Born in London in 1964, Courtney Pine began teaching himself the saxophone aged 14, later adding bass clarinet, flute and keyboard to his repertoire. One of Britain’s pre-eminent jazz artists, Pine has fused jazz with genres including reggae, drum’n’bass, hip-hop and jungle. His debut album, Journey to the Urge Within, entered the UK top 40 in 1986; since then he has released 17 more albums, including 1995’s Mercury-nominated Modern Day Jazz Stories and 2015’s Song (The Ballad Book). He was awarded an OBE in 2000 and a CBE in 2009 for services to jazz music. His latest album, Black Notes from the Deep, is released on 27 October on Freestyle Records and he tours the UK from September.
1 | Game
Yes, I am a gamer, a true addict, an owner of all things Mario Bros and beyond. It was with trepidation that I had a go at Andromeda – I had not played the previous versions and critics had not been won over by this sci-fi role-playing epic. What I appreciate with these types of games is the way you can design your character and take ethical or moral decisions. This game is very deep – you don’t really start playing until after one hour, and actually after about 10 hours of gameplay is when it starts to get out there, which is my kind of game. They’ve transferred the experience of reading a good science-fiction book to a games console.
2 | Sport
Young boxer Anthony Joshua is an inspiration. His last fight was against Wladimir Klitschko, someone much more experienced, a formidable Olympic champion. Most pundits thought he’d be too much for Anthony, but he proved them all wrong. I have to be honest, I was on the fence and could not see how my man could achieve this impossible task, so I was really nervous for him. I rushed home from a show with the radio turned off, and turned on the TV to see him shrugging his shoulders and laughing something off. History was made that night, when he stopped Klitschko in round 11 after being knocked down. The man from Watford once again made me proud.
3 | Music
Omar has been an inspiring artist for a while now, and his new album continues with his exploration of traditional soul and modern-day social music. The album coincided with our collaboration; he contributed some fine lyrics and vocal performances to four tracks. His album is a revelation, a must-have. There are so many flavourful tracks but my outstanding item is entitled De Ja Vu, which features Mayra Andrade from Cape Verde. Performed in 3 over 4 time, or a waltz, this epitomises Omar’s open-minded, limitless approach to being in music. We have been performing live for a bit now so I can testify to the seriousness with which this man represents the UK through his music.
4 | Film
The Raid (Gareth Evans, 2011)
This is a modern-day classic. I actually went to the cinema to see both The Raid and its sequel, The Raid 2; the first one on the strength of someone talking about it on the band bus. What I like about it is the constant against-all-odds sense that makes this film a no-holds-barred, what’s-going-to-happen-next thrill. It’s basically about a neglected tower block that is being controlled by criminals, and our star is a police officer who enters the tower block and has to fight for his survival to get to the boss on the top floor. It’s also a story that deals with corruption, all the way to the top. And the fight scenes are a bit tasty.
5 | Event
Panorama
This event epitomises the spirit of Notting Hill carnival. When the carnival first started, a musician named Russ Henderson walked up and down Kilburn Lane playing his steel pan, with revellers dancing behind him. Now Panorama is a steel pan competition held on the Saturday, before the carnival. I was brought up in this area and it was great to see the different steel pan groups practising their pieces from the top of the road, until they’re called to perform their piece which has taken months to perfect. No music charts as much human empathy, trust and positive spirit.
6 | Food
Carb-free frittata
I just found this recipe and had a go at cooking it, and it’s unbelievable. You take six eggs, garlic, onions, parmesan and sun-dried tomato paste and put them in a blender, then fry in olive oil until slightly solid. You fry peppers and sliced portobello mushrooms until caramelised, add them to the top of the blended egg mix, then add grated cheese and place in the oven for 15 minutes. It’s so simple. I must admit to improvising a bit when I cook, as most recipes want the dreaded bacon or potato or some other unneeded element. This is usually billed as a pizza replacement meal – nothing replaces pizza, but this comes close.
7 | Book
Black Genesis: The Prehistoric Origins of Ancient Egypt by Robert Bauval & Thomas Brophy
I am a bookworm and have been from an early age. This is one of those hard-to-find items and it deals with a subject close to my heart – the origins of ancient Egypt. I am not a historian but through my research of jazz music I have found a need to research what culturally was going on in Africa and how this improvised approach to music came to be in America. Black Genesis deals with the astro-ceremonial culture of the people of the Nabta region in late neolithic times, and the early people of the southern river Nile. This is the type of book I take to the beach and that fuels my muse.
