Jazz Café @ The Star and Shadow October 18.

The North East Four (NE4), [Paul Gowland (tenor), Ray Truscott (6 string electric bass), Alan Law (piano), Paul Wight (drums)]; Scott Tyrrell (poetry); The Debra Milne Ensemble, [Debra Milne (vocal), Steve Glendinning (guitar), Paul Grainger (double bass), Rob Bates (drums)]; plus a presentation of a teaser segment of Abi Lewis’s forthcoming film ‘The Jazz Man’ about Keith Crombie.

(Review by Minnie Fraser.)

Pink Lane Jazz Co-op’s latest big splash event was as interesting and varied as you could wish for, and attracted good numbers despite the weather on a rainy Friday night. The evening began with a presentation, by director Abi Lewis, of a teaser of her forthcoming film about The Jazz Man. The sequence suggested that the finished film is likely to hit an appropriate balance, and should be a fitting tribute to Keith and the venue(s) he created.  Abi is looking to raise some additional funds to complete the film to the appropriate standard to be submitted to film festivals, and will be establishing a Kickstarter campaign soon, giving us all the chance to become Executive Producers. Watch this space for your chance to be the new David O. Selznick.

Music for the evening was supplied by Debra Milne, and Ray Truscott’s NE4, with Scott Tyrrell offering a poetic intermission, including some clever and amusing stanzas. Standout moments were a self-referential piece on the nature of poetry scanning and  rhyme, and a Trip Advisor entry on a stable in Bethlehem (one star).

The Milne band delivered a mix of half and half - original tunes, written by Debra and her virtuoso guitarist Steve Glendinning, with covers selected from beyond the mainstream usually addressed by vocalists. Notable were The Jazz Cafe song, an original written for Crombie, Betty Carter’s Tight, Parker’s Billie’s Bounce, and Ellington’s Caravan, which allowed solid young drummer Rob Bates to flex his muscles.  Milne was engaging and melodic, Glendinning tasteful with harmonic well structured solos, and Grainger swung.

Ray Truscott is heading off soon for his winter hibernation in Miami and it will be our loss as we won’t get to hear NE4 again until he returns with the spring thaw. Truscott’s original compositions haven’t the most straightforward structures yet were expertly delivered by his virtuoso band. Gowland soared and demonstrated why he is one of the best horn players in this or any other region, Law built tasteful solos and prompted the rest of the band, while Truscott and Wight tied down the often angular fusion soaked rhythms perfectly.  The audience wanted more so the band encored with a wonderful rendition of Chick Corea’s Spain.

A great evening all round. I can’t wait for the next Co-op big event when they take over World Headquarters on November 23.

For details of other events organised by the co-op, including how to become a member, visit:

http://www.pinklanejazz.co.uk/

Minnie.