Friday evening sessions included tributes to the Coon-Sanders Nighthawks; Clarence Williams' Jazz Kings as well as Unsaturated Fats and Sing Me More Torch Songs.
Unsaturated Fats.
Duke Heitger (tpt); Matthias Seuffert (reeds); Jeff Barnhart (pno/vcl); Spats Langham (gtr/bjo/vcl); Henry Lamaire (bs); Richard Pite (dms).
The ebullient Jeff Barnhart's tribute to the equally ebullient Fats Waller was a toe-tapping good humoured affair with the American pianist - heard elsewhere with his flautist wife Ann - making sure none of the 88 notes went untouched. His full on approach both playing and singing was right in the Waller groove.
The two frontline men American Heitger and German Seuffert had a perfect understanding which came out in the ensembles and in the solos - particularly the split choruses in Rump Steak Serenade. This latter song had Barnhart encouraging the audience to sing the title words when they came up. At the end he asked for just the men to sing it so we sang it. Then the women and they sang it. Finally he asked the sober people to sing it - silence!
I'd never heard Waller's Do You Have To Go? until today but what a lovely tune it is! Here's the original.
Sing Me More Torch Songs.
Cécile McLorin Salvant (vcl); Ben Cummings (tpt); Alistair Allan (tmb); Jean-Francois Bonnel (reeds); Martin Seck (pno); Spats Langham (gtr); Malcolm Sked (bs); Nick Ward (dms).
The lady was in great voice last night and so she was again tonight in a program subtitled Laments of Unrequited Love. Opening with Benny Carter's Love You're Not The One For Me her opulent vocal chords proved ideal for expressing the subtitle's sentiments. Loverman and Memories of You followed and then my pen ran out! I can't recall the final two tunes but I can't think of anyone other than Daryl as qualified to sing a torch song so effectively. Nor better guys to support her.
This was just so perfect.
Lance.
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