The annual Splinter showcase (a Jazz Action initiative) in the Northen Rock Foundation Hall featured four of the region's most accomplished ensembles.
Saxophonics - Graeme Wilson (tenor), Niall Armstrong (baritone), Steve Summers (alto) & Keith Robinson (alto & sporano) - are the north east's answer to the 29th Street Saxophone Quartet. The quartet presented some new material including Niall Armstrong's Mice Heaven written in 14/8 recalling the work of Don Ellis and a Graeme Wilson piece in honour of the 29th Street band. Mike Mower's tune Hiatus was given an outing as was Wilson's Stranded at the Wine Bar. This was an excellent opening set to the afternoon.
The Zoe Gilby Quintet opened with Midnight Bell (a song about the Midnight Bell pub on Euston Road, London, which in turn took its name from Patrick Hamilton's novel of 1929). Charles Mingus' Dry Cleaner From Des Moines with lyrics by Joni Mitchell, Pink Floyd's Money (a duo performance by Gilby and bassist Andy Champion) and Centrepiece were but some of the winning tunes from yet another top-class set by Gilby's band (Mark Williams -guitar, Noel Dennis - trumpet/flugehorn, Richard Brown - drums and Champion).
Tenor saxophonist Claude Werner followed and had it all to do. Double bass player Lawrence Blackadder and guitarist Lloyd Wright provided a solid platform for Werner to cut loose and new recruit, drummer John Hirst, played magnificently from the off. Werner can blow and blow and he did just that. A torrent of ideas poured forth on original numbers including Sitting in the Sun and the ever playful Kids. Werner garners accolades each time he plays a gig and this performance was no different. A number of people in the hall heard the Chilean for the first time and were mucho impressed. Will he ever receive a bad review? Not on this form he won't!
Closing Splinter's afternoon of jazz was Nick Pride and the Pimptones. This is a class outfit. Snappy tunes, snappy dressers, one of the band's tunes - Midnight Feast of Jazz - got it just about right...a feast sure enough although not quite the witching hour!
Russell.
Russell.
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