Paul Edis (piano), Neil Harland (double bass) & Adam Sinclair
(drums)
(Review by Russell)
First Friday in the month at the
Jazz Café usually means one thing – the Paul Edis Trio taking up residency and
tonight was no different. One minor difference – Neil Harland depped for
regular bassist Mick Shoulder. Familiar faces bagged the ring side seats and we
were ready for our monthly treat of world class jazz piano playing.
Beautiful Love opened the show. Nicely warmed up, Edis stretched
out on Four on Six and drummer Adam
Sinclair took a blast of a solo. Some Jobim, then Jerome Kern and Ira Gershwin’s
Long Ago and Far Away (Edis keen to
point out the writing credit for PRS purposes!) dazzled with a fleeting
reference to
A slamming Pent-Up House announced the second set. Invitation came by way of an on the spot arrangement requiring
bassist Neil Harland’s total concentration. Superb jazz! A commissioned ballad
– For Kathleen – featured sensitive
bass playing from the sight-reading NH. The ballad’s subject was in the house
and she was visibly moved by the occasion. Mermeration
took as its inspiration the myriad in-flight patterns created by a flock of
starlings. Any gig by the Paul Edis Trio is special but this Jazz Café date
will live long in the memory for a remarkable Take the A Train. Remarkable in that the tune was taken at a slow
tempo offering a new perspective on a classic number. This appeared be a stroke
of genius by Edis. At the end of the evening Dr Edis declared that it had been
done before – possibly by the Ray Brown Trio. No matter, it was simply
wonderful.
Two tunes to finish with – a
flying Blue Bossa, followed by a high
octane version of Ornithology. The Paul Edis Trio at the
Jazz Café is the best gig in town.
Russell.
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