I’m looking forward to catching Lively Up! later in the year.
The touring festival is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Jamaica’s independence with a raft of concerts around the country.
The centrepiece of the music is Bob Marley’s 1973 album Catch A Fire reconfigured by the Jazz Jamaica All Stars with the Urban Soul Orchestra and guest vocalist Brinsley Forde of Aswad.
Other elements include a tribute by Nu Civilisation Ochestra to Joe Harriott, a collaboration between Tomorrow’s Warriors and the JazzCotech dancers, and an education strand.
Dates are: Sat 22 Sep - READING Concert Hall; Fri 28 Sep - NOTTINGHAM Theatre Royal; Sat 29 Sep - NOTTINGHAM Lakeside Arts Centre; Sun 30 Sep - NOTTINGHAM Nottingham Contemporary; Fri 05 Oct - HARROW Harrow Arts Centre; Sat 06 Oct - BRISTOL Colston Hall; Sat 06 Oct - BRISTOL St Paul’s Family Centre; Sun 07 Oct - BRISTOL Trinity Theatre; Mon 08 Oct - SOUTHAMPTON Turner Sims Concert Hall; Wed 10 Oct - BRISTOL St George’s Hall; Fri 12 Oct - SOUTHAMPTON Guildhall; Sat 13 Oct - BIRMINGHAM Town Hall; Fri 19 Oct - MANCHESTER Band On The Wall; Sat 20 Oct - MANCHESTER RNCM Theatre; Sun 21 Oct - MANCHESTER Band On The Wall; Wed 24 Oct - LONDON Queen Elizabeth Hall; Fri 26 Oct - LEEDS Town Hall; Wed 31 Oct - LEICESTER De Montfort Hall; and Fri 02 Nov - EDINBURGH Usher Hall
Stephen Graham
Info: http://livelyupfestival.com
Cover of Catch a Fire, above