Well, Les and his far-flung band ( Dave Lee, his reedman, hails from Blackpool, and
others from elsewhere in Lancashire) made it through the weather on 8 December, to
give us an all-out Christmas celebration.
Unfortunately the freezing conditions took their toll on attendance – it was touch
and go whether we cancelled the gig, but had we done so it would have been the first
time Kendal Jazz Club had ever taken this step, and that wasn’t a precedent we wanted
to set.
So the band played to a hardy 25 or 30 people, who undoubtedly appreciated not only
the effort the band made to get to Staveley, but also the varied and entertaining
programme they gave us.
That programme included a strong Christmas element, e.g. a fairly straight ‘In the
Bleak Midwinter’ and a far-from- straight deconstruction of ‘We Three Kings’.
I can’t remember whether they played ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’, but they certainly
did present a little gem called ‘Louisana Fairytale’ from the same composer (Fred
Coots): a high spot for me. Most of the rest of the evening consisted of the band’s
hard-driving interpretations of Dixieland and Swing classics, with all 3 front-line
men plus Pete Major on keyboard on top soloing form, Laurence Canty’s lucid bass
guitar providing the forward motion, and Peter Boocock providing a quirky drum solo
on ‘Caravan’ as well as keeping things swinging.
And now for something completely different on January 12th. As already previewed,
we’re immensely proud to have been able to book one of the greatest stars in the
jazz firmament in the shape of tenor-saxist Scott Hamilton, backed by the Tom Kincaid
Trio. Although Scott tours the UK fairly frequently, we don’t think he has ever
before played in Cumbria, so we’re delighted to have the opportunity to correct this
terrible oversight. Let’s hope our weather relents so as to give him a taste of
the scenic delights of the South Lakes!
I can guarantee a musical treat, having heard Scott on three separate occasions live
and many times on record. Having paid his dues in the big bands of Goodman and Herman,
he came to prominence as a soloist in a wonderful series of small-band recordings
on the Concord label, playing with people like Dave McKenna, Chris Flory, Howard
Alden and Ruby Braff, and was feted almost immediately as the natural successor to
the tenor giants of the 30s. He makes a beautiful sound on his instrument, and
is noted for a remarkable flow of ideas at any tempo, plus total sympathy with and
respect for the melody of the standards which make up most of his repertoire.
It should be quite a night – try to be early to get a good seat. Doors will open
at 7pm for a 8.00pm start.
What to say about Frank Flynn and Dave Savill last week? Well, I expected one of
those anything-could-happen evenings, and that’s just what they served up. As a
keyboard player, Frank is the man who put the icon in ‘iconoclastic’, and last Wednesday
was no different from all the other times I’ve heard him in respect of his trademark
inclusion of classical themes and unrelated popular songs in the most unexpected
places. He told me at the interval that he was a little worried about some of his
material being unsuitable for what he perceived as a serious jazz club, but then
followed this up by playing ‘Show Me the Way to Amarillo’ as a slow ballad feature,
demonstrating that he was really not in the least worried. Which was good, because
his light-hearted approach and the banter that went on between the band members helped
to make the evening extremely entertaining: the icing on the cake being Dave Savill’s
Max Wall stories and impressions, which went down a treat.
Interlaced with the fun, however, was some very captivating jazz. Janice Flynn’s
bass guitar was nimble and musicianly, while Dave Minshull on drums lived up to his
powerhouse reputation without deafening the audience. Janice also made a good job
of her vocals on a few well-chosen standards,and Dave sang well on ‘Basin St’ while
uproariously offering a single-note version of ‘Up a Lazy River’.
However, it was Dave’s adventurous cornet (he caused me to gasp at his audacity on
at least one occasion), coupled with Frank’s flights of fancy, which provided the
meat in the entertainment sandwich.
All in all, a worthy follow-up to Scott Hamilton, and a night which we will certainly
repeat.
On Wednesday 9 March we’re delighted to welcome back vocalist Sue Parish – a Lancaster
lass whose fame has spread to all corners of the North-West and beyond. Sue works
with a small handful of carefully-chosen keyboard men, and on this occasion she is
bringing Andrzej Baranek, one of my favourite pianists, and a man who has delighted
the Beer Hall audience on quite a few previous gigs. Also present will be the (rightly)
ubiquitous bassist Frank Grime and talented drummer Hugh Lawrence, both familiar
faces at Staveley. With Sue’s penchant for mixing much-loved standards with more
obscure gems from the Great American Song Book, we are undoubtedly in for another
night of quality singing and playing.
DON’T FORGET OUR AGM: BURGUNDY’S WINE BAR ,KENDAL
7 PM, TUESDAY 22ND MARCH,
I'm writing this the day after Scott Hamilton's visit, and I still can't believe
that so many people turned up on the night. We obviously seriously under-estimated
the appeal of the man's playing, and I can only apologise to those who had to stand
for the entire evening, especially the staunch supporters who attend almost every
gig. We may have to consider a ticket system for major attractions , but at the moment
we aren't set up to do so.
However, even the most painful feet, backs and legs paled into insignificance in
the face of some totally superb playing from Scott and the Tom Kincaid Trio. They
had never met before, but right from the word 'go' it was obvious that they were
on the same wavelength, with Scott swapping 4 and 8 bar breaks with all the members
of the trio, and by the third number Scott could be seen smiling appreciatively at
Tom's keyboard inventions. And in fact there was a lot of inventiveness happening
in general: though some of the tunes were staples of the mainstream genre (There
Will Never Be Another You, Just Friends), Scott's theme statements were beautifully
weighted and phrased, while his improvisations opened up unexpected ways through
the chord sequences. His sound remained gorgeous throughout the evening, becoming
a little gruffer on the hard-swinging medium tempo numbers, then lightening to an
ethereal beauty on the four slow ballads he played, culminating towards the end of
the performance in a stunning rendition of the rarely-heard Ellington tune 'Tonight
I Shall Sleep with a Smile on my Face'.
You will seldom hear a more relaxed and assured player: many people remarked that
it all looked so effortless, and the hand of a master was always evident in the way
he hung so far behind the beat that you half-expected him to lose a bar or two. Needless
to say, it never happened.
Full marks, too, to the Tom Kincaid trio, who on their fourth visit to the club produced
their best form to date, and spurred our American visitor on to great things. A
wonderful evening, which we will be repeating.
On February 9th we welcome back Frank Flynn on piano, who has been once before and
impressed us with his wit, invention and swing. He is bringing his wife Janice
on bass guitar and vocals (she is no mean singer) and the highly-thought-of drummer
Dave Minshull. At the front will be our old friend, cornettist Dave Savill, who
frequently works with this line-up. Jazz was once described as 'The Sound of Surprise',
and I have a feeling this could be proved on the 9th. Be there to find out!
Sue Parish once again regaled an audience in March which was slightly down in numbers
but enthusiastic as ever in its response. Her accompanying trio this time was
led by the excellent Andrzej Baranek, who played with great brio in a couple of feature
spots, one of them being a reworking of the hoary 'Honeysuckle Rose'. Frank Grime,
now a regular visitor, played his usual immaculate double bass, and Hugh Laurence
provided some high-energy drumming, particularly on the closing samba number.
Sue herself gave us, as always, a carefully thought-out programme (although she did
slip in one request - thanks for 'My Romance', Sue), with a great mix of tunes ranging
from traditional favourite 'Sweet Georgia Brown' to a vocalese transcription of Charlie
Parker's 'Donna Lee'. On that last number, although her inspiration probably came
from Annie Ross or Jackie Kraal, I was immediately reminded of Millicent Martin singing
on TV in 'That Was the Week That Was' in the sixties. That's meant to be a compliment,
Sue, and by the way Millicent Martin is still singing and acting at 76, so keep on
keeping on.
Although the rest of the night was mainly composed of standards - and why wouldn't
it be- another highlight was an obscure Dave Frishberg tune, which to my shame I
can't recall the title of.
The whole mix was a great success, and was beautifully sung.
On April 13 we have the makings of a really splendid session, headlined by the long-overdue
return of Roy Williams, who for more years than he cares to remember has been Britain's
top traditional-to-swing trombonist.
He visited us many times with the legendary Alex Welsh band during the first incarnation
of the Kendal Jazz Club in the sixties and seventies, and guested (relatively) more
recently with local band Mainline Jazz at the Brewery Arts Centre. This time he's
paired with fluent reedman John Hallam, a favourite with members: the couple have
met before on quite a few occasions and established considerable empathy, so we can
expect a polished and exciting performance. They are underpinned by the always-exciting
(and ever-improving) Tom Kincaid on keyboard, with local stalwarts Roy Cansdale and
Ted Richards filling the bass and drum roles. This is most definitely not one to
miss.
What a great night of jazz Roy Williams, John Hallam and Tom Kincaid, plus local
heroes Roy Cansdale and Ted Richards, provided us with in April! Unfortunately,
this review is not going to do it justice because I'm late with putting it together
and, worse, I've lost the notes I wrote on the night, so I can't refer to particular
tunes or treatments
However, I do recall that Roy, John and Tom all played at the top of their form while
cunningly avoiding any hint of competition or 'cutting-contest' antics - unnecessary
in any case, because each of them has developed an individual voice over the years.
But it must be said that although Tom hasn't had as many of those years to create
his sound, boy, has he caught up! It's great to hear someone so young so thoroughly
immersed in, and versed in, the music played by the great keyboard artists of the
swing era: particularly of course Erroll Garner - a player I came to late, having
failed at first to get past his mannerisms to the solid meat underneath.
It was also great to hear Roy let loose in front of a sympathetic and swinging rhythm
section: that brought to mind for some of us the glory days when Alex Welsh brought
Roy, Fred Hunt and all the rest of his legendary band to the County Hotel and, later,
the Brewery.
Enough of this nostalgia! It only remains to say that John Hallam was as masterful
as ever on tenor, baritone and clarinet (but didn't play enough of the latter), and
that Roy and Ted provided immaculate support at all tempi.
Definitely one to repeat next year, especially as the large attendance swelled our
coffers - what a terrible cliché - enabling us to plan yet more goodies in the future.
In the immediate future, on May 11, we're delighted to have secured two first-time
visitors.
Karen Sharp, voted top British tenor-saxist in 2010, did a useful apprenticeship
with the Humphrey Lyttleton band, but has since then come very much into her own.
The last time I heard her in a live performance was alongside Robert Fowler in
a Zoot Sims/Al Cohn tribute, when I wondered beforehand whether she might be overwhelmed
by Robert's rumbustious tenor. Not a bit of it. She more than made up in sound
and attack what she lacked in physical bulk, and I'm looking forward to more of the
same at Staveley.
On keyboard is Les Chisnall, a man I've never heard but whose reputation precedes
him as both a player and a jazz educator, and who will doubtless be a splendid musical
partner for Karen. Bass and drums will once again be in the capable hands (and
feet) of Roy Cansdale and Ted Richards. I look forward to seeing you all there,
and thanks to Jim Hadfield for suggesting and then arranging this particular combination.
A relatively small audience turned up in May to hear the woman voted top British tenor sax in 2010, but made up in enthusiasm what they lacked in numbers - quite rightly, because to my ears she asserted her right to that top spot from the word 'go'. That first tune was the unfortunately-named 'Get Out of Town' (we didn't obey), a pleasing up-tempo romp, after which she demonstrated her ballad-playing capabilities on ' If Ever You Should Leave Me', played with exquisite tone, control and expressiveness.
Other ballads were dotted strategically through the programme, including Kurt Weill's unjustly neglected 'My Ship' and the beautiful 'My One and Only Love', and all received the kind of treatment such gorgeous tunes deserve, with the melodies clearly stated but the improvisations providing Karen's individual stamp.
That individual stamp was also evident in the choice of other material, with well-known tunes like 'Lullaby of the Leaves' alternating with unexpected treats like 'Bye Bye Baby' (which turned out to be a natural for a jazz treatment) and Gerry Mulligan's 'Five Brothers'. Compliments to the rhythm section on coping so well with this unusual material. On this occasion they were all local lads, pianist Pete Major having gallantly stepped in at 24 hours notice to replace the injured Les Chisnall, but they did a splendid job in giving Karen the right platform to demonstrate her skills.
Incidentally, those skills extended to baritone sax, which Karen favoured on about half the numbers performed, and on which instrument she produced an enormous sound, completely belying her slight frame. In fact she barely used the microphone on both instruments: I would rate her as the most powerful reed player we have heard at the club, able (like some of the great American saxophonists of the swing era) to fill the room with sound without any trade-off in tone or delicacy. Karen's playing, of course, does not belong to the swing era, because Parker and later influences are all detectable, but her emphasis on melody makes all her work accessible. And she can, and did, play a fearsome un-named blues in the first half - always a good test of a real jazz player. Just great.
Wednesday 8 June sees Thomas 'Spats' Langham returning once more, this time with his own trio ' Hot Fingers'. Spats works very regularly with Danny Blythe and Malcolm Sked
in his home area of the Cotswolds, and we're delighted to have persuaded them to venture North. One could never accuse Spats of having a limited repertoire, as evinced by his previous visits, but on this occasion I anticipate even more rare and unusual gems to be produced, because the group has worked together so much.
So I'm sure there will be great variety in material, but also in performance, simply because all 3 guys are multi-instrumentalists, blowing and plucking a huge assortment of instruments.
Sadly, I can't be there myself (I'm an absolute sucker for all the stuff they do), but I know that anybody who does go is going to be shown a good time. Enjoy!
BY ROY CANSDALE-BRUCE BEING ON HOLIDAY IN THE ‘STATES
Thomas “Spats” Langham is no stranger to Jazz Clubs in the North West, or indeed to any club or festival in the land, having been a professional musician for more than twenty years. From the early days as the banjo and guitar player in the rhythm section of many an ensemble, he has an unquestionable devotion to the musical fashions (and attire!) of the 1920’s and 1930’s ., with all the knowledge about the highs and lows of performers & song-writers on both sides of the Atlantic! His verbal introduction to the “next” song draws you into that era of entertainment, from the night-clubs and theatres into the world of recorded sound and the wireless, scenes of the “talkies”, and even the glamour of “Astaire & Rogers” musicals.
The “Hot Fingers” ensemble with Danny Blyth and Malcolm Sked is not so well known due to Spats’ continuing and deserved popularity with other musicians and promoters both here and abroad, but since these three live within just a few miles of each other (“near enough to hear the banjo,” jokes Danny), with a regular gig at the “Crown & Trumpet” at Broadway in the Cotswolds (if you should go there be sure to book in advance!), and additionally very sought-after on their “home patch”, one realises how, in just a few years, they have perfected their style and an enormous repertoire.
The first “half” opened with “Shanghai Shuffle”, with Danny playing Clarinet. “The Old Man of the Mountains” followed, with Spats doing the Al Bowlly vocal. With Danny on bass clarinet, and Malcolm on tuba, it almost defined the Roy Fox recording from 1931!
An instrumental tribute to Django next with “Douce ambience” and “Norwegian Dance” (yes,the one by Grieg!) with Spats leading on guitar, Danny on rhythm guitar, Malcolm on double bass.
Then more from the British Dance Band days- firstly “South American Joe”- the “Ambrose” sound replicated by Spats on ukulele and vocal, Danny on mandolin, and Malcolm on tuba. Secondly , from the Savoy Orpheans , a song that captured the “sexuality” of the ‘30’s – “Masculine women, feminine men, which is the rooster, which is the hen?” with Spats on banjo and vocal after Danny’s clarinet, followed by an excellent “solo chorus” on bass clarinet from Danny.
A tribute to Fred Astaire followed, with Spats’ account of the movie story-line that preceded the song , leading to a super vocal rendition of “Change Partners”, with guitars and double bass.
“Tico Tico” was the next instrumental – a tribute to Argentinian guitarist Oscar Aleman, who worked with Josephine Baker in Paris until returning to Buenos Aires in 1941. Spats explained how Oscar and Django were booked to make a recording together, but Django(who was apparently in awe of Oscar’s playing) failed to show up! The French connection was then extended by a delightful “Parisian “ waltz from the 30’s , titled “Misteriose” (I hope that’s the correct spelling).
Next another vocal from Spats- “Good little bad little you” –( with ukulele, guitar, and double bass) after Spats’ account of the ups and downs of the career of “Ukelele Ike”!
The first half closed with a blistering up-tempo version of “Nagasaki,” Spats on vocal, and banjo solo, Danny on clarinet.
The trio opened the second half with some more “Hot Club”- style favourites with the two guitars and double bass. “Russian Lullaby” and “Besame Mucho” both had Spats on vocals. After recounting his experience at aSamois sur Seine “Django” festival (when Spats suggested Eddie Lang was the better guitarist!) a stunning instrumental version of “Swing Gitane” followed!
More from the “Ukelele Ike” song-book- “Night Owl” (also the title of their recent CD)-an interesting “major to minor” sequence - with a guitar solo from Danny that showed his mastery of “harmonics” on the guitar strings!
Then a vocal number called “Walking Stick” (Irving Berlin) with the novelty of Danny playing castanets before another delightful clarinet chorus.
Back to the Dance Band Days with Billy Cotton’s “Skirts” , more banjo and clarinet, and a fine display of “slap” bass playing from Malcolm.
“On my Persian Rug” demonstrated a 30’s fascination with the rhythms of the “mystical East” (eg, diddy-bomp,diddy –bomp!) well suited to the instrumentation of mandolin, banjo and double bass!
Then in “complete contrast” a stunning version of Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee’s “Country Blues” with not only remarkably similar guitar picking from Spats but also ‘blues’ Harmonica from Danny!
Could there be possibly be any other “evocative” material left in the repertoire? Oh yes there was! “The Harry Lime “ theme (with ‘cuckoo’ echo!).
Spats and Danny then recreated two tunes recorded by guitarists Lonnie Johnson and Eddie Lang (the latter disguised on the record label by a pseudonym due to racial intolerance ) – ‘Jet Black blues’ and ‘Hot Fingers’ (so that’s where the ‘name’ came from!)
‘Dance band days’ again with “Lena from Palestina” and a tuneful tuba solo!
“By a waterfall” called for some (willing) audience participation along with some great ‘fours’ (i.e. alternating solos each of four bar duration) between the ukulele and tuba.
The final number was “Buena Sera” (in true Louis Prima style). But, even after a performance of more than double the number of tunes usually played at the Club, the audience ‘called’ for ‘more’!
So it was… “Goodnight Sweetheart”. Nothing else could have been more appropriate.
Presentation, musicianship ,entertainment, and rapport with an audience, often outweigh considerations about personal preferences in Jazz music. Hot Fingers have mastered those skills, and the audience went home feeling very happy.
There’s nothing else left to say !
THANKS TO ROY FOR THE BLOG AND ( WITH MRS.C) HELPING OUT ON THE NIGHT.
JULY BRINGS THE RETURN OF ALAN BARNES -BUT FOR THE FIRST TIME WITH HIS NEWISH COMBO LIQUORICE-STICK ALL-SORTS: NUFF SAID!
First, thanks to Roy Cansdale for standing in by providing last month's blog. It sounds as though Spats excelled himself, and I'm just sorry I couldn't be there.
However, I'm very pleased that I made it back from holiday in plenty of time to hear Alan Barnes with his Licquorice Stick Trio last Wednesday, and if that's a spelling mistake, apologies - I'm not a big fan of Americanised spelling, but they could have a point with'licorice'. Anyway, archaic nomenclature apart, how was the music?
The answer, from where I'm sitting, is 'terrific'. Alan earned himself a head start by concentrating on my favourite instrument (bias admitted to), and ever since I first heard him live on clarinet in the days when the Jazz Club was at the Ivy Leaf I've looked forward to an evening when his saxophone playing might be relegated to the back burner. And that's just what happened at the Beer Hall: soprano and alto saxophones were present, but the clarinet took centre stage to great effect.
The evening was billed as 'Benny Goodman and beyond', and Alan's chosen instrumentation of vibraphone and drums echoed those great days of the 30s when the Goodman small groups burst onto the scene (Benny's first recording in the trio format, 'After You've Gone', still sounds wonderful today: it must have been jaw-dropping when first released). The big difference, of course, is that Benny never used the clarinet/vibes/drums format - the Trio comprised clarinet/piano/drums, and Lionel Hampton's vibes were added to form the Quartet.
And thereby hangs a question: did Alan's line-up work? From comments made to me by some of those present, the reply is 'yes, but…', the 'but ' being that there was a certain lack of depth in the overall sound. In the original Goodman trio recordings, 'bottom' was provided by Teddy Wilson's left hand and Gene Krupa's insistent bass drum.
That caveat aside, some marvellous music was made at the Beer Hall. Alan and Jim Hart, the vibraphonist, worked beautifully together on the Goodman numbers (Air Mail Special, Seven Come Eleven, Rachel's Dream, etc), with Jim somehow paying tribute to Lionel Hampton while making the solos very much his own, while Alan sailed through the considerable technical difficulties of the material, swinging very hard and making light work of the high-register stuff.
Paul Clarvis, the drummer, chose not to take the Krupa route, but to treat us to some involved and dextrous modern drumming with the bass drum being used only for accents, and at times the beat being only implicit in the sounds he produced. While this approach may not have particularly suited the Goodman material, it came into its own elsewhere in the programme, particularly on a Hermeto Pascal number in the second half.
Paul also showed great sensitivity on the slower tunes like 'Musette for a Magpie ' (in 3/4) and especially on 'Don't Explain', where everyone, but Jim Hart in particular, combined to create an ethereal, haunting quality. The equally haunting, but much earlier and simpler, 'Blue in Thirds', a long-time favourite of Alan's, proved to be an excellent choice to conclude a great night of jazz..
Alan's other main instruments are alto and baritone saxes, and on the latter instrument he has topped many recent polls. On August 10th we welcome back John Barnes, a man with the same surname (but no relation), who occupied the same position on the same instrument in earlier polls. John last appeared for us in the Malt Room at the Brewery Arts Centre, a venue which he knows well, having played there many times in the 70s and 80s with the legendary Alex Welsh Band, of which he was a very important component part. (I suspect that may raise a nostalgic smile for one or two readers).
John is still playing (and singing) as well as ever, and will certainly receive enthusiastic and sympathetic support from the Les Bull Band - Les will be the first to admit, nay proclaim, that it's his lifelong mission to achieve something approaching the sound of that great Alex Welsh outfit. And sorry, Les, I can't bring myself to adopt your revised spelling of 'Lez' when we've known each other for more decades than either of us is likely to admit to. If the French are confused, so be it.
I look forward to seeing many of you again in August, as our rather special 2011 programme rolls on.
They say that nothing nostalges like nostalgia, and our August gig proved just how right that saying is. John Barnes (now pushing 80) and the Les Bull Band (not quite as old, but working on it) did their considerable best to remind us of those glory days in the 60s and 70s when the Alex Welsh Band in its prime lifted the roof off the County Hotel (and later, the Malt Room in the Brewery) at the invitation of Les, who was then at the helm of the first incarnation of Kendal Jazz Club - see our History page.
In fact John stretched the nostalgia timeline even further by invoking the ghosts of Al Bowlly and Fred Astaire in both his choice of numbers and his endearing singing style, high points here being 'You're a Sweetheart' and 'I'm building up to an Awful Let-Down'.
However, his singing was in a sense just the icing on the cake, the bulk of the treat being his assured baritone playing - on a borrowed sax- and his quirky, individual clarinet playing. There were many instrumental high points throughout the evening, but I would pick out John's contribution to the hard-swinging 'Doggin' Around', and particularly his extended baritone solo on the closing 'Royal Garden Blues', which brought to mind the famous Paul Gonsalves solo on the Newport 'Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue'.
And let's not forget the contribution of the Les Bull Band to the splendid evening we all enjoyed. They were all on great form, playing very much in the spirit of the old Welsh band, with trombonist Matthew Woodhouse being the stand-out man, but the number which really brought the memories of Alex flooding back was Les's duo with Pete Major on 'Davenport Blues'. Alex and Fred Hunt would surely have approved.
So nostalgia was certainly present, but so was bonhomie. I'm pretty sure the capacity crowd left with a smile on its collective face - and thanks to all who attended despite the terrible weather.
For the September 14 gig, replacing the Stockholm Stompers who unfortunately cancelled their tour, we have struck very lucky by being able to book Tipitina - a band who were already pencilled in for next year. As I'm sure you know, Tipitina is a music venue in New Orleans and also a hit recording for piano-man Professor Longhair, a late native of that town.
Tipitina the band echo that background, but extend their reach into many other fields, so you're very likely to hear an early Blues like 'Trouble in Mind' juxtaposed with much more recent Nina Simone material and followed by a ballad like 'Dream a LiAnd then they wake the joint up by belting out some jump'n'jive stuff a la Louis Jordan or Ray Charles: your feet will not fail to tap.
The main protagonists are Debbie Jones (vocal and guitar) and Justin Randall (piano and vocal), plus saxophone, bass and drums, and they are all seasoned performers, having just played at Ronnie Scott's in London. They also featured at Keswick Jazz Festival in 2010, so, while they are quite unlike anyone we've had before at Staveley, there is sufficient jazz content in their eclectic mix to satisfy even the diehards in our audience. It will be a high-energy, and one that I'm very much looking forward to.
Well, Tipitina came on 14 September, filling the vacant space left by the Stockholm Stompers, but unfortunately only a small number of you did the same - which left quite a few vacant spaces in the Beer Hall. That's a shame, because this 5-piece, fronted by the dynamic Debbie Jones, gave those who did attend an evening of the most exciting entertainment ever seen and heard at Kendal Jazz Club.
We've never previously had a band of this type, and I felt that there may have been an element of culture shock when they got under way, because it was immediately apparent that a) they were loud and b) there was more than a trace of rhythm and blues - or even rock'n roll - in their playing. But we soon adjusted to the volume (although I confess to having to turn it down a little to suit my aged ears), and when Tipitina got to Nat Cole's 'Hit the Jive, Jack' we could hear that there would be ample jazz content.
In fact the content was tremendously varied, ranging from the old (but little-heard) standard 'If Dreams Come True' to Amy Winehouse's 'You Know I'm No Good' and including Ellington and Waller tunes along the way.
Highlights for me were ' Louisiana 1927', a touching lament for the devastation caused by floods in that year, which has been given even more poignancy by the occurrence of Katrina since it was written, and 'Breaking Up the House', which summed up exactly what the band did for the whole of the second set.
By the time they got to that tune, on which Debbie laid down her guitar and joined Justin Randall at the keyboard for an extended bout of 4 handed playing, the Beer Hall was really jumping as never before. A special word for Justin, who amazed everyone with his virtuousity and swing in his blues-to-boogie style.
They were aided throughout the evening by some very raunchy tenor sax from the gifted Rick Halliwell - who must be the best Northern reedman never to have visited Kendal - plus propulsive double (skeleton) bass and drums from Matt Owens and Paul Rigby respectively.
Overall, a real knockout, and definitely a band we intend to ask back - don't dare miss them next time!
Next up is Digby Fairweather , a legend of British jazz, on Wednesday October 12th. Digby is a very fine cornettist, well remembered in Kendal from when he deputised with the Alex Welsh Band in the 70s and 80s, but hardly seen in this area since those great days. Maybe that's because he's been busy ever since in quite a variety of formats, including 'Rocking in Rhythm', in which he leads an all-star group of musicians which often includes singer Paul Jones. Sorry, ladies, we couldn't quite afford that particular assemblage!
Since the death of Humphrey Lyttelton, Digby has been immediately promoted to the post of premier British jazz broadcaster, so it's good that he can still find the time to get out on the road to regale us with his playing and the fund of anecdotes and general jazz knowledge which made him Humph's natural successor.
Backing Digby we have the Vinny Parker Trio. Vinny is a Manchester-based pianist with a huge repertoire ranging from blues to bop - necessary to cope with Digby's range of styles and mercurial choices. That old description of jazz as the 'sound of surprise' should hold true on this gig, but I'm sure local lads Roy Cansdale and Ted Richards on bass and drums will cope admirably. I'm really looking forward to a great evening of jazz and well-informed chat from Mr. Fairweather and friends. See you there!
October saw the first visit to Staveley by Digby Fairweather, celebrating his 40th year in the jazz business, but playing like it was his 4th. Like many other musicians involved in those terrific concerts when the Alex Welsh Band came to the Brewery Arts Centre during the first manifestation of the Kendal Jazz Club, Digby has fond memories of the area and was obviously delighted to be back, something which showed from the word go.
He made many references to those times in his introductions, which included affectionate anecdotes about the Welsh band, but right from the first number it became apparent that his own playing was not stuck in any sort of time-warp. Performing off-mike virtually all the time, his big trumpet sound filled all corners of the room, and he provided variety not just by the occasional insertion of a mute, but also the frequent exploration of the higher and lower reaches of the instrument - territory not available to all brassmen. Dig also employed fairly frequent half-valving, a technique used in the past by the likes of Rex Stewart, but not much heard these days.
However, it was what he did rather than the way that he did it which turned a good evening into a great one.
Adventurous improvisations were the order of the day, although the tune was never forgotten, but my abiding memory of the night was how hard-swinging and committed Digby's playing was. He also showed his soulful side in slow numbers like ' The Girl with the Wistful Smile' and 'Mood Indigo', and on the latter showed he was not averse to risk by inviting yours truly to join the band on clarinet - a privilege for me.
Finally, I must give the accompanying trio the written equivalent of a big hand. Vinny Parker proved to be the ideal pianist for the job, laying down beautiful harmonic backgrounds for Digby and producing inventive solos, while Roy Cansdale played rich-toned double bass and also excelled in the solo department. Ted Richards swung hard and listened hard - compliments on spotting all those different endings, Ted.
Altogether a splendid evening, thoroughly enjoyed by the 60-strong audience, and yet another one that we will have to repeat ere long.
Wednesday 9 November brings us another first visit - this time from ultra-talented singer Sarah Ellen Hughes, with her own trio of Manchester-based musicians: first-timer Andy Stamatakis-Brown (keyboard) and a welcome return from drummer Marek Dorcik and Kendal ex-pat Gavin Barras on double bass. Kendal Jazz Club forms part of an extensive tour which Sarah is doing, supported by Jazz Services.
She has a great pedigree. After graduating from St Martins College, Lancaster (another local connection!), she spent 3 years from 2005 to 2008 as lead singer with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, and since then has appeared at Ronnie Scott's as well as holding down a residency at Pizza on the Park.
Sarah has just recorded her second album, which I haven't heard yet but songs from which will undoubtedly be aired at Staveley, but it was her first CD, Darning That Dream, which sold her to our committee. She has a gorgeous voice, sonorous in the lower register but impassioned higher up, and her treatment of songs is very individual. You can check her out on www.sarahellenhughes.co.uk, but you'll find it much more rewarding to see and hear her in person on the 9th.
Even for those among us with a latent antipathy towards female vocalists (not me, guvnor), Sarah Ellen Hughes' November gig must have gone some way in removing same. Could that be because she is not just a singer, but also a jazz musician with a capability way beyond her tender years? I must admit that, having only previously heard her live singing standards in a crowded Burgundys bar, I was unprepared for the range of her material and her intricate, self-penned, arrangements.
The songs spanned almost a century, with Honeysuckle Rose at one end and Sarah's own 'Busy Bee', written within the last year or two, at the other: in between were all sorts of unusual choices. Not many singers would invite comparison with the saintly Karen Carpenter by tackling 'Close to You', nor would they make such a splendid job of 'Little Wing', written by the distinctly unsaintly Jimi Hendrix. And those arrangements! We don't often hear such a fresh take on well-known tunes, and several people remarked to me on the quality of her own compositions - the tunes were good and the words fitted them beautifully.
What's more, you could hear every one of those words. Sarah sang with superb diction and a dramatic delivery, and this was matched by the precision and swing of her accompanying trio of Manchester musicians. Gavin Barrass and Marek Dorcik have been heard in Staveley many times, but never to such good effect, while Andy Stamatakis-Brown, on his first visit, was a revelation. His keyboard work only rarely took the conventional route, but I was fascinated by the roads he did take - he told me afterwards that until recently he regarded himself primarily as a composer, so maybe that accounts for some of the freshness of his improvisation.
Altogether an excellent night, and yet another that we hope to repeat in the future.
On December 14th Santas arrive. Why the plural? Well, Steve Andrews is a natural for the role, right down to the beard and the twinkling eyes, while the physique of star guest Enrico Tomasso is also well-suited to the red and white outfit. However, I don't suppose either will actually be dressing up, nor do I expect many, or possibly any, Christmas songs. What we can expect is some fiery trumpet from Enrico, who is now generally recognised as Britain's premier traditional-to-swing exponent of the instrument, and we can be pretty sure that Steve on reeds will refuse to be outdone. Backing these two charismatic frontmen will be the quietly propulsive Roly Veitch and local hero Roy Cansdale, and if all four don't blow up a storm I shall be very surprised. A Christmas treat awaits us.
