Jazz Co-op @ The Globe: The Safe Sextet - January 21

Don Forbes (trumpet); John Rowland (ten sax); Paul Gowland (alto sax); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (bass); Paul Wight (drums).

(Review by Ann Alex)

The band gave another of their stellar performances to a small but appreciative audience.  Enough said? No, Blogmaster Lance and the reputation of BSH demands much more of a review. Here goes.

Even the warm up cum sound check was fun, at least for the listener.  Much discussion about how many times to play the head for The Bridge, then a quick play through of an eastern-sounding tune, which I don’t think was played during the set, but I could be mistaken about that.

Don explained that they would play lots of Stan Tracy, including tunes from Under Milk Wood , and also numbers originally done by EmCee 5. The Bridge was written about the pub near the High Level Bridge, a good solid four square tune with useful silences and tenor, trumpet and piano solos; Downbeat After Dark reminded Don of when he was 17 and returning from nights out and the tune suitably moves down the scale to end quietly with the alto sax, clever stuff. The One That Got Away may refer to a drummer who escaped from a band and was a fast furious piece of many notes and an Ian Carr solo taken straight from the CD.  Penpals from Under Milk Wood was trumpet led, flowingly romantic, and I Lost My Specs In Nantucket weaved about neatly with a distinctly Monkish feel. Dobson’s Choice was another four square tune to round off the first set.

The second set opened with No Good Boyo and Under Milk Wood, the latter, a favourite of mine, slow, meditative, atmospheric, drums using brushes and light cymbals, horns in harmony, piano at the end.  Then a Scottish influenced Emcee5 number, Bell Blues (bluebells, get it?) military drumming, Scottish riffs on the horns, gradually showing more jazzy influences, low Scottish chords on the piano. There followed Stephenson’s Rocket with a Latin influence; John O’ Groats, the final tune in which no holds were barred, and an encore, on demand, a tricksy tune whose name I didn’t catch, too busy dressing for the metro journey.

Too many good solos to single anyone out and the set was well outlined by Don.  If you weren’t there you missed a treat.

Ann Alex