I was unable to attend last Friday’s gig, which is a great pity, as all the reports of the gig have lauded it.

Jo Harrop Vocals, Vasilis Xenopoulos Sax, Alex Webb Piano, Neville Malcolm Bass, Pete Adam Hill Drums

I heard Jo on line, and loved her voice and her treatment of songs. Vasilis and Alex are well known to us as superb players. The reports on Neville and Pete at the gig have been very good indeed,

I am sure we will book her again, and I will not miss that one.

Next week, the music of Gerry Mulligan and Paul Desmond, no less, with Chris Biscoe on baritone sax and Allison Neale on alto sax. They are superbly backed by Jeremy Brown on bass and Matt Fishwick on drums. This gig will be a real treat.

Take care,
Dave

18 fine musicians on the extended Fleece Jazz stage gave us a mighty gig. I love the sound of a horn chorus, but to have 14 of them in chorus was really something else: loved it. The arrangements all ensured that the power of the ensemble was available for almost all of the numbers. Some of the arrangements were brave, and perfectly executed.

The band was:

Saxes:
Gilly Burgoyne Alto/Soprano/Flute, Lynsey Welham Alto, Jonathan Farnhill Lead Tenor, Mark Usher Tenor, Suzie Runnacles Baritone
Trumpets:
Richard Steward, Ian Buzer trumpet/flugel, Steve Stone, Roger Morfey, John Burch
Trombones:
Paul Little, Andy Shipp, Steve Ball, Dave Turnage Bass Trombone
Rhythm:
Bob Airzee Drums/compere, Mike Tatt Bass, Tomi Farkas Guitar, Ian Jewitt Piano.

Jeff Jarvis’s “Riptide” started off pretty well as they meant to carry on. A full blast entry, in this up tempo song, with a fine solo, this one by Gilly Burgoyne on alto. She had another beauty on Oliver Nelson’s “I Hope In Time A Change Will Come”. Don’t we all?

There were ballads. “Blue” (I think by Bill Mack) was a lovely example of ballad playing by a big band, with Ian Buzer‘s excellent flugel solo.

All of the solos, from sax, trumpet, trombone, piano, guitar and one from Bob Airze on drums were great to hear, and the band is tight and accurate. You can’t ask for more. They gave us an excellent gig.

On Friday, Jo Harrop will be singing songs by Peggy Lee and others, with a fine backing from Vasilis Xenopoulos on sax, Alex Webb on piano, Neville Malcolm on bass and Pete Adam Hill on drums.
“This girl was born to sing jazz … a class act” – Pizza Express
“Her voice is amazing, think Islay whiskey, or tannin rich red wine – deep” – Lance, Bebop Spoken Here

Take care,
Dave

Some gigs stand in the memory.

Last Friday, we had Joanna Eden’s Jazz at the Movies. The band was Joanna Eden vocals, Chris Ingham piano, compére and backing vocals, Mark Crooks sax, Arnie Somogyi bass, George Double drums. Joanna is one of the finest singers in the UK, with a great love of the lyrics. Chris is a superb researcher, giving us the background to the songs. Mark is a wonderful tenor player, and to my mind, an even better clarinetist. Arnie does what fine bassists do, with solid and interesting accompaniment. George is a great accompanist to singers, an excellent drummer.

Both sets started off with the instrumental quartet. We had Neal Hefti’s theme from “The Odd Couple”, and, from “The Fabulous Baker Boys”, David Grusin’s “Jack’s Theme”. I think we ought to book this quartet for a full gig.

The banter between Joanna and Chris was great fun. Chris said Joanna couldn’t sing in Portuguese, but would only vocalise. In the Mancini/Miglacci “It Had Better Be Tonight (Meglio stasera)”, Joanna’s voice soared in Portuguese in this up-tempo Latin number. To be fair, Chris had a great solo, and Mark’s solo and accompaniment to the singing were both excellent. “The Pink Panther” would have been proud.

There was a special moment in the last number before the demanded encore. From Disney’s “The Aristocats” we got “Everybody Wants to be a Cat” (Al Rinker), in which George did a terrific Krupa, with Mark climbing high as Goodman.

Bacharach has cited “Alfie” as his personal favorite of his compositions. Joanna sang gloriously and powerfully on this tune: it is so easy to make it maudlin. Joanna did not.

We had, of course, a series of Bond themes. My favourite was written by John Barry and Leslie Bricusse, called “Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” for “Thunderball”. It was perfect in mood, chords, intent, but not in name, but the producers said no good, write one called “Thunderball”..

It was one fine gig: beautiful singing, great arrangements, perfect playing.

Next week, 31 January, a BIG BAND. The Horn Factory is with us, and I haven’t room to list the 18 musicians. We will have fast moving, hard hitting, contemporary jazz from this East Anglian band.

Take care,
Dave

Jim Rattigan‘s band gave us a heap of joy last Friday. All of the tunes were written and arranged by Jim. The tunes were excellent, and the arrangements special. There were 13 tunes in the two sets, and Jim made use of a lot more than 13 combinations of instruments as well as tempo changes in this well balanced programme. It was a great gig from beginning to the encore, with some avery special moments.

The band was named Pavillon after the French word for the bell of Jim Rattigan’s French horn. The band features saxophonists Martin Speake on alto, Andy Panayi on tenor and Mick Foster on baritone, Percy Pursglove on trumpet and flugel, Robbie Robson and Steve Fishwick on trumpet, Mark Nightingale on trombone, Sarah Williamson on bass trombone, pianist Hans Koller, double bassist Dave Whitford and Martin France on drums.

As well as a stunning Andy Panayi solo on “Strong Tea”, there was a ‘Yeh Jess * ” moment. When odd things happen you get magic. Someone missed their solo, so Hans jumped in with a lovely one. Hans’s solo on “Ballad Blue” was just beautiful. Jim had a stunning solo on that one.

Martin’s accompaniment was not a moment. It was just special throughout the gig.

I loved the “battles” between groups of similar instruments:the saxes almost doing cutting, and the trumpets firing off each other, in 4s and 8s.

This was the last gig of the band’s tour, so I am sorry you will not get to hear Jim’s stories. In particular, why the first tune was called “Timbuck3”.

Next week, 24 January, brings Joanna Eden’s Jazz at the Movies.
“One of the finest combos in the country and a seriously talented vocalist…*a great evening that satisfied both jazz and movie buffs. Quite a trick” – Jazz Journal
Joanna Eden Vocals, Chris Ingham Piano, Mark Crooks Sax, Arnie Somogyi Bass, George Double Drums
“Bloody marvellous!” Dame Cleo Laine

Take care,
Dave

* In the Benny Goodman 1938 Carnegie Hall gig, there was a magic moment, when in “Sing, Sing, Sing”, Jess Stacey jumped in with an unplanned solo, one of the greatest piano solos ever. Benny was heard to mildly admonish Jess, clearly heard to say “Yeh, Jess”.

Brigitte Beraha is an explorer, an improviser, a singer who thinks deeply about the lyrics. She sang for us on Friday backed by a superb trio.

On stage were Brigitte Beraha on vocals, Barry Green on piano, bassist Chris Laurence and drummer and percussionist Paul Clarvis.

The programme was very well balanced, with songs by Brigitte and Barry, some standards, and a few surprises. Aaron Copland’s composition of Emily Dickenson’s poem “Heart, We Will Forget Him” was turned into a lovely, sad jazz ballad, which somehow segued naturally into “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows” (Harry Carroll composer, Joseph McCarthy lyricist).

But a bigger surprise was a song that Brigitte considers the most beautiful one ever written. It was written in the late 1600s by Henry Purcell. It is “Dido’s Lament” from Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas”. The band began and ended with a close and beautifully played and sung rendition of the Purcell, but the central part of the song was filled with quite amazing cross improvisations by the whole band.

Brigitte sang the verse as well as the chorises of Victor Schertzinger and Johnny Mercer’s “I Remember You”. I love singers that sing the verse. Brigitte scats a lot, but varies the articulations to suit the songs, as in this one.

I love what they did with Jobim’s “Wave”. Paul plays the most expressive tambourine. Barry had a stunning solo. Paul and Brigitte had a fascinating duet. Chris’ solo was superb.

It was a very good night,

Next week a 12 piece band, “Pavillon”, led by French horn player Jim Rattigan. The band features saxophonists Martin Speake on alto, Andy Panayi on tenor and Mick Foster on baritone, Percy Pursglove, Robbie Robson and Steve Fishwick on trumpet, Mark Nightingale and Sarah Williamson on trombone, pianist Hans Koller, double bassist Dave Whitford and Martin France on drums. It will be a great evening. Don’t miss it.

Take care,

Dave

After Friday’s gig, I was wondering about why I loved the gig so much, just one voice and pianist, But what a voice, what a pianist!

Ian Shaw‘s basic instrument is excellent. It is what he does with it that is so amazing. He has complete control of timbre, intonation, enunciation, dynamics, phrasing, and probably a bunch more components of voice that I don’t know about. More important is how he uses that control. He is an improvising singer, and his flights of improvisation make the words have more meaning.

Barry Green says he is working on “the right number of notes” (as Stan Tracey said), Without a pile of virtuosity, which I know he has, the phrasing and dynamics need to be perfect in the moment as he hears Ian sing, and they are. He gave us many thoughtful solos.

That’s right, Ian, don’t tell the sound guy about a special guest. Hannah Horton played sax on the seventh tune of the first set, and again in the second set, and her tenor sounded just fine unamplified.

Ian had constructed a delightfully varied and meaningful programme, and his presentation of the music was often great fun, and always interesting. I loved it when he sang so beautifully the rarely heard verse of Richard Rogers’ “With a Song in My Heart”. “September in the Rain” (Harry Warren composer, Al Dubin lyricist) gave us a chance to hear some wonderful extended scatting in this up tempo version of the song.

Barry’s accompaniment on Jimmy Webb’s “Wichita Lineman” was sparse, with lovely phrasing, each note placed just right. His solo on Jack Segal’s “I Keep Going Back to Joe’s”, one of my favourite songs, was wonderful.

Leonard Cohen started as a poet, and wrote some novels, so it is not a surprise that he was a consummate lyricist. “Dance Me to the End of Love” was extra special, in a very special evening. Ian gave the words such meaning, through the whole range of his voice. Barry’s accompaniment and solo were sublime.

Next week, 10 January, Babelfish returns, Brigitte Beraha vocals, Barry Green back again on piano, Chris Laurence bass, Paul Clarvis drums/percussion.
Ian Mann says of Brigitte, “One of the most adventurous young vocalists around, a musical explorer..”.

Take care,
Dave

Well, it is Christmas day, and I hope you are all having stunningly good holiday. This is the first time I have had time to write some notes out a truly wonderful gig, and I have lost my notes. The Kevin Flanagan Quartet had Kevin on tenor and soprano saxes, David Gordon on piano, Joel Humann on bass and a dep on drums, Oliver Reynolds.

About Olivier. One of the joys of rigging the club is watching the musicians rehearse. Oliver was completely new to the music. The the music was complex and nuanced. One of the songs was in 5/4, 4./4, and a bit in 3/4. Comes the show, and no-one would have known that Oliver was a dep. He gave a marvelous performance.

Kevin’s powerful playing had a very close connection with the audience, whether an up tempo monster of a song, or a ballad. David Gordon is a consummate player with a left hand as good as the right. His continuing classical work on harpsichord may have something to do with this. Joel is a superb accompanist and a fine soloist.

If there was one song that stuck in my memory, it would be McCoy Tyner”s “Search for Peace”. Lots of musicians love this song. The quartet on Friday played the best I have heard at the club. It was the intensity, the listening, the gentleness and the power, and the wonderful solos that starred this song in and evening of superb playing.

On Friday, and Octet for the holidays. Just look at this lineup!

Alan Barnes Saxes,
Robert Fowler Sax,
Karen Sharp Sax,
James Copus Trumpet,
Mark Nightingale Trombone,
Dave Newton Piano,
Simon Thorpe Bass,
Clark Tracey Drums

Do join us for a holiday spectacular.

Take care,
Dave

I just received the photos of the David Newton Trio gig, with Peter the photographer’s comments: “Brilliant gig on Friday night. ‘The One and Only’ it truly proved to be. Three Guys at the top of their game Dave/Simon/Winston (D.S.W trio)
From the very first note to the last, Superb !! Clean,clear and swing.”. No argument there, then. I love the piano trio form, and this one was world class.

Our world class trio was David Newton using the whole piano, star bassist Simon Thorpe and the amazing Winston Clifford on drums and vocals.

Dave Brubeck’s “In Your Own Sweet Way” opened the gig. If anyone felt like the piano trio form was boring they would have been put to shame by their interpretation, musicianship, tightness as a group and sheer exuberance. That was followed by Gene de Paul’s beautiful “I Remember April”, in which all three guys had exquisite solos.

Something about David and improvisation: you sometimes see a keyboardist drop his left had as the right works out an idea. I saw David develop a string of ideas with the left hand. His hands are truly equal partners, which is not that common. He also uses the soft pedal to modify the instrument’s tonality. There is only one other jazz musician that I remember doing that. This man’s range in speed, power, delicacy was amazing. We heard all of these in the Chopin Prelude in C minor,

Simon had lovely solos and intros throughout. I particularly remember his solo on “I Remember April”. His accompaniment was consistently brilliant. His grin at the work of the other two was infectious.

I was hoping that Winston would sing, and was not disappointed. In the first set, Guy Woods’ “My One and Only Love” showed us Winston’s deep tenor to counter-tenor range, beautiful phrasing and flow of ideas. In the second set, he had great fun with “Bye Bye Black Bird” (Ray Henderson). His scatting was delightful. Oh yes, he is also and mostly a world class drummer.

It was a gig I will long remember. But…

Next week, the 20th, Kevin Flanagan brings his excellent quartet, Kevin Flanagan Tenor sax, David Gordon Piano, Tom Hooper Drums, Joel Humann Bass. This is a Fleece Jazz favourite, do come.

I have written before about leaders who have a close connection to the audience. Sarah Jane Morris Is the best example of this art. Whether speaking about the music or the musicians, or singing in her inimitable style, she draws the audience to her, includes them in. This, plus world class musicianship from all four, made for a great gig.

Sarah Jane Morris was the arranger with Tony Remy on many of the songs, guitarist Tony Remy was superb, as was bassist Henry Thomas and drummer Martyn Barker. All three instrumentalists were backing singers as well.

The programme started with two songs from Sarah Jane’s repertoire. Most of the rest of the gig was dedicated to the songs of John Martyn. She ended with three more from her own repertoire.

It fascinated me that two of the songs were new to Henry and Martyn, but they picked up the key, the chords and the vibe after listening for a chorus. The listening was visible and palpable throughout.

Favourites? Maybe John Martyn’s “Solid Air”, which opened the second set. The encore was John Martyn’s “I Don’t Wanna Know About Evil”, in which Tony and Henry had superb solos, and we all joined in.

Most leaders introduce the band again at the end of the gig. Sarah Jane gave us fascinating stories about each of them. Her stories throughout the gig about John Martyn were very interesting. They added a lot to this wonderful gig.

Next week, Friday the 13, don’t be scared. You will be in the safe hands of one of the finest pianists about anywhere. The Dave Newton Trio includes Simon Thorpe on bass and Winston Clifford on drums.

Take care,
Dave

Tom Green’s septet gave us a wonderful gig, I don’t understand why people didn’t come in numbers. The band is young and not well known, and people are edgy about original music. Well, the musicianship was exemplary, the music was accessible, and the sound of the four horn chorus was thrilling.

We had Tom Green on trombone, James Davidson on trumpet and flugel, Tom Smith on alto and soprano saxes, Sam Miles on tenor sax, Sam James on piano, Matthew Read on bass and Dave Hamblett on drums.

What is not thrilling is loosing my notes again. I can tell you about the arrangements. Most of the tunes were written by Tom Green, and all of the arrangements and the programme order were by him. The programme order was a good mix of tempo, style and a few standards. I thought the arrangements were special.

Tom gave us the full force of the four hour chorus in unison, harmony, counterpoint and free. He arranged for just about every combination of duo. There were a lot of excellent mixtures of counterpoint and cross-rhythm. And there was room for blowing: everybody had great solo, and there were some stunning intros,

One other thing, Tom had a warm presence as leader talking to us. I hope to see this band back soon.

Next week is a special treet for Fleece Jazz, with Sarah Jane Morris and Tony Remy doing the music of John Martyn: Sweet Little Mysteries. Sarah Jane Morris vocals/arrangements, Tony Remy uitars/vocals/arrangements, Henry Thomas bass and Martyn Barker drums, Do not miss this force of nature and a stunning trio of instrumentalists.

Take care,
Dave

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