Eddie Bellis (tmb); Kevin Eland (tpt); Alan Marshall (alt); John Hudson (ten); Bill Brittain (pno); Roy Willis (gtr); Mick Danby (bs); Paul Wight (dms); Steph and Ike (dancers).(Review by Lance).
A slick, polished performance by a band that produces an overall sound suggestive of an even larger ensemble.
The program consisted of mainly bebop classics including; Blues Walk, Jordu, Filthy McNasty, St. Thomas, Well You Needn't and Sister Sadie amongst others. Stand out performance for me was Jim Martin's Curious George - a bebop tune based on the chord sequence of Georgia on my Mind.
Trumpeter Eland went sky-walking in that rarefied 'sphere beyond top C, Marshall and Hudson did Adolph Sax proud, Bellis' trombone playing has a nice smooth, dry sound, Brittain ruled the keys (and many of the arrangements), Willis chipped in with chordal accompaniments as well as some imaginative solos, on bass guitar Deputy Danby did the biz whilst Paul Wight kicked the whole shebang along nicely.
This wasn't all!
During the latter part of the second set two jazz dancers - Steph and Ike - took to the floor with style and grace responding to the moods and nuances taking place on the stand with an elegance that could almost have been choreographed! .
Lance.
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