Jazz lovers have two dates to put firmly in their diaries this autumn as Liverpool’s Capstone Theatre welcomes two outstanding ensembles celebrating some of the most influential music in jazz history.
From the groundbreaking sounds associated with Miles Davis to the timeless compositions of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, the concerts promise audiences the chance to experience landmark jazz repertoire performed live by leading musicians from across the North of England.
Kind of Cool – Wednesday 14th October
The first concert, Kind of Cool, takes place on Wednesday 14 October at 7.30pm and sees the Phil Shotton ‘Kind of Cool’ Nonet perform the complete Birth of the Cool album live. Originally recorded by Miles Davis’s celebrated nonet during sessions in 1949 and 1950 and subsequently released as an album in 1957, Birth of the Cool became a defining moment in the development of post-bebop jazz.
Its imaginative arrangements and distinctive instrumentation helped establish a new musical direction that would become known as cool jazz. For this special Capstone performance, bandleader and baritone saxophonist Phil Shotton has assembled a nine-piece group using the original instrumentation and arrangements.
The line-up features Alex Clark on alto saxophone, Owen Bryce on trumpet, Mike Monument on French horn, Matthew Horner on trombone, Adam Dutch on tuba, Tom Sykes on piano, Dan Baretto on double bass and Andrew Bold on drums alongside Shotton on baritone saxophone. The combination of French horn and tuba with the more familiar brass, saxophone and rhythm-section instruments was part of what gave the original Miles Davis nonet its unmistakable sound.
Drawing on techniques associated with classical orchestral writing while retaining the improvisation and rhythmic character of jazz, the recordings opened up new possibilities for jazz arranging. Hearing the complete album recreated with its original instrumentation therefore offers something rather different from an ordinary tribute concert. It is an opportunity to encounter one of jazz’s landmark recordings as a live ensemble experience.
North West Duke Ellington Orchestra – Friday 13th November
A month later, attention turns to another giant of jazz when the North West Duke Ellington Orchestra arrives at The Capstone on Friday 13 November at 7.30pm. Directed by Phil Shotton, the 15-piece big band is dedicated to performing the extraordinary music written and arranged by Duke Ellington and his long-time collaborator Billy Strayhorn. Its repertoire spans the breadth of Ellington’s career, from the music of his famous Cotton Club years through to his later swinging suites.
Ellington’s contribution to jazz is difficult to overstate. As a composer, pianist and bandleader, he developed an instantly recognisable orchestral language and wrote music specifically around the individual sounds and personalities of the musicians in his ensemble. Alongside Strayhorn, he created a body of work that remains central to the big-band repertoire.
The North West Duke Ellington Orchestra brings together musicians from Cheshire, Lancashire, Manchester and Merseyside, united by both the challenge and exhilaration of performing this remarkable music. For audiences, it promises an evening filled with the colour, sophistication and swing of one of jazz’s greatest orchestras, recreated by a large ensemble with a genuine enthusiasm for Ellington’s music.
A celebration of jazz history in Liverpool
Taken together, the two concerts provide a fascinating journey through some of the defining sounds of 20th-century jazz. Kind of Cool explores the innovative, carefully arranged textures that emerged around Miles Davis at the end of the 1940s, while the North West Duke Ellington Orchestra celebrates the richness and sheer variety of Ellington and Strayhorn’s big-band writing.
There is also a strong regional connection running through both evenings. Phil Shotton directs both ensembles, with the concerts showcasing musicians from Liverpool and across the wider North West and North of England. Both performances take place at The Capstone Theatre at Liverpool Hope University’s Creative Campus, 17 Shaw Street, Liverpool L6 1HP, and tickets for each concert are £16.50.
Kind Of Cool & North West Duke Ellington Orchestra / The Capstone Theatre, 17 Shaw Street, Liverpool, L6 1HP
