(Treatise by Russell)
A drum clinic special! And a special finger style
guitarist! Newcastle University’s hub of cultural practice – Culture Lab – on
King’s Walk opened its doors to the public to allow those interested to
experience the frisson of excitement generated by the ‘one-shot’ exam scenario.
Three drummers and a guitarist were about to give it their best shot – years of
study and here they were, steeling themselves for the challenge of a lifetime.
Guitarist Daniel
Morgan said hello, made reference to his programme notes (all present had a
copy) and said little more. Seated, with acoustic guitar, Morgan played a set
of ten compositions bookended by two John Renbourn pieces. The Hermit began the recital. A poignant tune given that Morgan had
the pleasure of meeting John Renbourn in January of this year, a matter of
weeks before the untimely death of the world-renowned guitarist. Indeed, during
Renbourn’s teaching engagement at Newcastle University Morgan had an
unforgettable one-on-one lesson with the man. Andrés Segovia’s arrangement of El Noi de la Mare (a Catalan Christmas song) and a song by Michael
Chapdelaine (Beau Fleuve) detailing
the travails of a touring musician indicated the breadth of material studied by
Morgan. Henry Glover’s Drown in My Own
Tears (an arrangement drawing on versions by Ray Charles and Jeff Buckley)
represented the blues idiom. On this number Morgan invited singer Hannah Scully to join him on stage.
Scully stayed on for some Jobim and then Morgan was all but done save for John
Renbourn’s Palermo Snow. Morgan is a
fine guitarist. He thanked his guitar tutor Mick Wright and Geoff Needham for
the long-term loan of a rather nice guitar. Concert recitals as a professional musician
are sure to follow.
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As someone once said: And now, something completely different. Three drummers, one after
another, the common denominator…tutor Geoff Hutchinson. First up – Lewis West. The affable young man
stated that he would try and reach that
all important professional standard and I’ll
be playing a lot of tonight’s music on brushes, as they’re a staple of any jazz
drummer’s repertoire…One gets the impression West has had a good teacher!
Five pieces to be heard, starting with Monk’s Well, You Needn’t. West’s band, featuring the brilliant Ella
El-Salahi on vocals, went to town on it. Rachelle Ferrell’s up tempo version of
What is This Thing Called Love? presented
West with the opportunity to, as his notes suggested: …push myself out of my comfort zone and it’s a fantastic opportunity to show some technical proficiency with
the brushes. West did more than show some
proficiency!
Sophie Milman’s version of Paul Simon’s 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover proved to be
fun. Fun before a solo examination piece. Tutor Geoff Hutchinson suggested to
West that he’d love to hear someone take on Max Roach’s For Big Sid with the addition of a left foot hi-hat swing pattern
maintained throughout the piece. Student West was man enough to take up the
challenge and for several months had been working on it. Blistering!
Stamina-sapping brilliance! Time to party with the band on Superstition. Funkin’ brilliant!
Lewis West’s band: Ella El-Salahi (voice), Faye
MacCalman (tenor saxophone), Josh Lane (trumpet), Luke Gaul (guitar) & Tim
Farrow (double bass & electric bass)
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As Joe
Cromey-Hawke assembled his kit (he was next up), the thought occurred that
perhaps the punishing practice regime endured by Miles Teller’s character in Whiplash wasn’t too far from reality.
Not that Bebop Spoken Here for one minute suggests that JK Simmon’s character
(Fletcher) stalks the corridors of the music department at Newcastle
University! Cromey-Hawke’s programme notes were headlined Groove. I chose groove as the theme for my recital
because I feel it is one of the most commonly neglected aspects of modern
drumming. His opening piece (Hair Off) by German drummer Marco Minnemann
appeared frighteningly complex reflecting
Marco’s passion for
cross-limb-interdependence said JCH. Cross limbed? Crossed fingers – good
luck! Amazingly JCH did it – hear the applause! Drum Heads would surely
appreciate Steve Gadd’s Zildjian Day Solo
1984. JCH has studied it, he could play it, amazing. As a penultimate piece
Benny Greb’s Grebfruit further illustrated
the illusive ‘groove’. In 2013 JCH attended a Greb clinic in Newcastle.
Inspired by the experience he transcribed the piece and played it. Is there
anything these guys can’t do? Party time Brooklyn style. Snarky Puppy’s 2014 Outlier so impressed Cromey-Hawke that
he set about transcribing and arranging it for a six piece band (Snarky Puppy
numbered forty musicians on the track!). His band joined him on stage and
rocked out.
Joe Cromey-Hawke’s band: Josh Lane (trumpet), Emily
King (alto saxophone), Luke Gaul (guitar), Jamie Lawson (piano) & Tim
Farrow (electric bass)
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Last, but by no means least, local lad George Hutton. On reading Hutton’s
notes, the phrase ‘bloody hell’ (or an approximation) sprung to mind. Four
pieces – one by the legendary Alan Dawson (he had tenure as drum tutor for
eighteen years at Berklee), one by Jojo Mayer (with synth bass backing track)
and two pieces by Billy Cobham. The second (and closing) Cobham feature was to
be the fearsome Vital Transformation
as performed by the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Hutton must be mad. He couldn’t
possibly take on that one!
Alan Dawson’s The
Rudimental Ritual comprises eighty six rudiments. Hutton played the study
in the traditional format – on solo snare. Mesmerising. Hutton, eyes closed, pulled
it off. Wow! On Cobham’s Red Baron (from
the album Spectrum) Hutton invited
two of his musician friends to join him (Johnny Carr, guitar and Tom Chapman,
electric bass). A jazz funk drill for an accomplished trio. And finally…Vital Transformation (from The Inner Mounting Flame, Mahavishnu
Orchestra). To recreate a sense of the period Hutton asked violinist John
Hutchinson to complete the line-up. Imagine Hutchinson as Jerry Goodman, Carr
as John McLaughlin and Chapman as Rick Laird (they decided to forego a Jan
Hammer stand in) and Hutton as the great Billy Cobham (the line-up that played
the composition in question way back when at Newcastle City Hall). The same
Billy Cobham who, years later, gave a drum clinic at the People’s Theatre, at
which a drummer (the theatre was packed with drummers) asked Cobham to
demonstrate the intro to Vital
Transformation. That was a thrilling occasion. Hutton was about to attempt
the very same thing. Mad! The boy’s mad! Well, if your reviewer had a jazz hat,
he’d eat it. Hutton and band did it. Hutton thanked the audience for being
there. Thank you Mr Hutton.
George Hutton’s band: Johnny Carr (guitar), Tom
Chapman (bass) & John Hutchinson (violin).
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A truly memorable occasion.
Russell.
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