Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester le Street. March 5 – Youth Section

(Review by Russell)

The final chorus of this year’s Great North Big Band Jazz Festival, the Youth Section. Saturday’s senior Open Section produced several hours of top class big band jazz, Sunday morning turned the spotlight on schools, now, to close, eight youth big bands, the ensembles which will produce the senior musicians of tomorrow.

Youth Section

Kirklees to Chester le Street, depart 10:15am, arrive in good time for a three o’clock performance. Musica Shelley Big Band arrived safely, tuned-up, and at MD Simon Mansfield’s command, hit the ground running with Randy Newman’s You’ve Got a Friend in Me. Sam Jones’ Unit 7 made a second appearance of the day and we heard some more from the pen of Big Phat master Gordon Goodwin – this time Backrow Politics. A sound start.

The award winning Dave Hignett returned to the scene of his earlier triumph to conduct the Tyne Valley Youth Big Band. A relatively small band (approx twenty!) by MD Hignett’s standards, four tunes in twenty minutes represented something of a leisurely set for the always motoring TVYBB. Planet Gibbous to the Adderley’s Tango Tango to Game of Thrones, Sam Armstrong on trumpet and Sophie Speed playing alto impressed, likewise trumpeters Ben Tanton and Emma Dunwell.

All seats on the Kirklees’  band bus were filled for the trip to Chester le Street. Following hot on the heels of Musica Shelley came MD Adam Kingham and Musica Youth Jazz. A twenty one piece outfit, four numbers, and a trumpet duet featuring Christie Smith and Rebecca Reddiough on a Neal Hefti chart – Duet (trans. Jon Harpin). The Hefti muted horns were a joy to listen to.  A prize winning performance? 

MD Shaune Eland works tirelessly with members of Durham County Youth Big Band. This 2017 edition of the band received the thumbs-up in advance from a keen observer of the big band scene (locally, nationally and internationally). The dynamic Children of Sanchez set the ball rolling with a sit-up-and-take-notice contribution by guitarist Emily Simpson. Burt Bacharach’s The Look of Love and A Child is Born featured alto saxophonist Beth Roberts and the closing number – Sunny – put Omar Shade, tenor, and guitarist Simpson in the spotlight.

Wakefield Youth Jazz Orchestra, conductors Stuart Wilkinson and Amanda Spalding, opted to start with Scrapple from the Apple. Classic material, a good start. The set list also included Richard Ingram’s remarkably titled The Krzysztof Skubiszewski and Alfred Hrdlicka Two-Step. Titles aside, the music was good! Lars Halle’s Funk Tank with Jessica Taylor, alto, closed the set.

Sage Gateshead’s Jambone big band has taken giant strides in recent months. Under the tutelage of conductor Paul Edis numbers have increased, confidence has been restored and there is every reason to believe that tangible success – ie silverware – is on the horizon. Two Edis’ compositions – The Coast and When All is Said and Done – featured reeds, brass and the rhythm section boys. Flautists Imogen Davies-Pugh and Megan Robinson impressed, similarly pianist Philip Grobe, guitarist Matthew Downey and bassist Alex Shipsey. Powerhouse drummer Dylan Thompson is one to watch – his solo on When All is Said and Done deservedly won applause and the ensemble acquitted itself admirably on Monk’s Bright Mississippi.

Top trumpeter and MD Ian Chalk arrived with the York Music Forum Jazz Orchestra. A four tune set comprising Gershwin, an Ian Chalk original and a Snarky Puppy chart looked promising and the band didn’t disappoint. Chalk said he thought that Strike Up the Band was a good way to start. Quite. A nod to Miles Davis – Chalk’s Signs of Achievement (For Miles) – featured Nathan Burroughs, alto, and baritone saxophonist Will Gibbon. Very impressive! Snarky Puppy’s bassist Michael League wrote Shofukan and the York-based band took a look at it. On this evidence, the possibility of some silverware heading to York couldn’t be discounted.

Last, but by no means least, conductor Nigel Blenkiron and Scarborough Music Centre EASY Jazz took to the stage…all thirty-five of them! Verging on symphonic proportions, Festival Director Bill Watson said this was by far the largest gathering to assemble at the Great North Big Band Jazz Festival. The stage crew – working out of Sunderland University – shoe-horned all thirty five of the Scarborough contingent onto the platform. Stevie Wonder to Dizzy Gillespie via the Pink Panther theme, this was a musical and visually stimulating set. Lewis Alder, trombone, impressed on the Mancini standard.

A long day, indeed a long weekend, was drawing to a close, but not before the awarding of several prizes and a vote of thanks to the many unsung workers behind the scenes. Bill Watson expressed his thanks once again to Sunderland University, to Chester le Street Rotary Club for their welcome financial assistance, Durham Freemasons and the presence of the Musicians Union.

Adjudicators Mick Donnelly and Adrian Tilbrook informed Bill Watson of their deliberations and the results were as follows:

Adjudicators’ Award: Christie Smith trumpet and Rebecca Reddiough trumpet, duet on Duet

(Musica Youth Jazz)

Adjudicators’ Award: Emily Simpson guitar (Durham County Youth Big Band)

Adjudicators’ Award: Lewis Alder trombone (Scarborough Music Centre EASY Jazz)

Best Programme: Musica Youth Jazz

Best Section: Rhythm section (York Music Forum Jazz Orchestra)

Best Soloist: Will Osborne trombone (pictured) (York Music Forum Jazz Orchestra)

Best Band: Durham County Youth Big Band (Pictured).
Russell