Arnie Somogyi`s "Scenes in the City" at 606 Club

One of the country’s leading bass players, Arnie is a much-sought after musician, composer and bandleader. He’s performed and recorded with a wide variety high profile artists, from the likes of Tom Jones, Amy Winehouse and Charlie Watts to renowned jazz artists including John Dankworth, Stan Tracey, James Moody, Clare Martin and Art Farmer. He has appeared on over 40 albums, numerous film soundtracks and in his non-musical life has also presented three BBC Radio 4 ‘road-movie-for-radio’ documentaries about Eastern Europe. He works frequently at Ronnie Scott’s as a member of the club's house band, the “Ronnie Scott’s All-Stars” and if all that wasn't enough he is also a visiting professor at the Birmingham Conservatoire of Music. Tonight Arnie is bringing his exciting "Scenes in the City" line up to the Club, featuring an immensely talented and experienced, multi-award winning line up of Tony Kofi-sax, Jeremy Price-trombone, Mark Edwards-piano and Clark Tracey-drums. The band is dedicated to performing the music of the iconic US bass player and composer Charles Mingus, but as Arnie says it is "a repertoire rather than a tribute band". The band was originally formed for a one-off fundraiser for Sheffield Jazz, but it all went so well that everyone in the band felt that it should do more, so "Scenes in the City" was born. Embodying the freedom of interpretation and drive that characterise the music of one of the most important and colourful figures in jazz the band perform a mix of lesser-known Mingus compositions along with familiar favourites such as "Boogie Stop Shuffle", "Fables of Faubus" and "Better Get Hit in Your Soul". This is a very special band playing very special music....

read more

One of the country’s leading bass players, Arnie is a much-sought after musician, composer and bandleader. He’s performed and recorded with a wide variety high profile artists, from the likes of Tom Jones, Amy Winehouse and Charlie Watts to renowned jazz artists including John Dankworth, Stan Tracey, James Moody, Clare Martin and Art Farmer. He has appeared on over 40 albums, numerous film soundtracks and in his non-musical life has also presented three BBC Radio 4 ‘road-movie-for-radio’ documentaries about Eastern Europe. He works frequently at Ronnie Scott’s as a member of the club's house band, the “Ronnie Scott’s All-Stars” and if all that wasn't enough he is also a visiting professor at the Birmingham Conservatoire of Music. Tonight Arnie is bringing his exciting "Scenes in the City" line up to the Club, featuring an immensely talented and experienced, multi-award winning line up of Tony Kofi-sax, Jeremy Price-trombone, Mark Edwards-piano and Clark Tracey-drums. The band is dedicated to performing the music of the iconic US bass player and composer Charles Mingus, but as Arnie says it is "a repertoire rather than a tribute band". The band was originally formed for a one-off fundraiser for Sheffield Jazz, but it all went so well that everyone in the band felt that it should do more, so "Scenes in the City" was born. Embodying the freedom of interpretation and drive that characterise the music of one of the most important and colourful figures in jazz the band perform a mix of lesser-known Mingus compositions along with familiar favourites such as "Boogie Stop Shuffle", "Fables of Faubus" and "Better Get Hit in Your Soul". This is a very special band playing very special music.

"...a set of soaring, beautifully realised interpretations...giving each musician enough space to create...solos...Somogyi avoided pastiching Mingus...but when the band picked up a number in which Mingus fingers were required he didn’t disappoint." justlikejazz;
“Muscular, oblique and witty” The Independent

show less