[143.1] DEIRDRE CARTWRIGHT ON TOUR

Jazz musician and composer Deirdre Cartwright -- a long-term favourite of NFE, and rightly described in Highly Strung magazine as “currently the most imaginative guitarist on the scene” -- is touring across southern England at the moment.

Her fine new album ‘Precious Things’ is in the spotlight, and accompanists include vocalist Sarah P and trombonist Annie Whitehead. Also featured is the work of Anne Robinson, an artist whose visuals include video, digital image manipulation, super-8 and ‘direct action on film’ – as used in earlier ‘jazz’ films, such as those of filmmaker and kinetic artist Len Lye. John Fordham (The Guardian) describes the feel of the album well: “Cartwright's mingling of a Metheny-like sound and delicate textures suggestive of Ralph Towner is very expressive … and the idiomatic range is full of surprises.”

The remaining dates on the current tour are - 18 May: Exeter Arts Centre; 19 May: Norwich Arts Centre; 21 May: Cargo, 83 Rivington Street, London EC2; 25 May: Bath Jazz Festival.

You can find out more on the Blow the Fuse website, which is well designed (even in the eye of someone who is often averse to its medium, Flash). Mind you, Deirdre isn’t always terribly good at keeping her patch -- signalled at the bottom of the index page -- up-to-date…. (a-hem*). Photos of the band in action by Barry Quick are available on-line, and reviews of Cartwright’s three solo albums are on Amazon here. But buy them through Blow the Fuse. They need the money, I'm sure.

* What was that first track on 'Play' (BTF 9703, 1997)? 'Got My Modem Working', I believe...