Claude Werner Quartet at Zeffirellis, Ambleside, Sat March 6th

In a packed Jazz Café Bar at Zeffirellis on Saturday night this truly international line-up seemed to drift aimlessly into their opening set. Four very busy musicians, playing in a variety of line ups in their adopted home city of Newcastle, probably welcomed such a low key start as it gave themselves time to re-acquaint. However, after a rave review of the previous weeks gig at The Bridge Hotel in Newcastle we need not have worried about what was to come. Laurence Blackadder (Carlisle) on bass solidly underpinned every number together with a relaxed and rhythmical David Carnegie (Barbados) on drums. The solos from Claude Werner (Chile) on tenor sax and Mark Williams (Northern Ireland) were the highlights of the evening as they soared above the steady meter of their colleagues. The first set had highlights in ‘Sitting in The Sun’ and ‘Inner Image’ however the second set was where the musicians found their feet and brought Werner’s clever compositions to life. The opener was ‘Daydreaming’ with bass and tenor sax weaving intricate patterns around a beautifully simple tune heralding some great things to come. The next number was entitled ‘City’ and, although Rush Hour as a title would have summed it up better, the sound was full of street aggression and angst as we pounded the streets looking for a way out with Werner our scintillating impatient driver on tenor saxophone. Next it was the turn of Mark Williams on guitar to provide a wonderfully melodic solo over the steady back beat on ‘I Have Nothing to Say to You’. Blackadder again opened on ‘Drawings Across The Street’ as these accomplished musicians continued to move through the gears. All the tunes played were from the bands album Thoughts and Recollections (available http://www.claudewerner.com/) which is a fine collection of tunes and hopefully the forerunner of more exciting music from this very talented set of young musicians. The final act at Zeffirellis was, my favourite from the album, ‘Gorka’ a bouncy lyrical number and a fitting tribute to another great night.

David Gosling.