Andy Woon (cnt), Paul Munnery (tmb), Matthias Seuffert (clt/alt/ten), Frans Sojstrom (bs sax), Martin Litton (pno), Spats Langham (bjo/gtr/vcl), Nick Ward (dms).
Most, if not all of this Bixian crew have played at the Saville - some many times. This, however, was their first appearance en masse and it was quite a delightful evening. We had been expecting Norman Field on reeds but instead we got the ever youthful German Matthias Seuffert. Not a bad deal all things considered.
This, as you may have guessed, was a tribute to Bix Beiderbecke of whom it has been said was the Miles Davis of his day although personally I would have used Chet Baker for the analogy. Easy to see why. Both played well within their range and had a bent for lyricism - as well as self-destruction.
Andy Woon is low on self-destruction but high on the other two qualities - qualities he displayed in abundance tonight before an appreciative Saville audience. He has the Bix runs and phrases off to a T and he uses them effectively whilst carefully blending them in with his own licks. His solos on Stardust, Singin' the Blues and I'm Comin' Virginia were perfect vignettes. Royal Garden Blues, At The Jazz Band Ball, Somebody Stole My Gal, were some of the more stompified numbers - foot-tappers all.
Matthias gets an almost Hodges-like sound on alto, is less distinctive on tenor and superb on clarinet. On alto he created the Trumbauer mood perfectly.
On the ginormous bass sax the Swede floated round with the ease and dexterity on a flautist. When not soloing he compensated for the lack of a bass player.
Munnery plays straight down the middle without frills - no smoothy stuff here.
Martin Litton paid homage to Bix with In A Mist and In the Dark - two Beiderbecke piano classics.
Nick Ward hit everything he was required to hit and sometimes more.
Spats Langham did the announcements and sang a la Bing as well as playing unamplified guitar and banjo. Spat's vocals included You Took Advantage of Me and the rarely heard I'll Be Your Friend With Pleasure.
Spats Langham did the announcements and sang a la Bing as well as playing unamplified guitar and banjo. Spat's vocals included You Took Advantage of Me and the rarely heard I'll Be Your Friend With Pleasure.
Don't miss out on next month's gig which is on a Tuesday May 11 and features the Fryer/Barnhart Jazz Band. The band includes no less than three American Jims - Jim Fryer (tmb), Jim Barnhart (pno) and Jimmy Mazzy (bjo.vcl) along with George Huxley (clt/sop), Gordon Whitworth (tpt), Annie Hawkins (bs) Brian Mellor (bjo) - two banjos in one evening! - plus a return visit from tonight's drummer, Nick Ward..
Lance
0 comments; click to add more:
Post a Comment