“I never wanted to be a star, just a highly respected musician like John Etheridge” – Sting”
“Travis’ tenor sax borders on the superhuman in its passion and flow of ideas” – BBC Music Magazine
“I feel privileged to have you do renditions of my songs” – Ray Davies
It is such a pleasure to welcome the supreme guitarist and saxophonist, John Etheridge and Theo Travis, who front this great band. The music will be that of Ray Davies. Ray Davies’ songs are rooted in the blues, music hall, popular song, variety and musical theatre – the perfect vehicles for jazz interpretation.
John is an incredible guitarist whose playing is lyrical, restrained and over the top, simple and complex. His amazing history is too long for this note, just see the About page on his website. John has been a stalwart friend of the club.
Theo was last here with his own band and that was a wow gig. Theo Travis plays saxophone, flute and duduk and is a prolific composer and music producer. He was born in Birmingham but moved to London where he soon established himself as one of the finest tenor sax players on the British jazz scene. He has led his own jazz quartet for 25 years, recorded ten albums as leader having composed, arranged and produced the material and performed all over the UK including at Ronnie Scott’s Club in London over 75 times.
Steve Lodder’s soloing is always both mellifluous and energetically inventive He has the ability to select precisely the right keyboard timbre and texture to set off the overall group that marks him out as a master. One of Lodder’s great strengths is his self-effacing skill as an accompanist and as a stunning soloist. Steve will be playing both piano and keyboard on this gig.
Ben Croslandleads the band from the bass. Ben is a fine composer and a wonderful bassist. He was commissioned by Marsden Jazz Festival to write a set of jazz arrangements of Ray Davies’ iconic songs. That commission led to the formation of his Ray Davies Songbook Quintet, which has been much acclaimed. Ben arranged Ray’s songs for this jazz quintet. He has a habit of creating some great bands. I remember the trio “Threeway” with immense pleasure.
Nic Franceis one of the UK’s most in-demand drummers performing with, among others, Ian Carr’s ‘Nucleus’, Ronnie Scott, John Taylor, Jim Mullen, Bobby Wellins, Mose Allison, Billy Cobham, Django Bates and John Parricelli. He was also a founding member of ‘Loose Tubes’. He also played from 1984 to 1986 with ‘Working Week’ with whom he played on several European tours and recorded three albums.
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.
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
Lazybones (Carmichael, Mercer)
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
I Walk with Music (Carmichael, Mercer)
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.
Ain’t There Anyone Here for Love (Carmichael/Adamson) sung by Jane Russell in the film Gentleman Prefer Blondes
Down, Boy (Carmichael/Adamson) sung by Marilyn Monroe in the film Gentleman Prefer Blondes
* * * * * * *
10.Stardust (Carmichael, Parish)
11.Georgia On My Mind (Carmichael, Gorrell)
Don’t Forget to Say No, Baby (Carmichael, Johnson, Victor)
Hong Kong Blues (Carmichael) featured in the film, To Have and Have Not.
Heart and Soul (Carmichael, Loesser) featuring a chord progression familiar to beginner piano students as a repeating I-vi-IV-V progression.
Small Fry (Carmichael, Loesser)
The Nearness of You (Carmichael, Washington)
The Monkey Song (Carmichael) featured in the film, The Las Vegas Story.
Winter Moon (Carmichael/Adamson) from the album Hoagy sings Carmichael, which features his last significant recordings.
Billy-a-Dick (Carmichael/Webster)
My Resistance Is Low (Carmichael/Adamson) featured in the film, The Las Vegas Story.
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
Going Home – from Antonin Dvorak’s “New World Symphony”
The Coast (Paul Edis)
Valse Hot (Sonny Rollins)
From Something to Somewhere (Paul Edis)
A Rainy Day in Manhattan (Paul Edis)
Get Off My Lawn (Vasilis Xenopoulos)
* * * * * * *
Lockdown London (Paul Edis)
Memories of Home (Vasilis Xenopoulos)
Mikey’s Samba (Paul Edis
Coming Home To You (Paul Edis)
I’ve Got Too Much Rhythm (adapted from George & Ira Gershwin composition)
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
The Hustler – Stanley Turrentine
Bossallegro – Pepper Adams
Search For Peace – McCoy Tyner
Full House – Wes Montgomery
Moontrane – Woody Shaw
Mac Tough – Pat Martino
* * * * * * *
Things Ain’t What They Used To Be – Duke Ellington
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
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
Ascending
Fire Mountain
Shore Thing
The Creator Has A Master Plan (Pharoah Sanders and Leon Thomas) / Peroration Six (Sam Shepherd aka Floating Points)
Described by THE OBSERVER as “One of the tiny handful of undeniably perfect jazz musicians”, Art remains as brilliant and inimitable as ever.
An exciting and inventive saxophonist, Art Themen has been an appealing presence on the British jazz circuit for over 60 years. A previous winner of the tenor sax category in the British Jazz Awards, recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Worshipful Company of Musicians and shortlisted for the Jazz Instrumentalist of the year in the recent Parliamentary Jazz Awards, this living legend has famously combined his role as a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon with saxophone duties in the bands of Alexis Korner and Stan Tracey (the ‘Godfather of British Jazz’) as well as recordings with Joe Cocker, Jack Bruce and even Bing Crosby.
Pete Whittaker, Hammond star, is always a delight. Originally a piano player, he migrated to organ after hearing the classic 1950s & 1960s Jimmy Smith records and after immersing himself in the sound world of Larry Young, Groove Holmes, Jack McDuff, Jimmy McGriff etc. Despite his deep love of the vintage Hammond tonewheel consoles, Pete has always had one eye on the digital clones, though none have impressed him as much for authenticity as the Crumar Mojo which he now plays on the vast majority of his gigs and several recent recordings.
George Double‘s playing and recording credits include Dame Shirley Bassey, Grammy Award Winner Jack Jones, Marc Almond, Mica Paris, Ruthie Henshall and Kym Mazelle. His West End and touring theatre record includes stints on Wicked, Guys and Dolls, Avenue Q, Sinatra and Anything Goes. He is active on the British jazz scene and appears regularly at Ronnie Scott’s club in London and elsewhere as a freelancer (with Chris Ingham, John Etheridge, Art Themen, Digby Fairweather, Derek Nash and many others). He is also curator of Hadleigh, Southwold and Frinton Jazz Clubs.
“Straight-ahead, high energy jazz is his line and he does it with aplomb” – TheGuardian
Over his twenty-five year career Simon Spillett has worn almost as many hats as it’s possible to wear within jazz; multi-award-winning instrumentalist (BBC Jazz Awards, British Jazz Awards, Jazz Journal’s Album of The Year), quartet and big band leader, recording artist, author, historian, record producer, archivist, magazine columnist and latterly blogger.
However, for all these varied skills he identifies most strongly as a powerfully swinging, straight-ahead tenor saxophonist, one capable of taking the audiences who hear him on a roller-coaster ride encompassing everything from energetic bebop to heartfelt balladry.
Excellence attracts excellence. Pete Whittaker is his pianist, Alec Dankworth his bassist and Peter Cater is his drummer.
We usually see Pete as an organist. Tonight he will be on piano, the instrument that he played before Jimmy Smith got him. The intensity of listening to his colleagues is sky high. While he is the ideal accompanist, his solo work is superb.
Alec is an award-winning jazz bassist and composer who, in addition to leading several groups of his own, has worked with an amazing list of artists including Van Morrison, Stephane Grappelli, Abdullah Ibrahim, and The Dave Brubeck Quartet. He is known for his energetic stage presence, versatility of style and some of the most imaginative bass solos around! John Fordham says, “elegant stability, big sound, sure beat, and thoughtful spontaneity”.
Peter has dedicated his life to a career in music and describes himself as “exactly the musician my 6 year old self dreamed of being”. He continues to be in the top division of UK jazz drummers, having been voted 5th in the world in 2015.
The band will draw unashamedly on the classic sounds of British modern jazz from the 1950s and 60s, in particular the repertoire of the iconic UK saxophone legend, Tubby Hayes.
Bringing his quintet to Fleece Jazz for a pre-festive treat, Alan Barneshas been at the forefront of British jazz since 1980 and his musicianship and sense of humour have made him hugely popular in jazz clubs and festivals across the UK and beyond. He is best known for his work on clarinet, alto and baritone saxes, where he combines a formidable virtuosity with outstanding musical expression.
The quintet, which consistently features Bruce Adams on trumpet, has been performing for nearly 30 years delivering straight-ahead hard bop, with a repertoire from the classic years and an emphasis on accessibility, good humour and a conviction that jazz should swing.
Bruce Adams is one of the jazz scene’s most dramatic and stimulating performers; he has been a regular winner of jazz polls and with his spectacular range and power on the instrument he has been in demand as a lead musician. He has often worked as a special guest soloist with both the Scottish Radio Orchestra and the BBC Big Band.
David Newton has been voted ‘Best Jazz Pianist sixteen times by the jazz audience of the UK. Over the years he has become a much sought after pianist, teaming up with Barnes, guitarist Martin Taylor and saxophonist Don Weller. Later, he gained a reputation as an exquisite accompanist for singers such as Marion Montgomery, Tina May, Annie Ross, Claire Martin and Stacey Kent.
Andrew Cleyndert started out in the bands of Don Weller and Bobby Wellins and has since flourished on the jazz scene in the UK and beyond. He has played and toured with the cream of the UK’s musicians and a string of international soloists, including Stan Tracey, Bud Shank, George Coleman, Ray Bryant, Lee Konitz and James Moody.
Clark Tracey is a well-established jazz master who is recognised as an inventive jazz drummer and as a proven group leader, writer and arranger, having appeared over many years with the world’s jazz greats. He creates educational Master Classes across the U.K. and continues to be an in-demand performer across the world.
Come and join us for what promises to be a gig full of outstanding tunes played with passion and musical verve.
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.
