Latest news with #KindOfBlue
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Miles. review – soulful ode to the jazz genius behind Kind of Blue
Celebrity biographical dramas are ten a penny but it takes audacity for a performer to emulate the famous person in question. What elevates Miles., a tribute to jazz legend Miles Davis, is the role of musician Jay Phelps. Not only does he give a credible imitation of Davis's spare trumpet style, he also plays along convincingly to backing tapes of Kind of Blue, regarded by many as the definitive jazz album. Phelps is more than an incidental player. A constant presence in a production written and directed by Oliver Kaderbhai, Phelps plays a Davis acolyte trying to learn from the master, while the pressure of a record company advance looms over him. What was the secret ingredient, he wants to know, that turned Kind of Blue into a bestselling jazz album? How much did it depend on the collaborators, including John Coltrane and Bill Evans? Where did it fit into the musician's history of drug abuse and womanising? Now aged 32, the same as Davis at the recording in 1959, could he ever hope to achieve as much? Answering some of these questions – and evading others – is Benjamin Akintuyosi in the title role. With a raspy post-op voice gurgling up from deep in his throat, he plays Davis as sharp, forthright, hard to impress but passionate in his enthusiasms. His is a tale of musical obsession offset by a lack of money; creative innovation offset by racial prejudice. With his influences stretching to Stravinsky, Prokofiev and Debussy, as well as Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker and the street rhythms of Afro-Irish tap dance, Davis's musicality is more deeply felt than his Juilliard education might suggest. Kind of Blue, he says in the play, is 'my pain on a 78', an experiment he thought had failed. With projections by Colin J Smith adding to the period detail, the show is a fact-packed, reverent and loving testament to the complicated man behind a musical benchmark. At Summerhall, Edinburgh, until 25 August All our Edinburgh festival reviews
The Herald Scotland
08-08-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Art Power ready to continue Curragh love affair
That is usually the case at the Curragh, where the eight-year-old has won four times from six outings. 'He likes it good or softer and we've been struggling to find any,' said Easterby. Group 2 winner 🏆 Art Power is now three from three at @curraghrace and unbeaten in four trips to Ireland, striding to success in the @weatherbysltd Ireland Greenlands Stakes for @EasterbyTim. First winner at Irish Flat HQ for @oismurphy! — Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 27, 2023 'He hasn't had an issue. We were going to get him ready in the spring but it was so dry there was no point and then we've found him a couple of races and he wasn't able to run. 'He got balloted out of a handicap at York and the ground was too fast at Ascot. He could have run at Chester last week but we decided not to run him there and wait for the Curragh. 'He's done a lot of work, he's in good form and I don't look to see how old he is. I never look at their age, I just go by what they are showing me. If he was a Champion Hurdle horse you'd be delighted he was eight. 'It sounds like the ground is good and we're very happy with him. 'I know it looks like he's better there than anywhere but I just think that's down to the fact it is always nice ground there.' Kind Of Blue (red hat) won at Ascot on Champions Day (Nigel French/PA) Another strong challenger from Britain is the James Fanshawe-trained Kind Of Blue, winner of the Champions Sprint last season but on a retrieval mission. Richard Brown of owners Wathnan Racing said: 'We're on the comeback trail but his work has been very good and James is very happy with him. 'We've had a couple of blips but hopefully we can get back on track on Saturday. 'I think the Curragh will be ideal for him and the stiff finish there will be right up his alley.' Karl Burke's Spycatcher and David O'Meara's Nighteyes also make the journey. Heading the home team is Adrian Murray's Bucanero Fuerte, winner of the Group One Phoenix Stakes on the card two years ago. 'We'll be going quite confident, he's in great form, he's fresh and well and should run a big race,' said Murray. 'He's got a great record first time out, he's won every year actually, so it will be no bad thing he's only had one run. 'He did have a bit of a setback just before Ascot, so he had a bit of time off after that but it might not be the worst thing in the world given his record fresh. 'He's won a Group One at the Curragh, he loves it there and he goes on any ground, he's won on all sorts, the ground won't be an issue, it will be lovely. 'I don't look at it and think 'I wish they weren't running', I'm looking at it thinking we should go well and be one of the favourites.'
Glasgow Times
08-08-2025
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
Art Power ready to continue Curragh love affair
The unusually dry spring and summer has prevented Tim Easterby's grey from running so far this season as he is at his best when he can get his toe in. That is usually the case at the Curragh, where the eight-year-old has won four times from six outings. 'He likes it good or softer and we've been struggling to find any,' said Easterby. Group 2 winner 🏆 Art Power is now three from three at @curraghrace and unbeaten in four trips to Ireland, striding to success in the @weatherbysltd Ireland Greenlands Stakes for @EasterbyTim. First winner at Irish Flat HQ for @oismurphy! — Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 27, 2023 'He hasn't had an issue. We were going to get him ready in the spring but it was so dry there was no point and then we've found him a couple of races and he wasn't able to run. 'He got balloted out of a handicap at York and the ground was too fast at Ascot. He could have run at Chester last week but we decided not to run him there and wait for the Curragh. 'He's done a lot of work, he's in good form and I don't look to see how old he is. I never look at their age, I just go by what they are showing me. If he was a Champion Hurdle horse you'd be delighted he was eight. 'It sounds like the ground is good and we're very happy with him. 'I know it looks like he's better there than anywhere but I just think that's down to the fact it is always nice ground there.' Kind Of Blue (red hat) won at Ascot on Champions Day (Nigel French/PA) Another strong challenger from Britain is the James Fanshawe-trained Kind Of Blue, winner of the Champions Sprint last season but on a retrieval mission. Richard Brown of owners Wathnan Racing said: 'We're on the comeback trail but his work has been very good and James is very happy with him. 'We've had a couple of blips but hopefully we can get back on track on Saturday. 'I think the Curragh will be ideal for him and the stiff finish there will be right up his alley.' Karl Burke's Spycatcher and David O'Meara's Nighteyes also make the journey. Heading the home team is Adrian Murray's Bucanero Fuerte, winner of the Group One Phoenix Stakes on the card two years ago. 'We'll be going quite confident, he's in great form, he's fresh and well and should run a big race,' said Murray. 'He's got a great record first time out, he's won every year actually, so it will be no bad thing he's only had one run. 'He did have a bit of a setback just before Ascot, so he had a bit of time off after that but it might not be the worst thing in the world given his record fresh. 'He's won a Group One at the Curragh, he loves it there and he goes on any ground, he's won on all sorts, the ground won't be an issue, it will be lovely. 'I don't look at it and think 'I wish they weren't running', I'm looking at it thinking we should go well and be one of the favourites.'
South Wales Guardian
28-06-2025
- Sport
- South Wales Guardian
Kind Of Blue on retrieval mission in Chipchase
James Fanshawe's star speedster claimed Group One honours at Ascot last October and was being teed-up for a return to the Berkshire track for the Royal meeting. However, after his belated reappearance at Chantilly in the Prix du Gros-Chene went wrong leaving the stalls and with owners Wathnan Racing having a crack team for the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, the decision was taken to take stock and divert to the slightly calmer waters of this Group Three event. Wathnan's racing adviser Richard Brown said: 'The plan was to obviously give him the prep race in France and it all just went wrong and he was left standing in the stalls for a very long time, then the horse next to him reared causing him to rear just as they were about to let them go and we missed the break by a very long way. 'We decided to miss Ascot because we wanted to get him back on track before building back up, so we dodged Ascot and obviously we had Lazzat and Flora Of Bermuda for that race (first and third). 'We left Ascot behind in favour of coming here to hopefully give him a chance to start his season properly and we're looking forward to seeing him run.' Kind Of Blue's display at Gosforth Park could determine how the rest of his season maps out, with connections keen to see the same dash of quality that made the son of Blue Point a must have purchase for the Emir of Qatar's team last autumn. 'I think the July Cup will come too soon, but we will see how this goes before making any firm plans,' continued Brown, when assessing future options. 'At the moment we want to see Kind Of Blue show us he's as good as he was on Champions Day last year. All the signs are positive and he's been working very well but he's got to go and show it on the racecourse. 'We'll watch him run and make a plan after that.' However, Kind Of Blue will not get things all his own way with Jack Channon's progressive Ferrous now stepping into Group company in the form of his life after racking up an early season hat-trick. 'He's in great form, obviously after his last win we had the Chipchase on our minds so we've freshened him right up,' said Channon, whose five-year-old was a winner over course and distance in May. 'He's had time out in the paddock and has been training really well the last few weeks. He went for a racecourse gallop last week, it went really well so we are all set for Saturday.' Others with winning form at Newcastle in the race include Clive Cox's Diligent Harry and Mick Appleby's Annaf, while Owen Burrows' Alyanaabi was second to City Of Troy as a juvenile and now scratches the itch of connections to try six furlongs sporting first-time blinkers. 'It's a stiff six at Newcastle and Jim (Crowley) has always intimated he wouldn't mind trying that' said Burrows. 'We're going first-time blinkers as well, so we thought this might be the perfect time to give it a go. 'He was obviously disappointing at Haydock last time and Jim felt he perhaps wasn't putting 100 per cent in hence the blinkers. But he's been fine since and goes there in good shape.'
Rhyl Journal
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
Kind Of Blue on retrieval mission in Chipchase
James Fanshawe's star speedster claimed Group One honours at Ascot last October and was being teed-up for a return to the Berkshire track for the Royal meeting. However, after his belated reappearance at Chantilly in the Prix du Gros-Chene went wrong leaving the stalls and with owners Wathnan Racing having a crack team for the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, the decision was taken to take stock and divert to the slightly calmer waters of this Group Three event. Wathnan's racing adviser Richard Brown said: 'The plan was to obviously give him the prep race in France and it all just went wrong and he was left standing in the stalls for a very long time, then the horse next to him reared causing him to rear just as they were about to let them go and we missed the break by a very long way. 'We decided to miss Ascot because we wanted to get him back on track before building back up, so we dodged Ascot and obviously we had Lazzat and Flora Of Bermuda for that race (first and third). 'We left Ascot behind in favour of coming here to hopefully give him a chance to start his season properly and we're looking forward to seeing him run.' Kind Of Blue's display at Gosforth Park could determine how the rest of his season maps out, with connections keen to see the same dash of quality that made the son of Blue Point a must have purchase for the Emir of Qatar's team last autumn. 'I think the July Cup will come too soon, but we will see how this goes before making any firm plans,' continued Brown, when assessing future options. 'At the moment we want to see Kind Of Blue show us he's as good as he was on Champions Day last year. All the signs are positive and he's been working very well but he's got to go and show it on the racecourse. 'We'll watch him run and make a plan after that.' However, Kind Of Blue will not get things all his own way with Jack Channon's progressive Ferrous now stepping into Group company in the form of his life after racking up an early season hat-trick. 'He's in great form, obviously after his last win we had the Chipchase on our minds so we've freshened him right up,' said Channon, whose five-year-old was a winner over course and distance in May. 'He's had time out in the paddock and has been training really well the last few weeks. He went for a racecourse gallop last week, it went really well so we are all set for Saturday.' Others with winning form at Newcastle in the race include Clive Cox's Diligent Harry and Mick Appleby's Annaf, while Owen Burrows' Alyanaabi was second to City Of Troy as a juvenile and now scratches the itch of connections to try six furlongs sporting first-time blinkers. 'It's a stiff six at Newcastle and Jim (Crowley) has always intimated he wouldn't mind trying that' said Burrows. 'We're going first-time blinkers as well, so we thought this might be the perfect time to give it a go. 'He was obviously disappointing at Haydock last time and Jim felt he perhaps wasn't putting 100 per cent in hence the blinkers. But he's been fine since and goes there in good shape.'
