Snowboy and the Latin Section are Europe’s leading Afro-Cuban Jazz performers and recording artists, led by multi-percussionist Mark ‘Snowboy’ Cotgrove and for his Jazznights 
session Snowboy is featured mainly on conga drums. He has performed with Lisa Stansfield, Imelda May, Amy Winehouse, Simply Red, Airto Moreira, Deodato et al.
Percussionist Snowboy has been one of the main cornerstones for the British and European Latin Jazz scene for around 25 years with his powerful band called SNOWBOY AND THE LATIN SECTION. The band is literally comprised of a ‘Dream Team’ of the finest Jazz and Latin musicians based in the U.K. His band has recently been described as “one of the top Latin Jazz acts in the World. 
Snowboy did 88 European gigs in 1992 and has since played all over the world from Australia, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore, Turkey to Scandinavia to Ireland and now Clare in Suffolk.
Altogether, so far Snowboy has had 20 singles and 15 albums released on various labels ranging from POLYDOR, BIG LIFE, ACID JAZZ, UBIQUITY/CU-BOP (a label that specializes in Afro Cuban Jazz) and CHILLI FUNK. In 2009, his latest album, COMMUNICATION, was released on FREESTYLE RECORDS.
He is without doubt, the country’s best known Latin percussionist and his band is probably Europe’s most travelled Latin Jazz act. He sees himself in the future as just to continue to spread his brand of exciting Afro Cuban Jazz around the furthest reaches of the planet.
Dr Kevin Flanagan comes from Lowell, Massachusetts, USA. He initially studied music and 
philosophy at the University of New Hampshire, and was part of Antares, a free improvisatory group that toured the New England through the mid-70s to early 80s. During this period he was also involved in jazz, blues, and popular music, both recording and performing. He settled in the UK in the mid-80s, and worked on the London jazz and pop scene, playing and recording with members of Pink Floyd, Ben E. King, the Sex Pistols, Paul Weller, Boo Hewerdine, Jools Holland, Led Zeppelin, B.B. King, Portishead, and many others. By the late 1980s he was primarily involved with jazz, playing with his own group or with musicians such as Dick Morrissey, Alan Barnes, Dave Newton, Gerard Precenser, Don Weller, Dave Cliff, Mark Edwards, Adrian Utley, and the Tommy Chase quartet around the festivals of the UK and Europe, including festivals in Brecon, Edinburgh, Soho, and Bath in this country; and festivals in Milan, Paris, the North Sea festival, Poland, Portugal, Sweden and others. He has put out two successful CDs with Chris Ingham as the Flanagan-Ingham Quartet, and, collaborating with Dave Gordon in the quartet 
Riprap, has released three CDs and performed an on-going a series of gigs around the UK in venues like the Royal Festival Hall and at various festivals. He is also arranging and performing for Chris Ingham’s Rebop project.
As a graduate of Goldsmith’s University, he specialized in analysis and post-1945 music. This was followed by an MA in composition at Anglia Ruskin University with Richard Hoadley, which resulted in the first SPNM commissioned performance of Like Miles by the London Metropolitan Orchestra, and the commission for Mode for Joe II, was performed at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. His PhD in composition was with the composer Martin Butler at Sussex University, and is collaborating with composer/pianist Dave Gordon and poet Malcolm Guite in the Riprap spoken text series with series of poets from the US and UK; Gary Snyder, Gerry Nicosia, Chuck Perkins, Ruth Padel, Grevel Lindop, and Gwnyeth Lewis. Tonight Kevin excelled on the tenor sax to play with the Jazznights Trio who were:
Roger Odell – Drums
As one of the founder members and drummer with the jazz-funk group Shakatak, Roger has toured internationally and recorded numerous CDs, which he continues to do on a regular basis to this day.
Musically, his first love was always straight-ahead contemporary jazz and he has played with most of the great names on the UK jazz scene.He recently produced his own critically acclaimed CD “The Blue Window” by Beatifik, which featured top UK saxophonist Mornington Lockett. Jacqui Hicks and Larraine.
Roger is the author of three technical articles which appeared in the international magazine Modern Drummer, and is an Endorsee Artist for Sabian Cymbals, Vic Firth Sticks and Hardcases
Bernie Hodgkins – Electric Bass
Inspired by an uncle, who played and recorded with Django Reinhart and Stephane Grappelli in the legendary Quintet de Hot Club of France, Bernie grew up in a Jazz-oriented family. Their influence led him to become a respected bass player behind such people as Matt Munroe, 
Dickie Valentine and Dennis Lotus, in the early stages of his career.
Touring in Europe and further afield with a wide variety of artists honed his skills and added to his prodigious repertoire. Supports to players like John Scofield, and singers such as Annie Ross always proved inspirational and served to reinforce his enduring love affair with jazz.
Spending much of his time in the recording studios, he is equally at home and in demand as an enthusiastic “live” rhythm section player, as is testified by his work with Don Rendell, Jack Parnell, eorge Chisholm, Pete Jacobson, John Etheridge, Kenny Baker, Allan Skidmore, Dave O’Higgins and many others.
Simon Brown – Piano
Simon is a highly respected and popular jazz pianist who is equally known for his arranging skills. He is always in demand to play many gigs throughout East Anglia when he is not playing at Jazznights or with his own trio, quartet and quintet.
Simon’s piano playing has long been the sound accompaniment of first choice for nationally and internationally known jazz stars appearing at Jazznights as well as Norfolk’s two leading jazz venues, the Lakeside Jazz Club at Lyng and The Green Man at Rackheath. He is also an accomplished soloist in his own right, blending vivacity and creative attack with often gentle lyricism. His influences are Oscar Peterson, Nat “King” Cole and Bill Evans.
With additional vocals from
Larraine Odell – vocals
Beginning her professional singing career with the group CMU with whom she recorded two albums, Larraine performed at numerous venues throughout the UK and Europe, including the Purcell Room, RFH. Boxford Fleece & Ronnie Scott’s.Larraine possesses a unique smouldering tonal quality and a subtle jazz phrasing style that has elicited great praise from two of her own vocal mentors, Mark Murphy and Sheila Jordan. “A sensitive singer who exudes a fine-honed jazz sensibility with every phrase.” She has since appeared at Ronnie Scott’s Club as a member of the group Jimpster, at the Boxford Fleece with pianist Steve Lodder, most of the other jazz clubs in the region, and at the Aldeburgh, Layer Marney and Southwold Jazz Festivals.
Larraine Odell opened the first set to sing:
Too Close for Comfort (1956) with Words and Music by Jerrold L Bock, Lawrence Holofcener & George Weiss. A memorable 1956 duet of the song featured Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Williams, although the 1958 recordings by Davis and Frank Sinatra are the best-known versions of the song.
Rudy Vallee and His Connecticut Yankees introduced The Thrill is Gone on the Victor label 
in 1931. Music Ray Henderson and Lyrics by Lew Brown. Larraine’s version was with an arrangement by Roger Odell with a distinctive Latin beat.
The 1938 The Masquerade Is Over by Allie Wrubel and Herb Magidson (who also wrote Gone With The Wind in 1937) was a very sensitive rendition from Larraine.
Hoagy Carmichael and Johnny Mercer’s 1941 Skylark which appeared on the pop chart four times. The first recording was by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra featuring vocalist Ray Eberle, and it rose to number seven.
I Only Have Eyes for You is a popular romantic love song and now a jazz standard by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Al Dubin, written in 1934 for the film Dames. Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, Hank Mobley, and Coleman Hawkins amongst many others have all recorded this. This was an up-tempo number from Larraine and the band was a great finale to the first set
Snowboy and kevin Flanagan then joined the band to play extended versions including:
I’ll Remember April which is a popular jazz standard with music written by Gene de Paul. It made its debut in the 1942 Abbott and Costello comedy Ride ‘Em Cowboy! and has since been recorded virtually everyone in the jazz top 100. This was a storming opening from Snowboy and Kevin and the whole band who at once reached a superb accord with all producing a stunning opening with great applause for the full house crowd.
Michael Brecker’s Midnight Voyager written by Joey Calderrazzo the pianist who played on Brecker’s recording from his 1996 album Tales From The Hudson. This together with all the other numbers showed great originality and improvisation for all members of tht quintet.
Birks’ Works is an album by trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie recorded in 1957 and released on the Verve label.[1] The original album featured 10 tracks and was reissued as Birks Works: The Verve Big Band Sessions, a 2 CD compilation featuring unreleased tracks, alternate takes and tracks from Gillespie’s previous 1956 albums Dizzy in Greece and World Statesman.
Following the Jazznights raffle of 2 jazz cd’s and a bottle of wine we had the traditional Jazznights sitting in spot which is open to all musicians who have an opportunity to play with the band. Tonight we had Will Jarmin who started playing drums at the age of 12 in 2001, since then he has played in numerous local bands and achieved grade 8 on the drum kit. on the first number and was asked to stay on through the second one.
Snowboy and Kevin Flanagan then returned for the second set which included:
Nostalgia In Times Square was featured in the album of the same name, the 20-piece Mingus Big Band is an all-star unit comprised of mostly younger musicians.
Get The money – no details known in this one. Any help would be appreciated.
Richard Rodger’s 1937 My Funny Valentine played with a Latin rhythm, this is a show tune from the 1937 Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart musical Babes in Arms but is now of course firmly in the jazz library. Chet Baker and Miles Davis went a long way portray as a jazz standard.
A great swing Bossa rhythm gave a new look to Burton Lane’s Old Devil Moon a superb styling accentuated by the improvisations of the quintet.
Page One was the debut release by American jazz tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson. It features some of Henderson’s most appreciated pieces such as Recorda Me.
This last and final number was met with huge applause which truly showed the respect and thanks for this gig, another Jazznights gig to remember.
Sunday 7th December 2014 – JULIET KELLY (vocals) BBC LIVE RECORDING!
BBC Radio Suffolk will record this evenings gig for broadcast on Stephen Foster’s programme at Christmas time. “Every now and then a new voice with a fresh attitude arrives on the jazz scene – that voice is here within the soul of Juliet Kelly”. DR COURTNEY PINE C.B.E. “Sweet, sexy and seductive… an absolute pleasure to listen to” IAN CARR.
THE BEST IN BRITISH MODERN JAZZ is at Jazznights, The Cock Inn, 3, Callis Street, Clare, Suffolk, CO10 8PX
Admission £10. Doors open 7.30pm. Music 8.00-10.30pm.
Reserve seating on 01787 237653 or email info@jazz-nights.com
Pay on the night.
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