PAUL EDIS SEXTET – Jazz in the café at the Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 31st March 2011.

Paul Edis (piano), Adam Sinclair (drums), Mick Shoulder (bass), Graeme Wilson (sax), Graham Hardy (trumpet/flugel), Chris Hibbard (trombone).

“A really enjoyable gig: I would go back for more of the sextet and (given a lift) some pie, beer and Hexham hospitality…” , I said, after the previous Queen’s Hall gig. I did return and, although the pie was proscribed, I managed one bottle of “Tar Bar’l”, Allendale’s gorgeous “coffee” stout, and spent two hours enjoying these fine musicians. Jazz is ‘live and well in Hexham!

As the musicians were tuning up, the room was filling up and, when the Abbey clock moved slowly to a couple of minutes past eight, spring in Hexham became Autumn in New York arranged by Graeme Wilson….who also arranged Bud Powell’s Un Poco Loco in the second set and composed Up Late which was the band’s encore.

Next up (scarcely “softly” and certainly at a cracking pace) was Softly as in a Morning Sunrise – arranged by Mick Shoulder and featuring great solos from him and from Paul. The region has a wealth of arrangers and composers as well as brilliant performers - apart from Somewhere Over the Rainbow, a request, almost everything on the programme tonight was composed or arranged by members of the band.

The pot of gold at this Rainbow’s end was back-to-back Edis’ originals: Folk Tune and Sharp 9/8: the former slow and restrained, with some lovely flugelhorn contributions; the latter featuring a “quivering” sax solo but mostly drum-driven and rhythmical, especially in the final “vamped” section where Adam really came to the fore…..just as he later came to the fours (great fun all round) in the “last” number of the night, Blues for Dad. As well as being another original this exemplified another of the positives of the programme – it was nicely varied in mood and tempo from start to finish.

The blues was preceded by Elegy – slow and quiet with mournful trombone and resonant bass just as, earlier in the second set we switched from the “modal and moody” (Paul’s words, not mine) Dorian Gray to the Donald Brown tune, Being with You. This is a bit like being parachuted from a dignified musical wake to a tea-dance which becomes, in the fruitiest of trombone solos, more like an audience with Dita van Tease! Great trombone work from Chris Hibbard – especially appreciated when one is only two feet away and nearly knee-capped by the extended slide!

I’ve left my personal favourite till last – the closing number of the first set – which was the stomping Administrate This (another Edis original). Everyone shone on this, but a special mention for Graham Hardy’s muted trumpet solo on which he (literally) rocked! I swear even the clock on the Abbey upped its tempo and smiled!

P.S For those fellow-travellers who relish the prospect of more great, local, composing, arranging and performing (not to mention cask-ales!) – check out April 10 at The Bridge which offers (if I read it right) VOTNJO showcasing Graeme Wilson’s music. Not to be missed!

Photos.

Jerry.