When I, a comedian currently fashionable in broadsheets, and an uncomprehending fan of Free Improvisation, was invited to publicise and programme Freehouse, the Cheltenham jazz festival’s new experimental strand, Evan Parker was the first musician I wanted to contact. For me, the 66-year-old saxophonist is the greatest living exponent of free improvisation. Nearly half a…
Last year the director of the Cheltenham Jazz Festival started noticing me at lots of Free Improvisation gigs, and when I became an e-list TV comedian, he wondered if I might be able to help program and promote a new strand of experimental jazz during the festivities. I agreed, and suddenly the promotional duties are…
Over the May bank holiday weekend, the Cheltenham Jazz Festival bends its boundaries a little, making space for a music that’s entering its fifth decade of sustainable cult status, despite minimal airplay, minimal subsidy, and dismissal from mainstream critics. I’ve been pulled in to help promote three nights of so-called Free Improvisation, under the banner…
Islington’s Union Chapel is a foreboding venue for rock musicians. Its vaulted Victorian interior amplifies and supports the unplugged guitar or the naked human voice, but electrify the proceedings and indecipherable white noise bounces round the buttresses. Sometimes the holy formality of the space adds a magical, crispy frosting to an event, but sometimes it…
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Chez, Chortle.com
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Funday’schild, youtube.
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube