(Review/photo by Steve T).
What else but All the Things You Are which I can see becoming my Summertime. Bass, drums and piano were joined by tenor and alto for something that sounded like Witchcraft.
Having played it with Alan Barnes in Darlington on Friday, number one son wasn't going to miss out on Donna Lee which had the horns making sterling efforts to keep up. Solos from tenor and alto but it was the guitar that brought the first solo applause of the evening, who then demonstrated his much-improved comping during an impressive piano solo.
This is generally a Durham student affair but all concerned - students and venue - were very welcoming of the local yokels, Francis already getting himself noticed, Ben Lawrence warming up on the sidelinesand one Whiplash Mackellar en route.
Alto took the lead impressively for My Foolish Heart. Oleo next and a little messy at times but followed by an inspired version of Caravan, a spring in its step propelling it along nicely.
With the arrival of Whiplash, Ben took the piano chair and Francis had retaken his place for Caravan. Durham students took bass and two tenors making an even split for something Jazz-funky and great to see young Jazz musicians getting fired up by all this new stuff from the seventies.
Some in the audience were starting to get restless with lengthy solos, and chatter became an issue. Out came a big gun in Impressions and everybody's attention was back on the music, as it had been when it was played at the Jazz Caff the night before.
The interplay between Francis' guitar and Ben’s piano was sound, as it's always been with the First Lord of Rock and Roll. It fizzled out to allow Whiplash to demonstrate what he's got, and he's got a lot.
A funky version of Maiden Voyage and at some point Tommy Fuller of Barnsley, via Brummy Conservatoire and a girlfriend at Durham Uni, turned up with some impressive Jacoisms, giving young Dylan a well-earned break.
The Uni is pretty strict about getting everything wrapped up on time but tonight it was allowed to run on.
Quite a lot of flash run-throughs and messing between pieces but such is the nature of these things. Some shaky musicianship and some fine musicianship, often from the same person and sometimes within the same piece. The keyboardist who takes the lead on these nights took the honours for the Uni but I don't think anybody will accuse me of nepotism for saying the night belonged to one person.
Steve T.
Zach Fax, Matthew McKernan, Duncan Walker (saxes); Matthew Jacobs, Ben Lawrence, Sander Prishan (keys); Francis D Tulip (guitar); Dylan Purchy, Tommy Fuller (bass); Michael Young, Dan Sherringham, Trisham Bacon, Will Young, Matthew Mackellar (drums).
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