GIJF – Day Two Richard Illes’ Microscopic. April 5

Richard Iles (trumpet), Iain Dixon (tenor saxophone), Les Chisnall (piano) & Arnie Somogyi (double bass)

(Review by Russell).

The late shift on the concourse offers festival goers at Sage Gateshead the opportunity to sit down, relax and listen to a set in an informal setting. The musician on the concourse stage has other concerns – the cavernous space presents a particular challenge with the sound projecting upwards into the gods, reverberating around the concrete and steel interior. The casual and the curious wander past, those leaving adjacent concert halls distract as they depart, queue at the bar or browse at the festival CD stall. Manchester’s Richard Iles has seen it all before and his quartet – Microscopic – presented an excellent set of original compositions with grace and good humour. They knew the score.

The trumpeter crossed the Pennines with a first rate band in tow guaranteeing a quality performance. Two sets, the first of which encountered the aforementioned distractions, the second blessed by a treasured tranquility, the hubbub having subsided. Those present listened and were duly rewarded. Pianist Les Chisnall, a dedicated, respected  tutor in music education, played tastefully behind bandleader Iles’ lustrous trumpet solos. Tenor man Iain Dixon complemented Iles’ work with his own thoughtful statements, the tenor and trumpet soloists fortunate in having bassist Arnie Somogyi share the stand with them. Sage Gateshead pushes the jazz boat out securing appearances by the great names from around the globe. The festival organisers are to be commended for having the foresight to programme other, supposedly ‘lesser’ names. Richard Iles’ Microscopic were a joy to listen to.          
Russell.