s. He chose Giant Steps acknowledged to be the hardest tune in jazz to play. You can listen here. Enjoy!
Alan Skidmore 