(Review by Russell)
The second day of the festival
was devoted to senior bands in the Open Section.
The Tyne Valley Big Band set the ball rolling in front of the bleary
eyed at 11:00 am. Led by the ebullient Dave
Hignett, the community big band seemingly recruits new members on a daily
basis and here at North
Shore
North east rivals Durham University Big Band, themselves
previous winners of the National Glass Centre-commissioned trophy, presented
the contemporary and the classic big band chart. Radiohead’s 15 Step (arr. Ben Cottrell, MD of the
new wave Beats and Pieces Big Band) examined the dynamics of the modern large
ensemble. Gershwin’s It Ain’t Necessarily
So (arr. Stan Sulzmann) featured vocalist Laura Paul. Paul possesses a real jazz voice and the first tear in
the eye of day two was recorded at 12:30 pm.
The first of four bands from Leeds – the acclaimed Leeds College of Music Big Band – deployed a surprise tactic or
two, dressed, as they were, in penguin suits and having smuggled a double bass
player onboard the band bus. Their programme incorporated three classic tunes and
one original composition. In the Mood,
Someone to Watch Over Me (inc Tom Hill’s flugel work) and On the Sunny Side of the Street featuring
four vocalists (Eleanor Begley, Rebecca Dunn, Josie Hawkins and Edmund
Jeffery), the latter drawing vociferous applause. Guitarist Oscar Moysey submitted his own
composition for examination – If I Was a
Cat – and in doing so apologized for the poor grammar! Later in the day
adjudicators Mick Donnelly and Paul Jones were to commend Moysey’s
efforts, giving encouragement to this welcome development of the emerging
composer in the big band genre.
Leeds University Union Big Band followed LCoMBB up the A1 (with a double bassist in tow!) to present a
classic big band set including In a
Mellow Tone and What a Difference
a Day Made. The vocal-double bass
intro (Loucin Moskofian and Max Khan) on the latter number proved
most effective in a strong set. The City of Leeds jazz community had by now taken up
residence on the banks of the Wear with the arrival of the Revolutionary Jazz Orchestra. Now with a name like that you’re on a
hiding to nothing. The band hit the ground running with Sister Sadie. Stand out soloists James Boyes (alto), Chris
Burge (trombone) and pianist Aleks
Podraza lifted the band for the challenge that lay ahead – John La Barbera’s
A Piece of the Road Suite. The four
part work featured outstanding contributions from Jack Chandler (alto, Pipe
Dreams), Nick Baya (tenor, Countin’ Them Long White Lines) and Dom Pusey (baritone), Sam Quintana (electric bass) and Laurence Marshall (drums) excelled on the closing piece Back of the Bus. Revolutionary? Perhaps
not, but very good.
The fourth and final band from Leeds hit heavy traffic on the journey north so their
scheduled performance slot was put back and the Durham Alumni Big Band stepped into the breach. Two Wayne Shorter
tunes – Elegant People and Lady Day – both arranged by local hero Matt Roberts and Julian Siegel’s M Badgers formed the basis of a superb
set. Trumpeters Jonny Dunn and Judd Down laid down gargantuan solos,
tenor saxophonist Alex Baker
summoned hidden reserves to produce a magnificent, fully formed solo on Lady Day and the rhythm section – Robbie Chapman-Thong (guitar), Amy Baker (electric bass) and Stephen Fletcher (drums) – worked
tirelessly. The Leeds stragglers – Big
Band Theory – had made it across the Wearmouth Bridge Charles Street . Within
minutes of arrival they were ready to go. John Clayton’s Max heard star man Benji Powling
(tenor) and All the Things You Are
and Straighten Up and Fly Right made
for an entertaining set.
2013 winners Huddersfield University Big Band built their title defence on
Nestico, Metheny and Gillespie/Fuller/Gonzales. Guitar hero Pat Metheny’s
compositional skills appeared twice in the programme, the second of the numbers
– Dream of the Return –
unsurprisingly featured guitarist Adam
Ward, the trumpet section shone as did the whole ensemble.
The tenth and final band facing
examination were an unknown quantity. The
Managers Big Band from Bolton strolled
onto stage in lounge suits looking every bit the part of managers! First time
visitors to Sunderland , the programme
suggested a conventional mainstream set – Red
Bank Boogie, Beauty and the Beast, All the Things You Are, Flying Home and Concerto for Trumpet. In truth it was a
straight ahead big band set. Two things marked out the band as something
special; the ensemble work was flawless (professional if not ‘managerial’) and
their star performer Jay Shepherd
(trumpet) won a standing ovation (a very rare occurrence in the event’s eleven
year history) for his astonishing recreation of the legendary Harry James’
showstopper. The musicianship throughout the day had been of the highest
standard. The Bolton band’s performance had
some shrewd judges rewriting their scorecards. The winners had been picked out
earlier in the day, hadn’t they? Some stood firm, the winning band would be
such and such from wherever. Our adjudicators done, the results were (in
reverse order, as it were, including three discretionary adjudicators’ awards):
Adjudicators’ Award: Jay Shepherd (trumpet) The Managers Big Band
Adjudicators’ Award: Laura Paul (vocals) Durham University
Adjudicators’ Award: Stephen Fletcher (drums) Durham Alumni Big Band
Most Entertaining Programme: Revolutionary Jazz Orchestra
Best Section: Rhythm Section, Revolutionary Jazz Orchestra
Best Soloist: Alex Baker, Durham
Best Band: Durham University
Shirley Atkinson, Deputy Vice
Chancellor of Sunderland University spoke encouragingly about the event’s future
success. An evening winners’ concert followed.
Day 3 (Sunday) will feature
schools and youth bands. 11:00 am start.
Russell.
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