James Harrison (keyboards & piano) & Caroline Bagley (alto saxophone & vocals)
(Review/Photo by Russell).
Friday nights at the Jazz Café have, of late, seen large crowds turning out to hear a succession of duo performances, and this week’s gig saw a quick return for pianist James Harrison, fresh from a stupendous jam session earlier in the week, working alongside a newcomer to Pink Lane, Caroline Bagley. Family and friends of the duo were out in force putting prime seats at a premium. Starting on time, what would the Teessiders play?
Autumn Leaves, Sunny and Moondance for starters with Bagley playing alto saxophone and, to the delight of many, singing. Ms Bagley first appeared on Bebop Spoken Here’s radar something like a decade ago when Jazzaction’s Sunday lunchtime workshop series in Stockton on Tees developed a succession of accomplished musicians, many of whom are today’s established names gigging on a regular basis throughout the region and beyond.
God Bless the Child, Why Don’t You Do Right? and a popular (populist?) selection – Street Life. Harrison is nothing if not exuberant. Behind a fun, good time persona is a seriously good piano player. This Jazz Café engagement heard lots of left-hand, on occasion cross-handed, playing from the man. Bagley, known to some as a fine alto sax player, demonstrated she is a fine singer – phrasing, dynamics, presentation. A spine-tingling take on I’d Rather Go Blind, some Stevie Wonder, the Jackson 5’s I Want You Back, a Blue Monk-ish episode, a mixture of material – classy function band material alongside ‘serious’ jazz numbers.
Ms Bagley is soon to marry! Mr Harrison wasn’t about to let this fact go without comment, so, with great skill, a succession of wedding-related song quotes peppered the performance. Bagley took it all in the right spirit on a night of great entertainment at the Jazz Café.
Russell.
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