Liane Carroll - Samara Ft Carolina Lelis - Wonder Of Stevie - 50th Anniversary

INTRO WRITTEN BY STEVE RUBIE: I have mentioned “family” several times in my notes for this Festival, but there are few artists who are considered to be more 606 family than Liane Carroll.

I first came across her when I was listening to a demo tape of a jazz quartet back in the early/mid 90’s.

The playing was generally unremarkable, but on three tracks was a fabulous singer who also played piano in the band.

Try as I might I couldn’t find anyone who had heard of her and ended up having to call the band leader, who was very excited until I said that I was actually after a contact for the singer rather than him! Which didn’t go down that well, but he reluctantly passed on the information and the rest, as they say, is history.

She turned up to do an early set on a rainy Wednesday evening and by the end we were all convinced that we had discovered a new star, and so it turned out to be.

Since then she has performed at the Club on innumerable occasions and has gone on to establish herself as one of the UK’s finest singers and performers.

Very much UK Jazz Royalty anyone who knows the Club will know that it would be impossible to have a 606 Festival without my friend the brilliant Liane Carroll.I have been running my Brazilian band Samara since the old Club.

It’s had a number of iterations through the years, but the current instrumental lineup has been pretty consistent for a while.

We have a lot of fun playing classic Brazilian MPB, tonight with our wonderful singer of the last 5 years Carolina Lelis, but we also work with the terrific Francesca Confortini, Luna Cohen and Kaw Regis who join us from time to time as well.

We all dedicate this gig to our friends from Samara who are no longer with us, Ugo Delmirani and Dill Katz, who both played in the band for many years.

And finishing the evening will be the brilliant “Wonder of Stevie”, celebrating the music of Stevie Wonder.

Featuring the great saxophonist Derek Nash and remarkable vocalist Noel McCalla, we all just love this gig.

All the members of the band have been stalwarts at the Club for many years and if you watch closely, you will see that pianist Neil and drummer Nic from Samara are also the rhythm section of choice for Derek and Noel!The first artist ever to win two BBC Jazz Awards in the same year, for Best Vocalist and Best of Jazz, Liane Carroll is a dynamic performer whose amazing talent has been captivating audiences around the world.

World-class, her powerful, blues-tinged voice combined with strong piano playing and exciting infectious material, not to mention a wicked sense of humour, make this a truly remarkable gig. "Liane Carroll...seems in some magical way to be made out of music" The ObserverTonight we present the joyous, rhythmic, delights of classic Brazilian MPB with the 606 Club’s outstanding Brazilian band “Samara”.

Featuring the brilliant Brazilian vocalist Carolina Lelis alongside the powerful piano of Neil Angilley and the swinging flute of our “Gov’nor” Steve Rubie the band take you on a road trip around Brazil, with music from the South, the North, the North East and beyond.

Hear the stories behind some of Brazil’s classic songs and join the band as they perform an infectious blend of Brazilian Samba, Baião, jazz & Latin while everyone has a great time! “Samara…Cracking Latin-jazz quintet led by 606 proprietor Steve Rubie on flute and alto saxophone…explores these Latin jazz classics in great rhythmic style” Time OutTwo of the UK's finest musicians, saxophonist Derek Nash and singer Noel McCalla celebrate the music of one of the greatest singer/songwriters of all time, Stevie Wonder.

An award-winning saxophonist, Derek Nash is perhaps best known as one of the featured saxophonists with the Jools Holland Band and leader of the enormously successful “Sax Appeal”.

His muscular, fluent, modern jazz playing has been recognised with numerous awards, including “Best Jazz Ensemble” and “Best Jazz CD” as well as being voted one of the top 5 saxophonists in the country.

Noel McCalla first came to prominence in the mid 80’s with the seminal Jazz/funk band Morrissey/Mullen.

From the early 90’s, for almost 20 years, Noel’s searing, soulful vocals were featured with the iconic Manfred Mann’s “Earth Band”, but more recently Noel has moved away from his globetrotting exploits to front several new bands of his own.

A unique and powerful experience. “Nash...breathtaking” Sunday Times; “McCalla…spine tingling” Guardian