(Review by Annie O'Donnell).
It was hot enough to cook scrambled eggs in Hull Truck Theatre by the time the James Taylor Quartet ...plus Two had finished raising the temperature with their Hot Hammond Jazz Horse rider Mr T leading his posse of Jazzboys featuring the exquisitely tall. lean and keen Mr Andrew Mc Kinney on bass guitar, Mr Pat Illingworth who orchestrated drums better than Gordon Ramsay in the kitchen...and no swear words. Mr Mark Cox who had so much and jazzgirl Miss Yvonne Yanney's deep smoky vocals richer than an Islay Malt.
Mr James Taylor opened up with sharp fast funk fusing deep chords. Pat Illingworth jumps up in his seat swinging sticks, a dancing bass and guitar all interplaying better than Fred and Ginger. James shakes the Hammond, switch flex comes out in a drum solo...and what a solo...Pat is a musician... James requests for him to play on while he reconnects the flex to the Hammond and, once the music is over, asks if anyone has any Sellotape...
Andrew Mc Kinney has dancing fingers and legs..feeling every note, nodding at every drum beat...
I am mesmerised with pure joy and the fresh energy rising from these gentlemen.
James shakes, and rubs his hands over keys like warm electricity.....his signature tune...Starsky & Hutch is played.. a couple dressed in character outfits get up to dance and are invited to the front. They remain in the seat space dancing...the audience is up on its feet dancing and clapping all the way...some energetic audience members remain on their feet for most of the concert.
The elegant Miss Yvonne Yanney comes on to sing Love Will Keep Us Together...
James definitely has magic fingers hitting the keys like a Christmas Cake Maker kneading the keys pressing down for right consistency..."now everybody stand up and sing it loud" and everyone does...Nick Smart and Rob (didn't get his surname) in the Horns section are two professional lads with the right brassy attitude and being a mother of lads... this band is one of professional lads who really know how to play and do their thing, conversing with the audience passionately with fast pacing chasing screams of Yes.....
Yvonne belts out Love The Life You Live with James and Co... Not once was I bored or looked at my watch or had mind drifting syndrome.... I wanted them to play forever....
The James Taylor Quartet stopped at my house way back in the late 80's and early 90's when he played at The Adelphi...he was brilliant then and he and his lads and lass are still equally brilliant...
Annie O'Donnell.
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