Notes on Past Gigs

Steve said: Last Wednesday, Ben Crosland (BC) brought his “all-star” band to Fleece Jazz to perform arrangements of the music of Ray Davies, the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and primary songwriter for the rock band The Kinks. This was the third time that we’ve had this act, although not with the same line-up, which made this occasion even more special for reasons that will become apparent. If, like me, you had previously dismissed the idea of a jazz interpretation of the music of Ray Davies as a stretch too far, think again. Davies is indisputably one of this country’s greatest…

Steve said: Our final concert of 2024 lived up to expectations with top quality swinging jazz with the trademark teasing humour from the Barnes/Adams double act.  The first set began with the lead pair on baritone sax and muted trumpet with Mr T.C., the ever-spellbinding David Newton resplendent on piano together with Andrew Cleyndert and Clark Tracey laying down a perfectly solid rhythm. Alan changed to alto sax for ‘Cannonball’ with a beautifully articulate solo standing out as a crowd-pleasing feature. We were transported back in time to the era of swing with Ellington’s ‘Morning Glory’, the swooping sound of…

Steve wrote a detailed view of the first set of this wonderful gig… JOHN LAW’S RE CREATIONS SETLIST AT FLEECE JAZZ, 11/12/24 Last night, John Law returned to Fleece Jazz with his Re Creations quartet, a project that showcases the leader’s distinctive and innovative arrangements of well-known classical pieces, jazz standards, rock and pop songs, as well as soundtracks from film and shows. They were last here in 2022 with the same line-up when they stunned us with the rapport that they had generated in such a short space of time after the hiatus of lockdown. Two and a half…

Steve was away, so I have the honour of writing about this amazing gig. I do the sound for the gig and have no time to make notes. I asked our organist, Pete Whittaker if there was a set list. What he gave me was: Now, “Custard” is “I’ve thrown a custard at her face”; or perhaps “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face” (Loewe). “Wasser” is, I think, Yiddish for “Water From An Ancient Well” (Ibraham). “Braamz” is a stunning jazz take on the music of Schubert, “Brahms I Think”. A fuller set list can be found below. Art deserves…

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…