Bill Harper (piano), Roly Veitch
(guitar), Neil Harland (double bass), Adam Sinclair (drums) & Anne DeVere
(vocals)
(Review
by Russell)
Bill Harper was
house pianist at Blaydon Jazz Club for something like fifteen years before
upping sticks with Anne DeVere for the good life in Brittany
So keen to get
started, and enjoying themselves so much, we got a full value first set of an
hour and more. Harper’s pad was chock-full of songs and he picked them out at
will, knowing that his band mates would be able to handle anything put in front
of them. Ballads, a bossa, Rhythm-a-ning Monk, two varied sets lapped up by the
regulars and others who made the effort on this rare occasion. DeVere
entertained with anecdotes, threatened to tell a risqué joke or two and sang
beautifully; Johnny Mandel’s Summer
Wishes, Winter Dreams, lyrics momentarily forgotten, then recalled. Autumn Leaves, the first verse in English,
the others in French. Bravo! Guitarist Veitch, content to allow Harper and
DeVere to bask in the limelight, contributed typically sympathetic rhythmic
support and took a few polished solos (All
the Things You Are a highlight). Early sound difficulties were soon resolved
and Bill Harper’s piano playing was heard to best effect. Two handed, fluent,
easy – or so he made it look! DeVere enjoyed herself (perhaps too much!) on Some Cats Know and gave a perfect
reading of I’ll Remember April during
which Neil Harland and Adam Sinclair excelled. Our exiled guests were fulsome
in their praise of the pair and Harper said of Roly Veitch ‘he always gets it
right’. Quite so.
Russell.
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