(Review/photo by Lance).
I'd put my head on the block, my heart on my sleeve, my...well never mind.. but, after hearing Kate's CD - Atmospherics - I was so knocked out I wanted the world to know! Then came the downside, would her live performance live up to the recording? Would local jazz fans follow my lead?
They Did!
Did they regret it?
Kate has this quality that few singers possess - light and shade. The wistful, little girl soprano, the almost masculine baritone which, combined, often in the same phrase - or syllable! - make for a rare delivery.
Songs from the GASbook - You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To; I Thought About You; Night and Day: Slap That Bass; But Beautiful (some audience interchange re the "Road" films); and a 16 bar blues by Horler that was near enough as much an emotional experience as the vocal numbers were!.
Like on the recording, the noir theme was there. Get Out of Town - it would seem that some of those who should have been there took her advice but that was their loss! Dankworth, a tower of strength throughout, brought it in. Pike, this time playing "air trumpet" - only the sound of breathing coming through the bell.- as Kate gently sang the evocative Porter lyric. It was great but, imagine it being sung in near darkness - that would have been noir! As it was, Pike's flugel solo negotiated the mean streets without getting mugged (or handbagged!)
Blue Skies opened up the second set followed by Comes Love (If you hear the bailiff knocking you can hide behind the door). Take Five (never knew it had words!) and then - and then - Cy Coleman's I Walk a Little Faster. It had been a great gig up to this point but now - all bets were off - this was the one! Not just the winsome vocal, the bass and the simpatico accompaniment but Pike's flugel solo (again) elevated it up to the next cloud!
Witchcraft; my favourite "Desert song" - Night in Tunisia (Pike on harmonica!!) then You Must Believe in Spring - this ranks alongside Blossom's version; A Train and the encore, Whisper Not, rounded off a "Grand Night for S(w)inging" and a beautiful night for jazz.at the ([lit and) phil.
Now let's see, who wasn't there! Just as well you guys didn't show as they were running out of chairs!
Lance.
PS: On piano Horler was superb!.
PPS: And Kate looked gorgeous in her LBD!
PPS: And Kate looked gorgeous in her LBD!
She sounds great, Lance. And one for anoraks: I wonder if a reader has a judgment on "hca" versus "hmca" as abbreviation for harmonica...
ReplyDeleteOr even "m o"!
ReplyDeleteI walk a little faster, a beautiful number, so true of anyone in that state of mind
ReplyDeleteIn the folk music world, harmonicas are called harps or gob irons.
ReplyDeleteAnn, "harp" refers to the 8 hole diatonic harmonica which is the instrument most commonly used by folkies and bluesmen (Bob Dylan, Sonny Terry etc). The term "harmonica" usually means the 16 hole chromatic instrument as used by Larry Adler, Max Geldray (remember him on the Goon Show?) and locally by Ray Burns and Brian Lynam.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard it called a "Gob Iron" although, years ago, clarinets were often known as "Gob sticks" and I suppose this is another example of the other genres hanging on to the shirt-tails of the jazz scene.
I remember, years ago when we were saying "gigs" the young aspiring popsters would say "bookings". Now they all say gigs - usually followed by a sigh felt "where"?
Lance, Very interesting. The instrument played by Larry Adler does seem to have a fuller sound than that played by folkies, so what you say makes sense.Come to BSH for your musical education.
ReplyDeleteAnn Alex