Mo Scott (vcl); Dean Stockdale (pno).(Review by Lance/photos by Mike Tilley . )
The concept behind The Jazz Café's Saturday night policy of booking duos, apart from the financial aspect, is one that is fraught with danger - particularly when the participants aren't a regular working duo. The end result can sometimes be akin to combining custard and mustard!
Fortunately, it wasn't like that tonight although, in the early stages, there was an understandable degree of uncertainty as Mo and Dean searched for a common ground. Dean, perhaps too precise, Mo, maybe too laid back but, like the pros that they are, each found the other's level which was when the sparks began to fly and by the time the set closed with Love Me Like a Man we knew that this was no longer a compromise but a genuine connection!
Up until this point we'd enjoyed Taking a Chance on Love, Gee Baby Ain't I Good To You, Lover Man, Love Me or Leave Me, But Beautiful and Careless Love. However, to my ears, Mean to Me was the moment when the bar was raised, and not just because I love the alternative use of the title in the lyric - "Why should you be mean to me// when you know what you mean to me" - this was the moment when it truly gelled. The moment when a duo became uno (sounds like a blues written for Mills and Boon but hopefully you know what I mean!).
From then on it just rolled along. I did hope that the second set would have been an out and out 12 bar explosion but, although it wasn't, Mo can do enough with a standard by Rodgers and Hart to make it sound like it was written by Smokestack Lightning!
There was a good crowd in tonight and Mo's version of Good Morning Heartache may be, for some, Good Morning Hangover! come Sunday.
Upstairs there was a Swing Tyne Jazz Dance going on - it's all happening here!
That I was surrounded by four blondes and a redhead (Russell) didn't spoil my evening at all!
Lance.
1 comment :
Was enjoying the review all the way until the identity of our friend the redhead was revealed!
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