Citylife in Lichfield May 2024

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Spotlight On… Jazz & Blues Festival The Lichfield Arts Jazz & Blues Festival will take place from Wednesday 5th June through to Sunday 9th June, and will feature events at the Guildhall, the Cathedral Hotel, and Wade Street Church. There’s everything from Big Band Jazz through to Rockin’ Blues, plus a return for dancers with the Salsa Evening, and also a Lindy Hop workshop and dance. We spoke to Nick Dewhurst, Music Director of Lichfield Arts Jazz & Blues Festival. to find out more. King Pleasure & The Biscuit Boys • What’s new at the festival this year? Featuring at the festival for the first time will be performances from the Midland Youth Jazz Orchestra (MYJO), as well as the great Guitar/Organ/Drums Trio which is the Svarc/Hanley/Longhawn Trio. Also appearing at the festival for the first time will be the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Jazz Orchestra (RBCJO), and they’re bringing two great guests with them, the blues guitarist Steve Ajao, alongside Tenor Saxophonist and Improviser Paul Dunmall. Additionally, we’re also doing a new festival launch gig on Sunday 2nd June, 2pm, at the Bowling Green Inn. That’s going to feature Lichfield Arts’ own community jazz band, ASpire! • Are there any returning favourite artists who audiences might have seen at festivals previously? Most certainly! Audiences should hopefully be familiar with King Pleasure and the Biscuit Boys, as well as the Walsall Jazz Orchestra, and also a return for the fabulous jazz and funk trombonist Dennis Rollins MBE who once again will be guesting with my band, the Nick Dewhurst Band! The Salsa evening will once again feature the brilliant Birmingham based band ‘Del Camino’, and Lindy Hop dancers will once again be able to learn from Lichfield Lindy instructors Jacqui Evans and Nigel Hall, as well as dance to the Jim Wynn Swingtet! Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Jazz Orchestra with Steve Ajao & Paul Dunmall • Can you tell us anything else about the artists or musicians performing this year? I’m really pleased to say that the majority of the programme features Midlands’ based bands, which has been a real theme we’ve worked on recently with the festival, as there’s so much great music on our doorstep! I’m also pleased to say we’ve got lots of young musicians performing too (in MYJO, and the RBCJO), and by my estimation, I think that in total there will be approximately 125 different musicians performing at the festival this year! • Finally, where can people find out more information or buy tickets from? The best place to head to is the Lichfield Arts website (www.lichfieldarts.org.uk) or pick up a flyer with more information (you should be able to find them in all the usual places across town, or at any Lichfield Arts event too). It’s going to be a great festival, and we can’t wait to enjoy five days of wonderful music with everyone. See you there! SHL Trio 48
Electric Avenue Review of the Nissan Leaf By Syd Taylor For motorists keen to plug into tomorrow, the only way is electric. That's why a new, better and bigger, second-generation Leaf that combines practicality with panache is well worth a look. Especially as in this case, the car in question happens to be adorned with the Nissan badge. The Leaf has a lot going for it: that's obvious from the very first glance. The original Leaf had a loyal following and Nissan were the first with a proper 'standalone' electric vehicle. Their experience in the field must count for a great deal. A charmingly sleek but functional design manages to combine pleasing aesthetics with an evident capacity as a practical and efficient family hatchback. The best news is it doesn't cost 'loadsa dosh' at £28,495 and it's possible to carry all the golf clubs an octopus might need whilst still cutting a dash at the clubhouse car park. As I soon discovered, the Leaf is a car that attracts plenty of the right sort of interest. The two frequently asked questions were: “Is that electric?” and “Is that a Nissan?” It was a matter of chance whichever came first. The twentieth time this happened, I'd parked in the one available space in the Concert Hall car park prior to attending a concert of progressive electronic music. I felt entitled to treat myself to a little culture now that, so to speak, I was 'plugged in'. A fellow music lover wearing a beard, shuffled over to me in his Hush Puppies and corduroy clothing. "I say!" He began. At the time I was standing by the Leaf and struggling with my flying jacket. There was no escape. "I say. Is that a Nissan?" Before he had a chance to speak further, and anticipating what he was about to ask next, I straightened my back, puffed out my chest, retracted my corporation and struck a pose. "Sir" I declaimed. "The vehicle that presents itself to your ocular advantage is none other than an electric hatchback bearing, as you correctly surmised, the Nissan badge. And tomorrow has arrived not with a roaring engine and a fruity exhaust note, but rather with a whisper: an incantation almost that conjures up a silent spirit of swift satisfaction." He smiled at this. "I used to own a Nissan Micra," he declared. "Lovely little car. Owned it for 20 years. Should never have let it go. What I call a proper car. Nowadays it's all about emissions, environment and all that stuff. How times change." "Indeed," I agreed. "But don't you think it's a mistake to dwell on the past? Didn't Elvis once sing 'The future looks bright ahead'? This Leaf, in my view, represents a positively charged way of thinking. It's a car for the here and now with tomorrow in its sights. Oh! And by the way, despite this electric hatchback's focus on versatility and functionality, it nonetheless - as I'm sure you'd agree - would outperform your Micra. It'll do about 95 mph thanks to its 39 kWh battery and electric motor that delivers 150PS to the front wheels. But that apart, for the challenge of squeezing into a shoebox, your Micra wins hands down.” We parted on good terms. A couple of hours later as I coasted along city streets in calm serenity, comfortable on the supportive seats, untroubled by ULEZ regulations and unbothered by anxieties over range (having fully charged it to the maximum 168 miles whilst in the concert). I wondered how anyone ever could disagree with the contention that motoring in recent years has undergone a beneficial revolution. On the open road as the wheels kept turning, I paid conscious attention to all the attributes that together combined into an experience of ultimate assurances. The acceleration in Sport mode is whizz quick. No vroom vroom, brmm brmm here. Just a soothing 'whoosh' and a shove in the back. Should you wish to be economical, however, and enjoy 'one pedal' driving (when you back off the accelerator, there's retardation energy recharging the battery and a consequent braking effect) the new Leaf is just so easy and relaxing to drive. There are lots of other benefits too associated with both comfort and safety via the numerous driver aids. All contribute to an impression of modernity and grace. “What a quality car this is,” I thought to myself as I admired the attention to detail within the cabin: and how solid and settled it felt despite the jarring resulting from pothole encounters. This feels like a particularly robust car' (certainly as robust as a VW and yet Nissan doesn't have to shout it from the rooftops) I thought, as I was encouraged to 'press on' and enjoy the safe and secure handling and roadholding on a road that got twistier and bumpier. Whilst stopping for a coffee break, I encountered a fellow motorist who fancied himself as a bit of a wag - passing derogatory comments about the trend towards electric vehicles. I pointed out that in my view electric cars represented the future. He responded with a truly shocking joke. "It's a good job" he said, "because there's no future in the electric chair." 49
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Citylife in Lichfield May 2024

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