London Jazz Festival - Cedar Walton Trio @ Ronnie Scott's.

Cedar Walton (pno), Piero Odorici (ten), Daryl Hall (bs), Willie Jones III (dms).

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Tim Lapthorne (pno), Arnie Somogyi (bs), Stephen Keogh (dms).

Cedar Walton is a jazz legend and deservedly so. His blues tinged bopperisms inspired a host of Blue Note hornmen - Donald Byrd, John Coltrane just a couple of his associates. Two storming sets showed that he has lost none of his fire yet tonight, there was extra fire from Italian tenor player Piero Ricci - please correct me if I've got the name wrong. (I've been corrected!)

He blew like there was no tomorrow running the changes skilfully and inventively. Reminiscent of Hank Mobley, Charlie Rouse, Wayne Shorter he nevertheless contrived to be his own man. In a Sentimental Mood being particularly poignant as he searched for the truth and maybe found it - he is someone I will look out for again.

This is not to take anything away from Cedar Walton he played jazz piano the way it should be played - straight down the middle. Over The Rainbow where he applied a double tempo middle section was an object lesson in harmony and chordal substitutions.

On bass Daryl Hall solid and swinging the perfect anchor.

I've heard more drum solos than I care to remember and you would think every permatutaion of kit had been used up. However, I have to say that Willie the Third produced some cross rhythms twixt snare and bass drum that maybe I hadn't met before - or perhaps my memory's fading!

Two great sets.

Earlier, the Tim Lapthorne Trio played a set of mainly originals (I Should Care being the exception) that set the scene perfectly for the headliners.

I'm rarely impressed by 'originals' but these had some melodic and harmonic value that the leader and composer exploited to their best advantage.

Look forward to hearing them again.

Ronnie's was deservedly 'House Full'

Lance.

PS: Nice to meet and chat with young Japanese jazz piano student - Keiichi. Tonight must have been both educational and enjoyable for him.