Mark Toomey (alto saxophone), Jeremy McMurray
(piano), Peter Ayton (electric bass) & Kevin O’Neill (drums).
(Review by Russell)
The new look Jazz Café in the
first week of the new year was always going to be a hard sell. Credit card max
out, post festive blues, January is the longest month. Undeterred, the Mark
Toomey Quartet made the journey from the Deep South
to play a set of Bird-inspired bop, ballads and Toomey originals. The hardy few
were treated to a cracking night of top flight jazz. All the Things You Are set the standard and it, the standard,
didn’t drop all night.
Altoist Mark Toomey writes
material for the quartet and if you didn’t know it, one could be forgiven for
thinking the tunes were taken from the GASbook. A case in point being a Latin
original – Those Rainy Summer Days.
Another – Song For Laura – reinforced
the observation. Toomey is fortunate to have an ongoing working relationship
with Jeremy McMurray. The pianist excelled when last heard at Blaydon Jazz
Club’s Christmas party and he retained his rich vein of form on this gig.
McMurray expressed delight on seeing a ‘real piano’ saying: And it has just been tuned. A rare treat
indeed! Cole Porter’s What Is This Thing
Called Love was taken at a lick, Charlie Parker style. Toomey flew on this
one. Talking of Bird…Ornithology.
Toomey flew higher still. Bop heaven. One
More Try, with a Latin vibe, further illustrated Toomey’s talents as a
composer (McMurray in blues mode). Beautiful
Love, one of the great tunes, struggled to reach agreement on the right key
– much hilarity, they got there! More Bird – My Little Blue Suede Shoes – and a sizzling Love For Sale (six string bassist Peter Ayton and drummer Kevin
O’Neill on the money) made this one of those sessions you didn’t want to end.
However, all good things...
The band can be heard next Friday
(January 10) on home turf (the Deep South of Tessside) at Saltburn Community
Hall. The Saltburn regulars always turn up in numbers – they’re in for a treat,
an extra special treat as Toomey has got Blaydon Ace guitarist Roly Veitch on
the session. 7:30 pm start, get there early or risk being turned away. Bird
Lives!
Russell. 
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