Tom Harrison Quintet featuring Cleveland Watkiss @ Hull Jazz Festival Winter Edition - November 19

Cleveland Watkiss : Vocals.  David Lyttle : Drums. Daniel Casimir: Double Bass. Tom Harrison : Sax. Robert Mitchell: Piano

(Lyrical review by Annie O'Donnell).

They walk on silently, soldiers of music
picking up their instruments to explore
The terrain of Ellington & Strayhorn
In the theatre of jazz,
producing elephant vocals with the lamenting
jungle wail of Harrison's Sax...
no howdy do or Hellos
from these bros.
serious music is what they're here to do
and no time was wasted in this concert
by " musings " ,
A musician plays
and this is what they did...

Cleveland drove the A Train...
The Brown hatted David Lyttle
 stretched out his arms like
 the endangered species, Orang U Tang ,
 stretching before he swings through
 his canopy of drums, hi-hats, cymbals, tambourines ..
 Mr Lyttle is an Orang U tang of the drums..
 hitting , swinging , climbing over his drums
 to get the best swing to his beat .
 He's got a great handsome  cheeky face full of smiles..more later...

 Mr Watkiss has a voice like SCOTTISH Tablet
 mixed with  Islay's Ardbeg Malt
.he is totally into driving this A Train...
 but I have to remain in my seat ,
 unfortunately...

 Mr Harrison comes in with jaggy riffs
 of gentle firm wall of sax sound

 Mr Lyttle is like a Police Officer
 in Blue Light Car Chase
 as he jumps, dances, with his feet,
 the energy he is emitting is hold on tight
 whether you're swinging through trees
or playing Russian roulette
with traffic lights
with sirens blaring
in the chase...
with Mr Harrison slipping
in and out like a Tango dancer.

Mr Watkiss is playing
his wonderful voice
in improvisational sound ....
awesome...

All the while these three
Jaguars of juxtapositional jumping
are firmly held by the solid track lines
of Mr Robert Bell and Mr Daniel Casimir...
who are from a time of way gone bye,
in the solid class and workmanship of their playing...

A train can't travel without tracks.
This is why This Train
have brought out their new  CD

  UNFOLDING IN TEMPO.

Song 2: Caravan

Cleveland says,
" Reggae's my music tradition.
I hope you like bass. Leave now if you don't ."
The Soul of Africa rises in the bass,
Choirs of Angels,  A lullaby cry.
No ego in his voice,
Totally into White Heat of Spirit

He likes Black tea, no sugar, ..telling this to bass, and piano as they leave the stage...

Song 3: Things Ain't What They Used To Be

(Tom tells us that he and Cleveland had to do a gig as a duo, because the others got stuck in traffic so they really improvised ..

The drums were played like a waterfall
to Cleveland's walking bass song ...
David Lyttle like an orang u tang plays with his hands,
walking, swinging on his canopy of sound..
making faces like his red haired furry friend
really enjoying hanging out on his drums ..
it's the way his arms elongate to stretch over
to reach and touch the top of his tree top drums ..

Tom is following in time and along with him,
blowing hard and strong,
interplaying in their leafy jungle
of musical trees having a great party...

I  Love  Cleveland's deep bass glissandos ...
David does a gymnastic stretch to pick up tambourines
while not missing a beat and
gives Tom a small cymbal..
and there begins a
Sound Off between Cleveland and David
..in call and response ...
A tight tension is built rhythmically but
Cleveland doesn't catch David out...
There is equality ..

Song 4: A Flower Is A Lonesome Thing  (Billy Strayhorn)

David Hits the right notes
to hold Cleveland.
Tom just makes me go...yeah..
As his piercing pearl sound
sinks in,
to embed In Your heart
to touch your core..

THE MINOR GOES A-MUGGING.  Sy Oliver. Swing Era Tommy Dorsey Duke Ellington

A Wakey Wakey Sound
Like Get Up,
Let's go arousing
Fast up swing
Fantastic slippery swing scatting
With David Lyttle stick scatting
His Celtic Blood comes out
His face tells the story of the music
Sax & drums stupendous
Want to dance
But have to sit
In stillness .

Robert Mitchell's Piano
Is very old style swing sound
From another time and key signature

THIS is What  I Call
JAZZ..Yeah , Essence & Everything Else
Sax & Cleveland Scat Sing Together
Like A Gospel Jazz Choir...
Amen

SOLITUDE :

Bass Voice of Cleveland is the intro
Followed by sax & vocals
Jungle sounds
David is alert waiting for his call
Daniel leans on his bass
As if ' she bass' is a real woman
And gently begins to caress
His bass like an attentive lover.
Cleveland's voice is alone
But supported by occasional flying notes from others
In musical aero dynamics
And then
They all come in together
To produce an
Ooooooooo feeling within me.

David Lyttle is avant garde / conventional
Plays with every part of him
Even down to his finger on the higher Tom
Like a hush now kiss

The last tune.  THE INTIMACY OF THE BLUES  featured
       Daniel Casimir on Double Bass

Daniel Glissandos twice
They are something else!!!

Cleveland Says,   " She likes that..!"
When Daniel hit low and deep,
Then ' twerks tweaks' bass sound..
Oh My Sweet Lord...
Sexy is understated
So smooth, slick
With a naughty glissando
Not once but twice
And could be a third
But decides
To go down deep
And stay there, to rock.

Mr Lyttle plays a hand clap
And me and the guy next to me
Follow with our claps
To realise we're not supposed to do this
Three cheeky monkeys..
David has a great marching beat rhythm

On one tune, which I can't remember
Cleveland invited the audience
To call and respond
I was in the front row and
Duly responded
Along with some audience participation ,

When I responded to his next call
I realised I was a solo responder...
Cleveland led me into deeper, longer
more intricate vocal statements
Smiling all the time
And I replied, loving every moment...
The last one went on for ages
And it was the challenge of all challenges..
I answered.
He wiped his brow...smiling
And said,
"This has never happened to me before..!"

I could have listened to these Gentlemen Of Jazz continually
I could have danced & scatted all night
Can't wait to see them again..
What more can I say...except

Magnificent ...

Annie O' Donnell