Afternoon Delights @ The Gateshead Jazz Festival

Where do I begin - there were so many? Well, Jason Yarde (pictured left) with the Voice of the North Jazz Orchestra was one. He blew up a storm on alto and soprano and the VOTNJO were with him every bar of the way. In particular, Adrian Tilbrook excelled.

Tremendous set.

Prior to Jason and the VOTNJO I'd caught BRASS JAW at the Gateshead Heritage Centre which is actually the former St Mary's Church.

This was the gig of them all to date!

Ryan Quigley (tpt), Paul Towndrow (alt), Konrad Wisniewski (ten) and Allan Beauvoisin (bar).

The program mixed originals with piece's like Sting's Walkin' on the Moon, Cedar Walton's Bolivia and a balladic Falling in Love All Over Again.

This latter number had Paul at his most rhapsodic verging on the Johnny Hodges meets Freddy Gardner - sumptuous.

Ryan was marvellous - if he'd been around in Joshua's time the wall's of Jericho would have come tumbling down without any help.

Likewise the other two saxes - tremendous.

Apart from the music there was also improvised choreography as the quartet wandered around the former church in different directions making the most of the magnificent acoustics. Loved every minute of it.

In the Jazz Lounge I heard, Horn Dogs and Extreme Measures both of whom were superb whilst on the concourse the Kettle Quartet, for me, got the nod.

Lance.

PS: Still pondering on Abdullah Ibrahim. So, for the moment, I'll just say that the audience loved him.
Picture bottom left of Brass Jaw is by official Sage photographer Mark Savage and is not for use in events unrelated to The Sage.