SIDETRACKS AND DETOURS 26th July 2026: Jazz and classical musician Winton Marsalis explores themes of unity and social progress + Karla Harris announces high profile shows + Duo Bravo have a new date at Famara, and friends in the Uk share news from alla cross the arts.
WYNTON MARSALIS
LETS JAZZ JOINS US TOGETHER
by Norman Warwick
It would have been around twenty five years ago, when Steve Cooke (left) was partnering me in presenting two articles a week that took readers of the Rochdale Observer, Middleton Guardian and The Heywood Advertiser newspapers All Across The Arts. I always admired Steve´s awareness of the local arts scene and his widespread local contact list. Our ´office´ was in the award winning new-build Number 1 Riverside, which contained Rochdale Central Library and Rochdale MCB councillors as well as the Heywood, Middleton And Rochdale Primary Care Trust, in some Tardis-like way.
Our work-station was a desk in the internal coffee house, Beans, but although most of Steve´s contact list were happy to bring their news, previews, interviews and reviews to us we did occasionally have to wander round the town to find out was on the civic halls and in the theatres and cinemas. We had been doing just that one day when Steve suddenly said to me that, actually, we were on his home turf and his house was just around the corner, so,…..let´s grab a coffee there.
The house was beautiful and offered far ranging views looking over Rochdale from one aspect and across the Pennines from another. That, alone, impressed me.
However, as always when I enter a friend´s home for the first time I immersed myself in his extensive and impressive home-made library of some great musical biographies and other titles that suggested heavy readings.
I moved across the room to his neatly-stacked, quite clearly categorised, record collection and found myself in a treasure trove that dwarfed what I had always thought of as my own huge collection full of all facets of music. I could hardly bring myself to ask questions, so embarrassed was I by my relegation from a place near the top of the Premier division of the Best Showy Offy Music Room In Rochdale.
I could have kept all that quiet I suppose, but I decided on asking him questions about some of the albums, from genres I felt might be outside my comfort zone. Even as I turned to Steve to point out one particular album, I could hear John Stewart, the late American singer-song writer, saying to me during a long ago interview that ´people like what they know but they don´t know what they like´.
Oh my God,…am I one of those people ?!
The box-set that had attracted my attention was by WYNTON MARSALIS, (right) Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, who was born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1961. And, to my shame, I had never heard of him. At the time I was co- presenting a weekly jazz radio programme for Crescent Community Radio, but the expert on that kind of music was my expert presenter Mr Bewick, who also delivered the Hot Biscuits jazz show on the FCMU station, but I couldn´t recall hearing the name of Wynton Marsalis !
Twenty minutes later I felt I know the trumpet player personally after Steve Cooke named an extensive discography of classical and jazz recordings by the artist.
My all across the arts partner told me that Marsalis began his classical training on trumpet at age 12 and soon began playing in local bands of diverse genres. He entered the Juilliard School at age 17 and joined Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Marsalis has recorded more than 30 jazz and classical recordings, which have won him nine Grammy awards.
In 1983, he became the first and only artist to win both classical and jazz Grammy awards in the same year and repeated this feat in 1984. Marsalis’ rich body of compositions includes Sweet Release, Jazz: Six Syncopated Movements, Jump Start, Citi Movement/Griot New York, At the Octoroon Balls, and In This House, On This Morning and Big Train.
In 1997, Marsalis became the first jazz artist to be awarded the prestigious Pulitzer Prize in music, for his oratorio Blood On The Fields, which was commissioned by Jazz at Lincoln Center. He’s also recorded many albums, his most recent being Wynton Marsalis: Live at The House Of Tribes. Following Hurricane Katrina, Marsalis co-wrote a composition called Congo Square with Ghanaian drummer Yacub Addy and dedicated the piece to New Orleans. The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, in collaboration with Yacub Addy’s group Odadaa!, premiered Congo Square on April 23, 2006 in New Orleans, then performed the piece on tour from Florida to New York.
Marsalis is also an internationally respected teacher and spokesman for music education, and has received honorary doctorates from dozens of universities and colleges throughout the U.S. He conducts educational programs for students of all ages and hosts the popular Jazz for Young People® concerts produced by Jazz at Lincoln Center.
He has also written four books, most recently Jazz ABZ, in collaboration with Phil Schapp, and illustrated by poster artist Paul Rogers.
In 2001, Marsalis was appointed Messenger of Peace by Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations, and he has also been designated cultural ambassador to the United States of America by the U.S. State Department through their CultureConnect program. Marsalis serves on Lieutenant Governor Landrieu’s National Advisory Board for Culture, Recreation and Tourism, a national advisory board created to rebuild Louisiana’s tourism and cultural economies. He has also been named to the Bring New Orleans Back Commission, New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin’s initiative to help rebuild New Orleans culturally, socially, economically, and uniquely for every citizen.
Wynton helped lead the effort to construct Jazz at Lincoln Center’s new home – Frederick P. Rose Hall – the first education, performance, and broadcast facility devoted to jazz, which opened in October 2004.
new album by Wynton Marsalis
WE THE PEOPLE
reviewed at Marlbank online
Norman Warwick learns more.
This album originated from a 2019 collaboration with the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art located in Bentonville, Arkansas. It features twelve original compositions inspired by specific works from the museum’s collection. Each piece corresponds to a different artwork, such as Wynton Marsalis’ title track based on Nari Ward’s sculpture of the same name.
Other pairings include Vincent Gardner’s ‘One Understands’ inspired by Adolph Gottlieb’s ‘Trinity’ and Elliot Mason’s ‘Summer Day’ after Frank Weston Benson’s painting.
The suite is a collaborative effort by the ensemble. Various members of the orchestra contributed arrangements rather than relying on a single composer. Christopher Crenshaw wrote ‘Black Balloon,’ Carlos Henriquez composed ‘The Cycle of Life,’ and Kenny Rampton created the very stirring ‘Mitakuye Oyasin.’
The music blends several styles, including Louisiana bayou sounds, church music and Congo Square traditions. There is a mix of blues, Afro-Latin rhythms, and traditional swing through pieces like Sherman Irby’s ‘A Hot Jam on Grand’ and Ted Nash’s ‘Au Café.’ The album serves as a companion piece The Democracy! Suite. Both works use jazz to explore themes of unity and social progress.
As you’d expect from this stellar orchestra the musicianship is first class. These days, it’s rare in a littered jazz landscape to hear big band music. But this is unique and the JALCO sound isn’t anything like Europe’s top big band the WDR which follows a different, just as valid, approach. Perhaps JALCO is a little more old fashioned? If so does that matter? Interrogate your taste on that. It’s instructive to actually know what you are looking for as a listener.
I’d pick out Summer Day of the tracks for its appealing languor and atmosphere where the woodwinds are mellifluously arranged. And I was moved by Marcus Printup’s Salvation, Serenity, Reflection. which is very beautiful in its expression and sense of narrative. There’s also plenty of puckish fun on Black Balloon, skittish trumpet playing and silky sax that transports you to another era.
UPCOMING EVENTS featuring Wynton Marsalis
DublinJazz.ie are thrilled to be able to declare that the 1st concert with Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis scheduled for August 13th in The National Concert Hall, Dublin has “SOLD OUT”.
However, sidetracks & detours are even more excited to be able to announce that an extra date with JLCO so that Wynton Marsalis on Saturday 15th August, again in the National Concert Hall, Dublin.
LENDANEAR TO DUO BRAVO:´PURE MUSICAL CONNECTION´
an exclusive interview for sidetracks & detours
with Norman Warwick
We introduced Duo Bravo to our readers in our publication of 17th May and on 24th we reviewed a concert delivered on 22nd May in the Convento de Santo Domingo in Teguise. Both articles are now available in our free to read archives of more than 1,800 items. You will gather from both articles that we were very impressed by Araceli Bravo and Fran Mauri, the two members of Dúo Bravo. The concert sent beautiful music out into this huge, and splendid, venue and included a set list of fourteen songs
- Aires de Lima de Valsequillo
2. Lucia
3. Por fin
4. Arrancame
5. Sabor a mi
6. No te pude retener
7. El Viaje
8. Contigo Aprendí
9. Lo que en ti veo
10. Cuando yo quería ser grande
11. Gracias a la vida
12. Contigo en la Distancia
13. A un milímetro de ti
14. La mala costumbre
These were delivered with respectful introductions and accreditation introductions. Araceli has a strong stage presence and a voice that resounded even in such a large arena. Fran was patently ´lost in music¨ as he somehow created both gravitas and light-hearted free-flowing melodies where appropriate.
We arranged an interview and exchanged e mail addresses so that we could complete out ´talk´ in time to preview their next show at Casa de La Culture in Yaiza. on 1st August at 8.00 pm. so that our readers might turn out to see why sidetracks & detours so highly recommend Duo Bravo. (shown above)
I began my tried and trusted ´five bums at the bar´ interview (try writing five of the letter w in a straight line, and underline them) and you´ll see why I apply that sobriquet to Mr. Who. Mr, When, Mr. What, Mr. Where and Mr Why´. I used to advise my students that these open questins receive open answers , as they cannot be answered by mere yes or no.
The two musicians had a bit of fun with their answer to my opening question of Who are Due Bravo.?
Araceli replied: I am a simple, outgoing, sensitive, and affectionate person. My way of expressing my feelings is through music.
Fran replied I am an approachable, sensitive, emotional, and patient person who expresses his true self through the piano.
We met while working at different hotels on the island; at that time, each of us was performing solo. Two years ago, we were given the opportunity to work together on a new piano and voice project.
Mr. What then asked what kind of group is Dúo Bravo, and what are your ambitions? I asked quite a few sub-questions too, such as do you plan to record, for instance, or look for radio airplay or more gigs?
Reading their promotional material, I had noticed two facets of Dúo Bravo: on one hand, you can deliver wonderful concerts, like the one you recently gave at the Convento; on the other hand, you also perform at special occasions such as weddings and anniversaries.
Dúo Bravo is a project that adapts to any setting and type of event. Our goal is to keep growing as a group and to take our project to many places both within and outside the Canary Islands—and hopefully, we will get the chance to reach anywhere in the world. We also have it in mind to record an album with our own original songs.
When you play live, I imagine you both must be very aware of what the other is doing, while at the same time concentrating on singing or playing. How would you describe the way you work together on stage?
With just a look, we know exactly what we need from each other. It is pure musical connection.
When you perform in large venues like the Convento, or in smaller rooms like the Casa de la Cultura in Yaiza, you must notice differences in the way you play and how the audience receives you. Can you explain that? For example, when the recent concert ended, we saw that you both came off the stage and personally greeted almost every member of the audience. Some of those people were surely already friends or followers, but your attitude, and of course your performance, will surely attract new fans as well. Why is that important to you?
Every venue transmits a different feeling to us when we perform. Obviously, in smaller spaces, the listener is closer and the experience is more intimate, but we believe that every place has its own unique charm.
For us, closeness with our audience is very important, and we always appreciate them taking the time to listen to our concert. That is why I believe interacting with the public is essential.
Why do you choose the songs and music you perform? Why does certain music move you, and who are the songs, composers, or artists that have influenced you? At Sidetracks & Detours we cover a wide musical spectrum, and my chief collaborator, Peter Pearson, and I share a love for the Americana genre, which encompasses singer-songwriters, folk, and country sounds. Perhaps you could give us some insight into the songwriters and lyricists who influence you and how you select your material.
In every concert, we want the audience to be moved, but we always try to stand out by choosing songs that hold emotional value for us. Our main reference artists are both Spanish and English-speaking (Adele, Frank Sinatra, Vanesa Martín, Serrat…).
So, if there any Lanzarote readers out there why not head down to Casa de la Culture in Yaiza on xxx at xx.
Eleven years ago my wife and I retired here to Lanzarote, having until then lived in Rochdale, a town in the North of England, with a thriving arts scene, in which we were board members of a dance group called Can´t Dance Can. We worked closely with the local council and funding agencies such as Artists In Schools.
Over the ten years we have been publishing sidetracks & detours we have sensed a similar model here, and recently we have heard of new ´projects´ as the Cabildo and its local councils seek to help emerging artists like Duo Bravo, to grow an audience all across and beyond Lanzarote.
However, in all of ten years and more on the island we have never found it easy to find listings of event. This might be due to our lack of Spanish vocabulary but we receive news items and mail outs etc from more than twenty countries around the world.
That is another reason we are so pleased to have seen Duo Bravo. They are professional in everysense of that word, being prepared to undertake interviews, explore new sidetracks & detours and to continue learning more on every step of their journey, that we feel sure will be the long any winding road that Paul McCartney of The Beatles wrote about and I´m pretty certain Duo Bravo will find themselves ´sitting on top of the world.
So, you can surely imagine how much we in ther sidetracs & detours office have been looking forward to a forthcoming gig on, schedule for Saturday 1st Augues, that was tgo be held in one of favourite venues, at Casa De La Culture in Yaiza. However, Duo Bravo have been informed informed them that the Town Hall has changed the date to September 18th at 8:30 PM.
Duo Bravo also have an additional concert on August 23rd in Famara (the time is not yet confirmed).
You cn be sure we will the time Famarea date to our readers as soon as possible
First up, in early August — Jazz en Tech Festival in Ceret, France. Looking forward to special guesting with two great groups, Echos de Images and Akpe Motion, at this festival held in southern France in the historic region of Ceret. Looking forward..
Later in August, I’m excited to bring an intriguing “concert & conversation” concert with Joe Alterman and his trio to the Roswell, GA, Cultural Arts Center. Created as part of a 250 celebration series, “When Rivers Meet” takes you on a musical and storytelling journey through the extraordinary intersection between Black and Jewish artists and entrepreneurs whose shared creativity, resilience, and vision helped shape the soundtrack of America.
Joe and I had a good time discussing the project recently on the Jazz Forum podcast.
I am also happy to announce that I’ll be back in St. Louis this fall with a “Merge and More” concert at the Kirkwood PAC. I’m returning with pianist Tyrone Jackson from Atlanta, and will be introducing you to Atlanta drummer Chris Burroughs, who also played on my Merge album. Rounding out the band will be St. Louis all-stars Bernard Terry on bass and Kendrick Smith will be with us on sax.
Some other highlights upcoming:
Sept. 4-5 in Rocky Mount, NC
Oct. 24 in Crossville, TN
Nov. 22 brings the return of my “A Little Peace of the Holidays” concert in Atlanta
Dec. 4 is a Frank Sinatra-Nancy Wilson holiday show with Joe Gransden in Hayesville, NC
For details on all this and more, please visit my website.
Looking forward to seeing you soon! Thank you from the heart for supporting this music.
All my best,
Karla
ALL ACROSS THE ARTS
An oasis of positivity celebrating the creative arts with articles, reviews, reviews, interviews, and recommendations.
Articles: Rochdale deserves to be UK TOC 2028, New Writing Festival 2027 plus Call-out for emerging playwrights
Previews: The Social Teahouse and Stellar Cast Announced in Thirtieth Anniversary Production of East Is East at the Octagon
collated and reported by Steve Cooke
Rochdale deserves to be UK TOC 2028
By Steve Cooke
Rochdale’s year as GM Town of Culture 2025/26 excelled in all expectations.
Its legacy is very much alive across the whole town – our expanded AATA column of up to ten articles per week proving insufficient to keep up with the activities and events emanating from the thriving and ever expanding creative arts community.
I am delighted and excited that an EOI [expression of interest] has been submitted on behalf of Rochdale Creates and the wider creative, culture and heritage sector, to become the UK’s first Town of Culture in 2028.
While DCMS [Department for Culture Media and Sport] are still shortlisting the applications, they have now published a map of all the towns that submitted an EOI, alongside the postcards that were created by each town.
I am proud to be able to shine a spotlight on Rochdale’s ambitions and the amazing people, organisations and communities that make such fantastic work happen across the borough.
We should find out by the end of July if Rochdale is through to the next round.
NEW WRTING FESTIVAL 2027: Call-out for emerging playwrights
By Steve Cooke
Summerseat Players is inviting emerging playwrights from across the Northwest to submit original short plays for its inaugural New Writing Festival, taking place at Theatre Royal Ramsbottom on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 July 2027.
While DCMS [Department for Culture Media and Sport] are still shortlisting the applications, they have now published a map of all the towns that submitted an EOI, alongside the postcards that were created by each town.
I am proud to be able to shine a spotlight on Rochdale’s ambitions and the amazing people, organisations and communities that make such fantastic work happen across the borough.
We should find out by the end of July if Rochdale is through to the next round.
The festival will showcase twelve new short plays by Northwest writers, pairing six emerging playwrights selected through open submission with six established playwrights.
At the heart of the festival is mentorship, support and creative connection. Each selected emerging playwright will be paired with an established playwright, with the two works presented together as part of a double-bill festival programme.
Applications are free and submissions close on Monday 3 August 2026. The Summerseat Players New Writing Festival is a new two-day theatre festival celebrating new writing from across the Northwest.The festival has been created to support emerging playwrights, create opportunities for new work and build connections between new and established theatre makers.Selected writers will see their work staged at Theatre Royal Ramsbottom as part of the July 2027 festival weekend.
More information, including competition rules, is available by following: https://www.summerseatplayers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/NWF-2027-Playwright-Submission-Information.pdf They are looking for original short plays by emerging playwrights.
SUBMITTED PLAYS SHOULD BE
original and unproduced
30 to 45 minutes in length
no more than 50 pages
written for no more than three actors
practical to stage, with minimal technical and scenic requirements
capable of being developed into a full-length play of 70 to 90 minutes
We are looking for plays with clear ideas, strong voices and room to grow.
Applications are open to playwrights who:
are aged 18 or over
are based in, or studying in, the Northwest of England
are emerging or amateur playwrights
have not previously had work professionally produced
are submitting one original, unproduced play
Writers may submit one script only.
Translations and adaptations of existing work are not eligible. Scripts created using AI are not permitted.
There are six open-submission places for emerging playwrights. One place is reserved for a children’s theatre piece suitable for audiences under 14. The remaining five places are open to all other topics, provided the work is suitable for a wide audience.
SELECTED WRITERS WILL
have their short play staged as part of the New Writing Festival
be paired with an established playwright mentor
be part of a shared creative process with a director and theatre team
receive a financial contribution towards rehearsal travel, mentorship meetings and time spent on rewrites
receive a Festival Official Selection certificate
The selected children’s theatre writer will receive a contribution of £350.
The five selected writers in the general category will each receive a contribution of £500.
One of the six selected emerging playwrights will receive the Best of Festival award.
This writer will be supported to develop their short play into a full-length production for a future Summerseat Players season.
The support will include development time, workshops and rehearsal support as the play grows from a 30 to 45 minute short work into a full-length piece.
To submit a script, please: Complete the Playwright Application Form: NWF 2027 | SCRIPT SUBMISSION – https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=adChkpHqnU-ddPI12CvNFnO1omIk7ktOsUvO2U-dsWlUREJRTVNUSTMwNDVQRVQ0R1hJUkVKM1BSNC4u&route=shorturl
Email a PDF copy of your script to: nwf@summerseatplayers.co.uk
Your script should be submitted under a pseudonym or alias. Please make sure the pseudonym or alias on your script matches the one used in your application form.
Please remove all other name and contact information from the script itself.
Email subject line:
NWF27 Script Submission – [Pseudonym/Alias]
Applications received without an emailed script will not be processed.
Submissions close: Monday 3 August 2026
Longlisting: October 2026
Shortlisting: November 2026
Official selection: December 2026
Festival: Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 July 2027
Questions
For questions about the submission process, please contact: nwf@summerseatplayers.co.uk
Theatre
THE SOCIAL TEAHOUSE
Preview by Steve Cooke
The Aviva Studios Social is transformed into a traditional teahouse!
A welcome opportunity to take a moment to rest and recharge in a traditional teahouse built inside the Social to celebrate the summer exhibition Ai Weiwei: Button Up!
On select days, see the teahouse animated by a series of talks, conversations and events related to Ai Weiwei’s life and work. The rest of the time? Take a seat on one of the artist’s traditional Chinese mazha stools and relax over a cup of tea.
Chinese tea culture dates back to at least the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), when tea houses emerged as spaces for gathering, social interaction and storytelling. Ai Weiwei has explored the significance of teahouses in his work, most famously in ‘Teahouse, 2009’ – a large sculpture composed entirely of pu’er tea.
Free to attend – no booking required
Wheelchair Access
Until Sunday 6 September in The Social, Aviva Studios, Water Street, Manchester M3 4JQ
STELLAR CAST ANNOUNCED AT THE OCTAGON THEATRE
in Thirtieth Anniversary Production at the Octagon
EAST IS EAST preview by Steve Cooke
Set in Salford this iconic story of a British-Pakistani family was first staged in Birmingham in 1996. Now thirty years on Ayub Khan Din’s East Is East returns to its northern roots for an anniversary production directed by Kash Arshad. Fresh from Broadway and making a welcome return to the Octagon, is stage and screen actor Bhasker Patel (Oedipus, Broadway & West End; Emmerdale ITV) who leads a stellar cast as the patriarchal George alongside Stockport-born actor Samantha Power (Brassic, Sky; Madame Blanc, Channel 5) as his wife Ella.
Exploring identity, generational conflict and the unbreakable bonds of family the cast of this razor-sharp comedy also includes Zaki Ali, Sushil Chudasama, Maya Dhokia, Zoe Iqbal, Matthew Khan, Joeravar Sangha. Rahul Sidhu and Danyal Ismail
Completing the cast, is Rohan Macleod who steps from his part-time job at the Octagon’s Kitchen & Bar onto the mainstage of the theatre to take on the role of Sajit Khan. He last appeared on the Octagon’s stage in 2017.
In early 1970s Salford, the Khan family are living above a chip shop and on the fault line between two cultures. George Khan is determined to raise the family to follow his Pakistani way. His English wife, Ella, just wants to keep the peace. Meanwhile their seven children are busy discovering disco, denim, and defiance. When George begins arranging marriages for his sons, rebellion erupts and loyalties are tested. What follows is a hilarious and deeply moving battle between tradition and change.
Director Kash Arshad said:
“East is East is my story. There are not many plays that speak to the experience of being brought up in a Muslim household, with a white British mother and a Pakistani father, who ran his own business, with kids who felt not British enough to be British nor Pakistani enough to be Pakistani. To get the opportunity to direct this play at the theatre where I started my directing journey and to be able to share it with audiences in Salisbury, Derby and the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow, my local theatre in my late teens/early twenties and where I first set foot on a professional stage, is a dream. The play is a modern classic, with brilliantly observed, memorable characters. And at its heart a strong matriarch in Ella holding this family of misfits together – She reminds me so much of my own mum. It’s raucous, moving, full of truth and really funny.”
Both play and film have won numerous awards including Evening Standard Best Film Award, the Writers Guild Award for Best New Writer, Best West End Play and the John Whiting Award for Best Stage Play.
EAST IS EAST by Ayub Khan Din, directed by Kash Arshad is on Friday 4 September – Saturday 3 October at Octagon Theatre, Bolton, Howell Croft South, Bolton BL1 1SB
As always sidetracks & detours are proud to carry the news from all across the arts in Rochdale.
We are grateful to Steve Cooke and his teams for allwing us to share, and spread, their news
SIDETRACKS & DETOURS, Sunday 2nd August 2027
Chapter 3
SONGWRITERS AND INVISDIBLE ANGELS
by
PETER PEARSON & NORMAN WARWICK
featuring
KATE WOLF & JULIE mATTHEWS
LENDANEAR
A BIOGRAPHICAL JOURNEY THROUGH SONG
collated by Norman Warwick featuring fasvourite artists
commencing in October 2027
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