James Pearson (piano); Alex Garnett (tenor); Sam Burgess (bass); Ian Thomas (drums); Natalie Williams (vocal).
(Review by Lance).
Those of us who saw the show at Gala Theatre, Durham, in May last year probably expected more of the same and we couldn't have been more wrong!
Whereas last year was purely instrumental with Freddy Gavita on trumpet, this time round the emphasis was on the vocal side with homage paid to Ella, Anita, Sassy, Mark Murphy, Nancy Wilson and the many other singers who patrolled the Frith St. beat. This multi-faceted task was entrusted to Natalie Williams who, 3 years back, had the inhabitants of Hoochie Coochie rocking and rolling in the aisles.
Tonight, the tall, statuesque, singer was in a more sophisticated mode, as befitted the occasion, but still did the business. Garnett, needless to say, blew tenor like there was no tomorrow although, he told me afterward, he had a gig in Bromley the following day. Ben Webster to Sonny Rollins, Garnett ticked all the boxes.
The current house pianist and Musical Director at Ronnie's, James Pearson (on the right of the picture with Alex Garnett), was featured in a piece from Oscar Peterson's Canadiana Suite. He did the great man proud.
Sam Burgess was rock solid and particularly impressive on the bass/voice intro to If I Were a Bell.
Ian Thomas, who'd got his dates mixed up and had arrived in Gateshead a day early - he should have been in Doncaster - dazzled on Sing Sing Sing.
The obligatory encore, It Don't Mean a Thing if it Ain't Got That Swing certainly did have 'that swing!'
Lance.
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