(Observations by Russell/photo courtesy of Ken Drew.)
An integral part of the Gateshead
International Jazz Festival at Sage Gateshead is the non stop programme of jazz
on the concourse. A social gathering – coffee, cake (some of it is likely to be
scoffed as a freebie!), a glass of wine or a beer. The chatter, the snappers,
an artist in residence, the place a hive of activity.
On this Saturday afternoon Jazz Attack – another of Sage
Gateshead’s music education initiatives – opened proceedings. Lead by drummer
Paul Edis*, this youth ensemble took
to the stage from a staircase, playing as they walked onto the platform. A
calypso (good, joyous material ideal in a festival setting), Satin Doll, the riffing Nick’s Late (the band’s title for a
frequently late-arriving tenor player – no names, the clue is in the title) and
the classic Nat Adderley number Work Song.
MD Edis encouraged his charges, keen to hear their efforts rewarded with
applause. The audience showed appreciation for several solo spots – tenor and
alto particularly noteworthy – and the collective performance. Give it a year
or two and some of these guys will become familiar names on the scene.
Improvising pianist Paul Taylor had the grand piano to himself for half an hour or so.
In a typically restrained performance Taylor’s watercolour-wash impressionism
engaged the attention of those up close, others a distance away perhaps missing
out on the finer detail of his art.
The Mark
Gray Band (or was it Skake Yer/Your
Brass?) entertained with a brassy jazz attack featuring the all-action
David Gray (trombone). From Frankenstein to
Brooklyn ,
it was just the sort of rousing stuff that cannot fail on the concourse at Sage
Gateshead. The Cookers called a tea
break in the Barbour Room. Instruments locked away, it was time to hear from
the masters – read the report of the occasion posted by the editor of this
blog.
Later, back on the concourse…the place was
absolutely packed for the appearance of the one and only King Bee. Seats, upper level standing vantage points, staircase
dwellers – a huge crowd lapped it up. Funkin’ great! The regular boys - Dave Wilde, Richard Burns, Steve
Glendinning and the great Chris Jelly – were joined by super-tight engine room
deps. More! More!
Russell
* Ace pianist Paul Edis filled in on drums. A youth band short of a
drummer? There has to be a joke in there somewhere. PS Don’t give up your day
job, Dr Edis!
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