(Review by Russell)
Sunday's closing concert at this
year's Darlington Jazz Festival presented the Durham Alumni Big Band playing a
somewhat unusual programme compiled and conducted by DABB 'old boy' Matt
Roberts. Earlier in the year, the London based trumpeter pitched the idea to the
festival committee that the ladies and gentlemen of the orchestra perform a
selection of 1980s film and television theme tunes. If nothing else the market
square marquee's capacity audience would be able to sing along to some or all
of them!
Roberts wanted to play a guessing
game, something like Name That Tune! Your starter for ten, the first number has
a sporting connection. Readers will be pleased to learn that BSH was straight
in there, after two bars...Grandstand! Lots of smiling faces, tapping
feet and, crucially, both the arrangement and the performance of the Alumni
nothing short of sensational. Roberts' enthusiasm bubbles over at the best of
times, here, he was in his element. Our MD proceeded to introduce most, if not
all numbers, with 'Here's another banger!'. Much laughter in the audience and
on the stand with Jonny Dunn in particular in fits at his pal's hilarious introductions.
Here's another banger! said Roberts
and once again your scribe was straight in with Ski Sunday. Bond,
the name is James Bond - everyone knows the theme, this one from License
to Kill featuring tenor man Alex Baker's take on Gladys Knight. Here's
another banger (you get the idea)...Ghostbusters with massive vocal
participation by audience and band alike and a ghostly, dancing figure in the
shape of one M Roberts! Yes, this was end-of-term stuff, fun all the way
with the Alumni on top form. From this point on the guessing game would become
marginally more difficult.
The Alumni's trumpet section has
always been up there with the best of them and when Roberts introduced, yes,
'another banger!', a Team BSH mini-conference concluded that the Alumni can, at
any one time, put out four from a pool of (at least) six A-list trumpeters. On
this occasion, the section comprised Ian Robinson, Shaune Eland, Jonny Dunn and
Bill Watson. Roberts mentioned Maynard Ferguson and the section looked the
other way! Drawing the short straw was the man usually out front - Mr Shaune
Eland. The Alumni's regular MD stepped up to nail Ferguson's top C work on an
arrangement of Sesame Street.
Points scoring became more difficult,
except, perhaps, for those who sat in front of the box watching children's
television programmes in the 80s, with a run of CBeebies tv theme tunes. The
first set had been a refreshing change and, what's more, the marquee's heating
had been turned up to something like comfortable.
The second set began craftily in that
Roberts slipped-in a bona fide jazz chart. Gordon Goodwin's Hunting
Wabbits gave the band the chance to have a real good blow with
features for Steve McGarvie (alto) and the always impressive Jonny Dunn.
Roberts was in party mood alright but he took time out to talk about the work
of Durham Music Service saying that for a young musician the music education
available in County Durham can be 'a life-changing experience'.
Thundercats reinstated the
theme tune thread and a short (fifty seconds or so) blast of Have I Got
News for You brought yet more smiles across the marquee. The DABB is a
jazz orchestra so it came as little surprise that another 'jazz' number - John
Dankworth's theme for Tomorrow's World - found its way into
the set with Roberts joining the trumpet section to blow and blow some
more. The A- Team, Popeye and Quincy Jones' Soul
Bossa Nova from Austin Powers brought the curtain
down on a fantastic finale to this year's Darlington Jazz
Festival.
Russell
Durham Alumni Big Band: Matt Roberts
(MD, trumpet); Ian Robinson, Shaune Eland, Jonny Dunn, Bill Watson (trumpets);
Andrew Kirtley, Terry O'Hern, Alastair White (trombones); David
Hamilton (bass trombone); Alex Baker (tenor sax); James ? (tenor sax), Steve
McGarvie (alto sax), Kirsty Dunn (alto sax), Danielle Drew (baritone sax); Ben
Connor (piano); Shaun Henderson (guitar); Mick Shoulder (bass guitar); Stephen
Fletcher (drums) .
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