Bradley Johnston Quartet @ The Jazz Café. February 13.

Bradley Johnston (guitar), Peter Gilligan (keyboards), Paul Susans (double bass) & Paul Wight (drums)

(Review by Russell/photos courtesy of Mike Tilley.)

Undergraduate guitar student Bradley Johnston stepped-up to the plate to lead his own quartet on a coveted Friday night date at the Jazz Café in Newcastle. If the young man felt nervous ahead of the advertised eight o’clock start it didn’t show. Johnston’s band mates were on the stand ready to go and right on time they hit the ground running with    a bright and breezy take on Wave.

Sonny Rollins’ Doxy cooked. Johnston laid down a great solo (wow!), the boys took it swing-time (Paul Susans’ walking bass line) and no one in the room had any doubts – Bradley Johnston could cut it with the best of them! A piano-guitar intro to Lover Man exuded sensitivity, as did drummer Paul Wight’s brush work. How Insensitive began as a bossa and somewhere along the line went samba and back to a bossa. 

A vigorous My Funny Valentine (‘You count it in, man’ said Wight) had the backing of the boys with Wight’s fizzing stick-work, Peter Gilligan’s superlative supporting piano and Susans’ smiling admiration for Johnston clear for all to see. Guitarist Johnston is a composer; Pat’s Waltz (referencing a major influence – the one and only Pat Metheny) could have been written by a seasoned musician. We are sure to hear more original material. The sixty minutes’ first set concluded with a raucous Moose the Mooche.

Two numbers into the second set, amidst the hottest playing of the night (a Pat Metheny composition), disaster struck as the bridge on Paul Susan’s double bass collapsed. Bull fiddle prostrate, Susans kneeling over it effecting repairs, Wight sat out as Johnston and Gilligan played an impromptu Spring is Here. Fantastic! But wait! Susans appeared to be losing the battle, the de-stringed instrument looked a terminal case. Gilligan joined bass man Susans on the floor, attempting string-to-string resuscitation. What to do? ‘Play solo, Bradley!’ And so he did. Unflustered, Bradley Johnston played But Beautiful. Amazing, say no more.

Susans and instrument stood upright (temporary repairs effected), game on. Stella By Starlight – it couldn’t get any better. Bandleader Johnston introduced his band – Peter Gilligan, Paul Susans and Paul Wight. The boys in the band made sure we knew who we were listening to…‘Bradley Johnston!’ Huge applause and then they took on Coltrane and tore it up!

Dr James Birkett had a gig of his own at the Globe (see Dean Stockdale review). He would have loved this set. Catch Bradley Johnston at a north east gig soon, because if you don’t, then in a year or two you’ll likely as not find him in London or New York.

Russell.