Daniel John Martin avec Mick Shoulder's Swing Manouche @ Jazz Café - March 14

Daniel John Martin (violin/vocal/whistling); Mick Shoulder, Giles Strong (guitars); Paul Susans (bass).

(Review by Lance/Photo courtesy of Mary B).

Couldn't put a name to the opener, it sounded vaguely like Anniversary Song but probably wasn't. Still, what's in a name? What was beyond dispute was that there was a treat in store.  No doubt about the next one - J'attendrai. I closed my eyes, was I really in a café on Pink Lane or was I in Montmartre? Although cafés are smoke-free these days I could almost sense the aroma of a Gauloise drifting by. Swing Manouche and Daniel John Martin are and always will be Parisians at heart. Hungaria had solos all round with the guest scatting unison lines as he played.

(Photo courtesy of Mike Tilley)
My One and Only Love drew the anticipated romantic sighs and DanielJohn milked it. He even whistled a couple of choruses as he played pizzicato. Lulo Swing, by Lulo Reinhardt, swung and the set finished with Daniel John singing All of Me - it was unique, read that as you will!

In case you're thinking this is a one man show then you're wrong. Swing Manouche excelled both in support and solos. Mick Shoulder as adept on guitar as he is on double bass excelled whilst the less flamboyant but equally skilled Giles Strong also wore his Django hat well with Paul Susans as solid as the Eiffel Tower on a windy day.

Second set began with I'll See You in my Dreams followed by Djangology and Yardbird Suite. DanielJohn announced this latter number by saying "We're now going to play a Charlie Parker tune to prove that Bebop is Spoken Here!" Nice one!

And it was!

Swing 42 then Dark Eyes and an encore.

Chapeau!

The consensus was that this had been quite a gig and why wasn't the room sold out or was everyone going to Hexham on Wednesday, Durham on Thursday, or Darlington on Friday?

Lance.