Gig Guide

It doesn't happen very often, admittedly - my knowledge of culture is limited to my fitful yoghurt intake and my continuing admiration of Chris Lonergan's elaborate Boy George-style dreadlocks.

However, it's strictly upper-echelon stuff from here on in, starting with the enormously respected Malian singer/songwriter/guitarist Rokia Traor (The Lighthouse, Poole, tonight, tickets on 01202 685222).

Rokia is widely regarded as West Africa's most exciting and precocious new talent, as bedazzled audiences from WOMAD to the Royal Albert Hall will readily testify.

Her freshly-released third album, Bowmbo, is a ground-breaking combination of traditional African roots music refracted through the contemporary worldview of a woman whose well-travelled upbringing saw her absorbing influences from European, American and Middle Eastern cultures.

Intense, subtle, sophisticated yet possessed of immense energy, Rokia has 'a voice to make the desert bloom', as The Times put it recently, and you'd be frankly certifiable to miss her.

Closer to home, the tireless second year BTEC Music students of Weymouth College have put together a new revue entitled Motown Mania (Weymouth College Theatre, tonight and tomorrow, 7.30pm, £5 adults/£3 students and children, tickets on 01305 208702).

As the title so wantonly suggests, this is a celebration of the era-defining yet timelessly vibrant music pumped out by Detroit's Tamla-Motown label in the 1960s and 70s by the likes of Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, The Marvelettes, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles and The Four Tops while the likes of the Stooges and the MC5 were blowing the roofs off suburban garages a few blocks away.

The college's tribute to this remarkable music city sees the likes of The Rubbish Band, Cheese and Pap and The Chamber Choir performing their own unique and inimitable versions of classic Motown hits, and proceeds from the event go towards the Leukaemia Research Fund so the incentives to attend are stacked up to the rafters.

As a telling indication of just how foreign the notion of culture is to this page, my initial reaction on reading the press release concerning jazz saxophonist Renato D'Aiello and Canzone (Bridport Arts Centre, Saturday, £9/£7 members/concessions, tickets on 01308 424204) was to become absolutely starving.

I mean, Canzone (which actually means 'songs') sounds to my ears uncannily like calzone, which is a delicious folded pizza, and most of the music Renato and his band perform is loosely based around a collection of old Neapolitan songs - and my favourite pasta sauce is, yes, Neapolitan (or Napoletana as my lovely old mamma used-a to say in between bouts of plate-throwing).

Anyway, all of this is extremely beside the point. Yes, I know, just for a change.

Renato, pianist Alberto, bassist Nicola from Sardinia and the slightly less exotic-sounding (but no less adept) drummer Seb Rochford are giants in jazz circles: John Fordham of The Guardian says of Renato that he 'couples a domineering get-out-of-my-way sound with bounce and spontaneity, but he is also capable of considerable tenderness.'

Jazz fans in the area are in for another rare treat on Wednesday with the arrival in town of legendary American tenor/alto saxophonist Rickey Woodard (Hotel Rembrandt, Weymouth, Wednesday, doors open 7pm, £10, tickets on 01305 777412, 07941 269566 or 07952 085968).

Nashville-born Rickey combines a formidable reputation with a CV so illustrious that it's best you're sitting down before you read any further.

Drafted into the Ray Charles Band in 1980, Rickey has also performed worldwide with giants like Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Horace Silver and Kenny Burrell, no less. Frank Sinatra?! That's as high as one can go in this life.

All of this is, of course, indicative of Woodard's skill and standing. Those in the know rhapsodise about his light, fluent soloing, influenced by Hank Mobley, Zoot Sims and George Coleman - a rarity in the post-John Coltrane years.

If you're a fan of the form, It doesn't get any better than this.

Finally, I received a very sweet and charming letter this week from Barbara, keyboard saucestress with melodic metal muthas Balance of Power (Mariners, Weymouth, Friday), and so touched was I by this gesture (so different from the usual flood of nail bombs one generally has to contend with) that I thought I'd reciprocate with this little plug for BoP.

It's not often you get a five-piece band in which everyone sings: Stand up and be counted Tim Talbot, Jez Lee, Jim Murphy, Spence Bates and the aforementioned Barbara, and lustily yodel the Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Aerosmith, Journey, Guns & Roses, Scorpions, UFO and Van Halen songs that make up your mighty set.

By Barbara's calculations, the band members have 80 years' experience between them - which still makes them mere babes in the wood next to the Lonergan and I, whose first gigs are mentioned in the Magna Carta.

MARCO ROSSI

TONIGHT (11)

Ben Waters Band/Otis Grand and the Big Blues Band/John Crampton (Weymouth Pavilion Ocean Rooms, The Esplanade, Weymouth): Home-grown boogie/rock'n'roll piano phenomenumenum Ben and band are joined by award-winning bluesman Otis and Crampton's acoustic blues. Tickets £10 in advance (01305 783225) or £12 on the door.

Motown Mania (Weymouth College Theatre, Cranford Avenue, Weymouth): Marco has the details. Music from 7.30pm, tickets (£5 adults/£3 students and children), available on the door or via the college box office on 01305 208702.

Stress & the Also Rans (Cornwall Hotel, Alexandra Road, Dorchester): Big guitar-driven rock covers.

Viscera/Talisman (Finns, Westham Road, Weymouth): A duo of new young metal bands, offering covers from Stonesour, Mudvayne, Pantera.

Jam On It (Verdis/Mariners, Maiden Street, Weymouth): This is the weekly opportunity for new and established bands to take to the stage.

Never Loved Elvis (Park Hotel, Grange Road, Weymouth): Extremely nifty guitarists trade licks.

Acoustic Jam Session (George Inn, Refome, Portland): Billy and Mickey from Hokum Society host this come-one, come-all, have-a-go occasion.

John Stone (Bar on the Corner, St Thomas Street, Weymouth): Kylie to Coldplay from Mr Stone.

Gut & Steel (Old Ship, The Ridgeway, Upwey, Weymouth): Sixties to contemporary pop and rock covers from Andy and Mark.

Traditional Tune Session (Cove House Inn, ChiswelI, Portland): The weekly informal, unamplified celebration of the folk tune.

H20 (Hotel Prince Regent, the Esplanade, Weymouth): Pop to opera from Eddie Hintze and Hayley Owen, here most Thursday nights.

FRIDAY (12)

The Crack (Corn Exchange, High East Street, Dorchester): The Crack perform a fundraiser for Dorchester Rugby Colts tour 2005. Music 8-12pm, tickets (£7) from the Borough Arms or The Old Ship, Dorchester, or Harmony Music. Tickets on 01305 88938 or 01305 268120 or on the door.

Balance of Power (Verdi's/Mariner's, Maiden Street, Weymouth): Eighties melodic rock, as performed by Bon Jovi, Aerosmith and the like.

Insomnia (Tickled Hippy, The Esplanade, Weymouth): Beatles to Blink 182, The Clash to Lenny Kravitz, plus lots of Green Day.

Worried Men (Finns, Westham Road, Weymouth): Classic blues rock, with a great stage show.

Foo Foo (Three Horseshoes, Mill Street, Burton Bradstock): Acoustic rootsy offerings.

Ocean Drive (Green Shutters, Castletown, Portland): Contemporary rock covers.

Wob (Hope & Anchor, St. Michael's Lane, Bridport): The return of the festival-seasoned troubadour.

Lady Windwood's Maggot (Old George, Trinity Street, Dorchester): Full-on ferocious folk.

Konar T (George Inn, Custom House Quay, Weymouth): Konar T would like it known they have a new set - covers from Audioslave, White Stripes, Green Day, the Manics et al, plus new originals.

Bad Reputation (Excise House, Hope Square, Weymouth): Classic rock covers, with Jon Storey and Mark Davis as duelling guitarists.

Time Out (Britannia Inn, Fortuneswell, Portland): Mike and Brian give it Floyd to the blues.

Andy Grant (Spice Ship, Preston Road, Preston, Weymouth): A huge range of covers from the erstwhile Infidel, an extremely nifty guitarist.

Pzazz (White Hart, Cheap Street, Sherbome): Pop covers from this duo.

Paul Williams (Duke of Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth): All your favourites from Paul.

Bill Solo (Wellington Arms, St Alban Street, Weymouth): Audience-participation friendly pop and rock covers from Bill.

Mark Stacey (The Waterloo, Grange Road, Weymouth): Music from Dylan to The Jam.

SATURDAY (13)

Monkey Wrench (Verdi's/Mariners, Maiden Street, Weymouth): Phil fronts covers from Rage Against the Machine, Kula Shaker... and even Rory Gallagher.

Canzone (Bridport Arts Centre, South Street, Bridport): Jazz: Marco has the details. Music from 8pm, admission £9 (£7 members/concessions).

Karl Weber (Hope & Anchor, Bridport): It's rootsy.

Lo Numbers (Excise House, Weymouth): Covers from the Small Faces, The Kinks and The Jam.

Gothic Chicken (Punchbowl, Easton Street, Portland): M'colleague the Rossi and friends explores the canyons of their minds in true psychedelic fashion.

Splinter (New Inn, Littlemoor Road, Weymouth): Bon Jovi to AC/DC, Led Zep to Rush.

Cross Wired (Little Ship, Victoria Square, Portland): Classic Rock covers from Brian Adams through to The Who with stops at Bad Company, Free, The Stones, Bruce Springsteen & Thin Lizzy and others.

Off The Rails (Old George, Trinity Street, Dorchester): Contrasting blues and rock guitar styles are at the heart of this band.

Metallica tribute with Mentallica (Finns, Weymouth): A truly authentic trawl through Metallica's back catalogue. £4 admission tonight.

Freak Circus (George Inn, Custom House Quay, Weymouth): Cracking original Gothic flavoured post-punk material from this band.

Hokum Society (George Inn, Refome, Portland): More blues guitar than you can point a stick at.

Gerry Brown & The Mission Hall Jazz Band (Hope United Reform Church, Trinity Street, Weymouth): Truly authentic vintage New Orleans-style jazz. Music from 7.30pm, £5 admission.

Gut & Steel (Chalk & Cheese, Maiden Newton): Andy and Mark will be inaugurating the Chalk & Cheese's new live music programme, with music on the second Saturday of every month.

Andy Grant (Sailor's Return, Nicholas Street, Weymouth).

Back Seat Blue (Royal Oak, Dorchester Road, Weymouth): Full-on urban blues from the seasoned performers who make up BSB.

Bob Mallet (The Dolphin, Park Street, Weymouth): It's Bob's rock'n'roll show.

Pzazz (RAOB Club, Crescent Street, Weymouth).

Frank E Finn (Duke of Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth): Celtic airs to rock'n'roll from Frank.

Brian H (Wellington Arms, St Alban Street, Weymouth): Brian goes solo.

SUNDAY (14)

Robbie McIntosh/Andy Grant (Park Hotel, Grange Road, Weymouth): Read the day-to-day gig guide for confirmation of Robbie's appearance. Andy definitely strikes up at 4pm.

Never Loved Elvis (Tickled Hippy, The Esplanade, Weymouth).

Jim's Jazzers (Hope & Anchor, Bridport): Vintage jazz, from 3pm.

Gut & Steel (George Inn, Portland): 4.30pm start.

Jam with Tia (Galley Bistro, Hope Square, Weymouth): Tia hosts this acoustic jam session.

Seed (Three Compasses, Charminster): Gaylin fronts covers from Audioslave, Avril Lavigne, Evanescence and the like.

Channel 4 (Green Shutters, Castletown, Portland): Saxon to Sabbath from Zac and company; 3pm.

Jim Reynolds (Poet Laureate, Pummery Square, Poundbury, Dorchester): Blues-inspired offerings.

The Travelling Minstrels (Cove House Inn, ChiswelI, Portland): An informal afternoon of acoustic music.

Jay (Britannia Inn, Fortuneswell, Portland): Jay performs from 3.30 to 6.30pm.

Andy Arnold (Duke of Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth): Authentic 50s rock'n'roll, plus a nod to the 70s, this lunchtime.

MONDAY (15)

Jim Crawford (Moreton Tea Rooms, Moreton, near Dorchester): Jim has toured much of Europe and the USA, captivating audiences with his intimate blues style and is much revered as a consummate finger picker and slide player. Jim has recorded for BBC Radio 2's Paul Jones show. Tickets £5 in advance or £6 on the door. Enquiries to 01935 823239

TUESDAY (16)

Mitch'n'John (No 10 Cafe Bar, East Street, Bridport): Funky folkie Mitch is joined by John.

Gut & Steel (King's Arms, Trinity Road, Weymouth).

Julie Lewis (The Isobar, Trinity Road, Weymouth): Jazz pianist and vocalist extraordinaire Julie and friends can be found here every Tuesday night.

WEDNESDAY (17)

Monkey Tennis (Lugger Inn, West Street, Chickerell): MT's set will have a suitably Irish flavour for St Patrick's night.

Trouble In Mind (Three Horseshoes, Mill Street, Burton Bradstock): Excellent jazzy, rocky blues.

Ricky Woodard (Hotel Rembrandt, Dorchester Road, Weymouth): A Weymouth Jazz Club presentation - admission is £10, doors open 7pm, tickets on 01305 777412, 07941 269566 or 07952 085968.

Acoustic Jam Session (Park Hotel, Grange Road, Weymouth): The regular jam session here of a Wednesday night, hosted by Dave Phillips.

Rob Koral & Sue Hawker (The Isobar, Weymouth): Exemplary jazz guitar and vocals.

Jeffers'n'Jon (Hotel Prince Regent, The Esplanade, Weymouth): Country classics.

CHRIS LONERGAN