20 November 2004
Saturday 20 November 2004 21:55-22:40 (Radio 3)
Ian McMillan presents a special edition of Radio 3's cabaret of new writing, language and performance from the London Jazz Festival - with a jazz theme, star names from the world of writing and music, and the best in word-based improvisation.
Programme Details
Ian McMillan presents a special recording of The Verb from the 606 Club in Chelsea as part of the Radio 3 London Jazz Festival.
Ian Smith and The Adverbs collaborate with the acclaimed actor Jim Carter ('The Singing Detective', 'Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason', 'Shakespeare in Love') to present a Verb Larkin Jazz special. Ian Smith has impeccable jazz credentials - he's worked with Dylan Howe, Renato D'Aiello, Alan Barnes, Shirley Bassey and Brian Ferry - and lectures in Modern Literature at the Universities of Kingston and Hertfordshire. For The Verb's Jazz special he's scored some of the poems of Philip Larkin, to be performed by Jim Carter with musical backing from The Adverbs, lead by Ian Smith on trumpet, Colin Good on piano, Andy Crowdy, Robert Fowler, Malcolm Smith and Ewan Stewart. He also joins Ian McMillan to explore the relationship between Larkin's writing and his love of Jazz. Ian Smith's new book 'Pinter in the Theatre' is published by Nick Hern Books in February 2005.
Singer-songwriter and friend of The Verb Barb Jungr and her composition partner Adrian Yorke present the fruits of their collaboration with Verb listeners to create a song about the essence of Jazz.
There's explosive performance from Mercury Award nominee, spoken word artist and rapper Ty, who joins The Verb for some freestyling. Ty is one of the new wave of young black spoken word artists who are redefining the way we think about the relationship of words to music. Ty's been a rapper and hip hopper for more than a decade and his latest album, Upwards is available on the Big Dada label.
And inimitable as always, Peter Blegvad, Verb eartooner-extraordinaire, flexes his jazz wings.
