Riviera Quartet @ The Globe Jazz Bar - March 9

Pete Tanton (trumpet, flugelhorn); Mark Williams (guitar); John Pope (bass); Russ Morgan (drums)

(Review by Ann Alex/Photos Lance)

They were billed as a band doing bebop, blues and bossa, but I didn’t realise how stunningly well they performed those genres and that most of the tunes were originals. I should have guessed as I’ve seen these musicians in other bands, so the combination was superb. The flugelhorn gave a strong start to Tanton’s Barbados and the guitar quickly showed what he could do. There, There, There (Williams) followed, a rhythm changes based tune, in a tricky bebop style, with muted trumpet. And of course the drums and bass were no slouches either, right ‘on the money’ (I’m writing like Russell now), lively multi-handed drums and well-grounded bass, and 4 bar exchanges already, this early in the set. The bass alone began You Don’t Smile Anymore, the others eased in gently, the flugel playing the title phrase which could have been set to words, and the tune ended with a bass fade out. Flugel and guitar echoed each other during part of the next number, and the first set culminated in a bebop blast with short lines and intriguing gaps between them, as well as skilled guitar and drum solos.

The second set opened with To Heaven Overnight, which Pete dedicated to Lance as it was his birthday. Mention of heaven must surely have resonated with Lance, as he informed me that if Mark looked like Jesus, then Russ must surely be the devil incarnate by the way he was drumming, John was the Pope, of course, and Saint Peter was on flugel. Birthdays have a strange effect on people!

A landscape was the picture that sprung to mind from Mark Williams’ guitar introduction to whatever the next piece was called - ie with a wide spreading tone which reminded me of the countryside, a beautiful slow tune.

A Latin number followed, then a tune with flugel and guitar in call and response mode. The next item ended with bass and cymbals only, cut across by a few subtle guitar chords, very unusual. The Cat’s Reply, a newly arranged item, that involved lots of hand drumming, great stuff, and The Question Mark Blues, rounded off a great evening of music.  

If there is music like this on ‘The Riviera’. I’m booking my flight tomorrow! But, then again, no need to – they’re at the Caff on March 18!
Photos.

Ann Alex