The last lap. Three full days of jazz, non-stop from noon ’til late, later for those up for an early hours jam session, this year’s Classic Jazz Party drew to a close on Sunday evening with four concerts and yet another late night jam session.
Keith Nichols’ Ragtime Orchestra resplendent in evening wear played ragtime from the masters of the idiom – Scott Joplin to Jelly Roll Morton. Creole Bells – a ‘cakewalk’ said Nichols – circa 1900, Joseph Lamb’s Ethiopia and two pieces by Irving Berlin. The band revelled in the music put together by the authoritative Nichols, none more than the pianist on this session, Morten Gunnar Larsen. The Norwegian played two solo pieces including James P Johnson’s Daintiness Rag. Ragtime – and stride piano – can have a mesmerising effect and at the end of his two-tune recital Larsen rang his hands, smiling broadly as the audience applauded long and loud. Nichols invited tuba player Richard Pite to step out of the shadows to tackle Ragtime Tuba Player. As Pite (and tuba) made his way to the front of the stage he quipped: I’ve been looking forward to this! Mock terror soon dissipated as Pite demonstrated astounding facility on the instrument! Jelly Roll Morton’s The Perfect Rag encapsulated a wonderful hour with Keith Nichols’ Ragtime Orchestra.
Autumn 1924. Louis Armstrong joined Fletcher Henderson in New York. Claus Jacobi’s Smack and Louis travelled with Louis from Chicago to his year-long stay with Fletcher Henderson in the Big Apple. Jacobi played bass saxophone on Carolina Stomp (trans. K. Nichols), Bent Persson’s muted solo on The Meanest Kind of Blues impressed with Jean-François Bonnel and Lars Frank offering first class support on clarinets. The trumpeter’s efforts on Sugarfoot Stomp met with the band’s approving chorus: Oh! Play That Thing! Rico Tomasso sang Everybody Loves My Baby, preceding a festival highlight: American cornet/trumpet star Andy Schumm standing tall as he played Shanghai Shuffle.
Bent’s Hot Jazz Trio plus Two heard more from the Swedish trumpet ace: Basin Street Blues, a swift Steamboat Stomp raised the roof and guitarist Jacob Ullberger featured on Bechet’s When the Sun Sets Down South.
The final concert of the 2016 Classic Jazz Party retained the winning formula of getting Keith Nichols and Josh Duffee together and asking them to come up with something a bit special. Duffee hails from one of the most evocative locations in the history of the music: Davenport, Iowa. Nichols comes from Wanstead Flats…someone has to. No matter, they are masters of the music. Drummer Duffee knows his Jean Goldkette as well as most and that’s what we got. Red Nichols featured in the programme with the Jack Teagarden take on China Boy, there was some Chick Webb and a hot Don Redman arrangement for the Goldkette band of The Stampede. Trumpeters Rico Tomasso and Andy Schumm played a blinder on I’ll Be a Friend with Pleasure. First Tomasso, then Schumm with Bix’s actual solo! Maestro Nichols sang Hot Feet and for an encore the orchestra went to Copenhagen and back.
Sunday evening, eleven o’clock. All done…for some. Duke Heitger led a jam session in the hotel’s in-house Victory pub until the cows came home.
Mike Durham’s Classic Jazz Party was a huge success: three days (and nights) without a major hitch, full houses and lots of great jazz. And, the fantastic news is that next year’s festival has been confirmed. Those all important dates for your diary (next year’s festival will be one week earlier than usual) are…Friday 27-Sunday 29 October 2017.
Russell.
Photo shows Patti Durham and Jonathon Holmes 'winding down' after a hectic weekend.
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