THE SOUTH Bank Show, Britain's longest-running and award winning arts documentary series, is currently making a film profile of UK's leading jazz saxophonist, Courtney Pine. As part of the programme, London Weekend TV will film Pine in Jamaica, from September 1 to 6. The programme is due for broadcast on ITV in late November this year.
Born in West London, Courtney Pine combines reggae, street-soul, hip-hop, drum and bass and jazz to create a musical fusion that is uniquely British. His parents are from Jamaica and he is heavily influenced by Jamaican music and culture.
Archie Powell, executive producer of the South Bank Show and Tricia Chacon, its production manager, arrived in Jamaica on Monday, August 28. Other members of the crew are due here on Friday, September 1 with Pine and five members of his band: Pete Martin, Cameron Pierre, Robert Fordjour, Alex Wilson and Steve Reece, as well as John Sugar of the BBC.
The South Bank profile will follow Courtney Pine from his studio in West London, where he is finishing his latest album featuring the cream of London's jazz and R&B musicians, to Jamaica, where he investigates the musical and cultural heritage that feeds into his work and jams with local reggae/ska musicians.
Pine and his band have accepted an invitation by Seretse Small to his Jammer's Network, set for Sunday, September 3 at the Jonkannoo Lounge, Hilton Hotel, starting at 6:00 p.m.
