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Southport Melodic Jazz Club

Committed to bringing the best in live jazz to Southport

Jazz on a Winter's Weekend 2014 - Talks and Art

This content relates to a historical event in our Archive. It is preserved here for reference.

Peter Vacher "Mixed Messages"

Friday 1.15 pm. Author, journalist and critic Peter Vacher’s latest book ‘Mixed Messages’ (Five Leaves Publications) is a commentary on the lives, experiences and jazz careers of 21 American musicians, some lesser known, based on personal interviews with them. Included are Ruby Braff, Benny Powell, Lanny Morgan and Rufus Reid. For this short talk Peter will extract some of the most interesting anecdotes and also provide a book signing opportunity.

Alan Barnes "Honestly, believe me, it's true!"

Saturday 1.15pm In a 30 year career as a top professional jazz musician, Alan Barnes has worked with many illustrious band leaders, players, promoters, writers and producers from across the world. On stage, between tunes, we have all been amused and fascinated by his odd anecdote or two relevant to the occasion. Here’s a chance to share some of his experiences with personalities from the world of jazz that he has filed away in his memory. No recording will be permitted during this talk!

Peter Owen "Improvisation in Art" talk and demonstration

Sunday 1.15pm Some of Peter’s recent work has been experimental and improvisational. No subject matter to begin-just a scaffold of rough geometric shapes, marks and colour and then following where the activity leads. Many of the works are created listening to music and share titles with jazz tunes. A great chance to listen and observe the creative process and make your own comparisons about art and jazz improvisation.

Peter Owen and John Zehentner "Paintings, Drawings, Pastels and Prints", Richmond Suite

Peter Owen has been an artist for over 30 years. Widely exhibited with work in prestigious corporate and private collections as well as murals to be found in schools, hospitals, children’s centres and libraries. Current Chairman of The Southport Palette Club (formed in 1921) which holds an annual exhibition locally. Peter also teaches privately and is best known in Southport for his much sought after pastels of the town and local scenes. Peter’s painting ‘Kaleidoscope’ was selected for the front cover of the Jazz on a Winter’s Weekend 2014 programme.

John Zehentner is well known to our regular visitors as Artist In Residence to the event. He is a professional artist and was honoured in 2013 with 1st Prize in the West Lancashire Open Art Exhibition. His work has been much featured in our programmes and he has customers throughout the UK. He will also have a stall in the ‘Jazz Shop’ from which you can buy a range of his work including inexpensive high quality prints.

Robert Burns "10 Years of Jazz on a Winter's Weekend", Osborne 3 Suite

Take a look at an exhibition of the original artworks that have been used for the front cover of all ten printed programmes for Jazz on a Winter’s Weekend and a selection of photographs from the archive of Robert Burns, the event’s official photographer since 2005.

Jazz-photo exhibition by Paul Bentley FRPS, Balmoral Suite Bar

Based in Bolton, and working throughout the UK, Paul has been an active photographer for over three decades covering a wide range of subjects. Originally interested in sport and wildlife his portfolio has broadened to encompass live arts performance, primarily in the field of jazz music. Paul has recently been awarded a Fellowship, the highest distinction available, by the Royal Photographic Society. In addition he holds the Artiste Federation Internationale de l'Art Photographique [AFIAP] distinction.

Originally working with traditional media he now captures and processes the images using the latest digital technology in both print and electronic formats. Paul’s motivation for creating his portfolio of jazz images has been to combine his passion for the music with photography, and express them in his own style. Although his images are essentially documentary, the intention is also to capture the artists' emotions, the intimate relationship with their instruments or form of expression, and the atmosphere of live performance in a UK jazz club environment.

Many of his images have been exhibited nationally, at well known festivals, and internationally. In 2009 a book of images was published in cooperation with the Southport Jazz on a Winter’s Weekend organisers.