When Swing Was King: Customs House, South Shields, Fri Oct 31

Cécile Mclorin Salvant (vocals); Matthias Seuffert sax/clt); Duke Heitger (tpt); Jean-Francois Bonnel (sax/clt); Keith Nichols (pno/vcl); ‘Spats’ Langham (gtr); Henry Lemaire (bs); Richard Pite (dms)

(Review by Ann Alex)

This was a wow of an eve of the popular Whitley Bay Classic Jazz Party gig which is being held this weekend across the river at the Village Inn near Shiremoor.  The theatre was near full to hear the band kick off swing numbers by the likes of Bunny Berigan (wonderful name) and Artie Shaw.  Broken Record featured singing by Nichols, with amusing repeated phrases as per the title, and the horns and trumpet wasting no time in getting into the 1920’s/30’s groove.  There followed much relaxed fun with Jelly Roll Blues and Mahogany Hall Stomp (Louis Armstrong) so naturally a skilled trumpet was featured for that one.  Other entertaining solos came from bass and guitar.

Enter Cécile, dressed in red with a black cloak over one shoulder, which neatly complemented the band who wore smart dark suits with just hints of red accessories such as ties.  And of course she wore her signature white-rimmed dark glasses, a striking figure, singing the only song she did in the first half - a taster of the delights to come.  This was a slow sad Billie Holiday number; Deep Song, feelingly done, and the performance reminded me of what was said in a previous review on BSH, that this singer has a huge range with strong soulful lower notes and tender sounds of sadness in her higher register.  The band then gave us Hop, Skip and, Jump with a lovely pause before the jump, showing the amusing fun displayed in music of this period, followed by The Man I Love, featuring clarinet, Someone’s Rocking My Dreamboat and Grabtown Grapple, with an excellent drum solo by Pite done on brushes with perfect timing and showmanship.

Cécile featured in most of the second half, beginning with I Can’t Believe That You’re In Love With Me and the wonderfully assertive Baby I Don’t Cry Over You, a very appealing set of lyrics about a woman who merely goes out with other men and drinks cocktails if her boyfriend doesn't turn up!  If Dreams Come True had the band trading 4’s, and they shone again on their instrumental Shanghai Shuffle, lots of effective solos and an entertaining clicky sound from the bass.  Cécile sang for the rest of the concert, a gentle On The Sentimental Side; I’ve Got My Love To keep Me Warm; I’m Havin’ Myself A Time; Then she really went to town on What A Little Moonlight Can Do, obviously glorying in all the ‘oooh’ sounds which she drew out as long as she dared.  This was the nearest she came to a scat-like sound, though not really scat.  I liked her honest interpretations of the songs, the song came first, but her interpretations were her own.  The concert ended with the encore, Billie Holiday’s own Fine And Mellow, a blues with mellow solos from the trumpet and horns.

A great prelude to the Whitley Bay event.

Ann Alex