Alan Glen Trio @ Jazz Café August 1

Alan Glen (pno); John Pope (bs); Mike Humble (dms).
(Review by Lance).

A laid back, relaxed evening of  classic modern jazz piano. Communication with the audience may have been done through the music rather than with words but, what music!

A tried and tested selection of standards and originals by a pianist who is now legendary in north east jazz circles. As The Bard once wrote, back in 1606, Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety. Fast forward 400 years, substitute his for her and Will could have been writing about tonight!

Infinite variety was the name of the game and the above trio brought plenty. Rich chordal exploration, dazzling technical flourishes and those exquisite moments when Alan reached the inner core of the tune - almost re-writing it -  all served to remind us that we were in the presence of a master craftsman or, to be precise, three very skilled practitioners of the elusive art known as jazz.

On bass, John Pope continues to astound and his solos are never boring, always displaying an abundance of ideas.

I hadn't heard Mike Humble since those halcyon Thursday lunchtime sessions by the Maine Street Jazzmen at Rosie Malone's (now The Tram) in South Shields. Solid stick-work and benign brushing helped everything gel.

And the music! Salivate over the choice selection of tunes: I'll Remember April; A Weaver of Dreams; Conception; an ultra fast Just in Time; Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke's Polka Dots and Moonbeams; another Van Heusen (this time with Johnny Mercer), I Thought About You; All of You; All the Things You Are; Never Let Me Go; plus originals - Big Deal at Ocho Rios and Country Member. The grand finale Something Borrowed had Mike in a less than humble mode with a powerhouse solo that brought the evening to a satisfactory close.
But Alan, those less informed members of the audience (country members?) deserved to be told who they were listening to.
Lance.