When threatened with an evening of 'original compositions' I usually sit near the exit. However, Graeme Wilson's compositions really are original and not thinly disguised versions of standards; tonight they showed him off to perfection. Up tempo storming and rhapsodic balladry fell beneath his fingers, seemingly without effort as he took the changes in his stride. This was top quality tenor playing.No less impressive was Paul Edis on piano his powers of invention increasing by the minute and not without the occasional humorous musical aside - did I detect a quote from 'Mona Lisa' somewhere along the line? A few Brubeck inflections here and there too.
Mick Shoulder (bs) and Adam Sinclair (dms) were perhaps less flamboyant than the other two but their contributions no less essential.
All that was missing was the audience; perhaps they had a consultation with Dr John over at the Sage - he should have prescribed the tonic being dispensed across the river.
1 comment :
This was another very enjoyable Side concert. It deserved a much bigger audience.
Jazz composition has certainly moved on a long way beyond the traditional 32 bar American Songbook form.
Great playing all round.
Roly
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