Paul Edis Trio @ The Jazz Café August 8

Paul Edis (pno); Mick Shoulder (bs); Adam Sinclair (dms).
(Review by Lance/photos courtesy of Mike Tilley.)

Previous keyboardists had opted for Nords and Rolands and other 'thingys' but Dr Edis elected to use the much maligned steam piano.

Tonight, that noble animal, under the capable jockey-ship of Paul Edis, proved itself to be no longer a selling plater but a potential Derby winner!

The trainer, or rather the tuner, had done the job well and the sound was superb, as was the playing.

Opening up with What is This Thing Called Love? (surrounded as I was by three charming ladies it was a question I too posed!) Paul impressed and the inevitable round of fours that are de rigueur with trios didn't do too much harm (actually they were great!)

Bill Evans' Very Early was a tasteful tribute to one of our pianist's major inspirations. Stomping at the Savoy - the Benny Goodman classic from the 1930s  - led us to Milt Jackson's Bags' Groove before that most sensitive piece of Michel Legrand's - It Must be Spring.  Tadd Dameron's  Ladybird rounded off a splendid set.

The room was reasonably crowded, the Pinot Grigot and the Geordie Jazz ensured that nobody died of thirst, whilst the musical tastebuds were well and truly sated!

How could they not be with a version of Body and Soul that began with Claude's (Debussy that is) Apres-midi d'un Faune? Throw in Unsquare Dance, Lullaby of Birdland, Rhythm-a -ning and Scrapple From the Apple and the result was an evening of pianistic delights - and that is without mentioning Mick Shoulder's bass playing. His intro to Bag's Groove just superb and his solos and support were as sound as Adam Sinclair's cymbals. What a drummer! So laid back but, when the chips are down, he's your man!

It was raining so heavily Arks were on standby but Who Cares? (to quote another number) after tonight I'd gladly have swum home. Instead I just floated...  

Lance.