Roman Marek, Jim Whitley. Phil Barley (singers).
Chris Hibbard (trombone); Jon Hibbard (alto); Jim Corry (alto); Simon Kaylor (tenor); Damian Bell (trumpet); Daniel Hammerton (trumpet); Jason Scott (piano); Paul Baxter (bass); Dave Hockman (drums).
(Review by Lance).
A fun evening packed with pratfalls, bawdy humour, fine singing and a stonkingly good band. The band were deserving of a feature, perhaps in the form of an overture; all good musicals have an overture* and, on the strength of the occasional short solo these guys, co-led by the Brothers Hibbard, were well up to the task.
The three singers did the job effectively being themselves or, as the occasion demanded, Frank, Dean and Sammy.
The plot was slender to nonexistent - the last three crooners in the world discovered in the sleepy hamlet of Whitley Bay (next week Billingham). Michael Bublé was mentioned but he didn't count as he was Canadian. Although the fine auditorium wasn't full -"Fancy all these people coming dressed as empty seats" quipped one of the stars - those present had a ball.
Apart from the solo features most of the numbers were in trio form with the crooners seamlessly switching the lyric between them. Whitley and Barlow also did some fancy hoofing on Cute.
One minor irritant was 'the business' during the vamp till ready intros which invariably went on too long making this listener impatient for the song to begin. Fly me to the Moon in particular springs to mind.
However, a mere fly in the ointment of the overall picture which was one of great songs beautifully sung and played and a lot of humour.
Catch them when you can.
Lance.
How Do You Do; Come Fly With Me; You Make me Feel so Young; My Kind of Girl; How Are Ya' Fixed For Love?; L.O.V.E; Give me the Moonlight; When You're Smiling; You're Awful; Cute; Nice and Easy; Blues in the Night; As Long as I'm Singing; Ain't That a Kick in the Head?; Mr Bojangles; Fly me to the Moon; It Had to be You; I Get a Kick Out of You; On the Street Where You Live; The Lady is a Tramp; I'm Gonna Live Till I Die; Mack the Knife; The Curtain Falls.
*Blues in the Night which opened the second half was close to being an overture with some fine tenor sax from Simon Kaylor.
A fun evening packed with pratfalls, bawdy humour, fine singing and a stonkingly good band. The band were deserving of a feature, perhaps in the form of an overture; all good musicals have an overture* and, on the strength of the occasional short solo these guys, co-led by the Brothers Hibbard, were well up to the task.
The three singers did the job effectively being themselves or, as the occasion demanded, Frank, Dean and Sammy.
The plot was slender to nonexistent - the last three crooners in the world discovered in the sleepy hamlet of Whitley Bay (next week Billingham). Michael Bublé was mentioned but he didn't count as he was Canadian. Although the fine auditorium wasn't full -"Fancy all these people coming dressed as empty seats" quipped one of the stars - those present had a ball.
Apart from the solo features most of the numbers were in trio form with the crooners seamlessly switching the lyric between them. Whitley and Barlow also did some fancy hoofing on Cute.
One minor irritant was 'the business' during the vamp till ready intros which invariably went on too long making this listener impatient for the song to begin. Fly me to the Moon in particular springs to mind.
However, a mere fly in the ointment of the overall picture which was one of great songs beautifully sung and played and a lot of humour.
Catch them when you can.
Lance.
How Do You Do; Come Fly With Me; You Make me Feel so Young; My Kind of Girl; How Are Ya' Fixed For Love?; L.O.V.E; Give me the Moonlight; When You're Smiling; You're Awful; Cute; Nice and Easy; Blues in the Night; As Long as I'm Singing; Ain't That a Kick in the Head?; Mr Bojangles; Fly me to the Moon; It Had to be You; I Get a Kick Out of You; On the Street Where You Live; The Lady is a Tramp; I'm Gonna Live Till I Die; Mack the Knife; The Curtain Falls.
*Blues in the Night which opened the second half was close to being an overture with some fine tenor sax from Simon Kaylor.
No comments :
Post a Comment