Lyndsay Hannon (vocals), John
Pope (bass), James Harrison (piano), Dave McKeague (drums).
(Review
by JC)
'Life is a bowl of cherries' as someone once said but at the Cherry
Tree it's even more than that - delicious cheese souffle, thinly sliced rare
fillet of beef, and seasonal sea trout - and, on this occasion, Lyndsay Hannon
Plus as well. Hannon and the band opened with Joni Mitchell's The Hissing of Summer Lawns, which is
one of my favourites, but some loud residual chatter from a large table
interfered with the sound a little bit. However, as the band got into it's
stride this diminished and then some delightful versions of Why Try to Change Me Now with it's
slowed down middle section and I Can't
Escape from You with a elegant bass solo and delicate piano ornamentation
had everybody paying attention. The band upped the tempo with a swinging I Can't Give You Anything But Love that
showcased James Harrison's piano playing.
Lyndsay Hannon then sang a lovely version of Old Fashioned Hat (which, like some of the other pieces, is on the
band's recent album The Spy) at the
end of which she leaned louchely against the piano drawing comment from John
Pope, to which she responded languidly 'If it wasn't for the olives in my
martinis, I'd starve to death'. A quote from Mae West, according to my dining
companion, and we hadn't expected her. This was turning into an exciting show!
A rocking version of Bye, Bye
Blackbird followed, with lots of fine vocal improvisation from Hannon. Nature Boy began with a strikingly spare
drums and voice combination before the piano and bass joined in with some tasty
bossa nova licks.
The second half began with just the trio playing and they
demonstrated their fine musical abilities on C Jam Blues and Take the 'A'
Train.Lyndsay Hannon then returned to the stage to sing I Only Have Eyes For You, Skylark and Moonlight in Vermont. And John Pope got in one of his expert bass
solos. A request from the audience for Blue Motel Room resulted in an exquisite
rendition of the beautiful Joni Mitchell song (but can someone explain what
'boom boom pachyderms' are and what are they doing in the room?).
The set finished off with the band rocking out on So Nice to Come Home To with everyone
getting a solo spot. A very good night with a fine band and we returned home
with a copy of The Spy album to keep
us well entertained.
JC
JC The dictionary says that a pachyderm is a hoofed animal which doesn't chew the cud, eg a horse. But it can also mean a thick-skinned person, so that meaning might help (or not).
ReplyDeleteAnn Alex