Paul Edis @ The Jazz Café. Good Friday

Paul Edis (pno).

(Review by Russell/"Montage" by Mike Tilley.)

Half an hour before the advertised start one hardy soul kept pianist Paul Edis company. Jazz Café staff, twiddling thumbs, said hello. Were hot cross buns a counter attraction? Our monthly appointment with Dr Edis was beginning to look like a select ‘audience with’ affair.

Oh, ye of little faith! Minutes before the nine o’clock start Edis’ many disciples arrived, greeted familiar faces and took a pew. Edis on tap water, his flock on something a little stronger, the Good Friday recital commenced. Montage, My Favourite Things and From Nothing to Nowhere. Three tunes, two of them written by Edis, everyone listening (so, it is possible for some to sit still for more than a millisecond!). Lord of the Dance (from an Appalachian religious community) and Gershwin’s It Ain’t Necessarily So offered piety and Big Apple hedonism in equal measure.

Chopin at the Caff? With Paul Edis at the keyboard, anything is possible. Edis made the link between Chopin, Bach and other composers from the classical world and the world of jazz improvisation. An obvious link for some – JS Bach couldn’t have been anything other than a brilliant improviser! Edis followed up with a world premiere of Just Like Me (to be viewed, perhaps, as a companion piece to Not Like Me). The first set ended with a back-to-back reworking of English Country Garden and Greensleeves. Ostensibly tunes from another world, Edis the jazz pianist made them work, the playing nothing less than dazzling. Hints of stride strode throughout the set, more later.

A bottle of Prince Bishop, a catch-up with the Caff community, one parishioner departed to Vermont – a long way through the mean streets of the Toon – to sup at the feet (rather a table) of the Goddess of the GASbook, Ruth Lambert. Second set. Yesterdays opened, Donna Lee followed. Bird à la stride! Brilliant! For Kathleen, to be recorded later in the year, was heard on this Good Friday in the presence of the subject. Fantastic. Another of Edis’ many compositions – Distraction – more than held the attention. Twists and turns, guess which way next? Quite a tune.  Nica’s Dream as a stride number and similarly the fearsome Giant Steps (‘Giant Steps, stride…’ said Edis) just about stole the show. Next month’s Edis master class will see him reunited with bassist Mick Shoulder and drummer Adam Sinclair. Don’t miss it.               

Russell.