PALACE ART FAIR - FRI OCT 8 TO SUN OCT 10

Fulham Palace Art Fair

Norwich Factory Artists Martin Laurance, Martin Battye, Annette Rolston, Fiona Roberts, Kasia Coleman and Rupert Mallin will have work on show at this important art fair.

MILESTONES JAZZ CLUB - OCTOBER

’NO-HOLDS-BARRED’ SWINGING JAZZ FROM SIMON SPILLETT AT MILESTONES JAZZ CLUB

This month’s concert at Milestones Jazz Club on Sunday 3 October features one of the most entertaining of the new wave of young musicians playing straight ahead modern jazz – Simon Spillett and The Chris Ingham Trio.

Virtuoso tenor saxophonist Simon Spillett is a player of jaw-dropping ferocity, who has risen meteorically in the past few years to become one of the most dynamic and distinctive tenor saxophonists on the UK jazz scene.

A formidable musician and composer playing and writing in an uncompromising hard bop style, Simon always delivering a high-energy performance of standards and striking originals in the mould of Tubby Hayes and Johnny Griffin with whom he shares a love of dare devil tempos and all-out, no-holds-barred, intensity.

His driving, energised style and passionate commitment to unabashed, straight ahead jazz has attracted much attention and garnered prizes that include the BBC Jazz Awards 2007 ‘Rising Star’ and the 2009 Record of the Year from the prestigious Jazz Journal.

Since becoming a professional musician aged 21, Simon has worked his way through a very practical jazz apprenticeship, playing at clubs and festivals across the UK including top venues such as Ronnie Scott's, The 100 Club, The 606 and The Jazz Café.

Alongside his hero Tubby Hayes, Simon's main saxophone influences include John Coltrane, Ronnie Scott, Ben Webster, Dexter Gordon and Sonny Rollins.

Simon is also a regular member of The Ronnie Scott's Jazz Orchestra performing with all of the UK’s leading jazz musicians and has accompanied stars including veteran jazz singer Jon Hendricks, pop icons Will Young, Mick Hucknall, Andrea Corr and Sharleen Spiteri.

At this concert Simon will be given the all-important muscular support needed from some of East Anglia’s finest players - the trio of pianist Chris Ingham includes the solid double bass of Ivars Galenieks and fiery drumming of Russell Morgan.

The band’s full line-up features Simon Spillett (tenor sax), Chris Ingham (piano), Ivars Galenieks (double bass) and Russell Morgan (drums).

Listen to the music of Simon Spillett by visiting the club website at www.milestonesjazzclub.co.uk or Simon's own website at www.simonspillett.com

All Milestones gigs are held on the first Sunday of every month and take place at Hotel Hatfield, Esplanade, Lowestoft with the doors opening at 8pm.

Admission - £7 / £6 (concession).

ADVERTISING FREE ZONE

I've been approached by advertisers who wish to advertise on Rupert's Blog. However, as far as possible, I want to keep this quirky five year venture 'Advert Free' - as far as possible. I know there are many covert ways of advertising - from spam comments to placing underlying links on my copy - but I want to stick full-square with my original intention of 'keeping it real' - to my life, real lives.
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I have an array of arts and cultural links. These are important to the blog. Indeed, if you'd like a link for a non-commercial activity, I'm happy to provide.
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I am saddened that so many newspapers and blog-news services have stepped up advertising space because, ultimately, advertising influences the editorial line.
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However, over the coming months I will be developing a 'commercial' website. This will act as a conduit between my eBay Shop and my late parents' blogs (Tom Mallin, Muriel Mallin), both of which I will remake soon.
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I feel flattered the big guns want to turn this space commercial. I'm not surprised. I've put a lot of effort into forging links. When an aside here about the X Factor appears high up on Google searches, I feel vindicated in my entirely independent approach to blogging.
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Keep the faith (that's no reference to The Pope).

BRIGHTON ART FAIR THIS WEEKEND

FRI SEP 17 - 11am to 7.30pm

SAT SEP 18 - 10am to 6pm

SUN SEP 19 - 10am to 5pm

At The Corn Exchange, Brighton Dome, Church Street, Brighton N1 1UE. Visit the Brighton Art Fair website for full details.

It will be a huge event. The Factory Artists Norwich are represented - work by Martin Laurance, Martin Battye, Annette Rolston, Mike Fenton, Katrina Coleman, Fiona Roberts and Rupert Mallin.

FRIARS MEADOW, SUDBURY

I recently retraced the steps of my life with a visit to Sudbury, Suffolk. This is the River Stour, Friars Medow.

FRIARS MEADOW: WHERE MY MOTHER USED TO PAINT

This is Friars Meadow, Sudbury, where my mother used to paint - 1981 to 1987.

TWO TREES, FRIARS MEADOW

EXHIBITION AT THE QUAY THEATRE, SUDBURY

My friend Paul Frankland has a special exhibition on at The Quay Theatre, Sudbury. Thirty years ago, Paul took an amazing series of photos of Sudbury, which are now on view at the Theatre. Proceeds from sales will go to the theatre's car park fund. The exhibition runs until the end of the month.

THE QUAY THEATRE

Here is a view of the Quay Theatre, Sudbury. It must be nearly thirty years ago since I performed there with the Sudbury Amateur Drama Society. Great to catch up with old friends last week at the exhibition there.

QUAY LANE, SUDBURY

This is one of the lovely gardens along Quay Lane to the theatre.

PRAIRIE VOICES by SEAMUS CAIN, DUBLIN

IMRAM, a national literary festival in Ireland, in association with
the Dublin City Arts Centre and TíAitreo, will present "The Prairie
Gaeltacht" by Séamas Cain. Performances will begin at 7:00 p.m. on
Monday and Tuesday, September 20 and 21, 2010 at CITY ARTS, 15
Bachelor’s Walk, Dublin 1, Ireland.

Describing the script for The Prairie Gaeltacht, Liam Carson, director
of the IMRAM Festival, said "poetic, beautiful, moving, simple,
evocative. I'm really looking forward to experiencing the
performance."

And the Irish writer Gabriel Rosenstock described the script as "very moving."

http://www.cityarts.ie/events/2010/09/20/-the-prairie-gaeltacht-gaeltacht-na-bhfarthailte/


THE PRAIRIE GAELTACHT

"I remember herds of buffalo on the prairie, beautiful Indian ponies
... the coyotes howling at dusk." So speaks one voice in Séamas
Cain’s dramatic evocation of what he calls The Prairie Gaeltacht.

Drawing on his own conversations with relatives, Séamas Cain’s
narrative probes deep into family, land and language. Through their
plain but poetic voices, history is relived. Here Irish settlers
learn from Indians "where strawberries grew and which birds were most
delicious to hunt." Here is Thomas Burke, kinsman of Edmund, fleeing
to the Irish Colonies of Minnesota in 1878. We are brought from the
time of the wagon trains to the day electricity arrived in the village
of Murdock in 1922. Along the way we hear stories of the Molly
Maguires, the communitarian Connemaras and their vision of creating a
Gaelic socialist utopia on the prairies of western Minnesota; of
fiddlers and harmonica players at dances; of droughts, crop failures,
snowstorms, and swarms of locusts.

The Prairie Gaeltacht is an extraordinary bi-lingual journey into a
haunting past. Actors from TíAitreo will re-create in Irish the words
and stories of Séamas Cain’s grandparents and their cousins and
friends, whilst Cain himself will narrate in English.

A unique insight into an almost forgotten history, The Prairie
Gaeltacht is a deeply personal odyssey from one of America’s most
radical and inventive of poets.

THE HEADLESS MAN, Gt YARMOUTH CEMETERY

Stone appears as if it will last centuries, if not forever, but even stone has its weak point.

AS SOFT AS STONE

Andrew Tanser's stone sofa, Middlegate, Great Yarmouth, retains its soft appeal. An excellent expression of public art.