(Review by Russell)
The 2017 Jesmond
Community Festival includes a couple of student jazz offerings. Later in the
month members of Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra return to play a set
ranging from swing era standards to bop and beyond. Last night’s jazz concert
in Jesmond Library presented a new outfit – new to BSH that is – playing a funk
set.
Philonious Funk is
a student band from Northumbria
University. The former
polytechnic doesn’t offer a music degree but what it does have is a group of
students playing music for fun and this public performance of two short sets of
funk and soul entertained festival-goers in leafy Jesmond on a mild Saturday
evening.
A number of nearby student residences were in the throes of having
their own shindig – they’re probably still going strong – oblivious to what was
going down at their local library. Dad-dancing types made an effort to ‘get on
down’ as Philonious Funk (great name!) launched into Uptown Funk. Pharrell Williams’ Happy
and the Blues Brothers’ version of Spencer Davis’ Gimme Some Lovin’ had them twitching in their seats if not dancing
in between the stacks.
During the
interval festival goers stepped outside to check that the 4x4 hadn’t been
twocked and make leafy small talk. Festival funksters got into the spirit with
a quarter-full paper cup of white or red determined to ‘get on down’. Bruno
Mars’ Treasure, a band original held
its own, Superstition tested the
horns – two trumpets, alto and trombone – and Valerie showcased one of two vocalists. The Main Squeeze’s Dr Funk sent the leafy brigade home
happy.
Russell.
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