Ruth Lambert Trio @ Brunswick Methodist Church – Dec 10

Ruth Lambert (vocals), Giles Strong (guitar) & Mick Shoulder (double bass)

(Review by Russell)

The final concert of the year in Newcastle University’s weekly lunchtime concert series   featured the Ruth Lambert Trio. Unrivalled exponents of the Great American Songbook – vocalist Ruth Lambert, guitarist Giles Strong and Mick Shoulder (double bass) – in an oversubscribed market place of ‘jazz singer with accompaniment’, the regionally based trio with a national reputation entertained a large crowd at Brunswick Methodist Church.

The concert set of fifty minutes comprised a balanced selection of original compositions and much loved standards. The sound balance in the auditorium was exceptionally good resulting in absolute clarity of vocals and string instruments. Time After Time exuded the sense of time, taste and swing one has come to expect of the trio. All are songwriters and four of their tunes in succession held the audience spellbound as did more familiar fayre. Lambert’s A Love That Never Dies, Shoulder’s How Could I?, the Lambert and Shoulder dark tale Lullaby and Strong’s Everything Was Beautiful were given sensitive readings in the austere surroundings of a city centre Methodist chapel.

Love Me Like a Man (Strong’s restrained blues feel), Devil May Care (Lambert’s innate swing feel) and Love for Sale (Shoulder’s effective tapped-out open hand rhythms) made the whole thing look easy. If only! Master musicians were at work, the intimate songbook material magically reaching the jazz ‘congregation’ up in the gods. This being the time of year to be jolly (bah humbug!), Ms Lambert chose to close the concert with Santa Baby.  Written in 1926, your correspondent would happily hear Lambert sing the seasonal song every year for ever and ever! Dear Santa, I would like…

Russell.