Mark Williams (guitar), Andy Champion (double
bass) & Adrian Tilbrook (drums)
(Review by Russell/Photo courtesy of Mike Tilley)
One third Mark Williams Trio, one
quarter Full Circle ,
three fifths ACV. Who would be taking who for a walk? Who’d be let off the
leash? Would they be brought to heel? The Jazz Café did good business this
Saturday night with those in the know, the curious and the unsuspecting. Most
canines were on their best behaviour (save for one unruly bitch yapping
incessantly in the corner).
Much of the material was familiar
with a couple of originals handed out as treats to the largely well behaved
gathering.
Oscar’s Mood (comp. Williams) once more featured the composer and
Champion with a brace of stunning solos. Alfie’s
Theme emerged as Champion slowly unfurled the melody. Williams added a
trademark dark blues feel, Tilbrook the whipper-in. John Scofield is a constant
in Williams’ guitar lexicon and the first set concluded with Stranger to the Light (Tilbrook all over
the kit on this one).
A few late arrivals (one looking
remarkably sprightly after a day trip to a brewery), a re-shuffle of the prime
seats and things were set fair for the second set. The first set started with
Sonny Rollins so why not start the second with Wayne Shorter? Yes or No? was the tune, Williams begged
for a solo and once again ran away with
it. Champion introduced ‘a little thing’ – Book
of Doubts – which, part of a suite, incorporated a blast from the past
referencing fusion-era Full Circle .
Tilbrook, a FC founding member, went to town on this one and in so doing put
the yapping bitch in the doghouse. Cymbals, snare and hi-hat, the temptation to
smack a paw on the oh-so-close noisy one must have been oh-so tempting! The
audience got it, the doghouse one didn’t, remaining (blissfully?) oblivious. To
slightly misquote Ronnie Scott: Are we
playing too loudly for you, madam?
Broadway Blues did justice to Ornette Coleman. Big, big solos on
this one. Scofield’s ballad Let’s Say We
Did held the attention and the Crufts’ contenders went out on Eddie Harris’
Freedom Jazz Dance. The audience
called for more but the Leash trio had no more to give. They retired to the bar
for a well-earned drink of water.
Russell.
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