A band primarily playing bebop, without a drummer, is not to everybody’s taste. It is to mine. You get the combined sound and great clarity from each instrument. This band’s musicianship and joy in playing together  were exceptional. Power of Three indeed.

Tommaso Starace is a great presenter: lovely stories,  good (and very bad) jokes, and most important, he was clear about song titles and composers. As to the latter, Steve did have a query or two about attribution. But the thing is his playing. His mastery of the instrument is amazing, with a big dynamic range, ideas piling on one another, accurate slurs (if that is not an odd combination) even in the altissimo. He radiates the joy of playing. Interestingly, when others are soloing he leaves the stage, giving them all the space in both the sonic and spatial senses. You can still see him loving what his friends are doing on-stage.

Jim Watson is special. He is in a class with very few members: those whose left hand is as strong and inventive as his/her right. I could not pick out an individual solo to talk about. They were all superb. Fleece Jazz has a listening audience, but shouts and whistles were heard after several of his solos. He doesn’t go onto automatic when accompanying, either. Like all three of the musicians, his listening skills are A+.

Australian Luke Fowler is new to Fleece Jazz, but I hope we will see him many times in the future. Of course, without a drummer, his pulse had to be strong and accurate. Luke is a brilliant soloist. Although he is perfectly competent in the highest register of the bass, he doesn’t rely on that register for solos. 

Thanks to a lovely band for a great evening. Steve agrees, and brings a set list for you to see.

The next gig will have you dancing in your seats or on a dance floor. The wonderful nonet, “Jivin’ Miss Daisy”, will be returning to us. See the poster at https://fleecejazz.org.uk/Daisy.pdf.

Take care,

Dave

TOMMASO STARACE SETLIST, FLEECE JAZZ 22/2/23

1. Kansas City Blues (Charlie Parker)
2. This Here (Bobby Timmons) as performed by The Cannonball Adderley Quintet
3. Del Sasser (Sam Jones) as performed by The Cannonball Adderley Quintet
4. Kiki (Charlie Parker) Did Tommaso mean Ko-Ko?
5. Autumn in New York (Vernon Duke)
6. Caravan (Duke Ellington)

*          *          *           *         *        *        *

7. If I Should Lose You (Ralph Rainger/Leo Robin)
8. Passport (Charlie Parker)
9. Speak Low (Kurt Weill/Ogden Nash)
10. Segment (Charlie Parker)
11. Work Song (Nat Adderley)
12. ENCORE: Voyage (Kenny Barron)*

* Voyage was performed by Stan Getz, accompanied by pianist Kenny Barron. Barron performed with Getz for the last five years of the saxophonist’s career.

Last night we had two deps at this gig due to illness in the band , but they were amazing. We wish Neville Malcolm and Robin Aspland quick recoveries.  Jerry Logan was the bassist: he was the pulse of the band, inventive and accurate. Carl Hudson played piano and keyboard with intensity and joy.

This was a band with power and love throughout the evening. We loved Dave Lewis’s raw, yet lyrical sound on tenor sax. Rod Youngs is a brilliant and very powerful drummer.

There are some jazz singers with “little girl” voices, and those singing from the throat, not the belly. Lizzie Deane must have the diaphragm of an opera singer. She has a huge dynamic range, and a timbre range from sweet to howl and everything in between. She moves from up front vocalist to band member with ease.

Whether in up tempo happy, slow intense ballad or a shouting cry of pain, the band clearly had a love of the material. They also had a joy in listening to each other. Yes, it was a lovely gig.

I have to say that the techy didn’t have a great night, what with lighting troubles, and reverberant mics. I wonder who that could be. Oh yes: me.

On Wednesday 22 February, the very welcome return of saxophonist Tommaso Starace, with his “Power of Three”. He will be with Jim Watson on piano and Luke Fowler on bass. It will be a varied and delicious evening, do come.

Thanks again to Steve for providing the set list.

Take care,

Dave

DAVE LEWIS’ 1UP BAND SETLIST, FLEECE JAZZ 8/2/23

Turn It Round

Casablanca

Deep Underground

Hurt Inside

Rain on Venus

Sun Was In My Eyes

I Don’t Need No Doctor

Ain’t It True

*          *          *           *         *        *        *

A Real Mother For Ya (Johnny “Guitar” Watson)

Take A Little Time

Bright Lights

Either ‘Love Gives More Than A Taste’ or ‘Got To Hold On To That Feeling’ *

Good Man

Great Big Hole In My Heart*

Blue Horizon

Sweetest Thing

ENCORE: What Do People Say?*

* Dave Lewis announced most numbers but by the second set he would occasionally just say two words to the band about the next number without telling the audience what they were about to hear or what they had heard.  Those titles with an asterisk are my guesses based on lyrical refrains within the song.

Peter Fairman said “John was Burning!”. Steve and Dave were away. Miles Dagnall wrote the following review of this gig.

If a rock band only needs three chords and the truth, what happens to the man who knows three thousand? Can he still maintain the authentic feeling expressed in the blues and marry it with the technique necessary for accomplished jazz playing ? This is John Etheridge so the answer is of course, ‘yes’. Ably supported by this edition of his Blue Spirits with Pete Whittaker on keys and George Double on Drums, the trio delivered a set full of passion and inventiveness.

Starting with ‘Love, Lovely Love’ and an intense version of Ray Charles ‘You Don’t Know’, and a ‘Secret Love’ full of a skipping rhythm, highlights of the first set included John’s own Broken Hill – familiar to fans of Soft Machine – full of sweet and sour moments on both organ and guitar and an almost tangibly crunchy and riff-filled version of John Schofield’s’ Do Like Eddie’.

The music was interleaved throughout with heartfelt tributes to jeff Beck, who John had played with (naturally) dropping into snatches of Nessun Dorma and a moving version of Jeff’s favourite Stevie Wonder tune, ‘Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers’. The range of John’s repertoire, included a delicate solo rendition of Rabbie Burns’, ‘My Love is Like Red Red Rose’ which morphed into Billie Holiday’s ‘Bless the Child’, and an inventive trio take on Hank William’s Cold Cold Heart, honouring the tune, while re-writing it with inventive sleight of hand – Pete’s funky chords and George’s precise drumming adding unexpected flavours . The gig ended with a passionate version of Hendrix’ Little Wing; George and Pete adding their own ideas to John’s blues- soaked playing. ‘Summertime’, as an encore, left the full house looking forward to warmer times, and glad they had braved a miserable January night to witness a master at work. 

Miles Dagnall

Now this was special. Wonderful material written by Alan Barnes, and edited by Mark Nightingale, eight of the best players about having a great time, Alan’s telling of the story of the book, and a very happy audience.

It has been many years since I had read Dickens’ “David Copperfield”, but Alan did a lovely job in giving us synopses for each of the songs. Every song, at least for me, evoked my memories of the book. He had a script to work from, but he was very aware of the audience so that he could ad lib when he wanted to, Early in the first set, he admonished me for “playing with my knobs” (remember, I was the sound guy), He got the audience to holler out the names of characters he described. Alan had a great ear for spontaneous comedy.

For a set list, I refer you to the beautifully designed CD, which contains some of the scripted material at our live gig, as well as the music.  Information can be found at https://www.alanbarnesjazz.com/david-copperfield. You can buy the CD at https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=copperfield+alan+barnes&crid=22RMY9WT08Q1K&sprefix=copperfield+alan+barnes%2Caps%2C116&ref=nb_sb_noss

About the  music: I don’t think it was easy to play. It had lots of notes in places, and very careful spare areas; I am thinking of David Newton’s piano solo in the 3/4 “Mr Micawber”. Clark Tracey’s careful, evocative drum intro to “Uriah Heap” before Alan Barne’s only use of the bass clarinet with sonority and shivery runs, which evoked “Uriah” beautifully, Alan had great solos on alto sax and clarinet during the rest of the gig.

In “Barkis is Willing”, there was a sweet entry from the horn chorus, followed by one of Simon Thorpe’s bass solos. You can hear why Simon is such a ‘go to’ player. “Creakle and Tungay” has Bruce Adams displaying his power on trumpet, followed by Karen Sharp’s lyricism on the baritone sax. I could listen to  Robert Fowler’s work on tenor sax or clarinet all day.

Mark Nightingale is a trombonist of international note, a composer and an editor, and his playing on the gig ranged from the powerful and dramatic to the sweet. His solo in “Steerforth” was my favourite of his work on the gig.

Usually I listens for the solos, using the head as a platform for the solo work. Indeed, the solos were worth the price of admission, but I found the written work captivating. Alan interspersed beautiful harmonies with contrapuntal sequences in just about all combinations of horns. I will be listening to it again and again.

Just for fun, my naughty nephew took a very short video of Alan having fun: 

The next gig is another Tuesday, the 10th of January in the New Year. The young musicians in  The Magpie Trio are a fascinating listen. Do join us.

Have a happy and healthy New Year,

Dave 

We had a great evening of proper bebop on Wednesday. The numbers are interesting. Three of the musicians were greats that we have not seen in far too long: trumpet and flugeler Steve Waterman, pianist Leon Greening and bassist Jeremy Brown. Jeremy was A12ed and M25ved, so we started a bit late.

It was a delight to welcome Glen Manby to the club. Glen is an altoist, composer, arranger, teacher. Drummer Joe Dessaeuer was new to everybody. But Joe fit right in, played with excellence and accuracy in the first set. In the second set, he really loosened up, grinning like a Cheshire cat at the music coming from his colleagues.

The two ballads showed the tenderness and style of the two horn players. “I Remember Clifford” with the quartet, Steve on Flugelhorn, and “When Sonny Gets Blue”, again a quartet with Glen’s alto, were very beautiful.

But the quintet was a delight all night. They exploited the special sound of alto and trumpet, whether in unison or harmony or contrapuntal. They hit us with that sound from the beginning (“Del Sasser”) to the end (Glen’s “Boss Bop Bossa”). They played a large range of styles.

Glen’s Homecoming band kept us happy, and the audience left very happy. That was the last interesting number: too few people in the audience. Maybe the cold snap and football are to be avoided as a combination.

The next gig, note Tuesday, 27 December is Alan Barnes’ Octet celebrating Dickens’ “Copperfield”. The music is stunning. The band is amazing. Don’t miss it.

Take care, and a very happy holiday to  you from the Fleece Jazz gang.

Dave

GLEN MANBY’S HOMECOMING SETLIST, FLEECE JAZZ 14/12/22

1. Del Sasser (Sam Jones) – first released by the Cannonball Quintet in 1960
2. The Road to Sodor (Glen Manby)
3. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most (Wolf/Landesman)
4. I Remember Clifford (Benny Golson), written in memory of Clifford Brown, a beautiful ballad featuring Steve Waterman on Flugelhorn
5. Yes or No (Wayne Shorter)
6. Us (Una Mas) (Kenny Dorham)
7. Coventry Carol (arranged by Glen Manby)

*          *          *           *         *        *        *

8. Skippy (Glen Manby) 
9. Mayfly (Glen Manby)
10. Homecoming (Glen Manby) 
11. When Sunny Gets Blue (Fisher/Segal
12. Heimweh (Glen Manby)
13. Boss Bop Bossa (Glen Manby)

If you are looking for joyous music, look no farther than Derek Nash and his Acoustic Quartet. Multi-(and mighty-)saxophonist Derek has been travelling with pianist David Newton, bassist Geoff Gascoyne and drummer Sebastiaan de Krom for some years. They played  at  Fleece Jazz in  2014.

It would have  been apparent to anyone in  he audience that had not known the group, that the group were very top drawer musicians who knew each other very well. So every cue was spot on, obligatos in the mind of the soloist, all that professional stuff. But it was also as if it was new to them, fresh and so much fun. This really is one of our favourite bands.

A lovely example of the freshness: In 2014 they played a song called “Voodoo Rex”, (Derek and his father wrote this one) which I knew a note at a time as we recorded it and made a video.  They played it again at this gig. it had the same vibe, backbeat, tempo, tune. It was if they had never played it before. Joyous music indeed.

See you at the Manby gig on Wednesday. It will be a cracker.

Dave

Take care,

From Steve, the set list, beautifully annotated.

DEREK NASH ACOUSTIC QUARTET SETLIST, FLEECE JAZZ 7/12/22

1. My Romance (Rodgers, Hart & Lorenz) played in two keys like the version by Wes Montgomery
2. Blue House Samba (D. Nash) – the blue house in question was the house of the artist Frida Kahlo.  A spritely soprano-led piece full of twists and turns. Standout solos from Geoff Gascoyne whose nimble dexterity on bass is featured and an outstanding solo from Sebastiaan De Krom building from the initial samba rhythm.
3. My, But You Make That Dress Look Lovely (D. Nash) – the lyrical inspiration for this composition was based on a chat-up line of Duke Ellington.  It featured Derek on baritone sax in an Ellingtonian setting.
4. Voodoo Rex (D. Nash) – a rather good audio-visual recording of this number was made by Gerry England and Dave Lyons the last time the quartet performed at Fleece Jazz.  It has since been used on the Derek Nash website and can be found on youtube.
5. October (D. Nash) – features Derek on tenor sax with Dave Newton’s endless poise on piano
6. You’ve Got To Dig It To Dig It, You Dig? (D. Nash) based on an idiosyncratic piece of advice from the legendary Thelonious Monk

*          *          *           *         *        *        *

7. Hallelujah Time (Oscar Peterson) – performed by the BBC Northern Dance Orchestra as a two-tenor chase. Derek’s dad was an arranger for the NDO and so Derek would have heard a lot of their music in his early years and into his teens.
8. All The Things You Are (J. Kern) – inspired by the interpretation by Gerry Mulligan on baritone sax and Paul Desmond on alto sax. Recordings exist which included both musicians guesting with the Dave Brubeck trio.  Here Derek takes the role of Mulligan on baritone and Dave plays Desmond’s part adapted for piano with flurries of Brubeck in there.
9. Waltz For My Father (P. Nash/D. Nash) – a joint father-son composition 
10. Lil’ darlin’ (Neal Hefti) – a jazz standard, composed and arranged for the Count Basie Orchestra.  This version was more uptempo and mixed in with “Cute”,  by the same composer and performers.
11. Moonlight in Vermont (K. Suessdorf/J. Blackburn) – an arrangement by David Newton with shades of Debussy and impressionistic lyricism. Truly beautiful and a standout of the gig which brought roars of approval at the end.
12. The G Mail Special (D. Nash) – Derek’s updated version of the jazz standard, “Air Mail Special, made famous by, amongst others, Benny Goodman and Ella Fitzgerald.

      Encore: Water Jug (Gene Ammons)

When Art Themen, Pete Whittaker and George Double roll into the club we are always due for a treat. Last night they caught fire and produced a wonderful evening.

I will get to the music in a moment, but it is important to note that presentation is an important part of entertainment. Art’s acerbic comments in his bass voice about his colleagues and other comments were very funny. Who thought of Pete as being a serious ecclesiastic? More importantly, he told us simply and accurately the names and (a few times with help), their composer. Thank you.

And one cannot forget George’s passionate peroration for purchasing CDs. 

There is something classic about the organ trio: in this case, organ, drums and Art’s tenor and soprano sax. Oh and claves, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claves. Which, of course annoys George, he is the percussionist, who feels that Art is sticking it to him. All good fun.

I loved every bit of this gig, but Ibraham’s “Water from an Ancient Well” will stand in my mind.

Steve has produced the annotated set list.

1. Hanky Panky (Dexter Gordon
2. Sweet Emma (Nat Adderley) 
3. Brahms . . . I Think (Zoot Sims) Zoot’s tune is actually based on Ständchen, a love song by Schubert embellised by Liszt; suggesting Zoot’s apparent uncertainty when naming the tune was the result of his being “Brahms and Liszt”.
4. Mad About The Boy (Noel Coward) is about the female adulation heaped upon the 1930s Hollywood matinée idol, Tyrone Power.  This version was influenced by Bobby Wellins who played it as a bossa nova.
5. The Cape Verde Blues (Horace Silver)
6. Bye, Bye Blackbird (Henderson/Dixon)
7. Lush Life (Billy Strayhorn)
8. Laying Eggs (Dick Crouch) gives full rein to George in funkster mode

*          *          *           *         *        *        *

9. Captain Bacardi (Antonio Carlos Jobim) 
10. Dizzy Moods (Charles Mingus) a tribute to Dizzy Gillespie, based on his composition “Wouldn’t You?”
11. Water From An Ancient Well (Abdullah Ibrahim)
12. I’m an Old Cowhand (Johnny Mercer) 
13. The Ruby and The Pearl (Nat King Cole)
14. Soppin’ The Biscuit (Roy Hargrove)
15. A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (Maschwitz & Sherwin)

16. Chilli Peppers (Duke Pearson)

     Encore: Tea For Two (Youmans & Caesar)

Pete Oxley’s Flight of Hand, 2nd November 2022– by Steve Jordan

It seems so long ago that Pete Oxley last brought his splendid collection of guitars to Fleece Jazz.  It was, in fact, March 2020 with the Oxley-Meier Guitar Project and then the week after that we went into lockdown and live jazz at the Fleece was off-limits for a whole 18 months.  It was so good to have him back this Wednesday with an amazing band of musicians.

The combination of guitar and piano can be too much like a sandwich with a filling of breadcrumbs: two chordal instruments competing for clarity of sound; it should surely be either/or.  Then you hear the warm, mellifluous guitar sound of Pete Oxley and the majestic pianism of David Gordon complementing one another so well rather than creating an aural soup.  We were, indeed, blessed by the combined sound of both musicians plus two more in the guise of Oli Hayhurst on double bass and Tom Hooper on drums, of which more later.

Pete’s guitar sound is very reminiscent of the world-famous jazz guitarist, Pat Metheny, so it was fitting to open with It’s Just Talk from 1987.  That euphoric sense of harmony and lyricism from Pete’s guitar and the dazzling technical skill of David Gordon on piano washed over the audience and instantly created a warm atmosphere.  After introductions and pleasantries from the ever-personable Pete, adorned in floral jacket and shirt, we are into his very own The Gift, a classic Oxley composition from the Oxley-Meier Guitar Project.  This introspective and thoughtful number is enhanced by the shuffle of the rhythm section, with David Gordon adding a plaintive backing on melodica.  Gordon’s English Isobars is an enchanting, though somewhat dark ballad, with Tom Hooper’s delicacy of playing complementing Pete’s guitar and Oli Hayhurst’s strong, nimble fingers busily working their magic over the fret of the double bass.  Tom Hooper was “depping” for Paul Cavaciuti, who is currently laid low with bronchitis; Tom stepped in at the last minute, although it certainly didn’t show in the versatility and inventiveness of his performance.  He was restrained and respectful when it was needed, but his exuberance and technical skill were a wonder on many a number throughout both sets.  We’d like Tom back soon and wish Paul well.  Before the next number, Pete quizzed the audience on their knowledge of the German ECM label, famed for its high production values which create a spacious and crystal-clear sound. No one could identify the guitar and piano-playing composer of the next number, although I suspect many of us will be seeking out the textured jazz recordings of Ralph Towner and his group, Oregon.  Pete’s Mercurial Views, written for the next Oxley-Meier album was inspired by the shimmering surface of a lake in the absence of tempestuous weather on the coast of Lyme Regis.  Once again, David Gordon adds the wistful accordion-like sound of the melodica to the beautiful, free-flowing melodicism of his pianism and the lyricism of Pete’s guitar.  The first set concludes with the wild post-bop jig, The Alchemist and The Cat Flap, showcasing the technical skills of each member of the band as they anticipate one another’s moves.

The second set opens with Greenland, which builds in tempo and once again gives the pianist an opportunity to demonstrate his chops, a real display of pyrotechnics that has him eventually standing to play the keys.  The tempo comes right down for the beautiful jazz standard and ballad, Estate, (pronounced E – Star – Tay, the Italian for Summer) made famous in the Bossa Nova version recorded by Joao Gilberto but here interpreted through Pete’s delicate guitar-playing.  The gasps and hoots of appreciation from the audience say it all.  From Italy, we move to Brazil and that other multi-instrumentalist, Egberto Gismonti, with Loro.  The rhythm from Tom on percussion and Oli on bass takes us to South America, a welcome relief from a blustery, rainy night in November and Tom Hooper’s face is full of joy as he is transported by the music.  It seems logical to continue with a Spanish-flavoured tune, Armando’s Rumba by Chick Corea. The choice of music and the energy and technical skills of the rhythm section support Pete’s signature sound in melding harmony with influences from the Americas and Europe.  There is no doubt that this band is a partnership and David Gordon’s September Song reminds us of the wealth of talent that is present before us.  We come to the (officially) last number, The Surging Waves, another new Oxley composition inspired by his imagination of the weather conditions he had hoped for in Lyme Regis.  Think of the scene from The French Lieutenant’s Woman where Sarah Woodruff stands on the Cobb, looking out to sea, as the waves surge and crash against the harbour.  Now translate that into jazz and you have some idea of what we heard.

The band were very generous and did not protest when the audience called for an encore, despite the lateness of the hour and the foul weather outside.  They played a very old (did Pete say 14^th century?) tune from Mexico called Cortegaca (I think) which had the tempo of a Bossa Nova.  

We genuinely felt privileged to have these four hugely talented musicians play at our club with such passion and delicacy and send us home feeling so much happier.

SETLIST 

1. It’s Just Talk (Pat Metheny) from the album Still Life (Talking).

2. The Gift  (Pete Oxley) from the Oxley-Meier album The Alluring Ascent.

3. English Isobars (David Gordon) from the David Gordon Trio album, Angel Feet.

4. Aeolus (Ralph Towner)

5. Mercurial Views (Pete Oxley) yet to be released.

6. The Alchemist and The Cat Flap (David Gordon) from the David Gordon Trio album, Angel Feet.

*          *          *           *         *        *        *

7. Greenland (David Gordon) from the David Gordon Trio album, Second Language.   

8. Estate (Bruno Martino)

9. Loro (Egberto Gismonti)

10. Armando’s Rumba (Chick Corea) from his album, My Spanish Heart.

11. September Moon (David Gordon) from the David Gordon Trio album, Second Language.   

12. The Surging Waves (Pete Oxley) not yet released.

     ENCORE: Cortegaca (Trad.)