Dave Weisser & Alan Law @ The Jazz Café. March 25

Dave Weisser (vocals & trumpet) & Alan Law (piano)

(Review by Russell/Photo courtesy of Mike Tilley)

Good Friday at the Jazz Café. American ex-pat trumpeter and vocalist Dave Weisser played a long overdue gig focusing on his singing. Let’s make that Dave Weisser the  vocalist and trumpeter. Working in the company of pianist Alan Law, the set list took Chet Baker and Mose Allison as its inspiration. A relaxed Weisser – black and white cool school trumpeter’s t-shirt and cap – opened with Let’s Get Lost, huh? The huh? being the American’s invitation into his jazz world, a world as real as any other, and infinitely preferable to most.

I Love the Life I Live with its lower register drawl checked out Mose Allison. Weisser went from bass notes to trademark falsetto with consummate ease. DW’s muted horn played the occasional solo, low level reverb on the mic for clarity of horn and vocals. Pianist Alan Law, his back to DW, played his part as accompanist and soloist. Latino rhythms largely suppressed for the occasion, Law was well worth hearing on his own. Georgia, This Masquerade (Weisser’s spot-on vocals) and, for Sylvia, Nature Boy. As ever, Weisser impressed with his singing, but equally his ability to recall a lyric never fails to impress.

Weisser took time out to thank his longtime friend, pianist Barrie Ascroft, for many of the arrangements on this Pink Lane gig. DW’s contacts are many and a fair number of them were in attendance. We heard some Girl Talk, some scatting, the early hours Set ’em up Joe two-hander – not quite a quarter to three, more like a quarter to eleven, and Night and Day. Chet, West Coast, the Pretzel Logic of Steely Dan, the Muse of Miles, Bye Bye Blackbird, muted horn, audience singing, cool school style. Paul Gowland on soprano saxophone made a cameo appearance as a most enjoyable night drew to a close.

Russell.