Letter in the Stage -Lottery money should not be used for core funding February 27th 2025

Joshua Reynolds when he returned from his painter’s apprenticeship in Rome picked up a copy of Samuel Johnson’s biography of Richard Savage and read it “while he was standing with his arm leaning against a chimney-piece. It seized his attention so strongly, that, not being able to lay down the book until he had finished,…

Brian ‘Joe’ Spibey Residents of Widcombe have told the Chronicle with great sadness that Widcombe resident Brian “Joe” Spibey, known as Jazz Joe passed away shortly before Christmas aged 79. His death comes only eighteen months after the passing of his collaborator, singer James Lambeth who died in May 2020. “Joe was a Widcombe fixture,”…

2018 All Party Parliamentary Jazz Awards Nominations Announced The nominations have today been announced for the 2018 ParliamentaryJazz Awards, Britain’s premier awards for the jazz loving public and fans of the music from both Houses of Parliament. The nominees include a broad array of jazz talent from the UK jazz scene. Supported by PizzaExpress Live…

The Arts Council published a policy for the support of jazz in 1996 and then 4 years later it was dropped in favour – as I recall – of “the bigger picture”. Needless to say no real resources had been allocated to the policy. In Paragraph 62 the Arts Council say clearly that they will…

Pete Allen Newsletter May 2023 Welcome to the Pete Allen Newsletter. This is the first in a regular monthly newsletter. If you do not want to receive this letter you can unsubscribe at the bottom of this email – I hope you won’t. The band has recently had a new addition – Chris Hodgkins on trumpet – otherwise…

In the Guardian on the 28th May 2015 “Arts Council boss promises more of a two way street”. The new CEO of the Arts Council Darren Henley was at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards at the House of Commons on the 10th March 2015 when I made an acceptance speech. I drew attention to the appallingly…