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 the horns once again featuring Alan on baritone sax and Bruce’s melodic, rich-toned open trumpet with an absorbing bass solo from Andy skilfully bringing out the instrument’s deep woody sound. The Barnes’ composition ‘Tavares’, based on the chords of ‘There Will Never Be Another You’ takes Horace Silver’s middle name as its title and once again Alan switches to alto to complement Bruce’s fiery performance on trumpet.
The tempo switches to a gentler one with the first duet of the evening, featuring David Newton’s lyricism on piano and Alan’s equally haunting mastery of the clarinet on Jobim’s ‘Brigas Nunca Mais’ which translates as “No More Quarreling”. (I can highly recommend the most recent Newton/Barnes CD, ‘Tis Autumn’, which features this number along with eight other tender interpretations.) The tempo is raised again as the first set closes with a fast-paced blues in C, Jimmy McGriff’s ‘Motoring Along’, which featured the pulsating rhythm of Cleyndert and Tracey overlaid with the more florid sound of Newton’s pianism. The whole sound is uplifting, one from the “happy school of jazz music”, guaranteed to put a smile on your face, get your feet tapping and send you off in a positive mood. Yet, we had a whole set more of this glorious music to come . . .
Opening the second set was Horace Silver’s ‘St Vitus Dance’ – a reference no doubt to its quirky rhythm, but such a title does not sit well with today’s social mores. Based on the chord changes of ‘Somebody Loves Me (I Wonder Who)’, Barnes’ composition ‘Rengeo’ is then followed by ‘Side Steppin’ from Barnes’ and Adams’ first album of the same name; featuring a soaring trumpet solo from Adams, followed by a cantering bass solo from Cleyndert and then an opportunity for Tracey to improvise inventively on his distinctive, green drumkit. The second duet of the evening, ‘Why Did I Choose You?’ featured the heart-rending trumpet of Adams and the sensitive pianism of Newton and produced murmurs of approval from our appreciative, listening audience. After a festive, jazzy version of ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’, comes the catchy calypso sound of Blue Mitchell’s ‘Fungii Mama’ with Barnes lightning fast and fluent on baritone sax embellished by Adams virtuosic trumpet-playing and authentic Latin rhythms skilfully tapped out by Tracey.
The evening finished with a frenetic rendering of ‘Hollywood Stampede’ by Coleman Hawkins together with solid support and solos from Andrew and Clark. A fine pre-Christmas helping of quality swinging jazz.
Dave said:
There was a party in the big room on Wednesday, guys in suits and gals in gowns. One person asked me who was playing, so I told him. He said, “sorry, don’t know much about jazz”. A woman standing by said, “you should, they are jazz royalty”.f
Indeed, they are. They have known and played with each other for decades. But their playing is fresh and fabulous. Even the banter is new.
All of us at Fleece Jazz wish you a wonderful Christmas and a happy, healthy and safe New Year.
In that year we start with John Etheridge and Theo Travis in Ben Crosland’s All Star Band. We finish the season with the amazing harpist, Alina Bzhezhinska. We would be delighted to have you join us.
Take care,
Dave
ALAN BARNES/BRUCE ADAMS QUINTET SETLIST, FLEECE JAZZ 18/12/24
- Mr T.C. (Alan Barnes and Greg Abate)
- Cannonball (Cannonball Adderley)
- Morning Glory (Duke Ellington)
- Tavares (Alan Barnes)
- Brigas Nunca Mais (Antonio Carlos Jobim)
- Motoring Along (Jimmy McGriff)
* * * * * * *
- St Vitus Dance (Horace Silver)
- Rengeo (Alan Barnes)
- Side Steppin’ (Alan Barnes)
- Why Did I Choose You? (Michael Leonard/Herbert Martin)
- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (Hugh Martin/Ralph Blane)
- Fungii Mama (Blue Mitchell)
Encore: Hollywood Stampede (Coleman Hawkins)