Karen Sharp (alt/bar), Alan Barnes (alt/ten), Jeremy Price (tmb), Mark Edwards (pno), Arnie Somogyi (bs), Clark Tracey (dms).Let's get the negative things out of the way first.
When I go to a political rally (not that I've ever been to one!) I don't expect the speaker to tell me how to play the double bass. Likewise, when I go to a jazz concert I don't expect the double bass player to pass on his unrequested views on the world of politics which is what Arnie did tonight.
Having said that, I realise that if it had been an actual Charles Mingus concert the late, great, bassist would have expressed his views more volubly than Arnie! So maybe it was in the spirit of the evening.
Musically, this Jazz North East promotion was near faultless. The Mingus feel was there in the arrangements, the rich harmonic textures made you just want to wallow in the sound.
Karen Sharp, making her debut with the band, blew tremendous baritone getting round the instrument as if it was in-built with a sound as full as any baritone player this side of Harry Carney.
Alan Barnes - well what more is there to be said? He floats like a butterfly on alto and stings like a bee on tenor (good phrase must use it again). I've said it before. he is at home in any style.
I felt Alan got closest to the original some of his multi tongued phrases were Shafi Hadi in concept but Alan Barnes in execution.
Jeremy Price, wisely chose not to go down the Jimmy Knepper road. Instead he did his own thing and it worked.
Arnie had the most difficult role - that of the jazz world's greatest bass-player. He handled it well.
Clark Tracey, as ever, a driving force in any band.
Mark Edwards had some good chordal passages as well as more flamboyant moments in his solos.
An all Mingus program that mixed the familiar with the not so familiar but never coasted.
Lance.
PS: and a good turnout boosted by a party of South Koreans on a cultural visit to Gateshead!
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