Steve said:

In many ways, we always know what to expect when Simon Spillett comes to Fleece Jazz.  And yet, on Wednesday evening last as before, we were still bowled over by the sheer, unrelenting energy and technical brilliance of his uncompromising, high-octane style on tenor saxophone. He is well-known as the biographer and keeper of the flame of the great tenorist, Tubby Hayes, who died at the absurdly early age of 38, just over fifty years ago.  His close attention to the Hayes legacy has influenced his own playing stance, so much so that he seems to be the living embodiment of The Little Giant as a tenorist. The dapper suit and thin tie, as worn by the Modernists of the late ‘50s and early ‘60s, adds to the authenticity and it is said that Spillett demands that at all gigs his bandmates join him in being appropriately ‘suited and booted’.  Simon was a witty host with a dry, deadpan sense of humour throughout, and despite the highly charged, emotional style of music, he always showed a tight control over the performance while giving his outstanding rhythm section the freedom to stretch out and display their individual brilliance. Our pianist was Pete Whittaker, who left his Hammond Organ at home and reminded us what a stunning and versatile musician he truly is, with his bluesy swinging approach coupled with a beautiful lyricism on certain numbers; Alec Dankworth, a truly world-class double bass player who amazed us with his speed and dexterity and creativity which left many of us aghast each time he took a lead; the wizard that is Pete Cater showing us on many occasions why he is so much in-demand with his controlled pyrotechnics on drums.

The repertoire for the evening was two sets of numbers that were either written, arranged by or associated with Tubby Hayes. Two of the best-known tunes open proceedings, first with “Half a Sawbuck”, a dazzling hard-bop Hayes composition, with a bustling tenor solo from Spillett illustrating a larger-than-life style that is exuberant and exhilarating. “A Pint of Bitter” is a more relaxed affair, a funky down groove which features the rhythm section more explicitly: Whittaker drawing inspiration from the piano style of Horace Silver on this number, the lightning-fingered Dankworth on bass and Cater building the pace on drums while Spillett’s tenor is suitably more laid back and evenly paced. The tempo comes down even further on the beautifully melodic ballad “I Never Know When To Say When” with more opportunity for Spillett and Whittaker to bring a tenderness to their playing.  We return to the pen of Tubby with the colourfully named “The Sausage Scraper”, a strutting theme which features Spillett’s tenor sound growing in complexity and exuberance before closing the first set with the ultra-fast blues “Opus Ocean”.  This Clark Terry composition presents another opportunity for Spillett to showcase his driving tenor style with none of the others outdone as they increase the feeling of urgency already aroused by the definitive tenor solo. Specifically, Pete Cater features throughout the number and beguiles with his apparent coolness in appearance while tapping out rhythms of increasing speed and complexity on his drumkit. 

Trumpeter Ian Hamer’s “Mini Minor” opens the second set before we hear the soulful “Alone Together”. This lush ballad is delivered with sensitivity by each member of the quartet while conveying its inner tension and fire. Coltrane’s “Trane’s Blues”, also known as “Vierd Blues” when credited to Miles Davis was, in fact, a Coltrane composition originally titled “John Paul Jones”.  Its origin and credits are confusing, but it is yet another fine example of hard bop in the hands of this exciting quartet. An original bossa nova, ‘Ricardo’, dedicated to Hayes’ eldest son, Richard, brought the pace down before the final number, a blistering cover of “Don’t Fall Off The Bridge”, completed a truly outstanding evening of Modern Jazz.

Dave said:

Simon is intense and breathtakingly fast. I had forgotten how fine a pianist Pete is. Alec is the best. Peter is a consummate musician. There is an invisible fifth element to this great band. You can feel the way they listen to each other.

A young lad was sitting beside the sound desk who told me he played “guitar and a bit of bass”. He and his father were absorbed in the music. But when Alec had his first solo, the lad’s jaw hit the floor.

We need to apologize for the stage lighting, which is not very good because of the architectural changes made to our rooms. We are working to correct it, but it may take some time.

Take care,

Dave

THE SIMON SPILLETT QUARTET SETLIST, FLEECE JAZZ 13/11/24

1. Half a Sawbuck (Tubby Hayes)
2. A Pint of Bitter (Clark Terry)
3. I Never Know When To Say When (Leroy Anderson)
4. The Sausage Scraper (Tubby Hayes)
5. Opus Ocean (Clark Terry)/Theme

*          *          *           *         *        *        *

6. Mini Minor (Ian Hamer)
7. Alone Together (Arthur Schwarz/Howard Dietz)
8. Trane’s Blues (John Coltrane)
9. Ricardo (Tubby Hayes)
10. 10.Don’t Fall Off the Bridge (Tubby Hayes)/Theme

Steve said:

Bryan Corbett’s return to Fleece Jazz had been highly anticipated after he regrettably had to delay his booking scheduled for June for health reasons, which involved a period of extended convalescence.  More than anything, it was so good to see how well he seems to be recovering. 

As Bryan explained early on, he had originally been commissioned to present a concert with a Blue Note theme for a private event and this in turn led to wider public performances including tonight’s gig.  He is held in such high regard by our jazz club that it was decided, with his agreement, to record and video the evening’s performance, keeping our sound engineers, Dave and Gerry, even busier than usual for much of the evening. Some additional filming was also taking place thanks to Dougie.

Bryan has a long-standing association and partnership with alto saxophonist Chris Bowden, pianist Paul Deats who owns the Nottingham Jazz Club, Peggy’s Skylight, Tom Hill who continued to keep our audience entertained with witty asides and observations as well as with some animated turns on the double bass and Nick Millward who keeps everything anchored and very occasionally breaks out on drums with triumphant volatility.

After our announcer, Miles, introduced the band, we are straight into a number from Art Blakey’s last album from the pen of his trombonist, Curtis Fuller. “Sortie” begins with a rolling piano figure from Paul, which precedes the main theme played by the horns, before transitioning to a more syncopated Latin-style bridge section. Bryan breaks off for the first solo, underpinned by a pulsating shuffling groove from the rhythm section followed by Chris, then Paul comes alive on piano with a blend of dexterity and lyricism. The performance ends with a reprise of the opening, the horn lines punctuated by Nick’s drums.  After a few words from Bryan, we are back with Bobby Timmons’ “So Tired” bringing the volume down while maintaining the pace of the opener.  Deats’ piano features more prolifically giving him an opportunity to demonstrate his swinging bluesy style, while reflecting the soulful style of the composer.  Tom Hill takes up the theme on bass, working the whole instrument, from the very top to begin with, then steadily down, eliciting a deep woody sound that provides a contrast to the exuberant horns.

A break in tempo ensues with an original from Bryan, “Colour Vision” which is based on the Blue Note vibe, most notably Miles’ “Sketches of Spain”. Beginning with a beautifully melodic and delicate sound, the whole composition is lyrical and haunting, reminiscent of some of the best British Jazz from the ‘60s and ‘70s. On the quieter, slower numbers, it becomes clear just how well Bryan sculpts the sound with melodic grace like the very best jazz trumpeters.

It would be unheard of for a jazz trumpeter to pay homage to Blue Note without covering a number from Freddie Hubbard and it is “One of Another Kind” that brings the tempo back up to a more energetic level. Echoing the gleaming, mercurial style of the composer, both Bryan and Chris deliver fluid, exuberant runs mirroring the impressive cohesion of the rhythm section.

The first set concludes with Horace Silver’s minor hit “Senor Blues” which naturally provides Deats with an opportunity to stretch out and emulate the style of both Silver and also Duke Ellington on this exotically flavoured Latin gem. Bowden comes in on alto sax with an extraordinary solo before Hill moves his bass around to face the drummer and the two of them spar and goad each other to increasing heights of creativity.

The second set opens with Benny Golson’s “Grove’s Groove”, a laid-back swinger with a classic hard-bop sound, for which Bryan switches to flugelhorn, before introducing one of his own compositions from the album, “Green”, recorded with multi-instrumentalist Chris Dodds in 2013. “Happy” is given a fresh makeover here in a full band setting with its peppy rhythm and riffs, developing into a melodic, lyrical tune with an overall warm and uplifting mood.  A comic interlude is often welcome: Tom Hill, a warm, friendly character as well as a cracking double bassist, asks the audience to join in with a drawling “Yeeeaaaah” at key points during the band’s rendition of Donald Byrd’s “Slow Drag”. This loose-limbed blues features a bass solo from Hill to match the hazy, lazy mood of the whole composition which is peppered with bursts of trumpet. Excellent audience participation helped conjure up that after-hours feel in a smoky, downtown bar. Bryan’s composition “Something Cuteish” has yet to be recorded which is a great shame as it was a real crowd pleaser. A long, extended run from Chris on alto sax notably stood out with Nick getting his first opportunity to deliver an extended drum solo, making full use of his kit in a barnstorming performance. Once again, the tempo switches and it is to the lesser known “Alone, alone and alone” as recorded by The Blue Mitchell Quintet.  This beautiful, doleful tune gives each of the soloists plenty of opportunities to shine: Bryan features on flugelhorn once again, his delivery is elegant and soulful; Chris on alto sax producing that warm, smoky sound; the rhythm section restrained but nevertheless providing a reverent mood to the whole piece, drawing gasps of wonder and appreciation from our audience in the closing strains. All too soon we come to the last number with Lee Morgan’s “The Double-Up” which shares opportunities to feature as the lead, a fitting end to what felt like a very equitable showcase of each musician’s talents throughout both sets.

Finally, a word about our team of volunteers at Fleece Jazz.  I have mentioned four in this review, we have a few more, but without them these gigs wouldn’t happen. If you would like to help keep the flame of live jazz alive at Fleece Jazz, contact us via email etc etc.

Dave said:

This a gig where I didn’t want to be on the sound desk; I just wanted to sit and listen. The recorded sound sounds great, and the videos look at first glance to be fine. I have a huge amount of work to get it all together, but it will be worth it. This was my gig of the year.

You will see from Steve’s set list that there was no encore. Believe me, this was not because the audience did not want one or more. We knew that most of the band had a drive home to the midlands, and gigs tomorrow, so we sadly let them go.

But we should have a gig of the same top quality when Simon Spillett arrives in three weeks time. He has Pete Whittaker on piano (the real one), Alec Dankworth on a welcome return on bass and Pete Cater on drums. Expect passion, power and precision. See you then.

Take care,

Dave

THE BRYAN CORBETT QUARTET SETLIST, FLEECE JAZZ 23/10/24

1. Sortie (Curtis Fuller)
2. So Tired (Bobby Timmons)
3. Colour Vision (Bryan Corbett)
4. One of Another Kind (Freddie Hubbard)
5. Senor Blues (Horace Silver)

*          *          *           *         *        *        *

1. Grove’s Groove (Benny Golson)
2. Happy (Bryan Corbett)
3. Slow Drag (Donald Byrd)
4. Something Cuteish (Bryan Corbett)
5. 10.Alone, alone and alone (Teramasa Hino)
6. 11.The Double-Up (Lee Morgan)

Steve said:

It was a pleasure to welcome back vibraphonist Roger Beaujolais to Fleece Jazz after so long and especially with the three spectacular musicians that made up the quartet.

Roger was an entertaining and engaging compere throughout the performance over two sets.  He explained that the evening was a celebration of the great jazz vibes player, Milt “Bags” Jackson, who was best remembered as a member of the Modern Jazz Quartet (MJQ)  but also from his collaboration with bebop, hard bop and post-bop players. This year is also the 100^th anniversary of the invention of the vibraphone and we were given an overview of the instrument, its history and its working, which went some way to enhance our appreciation of what we heard.  This was no dry lecture thanks to Roger’s entertaining and often amusing style of delivery.

The first set began with what is probably Milt Jackson’s most famous composition, Bags’ Groove, in which Beaujolais gave us a full flavour of that characteristic cool, swinging bluesy sound which was beautifully echoed in Mike Gorman’s elegant piano playing before Paul Jefferies took up the lead on the double bass with a supple and fluent solo followed by a brief riposte from Milo Fell on drums. Next up is the jaunty Moonray, composed by Artie Shaw, which Milt Jackson performed with his quartet.  Once again, the prevalence of the blues in Bags’ interpretation comes across clearly, with Beaujolais exultant on the mallets and Gorman buoyed up on the groove.  MJQ founder, director and pianist, John Lewis’ Django starts with Beaujolais in solemn mood before Jefferies pushes it towards a more swinging sound.  Jerome Kern’s romantic ballad, Yesterdays, as interpreted by the MJQ is followed by the bossa nova sound of Bags’ Come to Me which lifts off superbly, with Gorman’s increasingly fervent piano playing standing out. The relaxed bossa rhythm is deftly created by Paul Jefferies, his gymnastic style producing a superb tone on double bass and Milo Fell complementing this on drums. The first set closes with another Bags composition, Heartstrings, where once again Gorman makes the running as he takes the opportunity to seize on the lyricism of the piece with an expansive piano solo as he matches Beaujolais for skill and imagination.

The second set featured four originals from the pen of Roger Beaujolais and it is to his credit that they matched the quality of Bags’ compositions in terms of lyricism and rhythm. Clearly it isn’t just Bags’ playing that has served as a genuine inspiration. The riff-based Blues for Bags emphasises this more than most with the rhythm section complementing the leader’s opening statement and once again Gorman delivers a wonderful solo. The up-tempo interpretation of Cole Porter’s I Love You is a highlight, not least because of the tumbling piano chords at various points from Gorman. There isn’t a single filler in either setlist and Beaujolais shows an ear for melody and lyricism in his composition with And When You Smile and in his dedication to Antonio Carlos Jobim with Joe Beam which featured Beaujolais and Gorman mirroring each other’s phrases with increasing pace and complexity. The last official number was a standout piece and performance – Chick Corea’s Sea Journey as interpreted by vibes prodigy Gary Burton.  Every single member of the quartet availed themselves splendidly and with obvious passion for the music, with subtle changes of rhythm and tempo keeping things interesting. 

THE ROGER BEAUJOLAIS QUARTET

SETLIST, FLEECE JAZZ 9/10/24

1. Bags Groove (Milt Jackson)
2. Moonray (Artie Shaw)
3. Django (John Lewis)
4. Yesterdays (Jerome Kern)
5. Come To Me (Milt Jackson)
6. Heartstrings (Milt Jackson)

*          *          *           *         *        *        *

7. Blues for Bags (Roger Beaujolais)
8. Full House (Wes Montgomery)
9. I Love You (Cole Porter)
10. And When You Smile (Roger Beaujolais)
11. Joe Beam (Roger Beaujolais) dedicated to Antonio Carlos Jobim
12. Sea Journey (Chick Corea) as played by the Gary Burton Quartet 
13. Encore: Admission Impossible (Roger Beaujolais)

Dave said:

Roger was back, wonderful 4 mallet playing (he explained the grip for four), great storytelling and fun to be with. Mike Gorman was back, inventive and flowing pianistic ideas in both hands. We had two new people who delighted us.

Paul Jeffries came to the old Fleece for his first jazz experience. It was a Stacey Kent gig. He had been playing electric bass in some pop groups. Jazz won him over completely. He bought a double bass. His playing was inventive with spot on intonation.

Milo Fell is a drummer who understands how to play a room. He has big ears: he hears his colleagues and complements them. He had lots of trading 4s and one extended solo. The former was interesting and often fun. The latter was intense, varied and fascinating.

If I had to pick a favourite thing from a great gig, it would be Roger and Mike trading 4s. It was a bit like an old fashioned cutting completion, great fun.

Bryan Corbett’s gig with us was delayed as he was unwell. Well, he is back gigging up a storm and will be with us on Wednesday, 23 October. Of all the wonderful trumpeters that have played in our club, Bryan is my favourite because of his power, flexibility of tone, and imagination. He will be giving us the Blue Note era. This one should be unmissable.

Take care,

Dave

Steve said:

From the very first notes of the gig last night at Fleece Jazz, I knew we were in for a treat as Chris Ingham and his quartet skilfully and passionately revealed the musical legacy of the legendary songwriter, pianist and singer (as well as actor and radio personality) that was Hoagy Carmichael.

For cynics and sceptics, of which I am one, our reservations evaporated when Chris wryly informed us that the promise of “Modern Jazz every fortnight” would be an empty one for this evening!

Despite this, what we had was a journey through a wealth of well-crafted, witty, charming and unashamedly romantic songs from a bygone era performed with love and feeling from a quartet of talented musicians.  Chris Ingham, pianist, raconteur and storyteller extraordinaire held the attention of the audience throughout the gig, relating the biographical details in an accessible and light-hearted manner while showing respect for his subject.

The gig opened with the first bars of the gorgeous “Stardust”, before segueing effortlessly into “Jubilee”, a joyous piece betraying Hoagy’s hot jazz roots most evident in Paul Higgs’ delivery on trumpet.  Jazz musicians apparently say of Hoagy that his songs are “so well sculpted, you don’t need to do anything with them”, but the quartet sure did make the whole experience heartwarming, amusing and uplifting. This is echoed in the steady, easy-going nature of the music and the musical delivery – the plaintive, often muted trumpet of Paul Higgs, the plangent, lower register of Simon Thorpe’s double bass and the talking drums of George Double.

 It would be careless and crass to overlook Chris Ingham’s delivery on piano as well as his role of presenter. His style on piano is sophisticated yet delightfully swinging.  He makes it seem effortless, but he worked so hard for the whole performance – singing, playing and talking. Chris’ singing is easy-on-the-ear and a close approximation of Carmichael’s own conversational style. 

There were so many highlights to pick from the 20 plus songs over the two sets. The second set opens with the full version of “Stardust”, its full, unabashed romanticism steeped in Higg’s keening trumpet followed by another gem in “Georgia on My Mind” with Chris’s expressive vocals leading into a calm and reflective solo from Simon Thorpe on double bass. George Double’s percussion on “Hong Kong Blues” was a wonder: he had unscrewed and laid a cymbal on top of a drumskin and by hitting and deadening the reverberations produced an authentic Chinese percussive effect which drew a roar of approval. “Small Fry”, a song for all parents concerned about their kids straying into delinquency, was delivered off mike with Ingham gently strumming an acoustic guitar, Higgs simply playing his trumpet mouthpiece and Double adding vocals to Ingham’s lead was a delight. Who knew that George could sing so beautifully? “Winter Moon” was as close to Modern Jazz as it got all evening, cast in minor-mode hues, with Paul Higgs switching to flugelhorn for this one occasion to produce a haunting tone, showing a darker, bleaker side to Carmichael’s songwriting.  “Billy-a Dick” was more uptempo with George Double on snare drum before the last number, the whimsical “My Resistance is Low”.

Dave said:

We knew this was going to be a gig in which the lyric was the thing. Chris gave us the opportunity to listen to an extended instrumental beginning, with “Stardust/Jubilee”. We were immediately in great hands, strings, sticks and horn as the band gave us a beautiful overture for a lovely evening.

And the lyric was indeed the thing. Chris had thought clearly about how to emphasise the words with his arrangements of the music. His knowledge of Carmichael was extensive and fascinating. Paul’s green trumpet and collection of mutes rang clear, played soft, sang high, depending on the number. George sang too (who knew?) in the lovely a capella “Small Fry”. He is a consummate drummer. Simon’s bass playing is both absolutely reliable and always interesting and new.

Our next gig brings back the wonderful Roger Beaujolais whose vibes (in both senses) will echo the great Milt Jackson. It was the Modern Jazz Quartet that brought me into jazz as a teenager. Do join us.

Take care,

Dave

THE CHRIS INGHAM QUARTET: HOAGY II

SETLIST, FLEECE JAZZ 25/9/24

1. Stardust/Jubilee (Carmichael, Parish / Carmichael, Adams)
2. (Up A) Lazy River (Carmichael, Arodin)
3. In The Cool, Cool, Cool of The Evening (Carmichael, Mercer) as sung by Bing Crosby and Jane Wyman in the film Here Comes The Groom
4. Lazybones (Carmichael, Mercer)
5. The Old Music Master (Carmichael, Mercer) described by Chris Ingham as the Jazz equivalent of Roll Over Beethoven, a belligerent riposte to the musical status quo 
6. I Walk with Music (Carmichael, Mercer)
7. Rockin’ Chair (Carmichael) immortalised by Louis Armstrong and a vocalist such as the trombonist, Jack Teagarden, in which Louis responds to the lines in his characteristic impish manner.
8. Ain’t There Anyone Here for Love (Carmichael/Adamson) sung by Jane Russell in the film Gentleman Prefer Blondes
9. Down, Boy (Carmichael/Adamson) sung by Marilyn Monroe in the film Gentleman Prefer Blondes

*          *          *           *         *        *        *

10. 10.Stardust (Carmichael, Parish)
11. 11.Georgia On My Mind (Carmichael, Gorrell)
12. Don’t Forget to Say No, Baby (Carmichael, Johnson, Victor)
13. Hong Kong Blues (Carmichael) featured in the film, To Have and Have Not.
14. Heart and Soul (Carmichael, Loesser) featuring a chord progression familiar to beginner piano students as a repeating I-vi-IV-V progression. 
15. Small Fry (Carmichael, Loesser) 
16. The Nearness of You (Carmichael, Washington)
17. The Monkey Song (Carmichael) featured in the film, The Las Vegas Story.
18. Winter Moon (Carmichael/Adamson) from the album Hoagy sings Carmichael, which features his last significant recordings.
19. Billy-a-Dick (Carmichael/Webster)
20. My Resistance Is Low (Carmichael/Adamson) featured in the film, The Las Vegas Story.
21. Encore: Ole Buttermilk Sky (Carmichael/Brooks)

Steve said:

We have had both lead musicians at Fleece Jazz in various guises over the past few years and it is always a pleasure to welcome them back.  Their warm, intimate delivery, both verbally and musically, with a clear sense of shapely melodic ideas in their interpretation and composition, was a real treat.

According to Vasilis Xenopoulos, he and Paul Edis began playing together 20 years ago, when they had both relocated to West London to study: Paul to hone his compositional skills and Vasilis to (partly) avoid compulsory military service in Greece!  Their latest recording features original music inspired by the many places they’ve called home over the years.

We started with one of the few non-original compositions of the evening, a jazz arrangement of the Dvorak piece “Going Home”, from the composer’s “New World Symphony”. Paul’s influence as a musician with a foot in both the jazz and classical camps is apparent, but it is Vasilis’ lead on tenor that most defines the piece as it brings an easy-going swing to the delivery which is reflected by each member of the rhythm section.

“The Coast” is inspired by Edis’ roots in the North-East of England and adopts a theme reminiscent of the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim, bringing the warmth and laid-back feel of Brazilian music to Tyneside. Vasilis, now on soprano, delivered a beautifully lucid exposition which Paul developed in his expressive lyricism on piano. The refrain was an earworm that reminded me of “Cry Me A River”.  We were fortunate to have an excellent bassist deputising for the gig in Simon Read. The fullness of his tone and his agility as a soloist across the whole range of the bass was a pleasure to watch as he took his cue from both lead musicians. The steady Latin shuffle of the number was ably delivered by Billy Pod on drums.

Sonny Rollins’ “Valse Hot”, gave Vasilis a chance to pay homage to one of his ‘straight-ahead jazz’ heroes, before we returned to another Paul Edis composition, “From Something to Somewhere”, a ballad that combined Vasilis’ gently brooding tenor sax sound with a more straight forward piano lyricism.  A beautifully flowing solo from Paul was followed by another wonderfully melodic bass solo from Simon, with Billy Pod using his brushes sympathetically.

Paul Edis was last at Fleece Jazz with the fine jazz singer, Jo Harrop, who collaborated with Paul on the award-winning album, “When Winter Turns to Spring”. The next number, “A Rainy Day in Manhattan”, was composed while they were both on tour promoting the album and is yet another fine example of Edis’ compositional skills and an ear for a lush melody.

The first Xenopoulos composition of the evening, “Get Off My Lawn” concluded the first set. Based on the chord changes of Cole Porter’s “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To”, it is a rousing and fiercely swinging piece that might even be described as a “burner”. Indeed, Vasilis burns through it on tenor sax, but this is sensitively softened by Edis’ sparkling piano playing and underpinned by Read on walking bass and Pod’s brisk drumming.

The second set opened with “Lockdown London” – a piece written when Paul came down to London to “make his jazz fortune” in March 2020. Vasilis’ keening sound on soprano sax reflected the other-worldly feeling of the deserted city streets in those days of the pandemic just a few years ago. “Memories of Home” was Vasilis’ second composition to feature and saw him resplendent on tenor sax, soloing expansively before Edis came in with another flowing piano solo. Read also featured with another fluent bass solo that again demonstrated his gift for melody. “Mikey’s Samba”, dedicated to Edis’s first car, a Nissan Micra, was yet another nod to Jobim. This lively, jaunty number featured Xenopoulos on flute, weaving around the infectious Latin rhythms from Edis, Read and Pod. The mood shifted once again with the ballad, “Coming Home to You”, the last Edis composition of the evening, written for his wife on returning late from a gig. Unashamedly romantic, this number was a firm hit with our audience, with comments like “oh, beautiful” rippling across the room.

The last listed number was an adaptation of Gershwin’s “I’ve Got Rhythm” (included for the lines “Old man trouble, I don’t mind him/ You’ll never find him ‘round my door”), a firm jazz standard that always lifts the mood and gave the band an opportunity to round off a thoroughly enjoyable evening. But not quite! Despite having some way to travel, we were treated to one final tune with Mel Tormé’s “Comin’ Home Baby” which sent us all (musicians and audience) home with a deep sense of satisfaction. Nay, elation!

Dave said:

It was wonderful to have the warm tone of Vasilis’ sax playing back at Fleece Jazz. He can make it cool or rough if he needs to, but the predominant timbre is warm silk. It was lovely to hear a flute again. It is an interesting instrument to mic: flutes have a quiet lower register, and the mic was also used as the band’s talk mic, which both Vasilis and Paul used.

And used very well, with good humour, telling stories connecting the songs to “Feels Like Home”. Sometimes the thread was pulled quite tight (as in “round my door” -> houses have doors -> Feels Like Home).

Paul has a proper left hand; he is a consummate pianist, so great to have him back. There were two people new to Fleece Jazz. The young bassist Simon Read was reading, as he was a dep, but he was deeply part of the band from the off. Billy Pod is an established drummer/composer/leader; he played the room superbly.

On September 25th, a real treat. We will have Chris Ingham on vocals/piano, Paul Higgs on trumpet, Simon Thorpe on bass, George Double on drums, and the music of Hoagy Carmichael. Hoagy II is something I have been much looking forward to. See you there?

Take care,

Dave

VASILIS XENOPOULOS-PAUL EDIS QUARTET SETLIST,  FLEECE JAZZ 11/9/24ra

1. Going Home – from Antonin Dvorak’s “New World Symphony”
2. The Coast (Paul Edis)
3. Valse Hot (Sonny Rollins)
4. From Something to Somewhere (Paul Edis)
5. A Rainy Day in Manhattan (Paul Edis)
6. Get Off My Lawn (Vasilis Xenopoulos)

*          *          *           *         *        *        *

7. Lockdown London (Paul Edis)
8. Memories of Home (Vasilis Xenopoulos)
9. Mikey’s Samba (Paul Edis
10. Coming Home To You (Paul Edis)
11. I’ve Got Too Much Rhythm (adapted from George & Ira Gershwin composition)

      Encore: Comin’ Home, Baby – Mel Tormé

Dave (with some theft from Steve) says:

This gig was powerful. Four guys who were masters of their instruments (and thus respected in the industry and much in demand) blew their socks off.

Tony Kofi was the band leader; he brought only the baritone sax. He played it rough, a growl that went right through you. He played it sweet, in lively ballads. He loves quotes, and he can sustain a note for many bars.

The technique is ‘circular breathing’. With a mouth full of air, you sustain a note while breathing in. Instantly switch to blowing from your lungs, while filling you mouth. Repeat forever. It amazes me that he can do this on a baritone, which takes a lot of puff. Most musicians, when they do this, make quite  a show of it. Not Tony. It looks like he is playing an 18 bar riff.

It always surprises me what musicians have to do to get to where they do what they love. Tony drove for over 3 hours to get to us. He then did the sound check with people on ladders focusing lights. It wasn’t that long ’till eight o’clock, and from the first note we got all the power. By “Bossallegro” he was smiling, fully into the work of his colleagues. He gave us a great encore even though he was off to Romania and then the Paris festival in the morning.

When a favourite player comes, you kind of expect something of the same. Not the case with the organ of Pete Whittaker. His bass was different, appropriate to this band. I think he must have been using different stops, because the timbre seemed sharper for most tunes. His immense solos were a gift, and it was worth serious listening to his accompaniment. He also quoted, which I don’t remember him doing much on other occasions. He even made the drummer smile with a quote.

The drummer was Peter Cater. He doesn’t smile a lot. He was featured a lot on this gig. His instrument is a standard drum kit, and he did not augment it with banging anything else other than the drum heads and cymbals. He has huge skill and his power was just right for this quartet. He also has an interesting style compared with other drummers – the only real movement is in his wrists, the rest of his body remains calm, but his sound swings like a demon!

Organ and guitar are an interesting combination. Simon Fernsby often doubled the organ (and sax on one number). Making one instrument out of two makes a different and interesting sound. The choice of material was ideal for Pete and Simon – lots of warm funky, danceable soul-jazz grooves. This was most evident in “Full House” and “Mac Tough”. Simon brought a collection of stomp boxes, and used them subtly. The power was in his playing, not the timbre. 

The programme gave us lots of variation in combinations of instruments.   For example, the interplay between Simon, Pete and Peter as a trio was a delight to watch and listen to.

Thanks to Steve for producing the setlist.

On Wednesday 22 September, we start our autumn season with a beauty. Vasilis Xenopoulos and Paul Edis bring there uartet “Feels Like Home”. Paul’s pianism and Vasilis’ saxophony are joined with John Williamson on bass and Billy Pod on drums. It would be great to see you there.

Take care,

Dave

FLEECE JAZZ 28/8/24

1. The Hustler – Stanley Turrentine
2. Bossallegro –  Pepper Adams
3. Search For Peace – McCoy Tyner
4. Full House – Wes Montgomery
5. Moontrane – Woody Shaw
6. Mac Tough – Pat Martino

*          *          *           *         *        *        *

7. Things Ain’t What They Used To Be – Duke Ellington
8. Summer In Central Park – Horace Silver
9. Jeanine – George Benson
10. Easy Living – Billie Holiday
11. The Visit – Pat Martino
12. Ode To Billie Joe – Bobby Gentry
13. Encore: A Night In Tunisia – Dizzy Gillespie

Dave said:

I was very much looking forward to the Oddgeir Berg Trio, and my expectations were exceeded. It was one of those gigs where you could feel the listening almost as well as you could hear the sound. 

A friend asked me about the gig, and I told him that it was an easy one to rig: piano micing as usual, bass and a talk mic. Wrong.

The wonderful bassist, Audun Ramo came with a set of stomp boxes and without a bass amp. Between Gerry and I, we rigged a powered monitor for him as his foldback, and took a lead for me at the desk from the monitor. Audun used his bow a lot during the show, beautiful. 

The leader, Oddgeir Berg, brought a suitcase full of kit. A music stand with the top horizontal on either side of the piano held the stomp box on his left, and a keyboard on his right. The effects were used gently. Some of the tunes (all by Oddgeir) were about the landscapes of northern Norway, and family past and present. The effects he used evoked the feeling of that scenery, and the emotions of loss.

Lars Bernstein on drums had no electronics. He did have a huge range of sound out of his kit.

My friend asked me to describe the programme in a few words. The best I could do was Norwegian Jazz Noir. A lot of the music was indeed dark, and always intense, but there were jolly tracks too. Oddgeir presented the show with grace and humour.

I truly hope that we book this band again.

On the 28 of August, we welcome back Tony Kofi, complete with the Organization. Peter Cator is the drummer, Simon Fernsby the guitarist and Pete Whittaker the organist. Tony is advertised as using his baritone sax, but I would be surprised if he didn’t bring a trio of saxes. I hope to see you there.

Steve said:

Every music fan should experience a Scandinavian Jazz Piano Trio live gig at least once. There was something for everyone last night at Fleece Jazz as we welcomed back The Oddgeir Berg Trio (last here in March 2023), who are currently on their European tour from their homeland of Norway. 

The warmth and charm of pianist Oddgeir Berg compering between numbers set the tone of the whole evening with music to complement his style of delivery.  His songwriting injects elements of classical music into melodic piano jazz with occasional rock grooves via distorted electronic ambient sounds reminiscent of the Esbjorn Svensson Trio.

The setlist was largely from the new album: ‘A place called Home’, much of which was about his parents as well as the beauty of his area of Norway. It was the quieter, reflective numbers that drew most approval such as ‘Song for My Mother’ and ‘Triste’ in the first set, but a standout after the interval was the much more animated and extended ‘Vagabond’ which effortlessly segued via some freestyle piano into Joni Mitchell’s ‘Both Sides Now’, reminding us of how indebted Scandinavian Jazz is to its own folk tunes.

The warm lyricism of the music was so rapturously received that all copies of the new album on CD were sold out during the interval. Any vinyl copies had been sent to Germany by the record company, but a new format known as Tap-Tape was available – billed as the lovechild of vinyl and streaming, I saw one brave soul buy one.

THE ODDGEIR BERG TRIO SETLIST, FLEECE JAZZ 14/8/24

All compositions by Oddgeir Berg except for 14

1. Here Comes The Toughest
2. Into the Mountains (Sula)
3. Circles
4. As We Wander Around
5. Perpetuum Mobile
6. Song For My Mother
7. Hommage (sic) (Dance Like Nobody’s Watching)
8. Triste

*          *          *           *         *        *        *

9. Epilogue
10. Happiness Is Where You Are
11. Where The Sun Never Sleeps
12. The Escape
13. Vagabond
14. Both Sides Now (Joni Mitchell)
15. Post Mortem

Encore: Lullaby for A.O.

Steve said:

For all the right reasons, it is a struggle to articulate the sensation caused by Theo Travis’ Doubletalk as they returned to Fleece Jazz for the first time in just over seven years. The music was an emotional rollercoaster and, at times, completely overwhelming in its intensity. Judging from the wild applause, as well as the whoops and the cries of delight from our highly appreciative audience after almost every number, I was far from alone in feeling this way.

The gospel-tinged organ sound of Pete Whittaker that introduced the first number, ‘Ascending’, soon opens up for Theo Travis to weave his magic on soprano sax with the central, haunting melody followed by the first of many stunning and enrapturing guitar solos from Mike Outram. Throughout, the driving beat from Nic France’s drums sets the pulse racing and the sheer joy on his face as he looks to his fellow musicians reflects how many of us feel and reminds us of how patently aware the band are of each other’s musical thoughts.  The pace doesn’t let up with ‘Fire Mountain’, inspired by a volcanic national park on the Canary Islands. The tempo is ramped up even further as organ and drums set the rhythm with guitar mirroring the runs on tenor sax with excoriating energy. Fittingly, the band seemed truly on fire! The pace then eases for the lovely ballad, ‘Shore Thing’, which featured a memorable solo from Mike’s guitar. Somewhat of a departure for the band, but completely in tune with Theo’s influences, is Pharoah Sanders’ ‘The Creator Has A Master Plan’ with Theo’s flute-playing featuring for the first time this evening. Sanders’ tune was a kind of sequel to his mentor John Coltrane’s legendary 1964 recording ‘A Love Supreme’ and has the same spiritual feeling, which comes across superbly from the quartet before leading seamlessly into Floating Points’ ‘Peroration Six’. The first set concludes with the title track of the quartet’s second album, ‘Transgression’, another longform piece of progressive music in the jazz idiom, a heady mix that ticks all the boxes – jazz, rock and prog. As with all the numbers played this evening, there is a rigorous musicality beneath the sound and fury.

The second set kicks off with a piece by The Beatles’ record producer, George Martin, made famous by English progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator, ‘Theme One’. The piece develops into a catchy anthem concluding with Outram sparring with Travis. One of Theo’s older numbers, ‘Lulworth Night’, features an inspiring solo from Whittaker who elsewhere largely binds the sound of the whole band with a sublety that gives free rein to the more ecstatic contributions of Outram and Travis. ‘Freedom Coda’ is a reworking of ‘Freedom’ and ‘Song for Samuel’ is a joyous, vivacious tribute to Theo’s son. Another prog-rock-jazz epic, ‘A Place In The Queue’ once again features Pete Whittaker resplendent on keys as he mixes Larry Young-style modal jazz into the overall sound and does so once again on the much demanded encore, ‘The Relegation of Pluto’, fittingly introduced with otherworldly sounds from the organ which crystallised into a funky, swampy sound, before the sax, guitar and drums resumed.

We want them back soon.

Dave said:

I loved this show for all the reasons that Steve recorded above. For techies, I can say that it was great fun to run the sound desk for this one. The prime job was to keep Theo in front when he was soloing. His tenor came to me directly from a mic. The flute and soprano used his mic, which was connected to a stomp box connected to me. These two instruments needed different volume and reverb changes, which were also dependent on the volume of the other four. That kept me hopping. The nice thing was that the technology was used with delicacy and relevance. Nice.

For me, the favourite bit of the gig was Mike and Theo trading 4’s, and them all trading with Nic. “Polyrhythms Are Us”.I

In three weeks time, we have the return of the wonderful Norwegian piano trio, the Oddgeir Berg Trio, with Audun Ramo on bass and  Lars Berntsen on drums. We loved them when they were here last. Don’t miss them.

Take care,

Dave

SETLIST, FLEECE JAZZ 24/7/2

All compositions by Theo Travis except for 4 and 6

1. Ascending
2. Fire Mountain
3. Shore Thing
4. The Creator Has A Master Plan (Pharoah Sanders and Leon Thomas) / Peroration Six (Sam Shepherd aka Floating Points)
5. Transgression

*          *          *           *         *        *        *

6. Theme One (George Martin)
7. Lulworth Night
8. Freedom Coda
9. Everything I Feared 
10. Song for Samuel
11. A Place In The Queue

Encore: The Relegation of Pluto

In tribute to the 1958 “West Coast Cool” recording of the Cal Tjader and Stan Getz sextet, Mark Crooks and Nat Steele treated us to an enjoyable selection of jazz standards and Tjader originals.  Mark described what we heard from the first three numbers as a “listenable dynamic” with a “lack of racket” and indeed it was; a welcome antidote to what was taking place simultaneously in Dortmund. Bracing and calming like the best of West Coast, the album itself is a hidden gem and a real cool classic with a simply incredible line-up including pianist Vince Guaraldi, guitarist Eddie Duran, bassist Scott La Faro and drummer Billy Higgins. 

The jaunty “Ginza Samba” sets the scene with nimble and imaginative contributions from all soloists. Nat Steele is a vigorous, resourceful performer who demonstrated his wizardry on vibes throughout the evening – all eyes were on his speed and dexterity as he took each solo, including those of compere and fellow frontman, Mark Crooks. Like Getz and Tjader, the warm, silky sound of Mark’s tenor blended effortlessly with Nat’s vibes, especially on the beautiful ballad, “I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face”. Both frontmen showed an ability to switch from lyric smoothness as on the waltz, “Liz-Anne” and “For All We Know” to gutsy swing as on “Ginza Samba”, “Big Bear” and “Crow’s Nest”. 

Cole Porter’s “Get Out of Town”, which Mark wryly dedicated to former members of the cabinet, was performed as a quartet with Nat and Mátyás sitting out for this one number, allowing us to witness a superb, tight interplay between the tenor and rhythm section. The liquid, bluesy sound of Colin Oxley’s guitar, Jeremy Brown’s extraordinary agility across the whole range of the bass (especially on Tjader’s beautiful waltz, “Liz-Anne”) and Mark Taylor’s versatility of style were present across both sets.

We finished with “Parker 51”, a number covered most famously by Stan Getz and based on the changes of Bird’s “Cherokee”, the most animated (frenetic?) tune heard all evening that gave every band member an opportunity to demonstrate their agile technique and featured a rousing drum solo from Mark Taylor.

A final word on our pianist, Mátyás Gayer, who played a key role throughout both sets .  His solos were thoughtful, always gentle, appropriate to the West Coast cool. His obligato though came out of intense listening to his colleagues, very fine.

The next gig has the return of Theo Travis (tenor sax) with organist Pete Whittaker, Mike Outram on guitar, and Nic France on drums. The passion and flow of ideas will amaze you. We hope to see you on Wednesday July 24.

Take care,

Steve

CAL TJADER-STAN GETZ SEXTET ALBUM TRIBUTE

SETLIST, FLEECE JAZZ 10/7/24

1. Ginza Samba (Vince Guaraldi)
2. Liz-Anne (Cal Tjader)
3. I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face (Loewe/Lerner)
4. Get Out Of Town (Cole Porter)
5. Crow’s Nest (Cal Tjader)

*          *          *           *         *        *        *

6. Fried Bananas (Dexter Gordon)
7. For All We Know (J. Fred Coots)
8. Speak Low (Kurt Weill) 
9. Big Bear (Cal Tjader)
10. Nobody Else But Me (Jerome Kern)
11. Parker 51 (Jimmy Raney)

Steve says:

Fletch’s Brew – it doesn’t take much imagination to guess how they got their name but rarely has a band been so accurately defined by it.  What we had last night was, indeed, a heady intoxicating brew, a melting pot of musical genres ranging from electric blues to jazz-funk and jazz-rock, creating the much-maligned jazz-fusion sound that originated in the late 1960s and was probably made most famous by Miles Davis with Bitches Brew.

The impact of the band’s sound took some getting used to as they treated us to an aural rollercoaster-ride through the first number, Pat Metheny’s “Timeline”: the clash of Mark Fletcher’s cymbals overlaid by the funky grooves of Jim Watson’s electric piano and Steve Pearce’s electric bass set the scene before Freddie Gavita and Paul Stacey on electric trumpet and electric guitar, respectively, traded bars to create an exhilarating “wall of sound”. The second number, a funky arrangement of Wayne Shorter’s “Beauty and the Beast” has become an ever-welcome signature tune for the band and John Scofield’s “Peculiar” was highly appreciated by several members of our audience who couldn’t resist moving to the funky beat.

Mingus’ “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” (an elegy for Lester Young) brought the tempo and the volume down and allowed for a moment of sad contemplation and reflection which was enhanced magnificently by Paul Stacey’s guitar adding an element of keening electric blues. Mark Fletcher mentioned that Joni Mitchell later covered the song on her album, Mingus. Those in the know may have recalled her added lyrics which highlighted the racism experienced by Lester, not least due to his mixed-race marriage.

In his arrangement of Herbie Hancock’s “Fat Albert Rotunda”, featuring more evidence of the virtuosity of each band member, Freddie Gavita uses trumpet and pedal effects to such impressive effect and did so once again to overlay electronic sci-fi sounds on Shorter’s “Footprints” in the second set.  In direct contrast, the beautiful ballad, “Infant Eyes”, also by Shorter provided another oasis of calm before the tempo was ramped up with Ornette Coleman’s “Law Years” (“feel free to join in if you know it!” quipped Fletch).

Joshua Redman Elastic Band’s driving and punchy “Greasy G” featured Jim Watson and Steve Pearce laying down some deep grooves combined with jazz harmony on electric piano and electric bass before Freddie Gavita took the lead on Freddie Hubbard’s “Birdlike”. 

I haven’t mentioned Mark Fletcher anything like as much as I should have. Mark can do all-guns blazing, animated pyrotechnics on his drumkit as effectively as he can do restrained, quiet contemplation with sensitive brushwork as he did on “Infant Eyes”. He is incredibly energetic, fast and highly co-ordinated as he creates some seemingly complex rhythms that anchor and complement the other musicians. It truly is Fletch’s Brew.

Dave says:

Steve has said most of what I thought of this amazing gig. Fire and soul from Mark Fletcher on drums, Freddie Gavita on trumpet, flugel and stomp-box, Jim Watson on keyboard, Paul Stacey on electric guitar, and on Steve Pearce on bass guitar. Both guitarists had their own stomp-boxes, but Freddie’s was a wonder to behold. He used it for the trumpet and produced amazing sounds as well as clear trumpet, but the flugel was on a simple mic, and sounded great.

I thought that after the Bill Evans gig two weeks ago, with Mark on delicate, intricate brushwork, that we would have an evening of total wow this time. The wow was there in spades, diamonds and heart. But the quiet brushwork was there too, in “Goodbye, Pork Pie Hat” and “Infant Eyes”.

It was fascinating to me that even at the volume that the guys produced, the individual instruments were not hidden, as often happens when the volume is high. Underneath the solos, the obligato was both one distinct sound, but you could hear the interesting things that the backing guys did, and how they interacted with each other.

That interaction was vital. It was clear that the band were having the time of their lives up there. Mark’s arrangements left a ton of room for trading, cross-rhythms and counterpoint, and other fun stuff.

On July 10th, we have a superb tribute to the Cal Tjader/Stan Getz Sextet. It is led by Nat Steele on vibes and Mark Crooks on tenor, with Colin Oxley on guitar, pianist Matyas Gayer, bassist Jeremy Brown and Mark Taylor on drums. Do join us. It will be a lovely evening

Take care,

Dave

“FLETCH’S BREW” SETLIST, FLEECE JAZZ 26/6/24

1. Timeline (Pat Metheny)
2. Beauty and the Beast (Wayne Shorter)
3. Peculiar (John Scofield)
4. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat (Charles Mingus)
5. Fat Albert Rotunda (Herbie Hancock)

*          *          *           *         *        *        *

6. Young and Fine (Josef Zawinul)
7. Footprints (Wayne Shorter)
8. Infant Eyes (Wayne Shorter) 
9. Law Years (Ornette Coleman)
10. Greasy G (Joshua Redman)
11. Birdlike (Freddie Hubbard)