---

News Archive from Flat Five Records

All for a Beautiful Life

The new release from Stekpanna is nearly ready. We'll be celebrationg with a special concert at the Purcell Room in London on Fri 1 July, when Stekpanna will be joined by Leonid Vintskevich (piano) from Moscow, and Steve Waterman (trumpet). more...

Jonathan Cairney and Andy Williamson at Pizza on the Park

On Wed 20 and Thur 21 April 2005, Jonathan and Andy take to the stage for two nights at the wonderfully intimate "Larry's Music Room" at Pizza on the Park at Hyde Park Corner, London, with a FANTASTIC rhythm section.more...
That's followed on Fri 22 and Sat April 23 with two nights by the 12 piece Big Buzzard band at the same venue.

Wednesday 23 March, 2005: Big Buzzard at the Horseshoe

Big Buzzard appeared at the Horseshoe Pub, Clerkenwell, London as part of the Jazz and Pool series. By all accounts one of their best gigs ever. Some murky pictures of the night here.

15 & 16 Feb 2005: Sex with Mae West

For two nights only, in the Phoenix Arts bar in the throbbing heart of London's West End, a cabaret celebrating the raunchy life of Hollywood superstar Mae West. Starring, from New Orleans, Corliss Randall as Mae, with Andy Williamson as her sax playing sidekick, and with Geoff Castle at the piano, and his daughter Camilla playing drums.

November - Dec 2004: Stekpanna does some globetrotting

Stekpanna travelled to Russia for the launch of their album with celebrated Russian pianist, Leonid Vintsevich. They were part of the travelling jazz festival "Festival Jazz Province", organised by Leonid. Flat Five Records MD Andy Williamson went along for the ride (and the vodka) and a memorable experience was certainly had by all. Some of the performances were mesmerising. Leonid Vintskevich masterminded some amazing combinations of musicians of the like rarely seen anywhere. This included a stunning half hour long piece involving Stekpanna three members, Leonid on piano, percussionist Oleg Yudanov, Nickolai Vintskevich on Soprano Sax, Finnish trumpeter Janne Toionnen, and around a dozen singers from a local traditional choir singing folk chants over the imrpovised grooves laid down by all the other musicians: truly spectacular.

After Russia, Stekpanna travelled to Finland, and then to Cuba for the Havanna Jazz Festival.

20 May 2004: Big Buzzard Big Band live on BBC Radio 4
The Big Buzzard Big Band were invited to perform music from Duke Ellington's Sacred Concerts, live on BBC Radio 4 on 20 May at 8pm. This was a live broadcast from the church of St Martin in the Fields in London's Trafalgar Square (right).

The band expanded from its regular 12 piece line up, to 17 musicians, and were joined by the Exultate choir from Bristol, and the BBC Daily Service singers from Manchester. The congregation included many of the great and good from the BBC, with the then controller of Radio 4, Helen Boaden, sitting in the front row with a huge smile on her face for the whole service.

As well as the superb Sacred Concert, the band's resident maestro Ned Bennett produced fantastically funky arrangements of hymns "Christ is the King, O friends rejoice", "Go Make of All Disciples" and "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot", with the big band accompanying the congregation. Not an organ in sight!

The broadcast is still available online as a Real Audio stream on the BBC website

28 April - 3 May 2004: Shetland bound!

The Andy Williamson Buzztet went back to the shores where Andy's ancestors came from to play some jazz at the unbelievable Shetland Folk Festival. Andy was joined by Paul Kirby (piano), Alex Attwood (drums), Rob Freed (guitar) and Kevin Glasgow (bass). They played each night in the Festival club, kicking off around 11pm, and sometimes playing non-stop until 5am!

Flat Five Records
2 Digby Drive
MELTON MOWBRAY
LE13 ORQ
England

Tel: +44 (0)1664 481222
Fax: +44 (0)1664 481333