Scarborough Jazz Festival September 29 - Evening.

National Youth Jazz Orchestra

Helen Wilson (fl); Phil Meadows, Jim Gold (alt); Nadim Teimoori, Riley Stone-Lonergon (ten); Simon Marsh (bar); Louis Dowdswell, Tom Syson, Nick Dewhurst, Tom Dennis, James Copus (tpt); Ralph Clarkson, Maddy Dowdswell, Tom Green, Chris Valentine, James Buckle (tmb); Dave Drake (pno); Rob Luft (gtr); Conor Chaplin (bs); Felix Higginbottom (perc); Scott Chapman (dms); Emma Smith (vcls); Mark Armstrong (md) + Tim Garland (ten/sop).

Ellington's Rockin' in Rhythm got NYJO off to a swinging start with pianist Drake doing the Dukish type introduction. before the band hit it with a whole lot 0f power. The Cat Anderson-like finale from a trumpet player whose name I didn't catch added a touch of authenticity to the arrangement.

Tim Garland came on and played 'Round Midnight quite beautifully adding the slightly sinister feel the Monk tune invariably evokes. Emma Smith unleashed some amazing vocalese on Kenny Wheeler's Know Where You Are. This was all the more remarkable as she was wearing a dress that must surely have restricted her breathing - not that I'm complaining - a million dollars would be cut-price! Emma returned after Return Flight for Midnight Sun (twice in one day for the Hampton/Mercer tune).

Tim Garland re-joined for Agro Alegria, a complex piece with flamenco overtones, that saw him work out on both horns.

Summer Sundays and Emma on Feeling Good left the audience - feeling good.

Lance.

Over in the Jazz Lounge, Festival Supremo, Mike Gordon, sat in on piano with the Birkett Trio for Blue Bossa. Nice to have a promoter who can 'Do the business' - musically speaking.

Tim Garland Quartet.

Tim Garland (ten/sop/bs clt.);  John Turville (pno); Laurence Cottle (bs gtr); Asif Sirkis (dms).

If Music Be the Food of Love was Tim's tribute to William Shakespeare and, in the audience was one of my Facebook Friends - Bill Shakespeare - hope to have a link to some of his photos soon,

The piece had a nice folksy feel to it and Garland seemed to be inclined in that direction at times. In a Sentimental Mood was an item of sheer beauty aided and abetted by a rhythm section that laid down the perfect cushion for him.

Tim was also in a flamenco frame of mind as he had  hinted at earlier in his spot with NYJO and the piece that may or may not have been called Mecca Del Sol was very much a la Espanol. He blew some fine bass clarinet and Turville on piano also did some cooking whilst Gilad after opening on oude switched to kit for the best drum solo to date.The final Mentos - subtitled The Devil's Goat had some wild tenor playing that surely was inspired by Beelzebub himself. Laurence Cottle also played some notes and chords and phrases that were definitely born in Hades.
Lance.

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Claire Martin Sextet.

Claire Martin (vcl); Jim Mullen (gtr); Nigel Hitchcock (alt); Gareth Williams (pno); Laurence Cottle (bs. gtr); Dave Ohm (dms).
(Photo courtesy of Bill Shakespeare.)

Saturday night finished off with that exquisite vocalist Claire Martin who gave an immaculate performance - does she ever do anything other than delight an audience?

The material was perfect without being hackneyed and included I Keep Going Back to Joe's, Come Back to me (terrific Hitchcock alto), You Turned the Tables on Me, an ultra fast Just in Time, a couple of Hoagy's - I Get Along Without You Very Well acompanied by Jim Mullen - who wasn't daunted at having to follow Jim Birkett - and Baltimore Oriole. Cole Porter got a look in with From This Moment On - some nice playing by Williams still wearing his Bill Evans hat, 'Round Midnight and finally It Could Happen To You. Special mention for Cottle who stayed over from the previous set and Dave Ohm who kept it all together.

I slept well.

Lance.