(Review by Roly
Veitch)
A lovely session of pure
New Orleans jazz was served up for the faithful regulars, along with
the traditional sumptuous Christmas buffet, making for a most
enjoyable and convivial evening. This just one of literally hundreds
of concerts that have been staged by the Fell jazz club since it was
all begun by the late drummer Ray Brown back in 1994. When Ray
tragically passed away in 2000 the running of the club was taken on
by enthusiasts Ron and Joyce Pollard who have, with great
determination and devotion, kept the club going since then, such that
it reaches its 20th anniversary in 2014. That will be 20
years of weekly sessions – somewhere around 1000 concerts. They
deserve a medal!
This evening Rae
Brothers, great favourites at the club, delivered their own rather
special brand of egoless, pure ensemble style New Orleans jazz – as
always played with such a lovely gentle, subtle, authentic feel and
delightful, foot tapping rhythm. Its not by luck that this band are
hugely popular at clubs and festivals all over the UK and beyond. A
great selection of tunes – Carolina Moon, Walking with the King,
Put on Your Old Grey Bonnet, Bye and Bye, Moonlight Bay, Ma, She's
Making Eyes at me, Sugar Blues, In the Highways, Shake it and Break
it, St Louis Blues and more.
A few years back a young
pianist became a protégée of the band. Ian Wynne has gone on to
study music completing his degree at Birmingham and now working for a
masters at Manchester. He is indeed a young master of early jazz
piano styles – ragtime, boogie woogie, blues, stride. Tonight the
band gave him a 20 minute solo feature. The audience were enraptured
by his performance of Dr John's Song for Mother, Joplin's
Maple Leaf Rag and the waltz Bethena, Professor
Longhair's Tipitina (with vocal) and an Albert Ammons boogie
woogie. All immaculately played.
The band finished the
evening with a rousing Ice Cream and Winter Wonderland (one
of several nice vocals by Dave this evening) sending everyone home
happy and in the Christmas spirit.
Thanks from all of us to
Ron and Joyce for all their hard work and dedication.
Roly.
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