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CONCERT
JAZZ
INTERNATIONAL ARTIST CONTACTS
Non-profit Jazz
Service Organisation formed in July 2005 to support Jazz and increase its
Presence
in the Community
PD3
- Peter Downes Trio - with Special Guest
Dick Pearce on Trumpet
Promotional Information for
Jazz Festivals, Jazz Clubs, Music Clubs & Theatres
UK / Ireland Tour 2009
Guitar Lead Trio with such an Amazing Full and Celestial Sound
Featuring
:-
Pete Downes -
Electric and Acoustic Guitars
Andy Coe - Double Bass
Tim Bruce - Drums
 Pete
Downes
is one of those incredible talents that only
surfaces once in a blue moon. Completely self taught, he is rapidly becoming one
of Europe’s leading guitarists in the modern jazz fusion genre. Already
established on the jazz scene in the UK and Italy with a string of regular
appearances culminating with a packed audience at Glastonbury Festival
where they played the Jazz Lounge.
In the
90's he wrote and produced music for a series of very successful
self-help tapes with hypnotherapist Christine King. This led to solo
albums
Fantasea
and
Joy.
Both are soon to be re-released by Wiser Productions. His solo
album
Sea of Tranquility
was recently re-released
With influences that
cover such a wide spectrum as Pat Metheny to Jimi Hendrix their first
album “Street
Scene” caught the attention of Jazzwise,
Jazz FM and critic praise from The Guardian,
The Observer and many other Radio Stations and
newspapers.
The eagerly awaited follow up album “Into
The Blue.” is a further step on the road to a wider
audience. On this album PD3 blend their infectious original compositions
with totally fresh and inspired versions of popular songs from the 70s
to present day in a way that simply underlines the incredible
versatility of the trio and the ease in which they can provide
assessable jazz routed music to a much wider audience.
 Dick
Pearce
- A player with an equally formidable reputation who has
suffered a similar fate of neglect by record labels is
Dick Pearce. More than any other British
jazz trumpeter, Pearce probably deserves the mantle of heir to Jimmy
Deuchar, offering a style that contains a fractured lyricism reminiscent
of his forebear. Pearce began his career as a military band musician and
subsequently emerged in the 1970s from one of the earliest editions of
that ongoing jazz dynasty, the National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO).
Surrounded by would-be plugged-in Miles Davis clones, and by those
musicians who had reached attention through the very different
apprenticeship of free music, Pearce was notable for being the kind of
straight ahead player who might well have appeared on the London jazz
scene twenty years earlier. He has a sophisticated command of harmonic
improvising, although, as with his self-confessed (and disparate)
trumpet heroes - Chet Baker, Art Farmer and Don Cherry - his playing
comes across as anything but contrived. Pearce had a lengthy association
with Ronnie Scott which lasted from the 1970s until Scott's health
forced him to abandon performing in the mid-1990s, and some of his best
recorded work can be found on the CD Never Pat A Burning Dog
(Jazz House, 1990), where his solos contrast admirably with Scott's more
forthright contributions, and contain a heat and urgency never far
beneath the cool surface.
A quartet CD for FMR records in 1994 remains Pearce's only noticeable
solo recording effort and, as with virtually all the players mentioned
here, his reputation would be ill-founded if one were to base it solely
on the quantity of his recorded output. However, Pearce's beautifully
integrated mix of hard bop and abstraction influenced a whole generation
of British trumpeters including those who followed in his footsteps with
NYJO, such as Gerard Presencer and Guy Barker, both of whom have made
careers representative of the kind of failsafe adaptability that has
long been the way for British trumpeters.
© SIMON SPILLETT June
2005
 PD3 - Tim Bruce (drums) and Andy Coe (double bass)
complete the Trio and were the rhythm section on the first two
recordings. "Tim is a very percussive drummer and when you play with him
you can feel him listening.
Andy is very visual and entertains the
audience with his physical approach."
Andy'’s extreme and unique bass playing not only providing a solid back
line, but pulsing through on solos and driving the music along to Tim
Bruce’s meticulous drumming.
Pete Downes’ guitar work is unrivalled, but
never over the top or self indulgent.
He is a master of understatement
and delicate phrasing, but when the track requires power, he’s there
adding just the right amount of weight so as not to overpower or derail
the beauty of the theme.
  Andy
Coe - Double
& Electric Bass
Andy
studied classical music for the double bass at school in England, but
took up jazz seriously after hearing Miles Davis's Bitches Brew
performed live at the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970.
His prime influences include Charlie Haden and Ray Brown.
His
versatility has enabled him to experiment with a variety of sound
combinations and music forms, including a period with John Stevens'
Spontaneous Music Ensemble and the Portsmouth Sinfonia,
Andy also
performs with Jack-E McAuley's - Poormouth.
 Tim
Bruce -
Drums
Having studied under the
tutelage of drum masters Mal Cutland and Lloyd Ryan, Tim is a master in
versatility on drums.
He has played a wide variety of music live & in session for Roogalator,
Polly Brown Blues Band, Boney M and has toured with The Stranglers.
His own
jazz trio played recently at the Ealing Jazz Festival and Tim was a
regular on stage at the Bulls Head (Barnes) with the Latin Jazz group
Seventh Wave.
In
addition to PD3, Tim gigs regularly with the rock band Shades of Red.
 Typical
Sets -
Set 1
Moondance - Van Morrison
Eclipse - Peter Downes
Straight No Chaser - Thelonius Sphere Monk
Dont Know Why -Jesse Harris for Norah jones
9+7
Fragile - Sting
Autumn Leaves - Kosma/Mercer
Belsize - Andy Coe/Peter Downes
My Favourite Things -
Rogers/Hammerstein
Set 2
Misty - Errol Garner/Burke
Rolling Hills
Stella by Starlight - Victor Young
Timba
Requiem - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Footprints - Wayne Shorter
Little Wing - Jimi Hendricks
Round Midnight - Thelonius Sphere Monk
James - Pat Metheny
Black Orpheus
Joy Spring - Clifford Brown -
So What - Miles Davis
Recordings
Song title Composer Time 2 min MP3s
1 Cantaloupe Island Herbie Hancock 7.30
Hear
2 Killer Joe Benny Golson 8.49
Hear
3 View in Blue Pete Downes 5.03
Hear
4 Eclipse Pete Downes 5.52
Hear
5 Tutu Marcus Miller 8.06
Hear
6 Requiem WA Mozart. Arr: Downes 5.54
Hear
7 Straight No Chaser Thelonious Monk 8.42
Hear
8 Watermelon Man Herbie Hancock 6.48
Hear
9 So What Miles Davis 10.22
Hear
| Song
title |
Composer |
Time |
min
mp3 |
| Into the Blue |
Pete Downes |
3.30 |
Hear |
| Fragile |
Sting |
5.12 |
Hear |
| Stella By Starlight |
Victor Young |
5.04 |
Hear |
| Northern Lights |
Pete Downes |
4.45 |
Hear |
| Don't Know Why |
Jesse Harris |
4.29 |
Hear |
| My Favourite Things |
Rogers/Hammerstein |
5.13 |
Hear |
| Autumn Leaves |
Kosma/Mercer |
4.49 |
Hear |
| Belsize Park |
Andy Coe,
Pete Downes |
5.19 |
Hear |
| Straight No Chaser |
Thelonious
Monk |
4.18 |
Hear |
| Misty |
Burke/Garner |
6.51 |
Hear |
| Little Wing |
Jimi Hendrix |
5.24 |
Hear |
Music for
Guitar: Bach now on iTunes
Pete Downes' new solo guitar recording of JS Bach lute suites is now on
iTunes.
"Many excellent classical guitarists have recorded this music," says
Pete, "However, I felt that my experience in jazz, rock and contemporary
music would allow me to approach them in my own way. A traditional
instrument with a modern feel".
http://www.petedownes.com/cdbach.htm
Reviews
PD3 do have a very strong set
which is surprisingly diverse and has earned great reviews -
deservedly so..
"Downes' evocations leap from hairy
rock-tinged John Scofield (Killer Joe), to howling Hendrix (Straight No
Chaser) to rhapsodic-acoustic Ralph Towner (View in Blue). Downes' alert
comping enables Pearce's trumpet to really stretch out over Coe and
Bruce's beats" Jack Massarik
"This is jazz that spans many different moods and intensities. I say
it's a tribute to the skills of both soloists that they achieve these
mood changes without showing any joins." Bob
Bevan-Jones
 "Tone,
nuance and balance are their strong points. Pete Downes (the 'PD' of the
title) plays guitar, both electric and acoustic, with a distinctively
bright and crystalline sound, while bassist Andy Coe and drummer Tim
Bruce match him to perfection."
Dave Gelly
 "PD3
have surpassed all my expectations with an album that is nothing short
of brilliant.
"This was the album PD3 were meant to record, like Floyd's Dark Side Of
the Moon or Miles Davies' Kind Of Blue - ultimately listenable without a
single bad track."
Gareth Forman
 Jazz
Eddie - I was sat banging away at my computer and listening to
thejazz top 500 over Easter and the most wonderful, celestial and pure
Metheny like guitar sound came washing through the speakers and made me
sit up and listen - fortunately the number 'Into the Blue' was back
announced so I then pursued the band name only to find to my
astonishment it was a British group - they readily booked for
a live performance at Concert Jazz - its no Miracle they just want to
play and the audience loved it and scrambled to buy the Cd's.
- you are going to love it - 'home grown is a good thing'..
Promoters
If you are interested as a promoter
we will gladly send you additional promo materials and CD.
Contact
For Booking
Enquiries for PD3 with Dick Pearce for -
Jazz
Festivals,
Theatre or Club Events,
Corporate Events and Workshops
E-mail or Phone 01844 353117
will be touring the UK during July 2009:
Firm Booking:-
Sunday lunchtime July 12 at the Green Dragon - Croydon.
Interest shown by:-
TBC
Technical
Requirements for Performance Venues -
PA
for the Quartet with 4 Quality Mics and Sound Engineer Supervision.
Workshops:
Peter Downes is also keen to impart his skills to
Students of Guitar Interpretation and can hold Workshop/Master Class
projects in Colleges, Theatres, Studios and other suitable venues. These can
be linked up with
daytime assemblies at any of the evening Concert Venues.
Education and working with
young musicians is a very important area of Peter's work and he
gives individual tuition on vocal technique both in schools and privately, coaches
youth groups and organises workshops which
he has presented over the years. Music is a
Universal Language and has no Boundaries or Borders.
Classes can
be structured to specific needs and encompass all music genres.
Details:
The Peter Downes Guitar Workshop provides
a platform for seasoned professionals and total beginners
alike can learn, grow and flourish together in a uniquely inspiring and
supportive environment.
One day workshop lasting 3 hours, would consist of:-
·
Interpretation of a Chart
·
Contemporary Guitar
Styles
. Improvisation
- Application of
Guitar Techniques
Guitar Workshops
Workshops function well in conjunction with a
Performance.
Talk to us about
the possibilities.
The Artists know best what they can do and what works,
and knows who the potential participants are. Workshops will give local
people a chance to participate. They will educate, encourage involvement,
raise awareness and be fun. They require good planning, preparation
and evaluation. If the workshop is combined with an event, it will
encourage new people to come along to the performance (offer a joint ticket with
entry to the main performance). You are assured of a good audience,
timid people may well feel encouraged to come to another post concert
workshop the next day.
It's a brilliant idea and
reaches so many people - with excellent professional teacher-performers and
a great chance to meet them in person.
We
can also attach
a short talk to the main event. Get the audience to come a little early to
talk to the Musical Director or stay behind to meet the Artists in person.
Musicians and Deputies
The line-ups as listed are correct at the time of Publication and are
those given to us by the Artist, and the information is as accurate as
we can make it. With the Music business being what it is, inevitable
changes happen, and we amend the listings except for those that happen
on the night. We have been very fortunate, as the substitutions made by
the groups have often been surprise upgrades. Nevertheless, the
situation is not one we can control due to the fallibility of the ever
sensitive musicians.
Blessed as they are - they are not invulnerable.
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