Mike Durham’s Classic Jazz Party @ The Village Hotel. Nov 5, evening.

(Review by Russell/photo from Patti’s f/b page)

Bonfire night. Fireworks in the sky, would there be fireworks in the Inspiration Suite? A new departure for the Classic Jazz Party presented a jazz treatment of Greig’s Peer Gynt suite. German reedsman Claus Jacobi arrived on North Tyneside with a briefcase full of arrangements for Music of the Fjords. Swede Jacob Ullberger, guitar, and Norwegians Lars Frank, reeds, and Morten Gunnar Larsen, piano were in on it, so too, Robert Fowler, bass saxophone, ‘bone man Graham Hughes and percussion master Josh Duffee (seen here with 'jazz maniac' EmRah.).

 Claus Jacobi returned to the stage to co-present Jazz in Los Angeles with Keith Nichols. Their programme explored the music of West Coast-based musicians, composers and (in the case of the Spikes brothers), music publishers, many of whom worked as Hollywood studio staff musicians. An informative, potted history of the period referenced Alex Hill, Paul Howard’s Quality Serenaders (Howard employed a promising Lionel Hampton and Lawrence Brown) and Louis Armstrong. Trumpeters Andy Schumm and Enrico Tomasso featured, Jean-François Bonnel lounged studiously in the reeds alongside the consistently good Richard Exall and the region’s star performers – Emma Fisk and Phil Rutherford – contributed to a fascinating set. Thunderous applause greeted Tomasso’s spirited ‘Louis’ trumpet and vocal finale on Shine.

A small group session reunited vocalists Mellow Baku and Janice Day. Songbirds heard first one, then the other, working with the fine trio of Martin Litton, piano, Malcolm Sked playing double bass and drummer Richard Pite in swing mode. Baku selected Skylark and many others including How High the Moon?, Stormy Weather and, with pianist Litton as accompanist, presented a magnificent reading of Come Sunday. Janice Day sang about a Blue Moon, La Vien Rose and that Old Devil Moon. Ms Baku and Ms Day concluded a most entertaining set singing about a honky tonk parade – it’s only a Paper Moon, don’t you know?

The Don Redman Orchestra assembled on stage for the closing set. There wasn’t a seat to be had in the concert hall as Josh Duffee’s all star band played Redman’s arrangements for Fletcher Henderson, McKinney’s Cotton Pickers and his own band of the 1930s. The trumpet section (Daams, Heitger and Tomasso) and the reeds (Bonnel, Frank and Fowler) had their hands full dealing with the music, eyes trained on the dots, this was something special! Piano, bass and drums (Boeddinghaus, Lemaire and Duffee) worked their socks off, similarly genial Jim Fryer, trombone, and guitarist Jacob Ullberger, hidden away in the depths of the engine room. Fryer sang How’m I Doin’, Keith Nichols joined the boys to sing Gee, Baby, A’int I Good to You? and there was Redman’s signature Chant of the Weed. Robert Fowler and Jean-François Bonnel engaged in a muscular tenor chase finale on Redman’s 1953 (positively modern!) For Europeans Only. The set of the day! Those with the stamina retired to the bar for another late night jam session.