Tessa Souter w. Pete Gilligan Trio @ The Cherry Tree - April 13

Tessa Souter (vcl); Pete Gilligan (pno); Paul Grainger (bs); Russ Morgan (dms).
(Review by Lance).

A visit to the Cherry Tree on Osborne Rd. is invariably stimulating both musically and gastronomically and tonight they excelled themselves on both counts.

Almost two years have passed since I first encountered Ms. Souter on one of  the several CDs by the New York-based singer that are currently available. Beyond the Blue, a selection of standards based on classical compositions rated high on that year's jazz charts.

Last night, Caravan, from another CD, Listen Love, got the ball rolling and it soon became obvious that we and they were going to have a ball.

Yesterdays brought to mind Carmen McRae, Souter's voice has a similar texture although she later cited Sheila Jordan and Mark Murphy to be her major influences. Nothing wrong with that!

Sting's Fragile was just that with some tasteful hand-drumming from Morgan. My table was next to the drums which, with some drummers, could be a recipe for indigestion. Not so Morgan. It was hard to comprehend that this was the first time all four had played together - they gelled.

Other numbers in the first set included a swinging Just One of Those Things; a compelling The Look of Love done as a jazz lieder - voice and piano - Pure Imagination and Freddie Hubbard's Little Sunflower.

Listening to Tessa Souter accompanied by Peter, Paul, and Russ whilst savouring the delights of a Haggis Scotch egg, celeriac and kohlrabi pickle followed by Rump steak and fries I decided, was pretty close to Shangri-la and I still had the second set and dessert to come!

On Green Dolphin Street; Wayne Shorter's Ana Maria with a dark and emotional lyric penned by Souter; Mark Murphy's Song For the Geese; Chiaroscuro, based on Albinoni's Adagio in G minor and featured on the Beyond the Blue album referred to earlier; I'll Remember April;You Won't Forget Me from the 1953 Joan Crawford Film, Torch Song, later revived by Shirley Horn, was given exquisite treatment leading to the highlight, in an evening of highlights, - the merging of Ornette Coleman's Lonely Woman with the Beatles Eleanor Rigby.
Just think, all that and Apple Strudel with Custard!
Photos.
Lance.