(Review by Ron
Ainsborough - the first of a series of belated reviews of a festival that is probably only 40% jazz these days).
I know this concert is not Jazz but we do have a link with
Jazz, in that Lance, when I saw him a while back asked me to give his regards
to Sting (a former Newcastle Big Band bass player). Well unfortunately, Lance,
he was a little bit busy singing that night and I missed having a word with him. drat!
Back to the review.
Sting’s drummer was non other than Vinnie Colaiuta
(LA based I believe!) I first came across him on the Jeff Beck at Ronnie
Scott's DVD, he is a fantastic powerhouse drummer and I think called upon by a
number of top musicians. A Bonus before we started.
Sting
sang every top seller he ever recorded with the most polished and professional
performance you are ever likely to see. He obviously had a great band of
musicians around him including the aforementioned drummer. So engrossed with
his music, like many jazz performers, he does not talk to his audience very
much at all, but instead lets the superb music do the talking. The set lasted
for 2.5 hours including FOUR encores which really says it all. A non jazz night
to remember big time! Actually he did play one
instrumental number which was pure jazz featuring solos by every band member
which was great like the rest of his wonderful performance.
As this concert was standing room only for about 3.50 hours a
lot of people (including my wife and myself) in the 'Stravinsky Hall' used the
45minute opening set by Sadie and the Hotheads to sit and rest on the floor
before the main event.
Sadie and the Hotheads is a band lead by the actress
Elizabeth McGoverns playing nice music for those that like that kind of thing.
Ron Ainsborough.
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