Dean Stockdale (piano) Paul Grainger (D. Bass)
Steve Doyle (Drums)
(Review by Kath Jobes).
My evening didn't get off to a good start… I
went along to take a look at the opening night of the Jazz Café on Pink Lane…
what a disappointment … total lack of ambience, sterile… not even a Christmas
decoration… it’s become a trendy wine bar with almost every aspect of the
previous history eradicated… quite a shock to the Jazz Community… my favourite
cosy bench seat where I could be found many a Saturday evening gone… and all
that was left of the Crombie days were a couple of mirrors and a light fitting…
It saddens me that the renovation was not more in a more sympathetic way… but
times move on and I suppose new brooms like to sweep clean… let’s hope that the
addition of a few pictures and perhaps some jazz artefacts will bring back some
of the ambience… it was nice to see Pete Gilligan back in his spot at the
Piano, and although I didn't stay long the audience seemed to enjoy his
playing…
The first set commenced with a lovely
arrangement of Like Someone In Love, the key change was a delightful aspect and a
most agreeable start to this part of the evening… well things could only get
better… so as we moved onto Oleo the
lively and varied percussion of Steve Doyle as he used his hands to pat out the
rhythms and it was all beautifully coordinated with the occasional nod of the
head from Dean…. The language of Jazz never ceases to amaze me.
The Michael
Legrand number You Must Believe In Spring
brought visions of walking down lanes of blossom laden trees in the warm spring
weather as skilled variations effused from Dean Stockdale’s Piano. The visions continued as we walked along the
sea shore to the melodious Wave
featuring an easy-going bass solo from Paul Grainger. The foot tapping Kelly’s Blues, wasn't at all blue and Steve Doyle displayed his
skill with a cheerful drum solo that brought a smile to the faces of the other
musicians. My favourite number of the
night came next with a carefree arrangement of the Beatles number – Blackbird…
although from the concentration on Paul’s face I could see that the interesting
changes in the arrangement were not as carefree as it seemed to the general
audience, but I found it to be lovely, soft and engaging. The next number had us bobbing along to I Want to be Happy… the final number of
the set had a leisurely introduction to All
The Things You Are… the tempo picked up and a skilful bass solo brought
this set to an amenable end.
A wistful start to the second set in the form of
Nostalgia in Times Square with
another lovely arrangement from Dean Stockdale followed by a bluesy God
Bless the Child with delightful trills from the piano. High Heel Sneakers retained the bluesy feel
with another superb drum solo from Doyle and then we went Somewhere Over The
Rainbow as the wizardry of Dean’s arrangements continued to bring a little of
his mischievous character out… as he tinkled out… ‘You’d better watch out’ …
just a little bit ‘Wicked’! (but if you have seen the musical, you will know,
no one mourns the wicked) And there was
no one in mourning as Dean went on to play his truly lovely arrangement of
Honeysuckle Rose, with a spectacular piano solo that again brought out the playful
side of this highly talented musician… with a riff of pop goes the weasel!
The set moved on to a Gershwin tune in the form
of Lady Be Good, with more of the
exquisite walking bass and soft brushes accompanying Dean’s skilful
playing. Sonny Rollins’ St Thomas
Kath J.
2 comments :
Well Kath, I agree the new Jazz Café is a work in progress and it has not attempted to capture the ambience of the old place. How could it? It took Crombie nigh on 20 years to create the jazz slum (and I use the expression endearingly) that was "The Caff". To try and even half achieve the ambience of the old place would never work. Crombie was the ambience not fixtures and fittings. Rather than slag off after a visit on opening night let's just be pleased that another venue for jazz in the city has opened its doors.
Is it a jazz venue? Or is it a wine bar with jazz in the background (for now)?
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