Thoughts on The John Etheridge/Theo Travis Quartet, 14 June 2023

 

When musicians are truly enjoying their work, the audience feels it, and listen carefully. Part of the joy is to see the musicians listening to each other. Add to that the magic of world class musicianship, with ideas and riff tumbling out of their axes.

In other words, it was a superb gig from all four: John Etheridge on guitars, Theo Travis on tenor sax and flute, organist Pete Whittaker and George Double on drums.

It was structured as a typical Etheridge gig, We had music from many people, including one each from John and Theo. There was lots of off the cuff comments from John, very funny. He was careful to announce the tunes. The first tune of the second set was a solo by John, also typical. They had an encore in their pockets, and it was needed.

The encore was “Summertime”, and they played that lovely Gershwin tune as if they had just read the lyrics again. It got me thinking: there is one word in that song which makes it sad and difficult. The word is “Until”: safe until the child rises up singing. John’s solo was “God Bless the Child”. Is he thinking about children? The solo was truly beautiful, without a lot of added tech.

Theo’s “Three People” was lovely: he has such a lyrical flow in his solos. I wonder who the three people were: I might have liked to know them.

The structure of the gig allowed everybody room to blow, and the blowing was magnificent. I can still hear Theo’s solo on “Off the Wagon”, Pete on “I’m Coming Home”, George on “Sweet Emma”. 

Do not miss the next gig,  ‘Bryan Corbett’s “Hi-Fly” Quintet’. This marvellous trumpeter was booked for a gig during the pandemic; a rebook was cancelled due to illness. So on 

June 28th, we will finally get to hear him. He has a way with tonality like no other trumpeter. 

Thanks to Steve Jordan for the set list.

Take care,

Dave

JOHN ETHERIDGE/THEO TRAVIS QUARTET  

SETLIST, FLEECE JAZZ 14/06/23

  1. Take a Walk (Michael Brecker)
  2. Georgia on my Mind (Hoagy Carmichael)
  3. Off the Wagon (Tubby Hayes)
  4. In A Sentimental Mood (Duke Ellington)
  5. Sweet Emma (Nat Adderley) as adapted by John Scofield
  6. Friday Night at the  Cadillac Club (Bob Berg).

*          *          *           *         *        *        *

  1. God Bless The Child – Etheridge solo (Billie Holiday/A Herzog Jr)
  2. Do Like Eddie (John Scofield)
  3. Three People (Theo Travis) 
  4. There Is No Greater Love (Isham Jones/Marty Symes)
  5. A Distant Voice (John Etheridge)
  6. I’m Coming Home, Baby (Mel Tormé)
  7. ENCORE: Summertime (George Gershwin)

Thoughts on The Philip Clouts Quartet – 12 May 2023

People seem to be afraid of original music. All but two of the tunes we heard on this lovely gig were written by Philip Clouts, our leader on piano. Philip writes beautiful, varied and accessible music that any jazz lover would enjoy. 

My favourite tune was Nyasa Lullaby. It was a beautiful slow lullaby based on a single tone row. The variations on the row seemed without end. I was sorry when the tune ended. 

But Philip is a very talented composer. I don’t know whether he has ever visited Cannery Row (we had our honeymoon there and thereabout). That was 60 years ago, but I think he caught it as we saw it back then. So he took us all around Africa, South America and the U.S. west  coast. It was a joyous ride.

The band is very happy with standards: both the Rogers and Hart and the Horace Silver were delightful.

I hope we have the band back. They deserve a much bigger audience. The comments afterwards were from very happy people. Steve Jordan’s setlist is below.

Next gig, 24 May, will celebrate the great British pianist and composer, George Shearing. Nick Tomalin’s quintet will do them honour. 

Take care, 

Dave

PHILIP CLOUTS QUARTET  

SETLIST, FLEECE JAZZ 10/5/23

All compositions by Philip Clouts except (3) and (9)

  1. Tilt – with influences from Latin America
  2. On West Hill – inspired by John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row about a small seaside community in the U.S.A.  West Hill is the area where Philip Clouts lives in Lyme Regis on the Dorset coast.
  3. Have You Met Miss Jones? (Rodgers & Hart) featured two wonderful solos by Tim Fairhall on double bass 
  4. Umoya – titled from the Zulu word for life-force.
  5. Nyasa Lullaby – inspired by musicians from Tanzania using notes from just one scale
  6. Marula – named after the fruit-bearingl tree with a dome-shaped canopy indigenous to the savanna woodlands of East Africa and Madagascar.

*          *          *           *         *        *        *

  1. Going to Congo Square
  2. Solitude – written during lockdown
  3. Song For My Father  (Horace Silver) 
  4. Scintillate
  5. As Evening Falls
  6. Rubik’s Rubric – inspired by West African music
  7. ENCORE: Beeram Blues

Thoughts on The Alex Clarke Quartet: 26 April 2023

I really enjoyed this gig. Alex Clarke is a superb performer with a range of warm timbres and with proper jazz in her soul. She is also clear on the talk mic about what she is playing, which I guess is a great help to Steve Jordan when he writes the set list (see below, and thank you). I am not surprised that she attracts a back line as celebrated as Clark Tracey on drums, Dave Green on bass and Rob Barron on piano.

The tone Alex produced on “Ballad for Very Sad and Very Tired Lotus Eaters” was really beautiful. It was a great performance. There is nowhere to hide when you are playing in duet mode. The synergism between Rob and Alex was lovely. Alex gave the trio lots of room to blow. I could see her enjoyment of their work, particularly when trading 4s with Clark. We are thankful too that she spoke to us about each song: not a lot, just enough.

Clark had one terrific solo in “Oleo” . There is a phrase about good drummers: “playing the room”. Clark’s understanding of the room acoustics and the volume of his colleagues is exemplary. He is such a class act.

Dave is one of those rare bassists that you can listen to their accompaniment with pleasure and interest. He seems to find fascinating things to say under other people’s solos, and his own solos are great.

We haven’t seen Rob for far to long, and people thought of him as new to us, which he is not. They commented on the delight they had listening to his solos and his work throughout this excellent gig,

Our next gig will be the Philip Clouts Quartet. The music will carry us to South Africa and beyond. One quote: “Precise ebullience and relaxed funkiness” – The Guardian

Take care

Dave

ALEX CLARKE QUARTET  

SETLIST, FLEECE JAZZ 26/4/23

  1. Sound for Sore Ears (Jimmy Heath)
  2. Where or When (Rodgers and Hart)
  3. Autumn Leaves (Joseph Kosma, Jacques Prévert, Johnny Mercer) arrangement by Alex Clarke inspired by Chet Baker’s
  4. Ballad for Very Sad and Very Tired Lotus Eaters (Billy Strayhorn) – a duet featuring Alex Clarke and Rob Barron
  5. Like Someone in Love (Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke)
  6. Oleo (Sonny Rollins)

*          *          *           *         *        *        *

  1. Who’s Smoking?! (Paquite d’Rivera) written for James Moody
  2. I’m Old Fashioned (Jerome Kern)
  3. Only A Year (Alex Clarke) 
  4. Brazilian Affair (Phil Woods)
  5. I’ve Never Been In Love Before (Frank Loesser) from the musical Guys and Dolls
  6. Just One of Those Things (Cole Porter)
  7. ENCORE: Shake It But Don’t Break It (Erroll Garner) 

Thoughts on Alan Barnes/Andy Panayi Sextet: the music of Cannonball Adderley and John Coltrane, 12 April 2023

Steve Jordan described this gig as stellar, and it was in many senses. First of all, the music which was originally performed by Cannonball Adderley and John Coltrane is amazing. The sextet is certainly starry: they were Andy Panayi (tenor and soprano), Alan Barnes (alto), Steve Fishwick (trumpet and flugel), John Donaldson (piano), Simon Thorpe (bass) and Peter Cater (drums). The arrangements were gorgeous, rich and exciting with beautiful harmonies (and dissonances) and great rhythms. The playing was terrific: the timing was spot on, and the solos just engulfed one. 

Andy and Alan commented on the music, but Andy was the conductor. It seems that nothing except the set list was decided in advance, and they had freedom to construct each song as they wished. This just added to the joy of the evening.

All of the musicians were jaw- droppingly awesome, the horn section especially so but the rhythm section was tremendous too. A special mention for Steve Fishwick for depping so faultlessly – a measure of his talent and professionalism and he appears so calm!

Favourites? Difficult: the first tune, “Miles” hit you in the face with the horn chorus. Maybe also “Dat Dere”. By that time in the second set everybody on stage was grinning at the quotes and riffs of their colleagues.

We are lucky to have Steve Jordan about. He supplies the set list below.

We complete our January/April programme with the stunning young saxophonist and flautist Alex Clarke. She brings with her the dream rhythm section: Rob Barron piano, Dave Green bass and Clark Tracey drums. We hope to see you on Wednesday 26 April.

Dave

ALAN BARNES/ANDY PANAYI SEXTET  

SETLIST, FLEECE JAZZ 12/4/23

  1. Miles (Davis) from the 1958 album Milestones
  2. Two Bass Hit (Lewis-Gillespie) also from the album Milestones
  3. Jeanine (Duke Pearson) from the 1960 album Them Dirty Blues by the Cannonball Adderley Quintet
  4. This Here (Bobby Timmons) from the 1959 album The Cannonball Adderley Quintet in San Francisco
  5. Wabash (Julian Adderley) from the 1959 album The Cannonball Adderley Quintet in Chicago
  6. Blue Train (John Coltrane) from the 1957 album Blue Train by John Coltrane
  7. Lazybird (John Coltrane) from the 1957 album Blue Train by John Coltrane

*          *          *           *         *        *        *

  1. Locomotion (John Coltrane) from the 1957 album Blue Train by John Coltrane
  2. Jive Samba (Nat Adderley) from the 1962 album Jazz Workshop Revisited by The Cannonball Adderley Sextet
  3. Dear John (Freddie Hubbard) from the 1991 album Bolivia was dedicated to John Coltrane and based on Coltrane’s Giant Steps
  4. Naima (John Coltrane) dedicated to Coltrane’s first wife
  5. Dat Dere (Bobby Timmons) from the 1960 album Them Dirt Blues by the Cannonball Adderley Quintet
  6. I’m Old Fashioned (Jerome Kern) from the 1957 album Blue Train by John Coltrane
  7. ENCORE: Del Sasser (Sam Jones) from the 1960 album Them Dirty Blues by the Cannonball Adderley Quintet

Thoughts on Oddgeir Berg Trio, 22 March 2023

Oddgeir Berg Trio, 22 March 2023

Superb gig, big audience, couldn’t be better.

Something about the instruments: first the piano. Oddgeir Berg brought some electronics driven from a small but very good mic clipped to a bar on the open front piano. This gave Oddgeir a variety of soundscapes driven by the piano. He used his hand on the strings at times to produce a percussive sound. Mind you, while playing without the electronics, his touch is such that the full range of dynamics from softly lyrical to loud percussive was there.

Audun Ramo’s bass also was driven through a stomp box set, but the changes to the sound of the bass were very subtle. It was lovely to hear such bowing with varying timbre. Audun also used the instrument as a drum with his hands and fingernails for one song. A bit of magic: the bass folded into a cello shaped case at less than airline maximum. 

Bands flying from Norway don’t bring a drum kit. Lars Berntsen used a very nice rented kit (thank you, Webby, who even brought 5 snare drums for Lars to choose from). Lars brought his own cymbals, of course.  No mics or electronics on the drums.

With one exception, the tunes were all written by Oddgeir. They varied through stormy, light happy and subtle, melancholy and happy swinging. The arrangements didn’t leave much room for applause after solos. Watching our audience from the sound desk, its listening was visibly intense. There was applause and hoots after each number, and some stood to applause after the last song. Can we have them back, please?

Steve Jordan builds annotated set lists from gigs, for which we are very grateful.

Tickets for Barnes/Panayi on April 12th are going nicely, so do book with David or WeGotTickets soon.

Take care

Dave

ODDGEIR BERG TRIO SETLIST, FLEECE JAZZ 22/3/23

  1. Here Comes The Toughest
  2. The Dream of Adam – a lullaby for one of Oddgeir’s three children.
  3. Dancing Through The Storm 
  4. Happy Morning
  5. Psalmist
  6. Sunday Mood

*          *          *           *         *        *        *

  1. List
  2. Scenes From A Movie
  3. Vagabond
  4. Oldies
  5. Bring On The Night
  6. Mermaid’s Dance
  7. Wonderwall*
  8. Post Mortem

All compositions and arrangements by Oddgeir Berg except * written by Noel Gallagher of the rock band, Oasis.

On Wednesday, 14 June, The John Etheridge Theo Travis Quartet – £23

John Etheridge Guitars

Theo Travis Sax

Pete Whittaker Organ

George Double Drums

A veritable jazz-prog super-group featuring electric guitar, sax and flute, organ and drums, the John Etheridge Theo Travis Quartet will bring us superbly talented musicians. For many years Etheridge and Travis have been the frontline of the legendary band Soft Machine, but each has played and recorded with an astonishing who’s who of international musical talent too numerous to mention but including Stephane Grappelli, Pat Metheny, Nigel Kennedy, John Williams, Dizzy Gillespie, Robert Fripp, David Gilmour, Gary Kemp, David Sylvian and Gong just for starters.

The rhythm section comprises one of the most go-to keyboard players in the British jazz and blues scene, Pete Whittaker and our great friend, drummer George Double. Expect a pulsating night of musical fireworks and dreamy ambient soundscapes.

On Wednesday 9 August, The Music of the Jazz Couriers, £20

Simon Spillett Tenor Saxophone

Pete Long Tenor Saxophone

Rob Barron Piano

Alec Dankworth Bass

Pete Cater Drums

The band harks back to the heady days of the quintet co-led by Ronnie Scott and the great Tubby Hayes. In the time honoured way you can expect plenty of up tempo tenor jousting, bell notes bouncing from wall to wall and cascades of bebop quavers coruscating the continuum! Award winning repertory bandleader Peter Long and custodian of the Hayes legacy Simon Spillett will go head to head over the old Couriers classics, with driving virtuosic rhythmic support from Rob BarronAlec Dankworth and Peter Cater.

 Expect such favourites as the original arrangements of Cheek To Cheek, Love Walked In and The Serpent, as well as some of Tubby’s later standards such as Suddenly Last Tuesday and Finky Minky, all linked together with stories and comments from the two front men.

On Wednesday 12 July 2023, Sarah Jane Morris “Something Old, Something New” – £22

Sarah Jane Morris Vocals

Marcus Bonfanti Guitars

Tony Rémy Guitars

Henry Thomas Bass

Sarah Jane Morris is a singer with an astonishing vocal range. Her thirty-year career, during which she has garnered a loyal and loving international audience, has been wide-ranging and her rich contralto voice goes from strength to strength. She has performed with many groups over the years, from rock to soul to African blues, with classical orchestras, a one-hundred cello ensemble, with acoustic guitars and jazz big bands. Her voice, her versatility, and her emotional intelligence – the absolute authenticity of feeling which she conveys – make her a world-class compelling performer. It is a joy to see her back at Fleece Jazz, and in such good company.

With comments from the Guardian like “The next British Guitar hero”, we can expect a superb performance from Marcus Bonfanti. The Times chimed in with “Utterly Spellbinding”. Marcus is a blues singer, composer and guitarist. It will be a pleasure to welcome him to Fleece Jazz

Tony Rémy is one of the world’s most exciting guitar players of any genre. His hard-edged rhythmically driven approach is enriched with jazz intuition and bluesy soul. His ability to adapt to any style of music sets him apart from many other guitarists and is the principle reason why Tony’s name is consistently near the top of the ‘must have’ list. Just ask Annie Lennox, Jack Bruce, Pee Wee Ellis, Mick Hucknall, Glenn Hughes, Craig David, etc. why they called him and the answer will always be the same – “Tony Rémy delivers!” 

I love the work of the mighty Henry Thomas. Whether his is backing an international artist, in the pit in the west end, or specially, playing for us at Fleece Jazz, he is a stunningly fine multi-instrument bassist. He has gigged and recorded on countless hit records, TV and film soundtracks. He is also famous for his role as a co-founder of the BBC TV series Rockschool. He has the rare expertise of being able to sightread and improvise at an extremely high level. 

Thoughts on Simon Thorpe’s Jivin’ Miss Daisy, 8 March 2023

Simon Thorpe's Jivin' Miss Daisy

This gig’s review is from Robert Carr of the Hadleigh Nub News. All of the pictures from the gig are on our gallery page

Take care,

Dave

A fun night with Jivin’ Miss Daisy at Fleece Jazz

By Robert Carr

With blizzard conditions making travelling difficult on a bitterly cold Suffolk night, the entertainment supplied by Fleece Jazz at the welcoming Stoke by Nayland Hotel Resort provided just the tonic (gin optional) to warm the audience members.

From the off, Simon Thorpe’s Jivin’ Miss Daisy band set the swinging tone of the Fleece show with a bold and brassy performance of Count Basie’s Peter Pan, the first of many tunes from his orchestra’s vast repertoire.

Simon is the band leader and bassist of the nine-piece combo whose line-up for the show was: Mark Crooks (alto saxophone & clarinet), Liz Fletcher (vocals), Alex Garnett (tenor saxophone & vocals), Colin Oxley (guitar), John Pearce (piano), Matt Skelton (drums), Malcolm Earl Smith (trombone & vocals) and Enrico Tomasso (trumpet). 

An up-tempo arrangement of Royal Garden Blues followed. Over 100 years old, because it is based on the earliest of riffs, the blues number is considered to be one of the most important compositions in jazz history. It also allowed band members to introduce themselves on their instruments.

Vivacious vocalist Liz introduced herself to the audience with several songs from the Great American Songbook. These included Harold Arlen’s Get Happy, which Simon told us is his band’s signature tune. Liz has a lovely personality and a sweet-sounding voice in keeping with the dance and swing band style of the era when each had its own singer.

A particular delight was Liz, Simon and Enrico’s vocal harmonization on Cole Porter’s You Do Something To Me, augmented by Mark’s super sax solo. Also, a lovely surprise was the arrangement of Stairway To The Stars where Liz was sensitively accompanied by Colin on guitar, together with the piano, bass and drums of the rhythm section.

Such was the feast of wonderful 1920s, 30s and 40s standards offered from the pens of Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, The Gershwins, Rodgers & Hart, et al, I would have liked to have listed all of them, but there has to be a limit. 

Similarly, from such a talented line-up it is difficult to feature all the musicians. However, Ellington’s calypso Limbo Jazz so elicited dazzling virtuoso trumpet playing from Enrico that it was a stand-out performance. As a youngster, hearing a Louis Armstrong record inspired Enrico to learn to play his chosen instrument. This led him to a successful career in which he has won so many British jazz awards.

Named after the heart-warming movie Driving Miss Daisy, Jivin’ Miss Daisy was formed in 1999 and has been swinging ever since.  Simon told me that he had been “really looking forward to the return to Fleece Jazz, one of the best clubs in the South-East, with its long stellar jazz history and loyal supporters.”

Not every jazz gig is as lively as this was. So, with so much dance music on offer for the fun night out, it surprised me that nobody strutted their stuff on the dance floor – not that anybody on my table chanced it. Next time, perhaps.

Resident at Stoke by Nayland Hotel Resort, the club has been presenting jazz for the best part of 30 years, garnering renown for the quality of their shows and friendly atmosphere. It was my first time at the club, and I can see the reason for its reputation – I hope to revisit it soon.

Advance information about Fleece Jazz shows can be obtained by asking to be added to the club’s mailing list. Log on to www.fleecejazz.org.uk then click ’email list’ to subscribe.

Next up on Wednesday 22 March is the Oddgeir Berg Trio. Tickets are available from www.wegottickets.com/fleecejazz or by telephoning the booking office at 01787 210796.

JIVIN’  MISS DAISY SETLIST, FLEECE JAZZ 08/3/23

  1. Peter Pan (Count Basie) from 1954
  2. Royal Garden Blues (Clarence & Spencer Williams) 1919
  3. I’ve Got the World on a String (Harold Arlen/Ted Koehler) 1932
  4. Get Happy (Harold Arlen/Ted Koehler) 1930
  5. So in Love (Cole Porter) 1948
  6. Lullaby in Rhythm (Clarence Profit/Benny Goodman/Edgar Sampson/Walter Hirsch) 1938 
  7. Flaming Reeds and Screaming Brass (Jimmie Lunceford)
  8. Limbo Jazz (Duke Ellington) 1962
  9. Meet Me Where They Play The Blues (Steve Allen/Sammy Gallop)
  10. 10.You Do Something To Me (Cole Porter) 1929
  11. 11.Stairway to the Stars (Malneck/Signorelli/Parish) 
  12. 12.Shiny Stockings (Frank Foster/Ella Fitzgerald) 1963

*          *      ç    *           *         *        *        *

  1. 13.Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (Barris/Koehler/Moll)      1931
  2. 14.Come Rain or Come Shine (Arlen/Mercer) 1946
  3.         I Got Rhythm (George and Ira Gershwin) 1930
  4. Manhattan (Rodgers and Hart) 1925
  5. In Case You Didn’t Know (Count Basie)
  6. Lowdown (Thad Jones/Mel Lewis)
  7. Oclupaca (Duke Ellington) 1968
  8. Tootsie (Count Basie) 1950
  9. Daisie’s Cakewalk (Simon Thorpe)
  10. On The Sunny Side of the Street (Jimmy McHugh/Dorothy Fields) 1930
  11. Born To Be Blue (Mel Tormé/Robert Wells) 1946
  12. From This Moment On (Cole Porter) 1950 

On Wednesday 10 May, The Philip Clouts Quartet – £17

Philip Clouts Piano

Samuel Eagles Sax

Tim Fairhall Bass

Marek Dorcik Drums

Among the quotes about this band:

“The best of British jazz” – Chris Phillips Jazz FM

“Precise ebullience and relaxed funkiness” – The Guardian

“A revelatory experience– UkVibe

The dancing exuberance of South African Township music, the convivial groove of gospel-influenced soul jazz, the joyful sway of Cuban guaguanco rhythms, the bluesy melodies of middle eastern praise songs and so much more all come together in pianist Philip Clouts’ superbly accomplished quartet.

Clouts was born in Cape Town and the music of his homeland has stayed with him as he has continued on a voyage of discovery that has led him across all five continents, soaking up Caribbean calypso and the soulful strains of the Indian subcontinent while honouring and learning from jazz heroes including Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, and Charles Lloyd.