Pete Long (alt/ldr). Tony Fisher, Steve Fishwick, Mark Armstrong, Nathan Bray, ? (tpts). Andy Rodgers, Keith Hutton (tmbs). Lisa Gordon, Sammy Main (alt), Tommy Lawrence, Richard Shepherd (ten), ? (bar). Matthew Regan (pno), Alan Grahm (vbs), Roberto de Pla (timb), Satin Singh (conga), Dave Chamberlain (bs), Mark Fletcher (dms).
Is there a better big band than Gillespiana? The 100 plus who squeezed into the tiny basement of Crouch End's King's Head would give an emphatic 'no' and I would agree with them. In such a small room it was absolutely incredible.
I imagine this was what the original Gillespie big band sounded like on location. Imagine a trumpet section of 5 Dizzy's with each one a great soloist in his own right. Add some hard-blowing saxes, a couple of trombones and an MJQ rhythm section with congas and timbales and your beginning to get the picture. Oh yes and there is Pete Long. Alto player extraordinaire, wit and raconteur, Pete has put together a band that simply swings like crazy and, although they are playing material familiar to the Bop Generation the solos are very much of today.
Manteca, Our Delight, Woody'n' You, Oop Bop Sh'Bam (naturally!) Guarachi Guara etc.
Anthropology had a wild solo by Pete that lead to a 5 trumpet battle with the saxes blowing a Little Brown Jug riff which later segued into The Champ behind them. By this time my heart was beating like Dave Chamberlain's bass - could I survive without a cardiac arrest? The final Things To Come meant there was no way I'd be running for the bus - I was flying!
Phew!
Lance.
Sounds amazing, if only I could find out about these things in advance!
ReplyDeleteDan Johnson