Paul Edis (piano/ flute), Mick Shoulder (bass) and Roly Veitch (guitar/ vocals).
We arrived at The Cherry Tree ravenous and caught only hints and fragments of the first two numbers from the bar area while being tormented by delicious hints and fragrances from the kitchen opposite. These “soundbites” whetted the appetite for jazz and food alike.
Tonight’s unusual line-up (Crook revisited!) saw Roly Veitch’s guitar and vocals replacing drums at short notice (and very ably indeed).
We were at table and up to speed by Nature Boy with Roly’s vocals as smooth as the tarragon and truffle oil which garnished my Gratin of asparagus and salsify – wonderful! After Paul gave the flute its first outing of the evening (sorry, I missed more titles than I heard!) we had Darn that Dream and a dreamy Crab linguine with chilli, garlic and lemon – a Cherry Tree favourite. Chef on victuals, Roly on vocals: what can I say? The boy's darn good!
Then it was Montego Bay to Osborne Road (via Crook) with Calypso Jim – a Roly Veitch gem – with infectiously sunny solos on both flute and guitar, swiftly followed by All the Things You Are which, accompanied by Crème brulée with rhubarb compote and vanilla shortbread (All the Things You Like?) took us to the break.
The restaurant was gradually filling, now, having been quieter yet, thanks to one couple (utterly oblivious to the musicians), noisier than usual! This pair apart, everyone was visibly enjoying the food and the music.
Set two opened with a lively, rhythmical number (sorry, missed that title, too!) followed by more vocals from Roly on 100 Years from Today. The next “untitled” featured melodic flute, a fine bass solo (with flute “long-notes” thrown in) and flute/guitar fours too!. In this number and throughout the evening, Mick Shoulder’s steady bass was the band’s pulse.
At this point Roly got vocally romantic with My Romance but, unfortunately, “Dumb and Dumber” on a nearby table (and on their third bottle of red in double-quick time!) got Loud and Louder! In which company the Chopin-inspired How Insensitive, seemed remarkably appropriate!
Things quietened then as Roly did a beautiful version of In the Wee Small Hours and another young couple (God bless them for restoring my faith!) showed how to react to romantic music by doing a spontaneous two minutes of “Strictly Ballroom” on the landing above, seemingly unaware that they could be seen from below!
The set ended with a choo-choo-boogie blues (not the title – another train I missed!) featuring some great picking and piano, a bowed-bass solo and a whimsical flute flourish at the close. That sounds a bit like tasting notes for a flavoursome wine: this was a vintage performance full of subtlety and variety – and that goes for the food, too!
Jerry.
Really enjoyed reading that, loved the dumb & dumber bit!
ReplyDeleteLiz