Stuart Finden (tenor sax), Fiona Finden (vocal, soprano sax), Jude Murphy (vocal, alto sax), Lin Lee Wong (piano), Jim Crinson (bass), Eric Stutt (drums).
(Review by Steve T/photos courtesy of Stu Finden).
If Friday night was about 'serious' Jazz, tonight's Jazz Coop gig was about having fun. That's not intended as a derogatory statement, alongside the standard quintet, imbibing and Chinese food, having fun is one of my favourite things.
The Message and Stu’s Bloos led to Four on Six, a Wes Montgomery piece with lyrics by Fiona Finden, who sang and played un-straightened soprano sax.
Jude introduced Like Someone in Love as having a theatrical intro which she played to the max throughout the song. Move over Liza Minnelli.
Corcovado was followed by Teaneck which led to an exchange in the band as to whether it was written by Nat or Cannonball. The brothers, alongside Ellington/Strayhorn and Davis/Evans (Bill), are often the subject of this type of discussion. My copy of Mercy Mercy Mercy says it's by Cannonball Adderley, not Joe Zawinul. I can see a time when SinAtra never made a record and Elvis only made one, or two halves. Lance and I have both claimed recently, it's not just the song but what the artist does with it.
Mr PC closed side one and another saxophonist with JC all over his sleeves.
Once more we got added lyrics with the saxy ladies harmonising well together, but they stuck with Paul Chambers rather than transferring them to their own bass player.
Side two opened with more lyrics added to a classic which, as a track from Jazz' very own(ly) sacred cow - Kind of Blue - may or may not be sacrilegious. Many of the audience of just under thirty, which is a good number for the size of the venue, were friends of members of the band, especially the seriously impressive pianist, and it was fascinating and quite encouraging to see people who didn't appear to be Jazz folk, clearly well versed in that album. Jude switched to flute which I've never heard on All Blues, gradually introducing the vocalising technique Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson stole from Roland Kirk and she duly ended the piece on one leg, which I'm sure she didn't even notice.
One Note Samba, I Fall in Love too Easily, Groovin High and Secret Love before Dave Weisser joined them for Yardbird Suite and Take the A Train, adding muted trumpet and some seriously impressive singing.
Rather more vocals added to classics than I would play at home, but each of the singers acquitted themselves well. If Jude was Liza Minnelli, Fiona was Doris Day but, if she lacked the grain of the great soul singers, she displayed the fragility and vulnerability of the best ones.
How often do you get Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and John Coltrane in a single night?
Steve T.
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