Dan Garel , Felicity Evans (alt); Matt McKernan , John Somerton(ten); Naomi
Tansey (bar); Noah Lawrence, Sam Clark, Rasmus Borowski, Charles Price (tpt);
Nat Jackson, Chris Jones (MD), Joshua Harper, Luke Bentley
(tmb); Matt Jacobs (pno); Ollie Farley (gtr); Jonathan Berry (bs); Tristan
Bacon (dms); Laura Paul,Will Lavelle (vcl).
(Review by Russell)
Two big occasions are on the
horizon for Durham University Big Band – a showcase gig at the Pizza Express, Dean Street , London
The Forum’s main hall was two
thirds full as the orchestra took to the stage right on time. Apple Honey set the pace and it didn’t
slacken. A Reuben Fowler number featured one of the band’s two vocalists; Laura
Paul sang brilliantly (voice as orchestral instrument, left-field Norma
Winstone). Without doubt Ms Paul is an early front runner in Bebop Spoken Here’s Performance of the
Year category! JJ Wheeler’s Homage – to namesake Kenny Wheeler –
reaffirmed the band’s welcome move from standard swing material (top-flight
piano and soprano sax solos). Homage
(the band’s Durham Distillery Composition Prize entry) was something of a
run-through as the band will effectively premiere it at the Pizza Express on
February 15.
The interval: crisis – no cask
ale! A bottle of Brown Ale the best on offer. The raffle (a tasty looking Anita
O’Day CD went elsewhere), a bit crack and the second set opened in frightening
style with Whiplash! Thankfully
Fletcher (JK Simmons) wasn’t lurking in the shadows threatening to unleash his
chilling one-liner Not quite my tempo.
The Durham
musicians have been well-schooled – tempo, sections, soloists, material. The
band’s ace rhythm section didn’t miss a trick (excellent guitar and piano
solos, Ollie Farley and Matthew Jacobs), brass and reeds flourished freeing
soloists to do their thing notably Dan Garel (alto and soprano). The band’s
thing was ‘jazz plus’. The ‘plus’ being hip-hop (J Dilla), nu-soul (the
brilliant Laura Paul) and a challenging chart from the pen of Darcy James
Argue. And then there was Ben Cottrell’s arrangement of Radiohead’s 15 Step.
A varied programme – The Lady is a Tramp featured the band’s
other singer Will Lavelle – with the emphasis on the contemporary was
commendable. The Durham University Big Band knows what it’s doing. Will it have
the courage to present an all-contemporary set at the Great North Big Band Jazz
Festival? One way to find out…get along to one of the best events of the year
(March 6-8) at North Shore, Charles Street, Sunderland. There is ample parking,
St Peter’s Metro station is five minutes’ walk, so put the dates in that new
diary. If the Durham
guys don’t win on the day (Saturday 7 March) you must be there to hear the band that dethrones them because they
will be something special.
Russell.
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