RISING JAZZ STAR JOINS CHELTENHAM PIANIST IN AN EVENING OF CHRISTMAS JAZZ

Back in 2006, as part of Simon Cowell’s six strong, classical/pop fusion singing group Angelis, Joe Martin achieved national acclaim. Angelis (all members of which were aged between 11 and 14 at the time) so charmed the country that their album reached no. 2 in the music charts – achieving platinum sales.

Five years on, and still only 17, Joe’s voice and musicality has matured - the promise and natural talent he showed as a young teenager has been fully realised. He has given up the classical repertoire that he learned with Cowell to concentrate on the classic swing numbers that he has grown to love. With his trio, Joe now tours the country performing his favourites from the songbooks of the ‘Ratpack’ and Michael Buble. With his youth, good looks and easy confidence he is picking up fans in the hundreds that are much younger than those of your average crooner.

Joe happens to also be the son of legendary impressionist Phil Cool, who was the biggest name on British television in the early 90s, but Joe is no impressionist. When he performs it is all himself ...... but rest assured he will make an impression – those that witness him now are left with the distinct impression that they are witnessing the birth of a great, new British star in jazz.

It is for these reasons that Cheltenham’s pianist and all round entertainer Peter Gill (The Jerry Lee Lewis Story, An Evening with the humour of Bob Newhart & Tom Lehrer, Talbot House) has asked Joe to perform with him, as his very special guest at this year’s annual ‘Jazz on a Christmas Evening with Peter Gill and Friends’ concert at The Bacon Theatre, Cheltenham on Wednesday 21 December. This evening of sublime, cool, Christmas inspired jazz and boogie has become a firm favourite in the calendar for Gloucestershire music lovers and once again is sure to sell out. As well as Joe, Peter will be joined by local musicians Mike and Kim Cypher, Wayne Elliott and Mike Croshaw.

Jazz on a Christmas Evening will be at The Bacon Theatre, Hatherley Road, Cheltenham on Wednesday 21 December. Performance starts at 7.30 p.m. and tickets are priced at £15. Box Office number: 01242 258002

TOWN HALL GOES IT ALONE TO PROGRAM AN INSPIRING SELECTION OF LIVE ENTERTAINMENT

As the recession bites harder and budget cuts shrink everyone’s pockets further, live entertainment venues around the country are struggling to survive. Grants have disappeared, funding reduced to a minimum and the ticket buying public are increasingly choosing to save whatever disposable income they possess. Theatres and arts centres are universally complaining of hardship and out of necessity cutting back on the diversity of entertainment that they have on offer.

However, amongst all this gloom, there is one Wiltshire town hall which is determined to buck the trend and prove that with imagination and tenacity a full and eclectic program of live events can be offered to its local population at prices that break nobody’s pockets.

Louise Arkley, the vivacious, enthusiastic and determined manager of Malmesbury Town Hall has allied herself with Cheltenham based theatre and live music promoters Beyond Eternity Promotions to ignite an entertainment program in this recently refurbished venue that will cover most, if not all tastes. The Jerry Lee Lewis Story will be rattling the rafters with piano pumping rock ‘n’ roll (Saturday 29 October), vintage comedy comes in the form of An Evening with the humour of Bob Newhart & Tom Lehrer (Thursday 17 November) and for jazz fans the venue will be turned into a monthly jazz club every second Thursday of the month – starting on November 10 with The Hot Fingers Trio. The youth of Wiltshire are not forgotten with the promise of a week-long Rock School being held in the town in October 2012 culminating in a concert to be held at the Town Hall.

These are brave steps that Ms Arkley is taking, something that she is all too aware of. But she has the support of the town council who own the building and she has an infectious enthusiasm that has made her a popular local figure. Her belief and passion for this superb venue and her love of live entertainment gives Malmesbury Town Hall the potential of becoming the social hub of the town - from dawn til after dusk.

There could well be a lesson here for venues around the country that are feeling depressed by their loss of funding. With some belief, passion and entrepreneurial skill the arts can survive this recession – they are certainly doing so in Malmesbury.

For ticket enquiries to Malmesbury Town Hall events telephone: 01666 822143

Helpful links: www.beyondeternitypromotions.com , www.malmesbury.gov.uk/townhall.html

TOP THEATRE SHOW COMES TO GLOUCESTERSHIRE VILLAGE HALL

Since January 2009 An Evening with the humour of Bob Newhart and Tom Lehrer presented by Gloucestershire performers Peter Gill (The Jerry Lee Lewis Story, Let The Good Times Roll, The Golden Age of Musical Satire) and Andrew Meller (Talbot House, An Audience with Sherlock Holmes) has been touring the country’s theatres. The show, based upon the material of two of the finest ever satirists to emerge from the United State, has been so popular that it usually sells out wherever it performs – The Mercury Theatre in Colchester, Theatre by the Lake in Keswick, Number 8 in Pershore and the Theatre Royal in Margate to name but a few.

On Saturday 3 December however, the show will be performed at a very different venue – the village hall of Kempley, near Dymock in the Forest of Dean, where the capacity is a mere 70. Extraordinary as this may sound it is all down to the foresight of the secretary of Kempley Village Hall, Lindsay Reid, who, noticing that the show was promoted by a local company and with an attitude of ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained’ approached them to see if they would bring the show to Kempley to assist in their fundraising efforts.

With a fortuitous break in the tour schedule and the willingness of Peter and Andrew to help out it became a done deal.

Tom Lehrer and Bob Newhart emerged in the latter part of the 1950s when rock ’n’ roll was changing popular music forever. Their humour, though different from each other, was uniquely original, illustrating to the teenage rebellion that change had come in all forms of the art world. Lehrer sang of Poisoning Pigeons in the Park , doing The Masochism Tango and getting IT (V.D.) from Agnes. It was wickedly funny satire that forced an even bigger gap between teenagers and their uncomprehending parents. Bob Newhart was gentler with his comedy routines, embracing communities and families as a whole. His monologues as a Driving Instructor, Captain of The U.S.S. Codfish and the importer for Sir Walter Raleigh (Bringing Tobacco to Civilisation) made all ages laugh – so much that his albums, television series and films made him one of the most popular comedians of all time.

Peter Gill and Andrew Meller are reminding those teenagers of the late 1950s and 1960s of the music and routines that brought laughter and colour into their lives with their show. In doing so they are also capturing the imagination of today’s youth – when Peter brings forth a ‘severed hand’ while singing I Hold Your Hand every school aged boy in the audience erupts into hysteria as his parents and grandparents recoil in horror. Andrew’s portrayal of an inept bomb disposal expert touches the funny bones of any age group.

While the stand-ups of today attempt to make us laugh with their over-used, unoriginal, observational comedy to gradually diminishing audiences, it is the sharp true wit of the past which is once again filling those seats.

Tickets for An Evening with the humour of Bob Newhart & Tom Lehrer at Kempley Village Hall on Saturday 3 December can be obtained from Mark or Lindsay Reid by calling 01989 780792 . Doors will open at 7.30 p.m. with the performance at 8 p.m.