Gabi Heller
(vocals); Alan Law (keys); Steve Glendinning (guitar); Dave Parker (bass)
(Review by Ann Alex).
This was a mammoth gig
of one and a half hours, with no let up in the skill and enthusiasm of the
performers, followed by a half hour jam session, just for good measure, and all
for free. You are mad if you missed it,
that’s all I can say!
Gabi’s voice sounded
stronger than ever, with a wide range, from rough-edged bluesy up to tender
sweetness. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise started us off with well expressed
lyrics, then a smooth vocalese-like scat.
We were reminded that it was a full moon last night with Old Devil Moon, which had the guitar
running up and down and round about and the keys being gently tricksy. This musical
alchemy was followed by a Quincy Jones song, featured in the film The Colour Purple, calling on the
sisterhood, supported by much whole-band soloing.
Then came one of my
favourites, Gabi’s own song Don’t Mess
Around With Me, and the band certainly didn’t mess around, Steve whirling
around the fretboard like a man possessed – perhaps searching for the lost
chord and, in the process, finding many new ones!
Alan played a
tremendous solo on Lullaby of Birdland that
drew the first, and possibly the loudest, round of applause of the evening. The benchmark had been set down. A Latin
number, about the people in Argentina
The Jam Session
Lindsay Hannon
(vocals); James Harrison (keys); Steve Glendinning (guitar); Dave Parker
(bass); Chris Finch (keys); Jeff Smith (tenor sax).
Lindsay and James
treated us to a journey on the A Train, and
the journey continued with Steve and Dave joining them to tell us that There Will Never Be Another You. Thelonious Monk got into the carriage, with
his Blue Monk, which had James
soloing bluesily with big chops and slides, wonderful stuff. Chris and Jeff then stepped up to join the
bass for the theme from Black Orpheus,
and we finally journeyed back home to London
The whole evening was
well worth the ride! And, just in case you think Alan Laws is King of the
Keyboard – well, actually he is, but James and Chris are up there with him.
The Star is developing
a jazz club ambience – it’s cool, it’s friendly
Ann Alex
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