Springtime Early Birds @ The Lit & Phil - Apr 6

(Review by Russell)  

Today's Early Bird workshop took the form of a last minute rehearsal session ahead of a concert performance here at the Lit and Phil on Friday evening (April 6). Five young musicians assembled in-the-round to work on a few things guided, as always, by Paul Edis. 

Theo Wride, Sage Gateshead's Jazz Attack bass player, sitting opposite a whispering Lucien Guest, slotted-in nicely. Our Early Bird trumpeter spoke in hushed tones having lost his voice but this didn't in any way diminish his instrumental contribution alongside fellow horn player Haaruun Miller. 

Reams of sheet music occupied stands, some of it littering the Loftus Room floor, as Miller took another look at My Favorite Things. MD Edis certainly challenges the Eary Bird crew with far from easy material and invariably they make a good job of it. Lots of talk this morning about tonal centres, moving around the key of A, groove, free-ish sections etc as the ensemble got to grips with an original piece not dissimilar to Chameleon. Drummer Dylan Thompson hit a groove, newbie Wride locked-on as guitarist Tom Henery traded funky lines with Edis' tenor sax. 

 

The Early Birds' preparation done, the ensemble can look ahead confidently to Friday's concert. The band will be on stage at eight o'clock followed by touring trio Meraki.

Russell 

Paul Edis (MD, piano, tenor sax); Lucien Guest (trumpet); Haaruun Miller (soprano & alto saxes); Tom Henery (guitar); Theo Wride (bass guitar); Dylan Thompson (drums)