Jumpin' Jazzathon!

I'm not sure what the august figures whose portraits adorn the hallowed halls of the Literary and Philosophical Society would have thought on this August afternoon as the 2011 Jazzathon kicked off it's 12 hours of music in aid of the crisis in East Africa. They would surely have approved of the end result which raised over £1000 thanks to the generosity of fans and of course the bands who gave of their services free. As will be noted from the previous preview posting it was a rich and varied program with too many highlights to list and it would be both difficult and unfair for me to single out any one band or individual with the possible exception of Paul Edis who not only played in several different bands but also organised the whole shebang! On top of that he's just got married.

When I arrived, the Noel Dennis Quartet and ACV had already played sets that the durable Russell, who was there from the birth to the death, tells me were excellent. Armed with a bottle of Wylam Brewery's Angel Bitter I settled back and enjoyed the Sue Ferris Quintet who were in a very boppy mood on the opening Opus de Funk. Alongside Sue (pictured on tenor) was Graham Hardy. This was quite a poignant moment as Graham was playing the late Mike Gilby's flugel horn passed on to his former pupil - he did his mentor proud.

Next band up was Legohead described to me by someone sitting close by as McLaughlin meets Cobham meets Pastorius it was an apt description of this driving jazz/rock trio.

We'd had Mike Gilby's flugel horn now we had his daughter.

What is there left for me to say about Zoe Gilby that hasn't been said 1000 times on this blog? Well, nothing except I thought this was the best I'd ever heard her! Ditto Noel Dennis on trumpet and flugel. The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines, I'm Always Drunk in San Fransisco just two of the many gems.

The only way any one could follow this set was by complete contrast and that's just what we got from the James Birkett/Roly Veitch Duo with the added bonus of new guitar hero on the horizon Bradley Johnson. Cool and laid back this was gentle chamber jazz that was as cool and refreshing as a Mint Julep on a hot day in Manhattan.

More boppy arrangements in a well chosen set by the Mick Shoulder Quintet before an awesome nonstop one tune set by the Lewis Watson Trio.

This was a new Lew - I guess he'd taken a sabatical practising late at night on the Millennium Bridge - a sheer tour de force a la Sonny Rollins, Joshua and Dewey, David Murray. I was left as breathless as he should have been but wasn't! The moods varied from a Debussy like pastoral tranquility to the Ride of the Valkyries on Speed. This was a tone poem created in a thunderstorm! And so it continued...

Mick Donnelly blew some nice straight down the middle tenor that never stopped swinging. The Paul Edis Sextet kept the flag flying even though the audience were flagging!

The bar was kept busy - and so it should at a mere £2.50 a bottle - sandwiches were acquired from Subway and the numbers multiplied for Ruth Lambert (see seperate post later.)

Finally, the evening drew to a close with Ex Extreme (pictured right) the band formerly known as Extreme Measures before the departure of leader David Carnegie to Barbados. Indeed a piece was dedicated to David appropriately entitled Barbados!

A day of unmitigated delight.

Photos.

Lance