Peter, our photographer, said “What a Cracker !!! What I call a “Full on ” gig. Its been far too long since we had Matt Wates with his own Sextet. With a sound and material like that we should have them on an annual basis”.

I couldn’t agree more, we had a smashing gig on Friday.

The guys were Matt Wates alto sax, Steve Fishwick trumpet, Steve Main tenor sax, Leon Greening piano, Malcolm Creese bass, Matt Skelton drums. The music was mostly written and all arranged by Matt Wates. It was powerful straight ahead jazz, with fine musicians playing excellent arrangements. The arrangements followed a fairly consistent pattern: everybody got a chance to blow, three choruses or more. In the last chorus of the solo, the instruments not soloing pushed the soloist along, usually with a riff from the tune. Lovely.

As was the horn chorus, a special love of mine, whether it was unison, harmony or fugue.

I am looking through my notes trying to decide on special moments, but there were just so many! Matt W. on his “The People Tree”, a 6/8 number in which Paul also had an excellent solo. Steve M. had a stunner on “Heatwave”, and Malcolm a beauty on “Dark Energy”. Steve F. shone on “Third Eye”. Leon’s solo in the homage to Ray Charles, “After Hours” will stand in the memory.

Which is all a little silly, for the evening was one great moment after another, with accompaniment to die for.

Next week,Friday 6 April, the superb Ed Jones will be with us, We have Ed Jones saxes, Ross Stanley piano, Riaan Vosloo bass and Tim Giles drums. When John Fordham says “A formidable saxophonist… he’s an improviser to his fingertips, a player of forceful imagination, and one of the UK’s most distinctive saxophonists.”, you don’t want to miss this gig.

Take care
Dave