The Blue Jazz Quartet @ The Globe, December 10

Jeff Smith (ten sax, sop sax); Keith Barrett (guitar); Dave Parker (bass); Michael Howard (drums)

(Review by Ann Alex/Photo courtesy of Minnie Fraser).

The band is normally a quintet/sextet with piano and/or soprano sax but tonight’s rearrangement worked well, with the sax mostly taking the lead followed by solos all round. All performed with the skill and aplomb that we’ve come to expect from this band, especially in the second set, where the audience doubled with the entrance of a group of young men who’d found out about the Globe from Mr Google. I hope they come back soon.

No Moon At All (an intriguing lyric, by the way), followed by Barrett’s guitar lead on West Coast Blues, with simultaneous sparse notes from tenor sax, and a skilled guitar solo.

The Shadow of Your Smile, done as a bossa nova, with Michael making his mark on drums. In fact, some of the best numbers of the set were Latin or bebop inspired tunes, such as Jelly Roll (Mingus), with military drums to begin with, a typical angular tune, rounded off with loud tapping drumsticks and the bass complementing each other. I also liked Footprints, a bass opening, which became repeated riffs with the rest of the band, then a bass solo. I missed the title of the boppy tune in which the drums went somewhat berserk by producing all the sounds possible from the drum kit during exchanges of 4’s. 

The band obliged with Moanin’ as an encore; all did signing off solos, including the drums, with lots of cymbal sounds to help the other solos along. The other tunes played included Watch What Happens; Can’t Help Loving That Man Of Mine; East Of The Sun; Bye Bye Blackbird; Blue Monk; Alice In Wonderland.

Oh, I forgot to mention Skylark which was serenely played with two choruses from the tenor sax, and an excellent guitar solo, which had a calming effect amongst all the bebop numbers. Another great night at the Globe.

Ann Alex