Mo Scott (vocals) Stu Collingwood (organ); Lloyd Howell (drums)
(Review by Ann Alex/Photo from Jazz Coop archive)
This was advertised as a duo, but Mo came along as well, I’m pleased to say. I encountered Mo many years ago as a blues singer but she’s always been familiar with standard jazz songs, and she excelled with the Gasbook last night, giving a rather more raunchy style of interpretation than is usual. Stu explained to me that his organ/keyboard needed only a light touch to play multiple notes very fast, but maybe he was being modest as his fingers flew over the keys and chords like forked lightning, and his feet danced on the pedals, entrancing to watch. And the drummer held all the rhythms together like the master that he is.
An instrumental first, Back To The Chicken Shack, keys skittering, then staccato, then making an almost human laughing sound; next came Groove Merchant, up, down and around the scales. Up stepped Mo to tell us that she Don’t Get Around Much Anymore, then a suitably spirited Fever; she called out to ask Lover Man, Where Can You Be? I think she must have located lover man, as her next song said Squeeze Me. There followed Tell Me More And Then Some and Love Me Or Leave Me. Followed by an instrumental of Georgie Fame’s first big hit Yeh, Yeh, to round off the first half.
An instrumental opened the second leg, Jimmy Smith's The Cat, then came Weather Report’s Mercy, Mercy, Mercy.
I could hardly stop myself from singing this as we did it at a Sage Jazz Co-op workshop a few months back – I kept quiet and the audience last night didn’t realise what a lucky escape they’d had! Mo returned to the stage for Mean To Me; a sensitive But Beautiful; Lover Come Back To Me. Then my current favourite song, You Don’t Know What Love Is; Route 66 (loud chock sounds from the drums, followed by a drum solo); Duke’s In A Mellow Tone and Ready And Able from instruments only. Mo returned for God Bless The Child; Georgia; Unchain My Heart (a little dance of enthusiasm from Mo); a very bluesy Love Me Like A Man. All stops were out for the final number, Booker T’s Help Me (I Can’t Do It All By Myself).
A good time was had by all.
Ann Alex
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