Matt Roberts Sextet: Matt Roberts (trumpet); Josh Arcoleo (tenor sax);
Alice Leggett (alto sax); Sam Watts (piano); Inga Eichler (double bass); Sam
Gardner (drums)
(Review by Russell)
Our annual treat didn't disappoint,
how could it with six of the best up from London? The opening night of the 2019
Darlington Jazz Festival once again found Matt Roberts in terrific form working
alongside some seriously talented friends playing the music of the Darlington
trumpeter's chosen subject: Blue Mitchell.
Year after year, Roberts returns home
to play the opening set of his home town's jazz festival with a trumpet hero
the focus of attention - Miles, Freddie Hubbard, Nat Adderley, Fats Navarro,
the list goes on. This year, from the Blue Note hard bop years through to
seventies' funk, it was Blue Mitchell all the way.
Two new faces in the sextet line-up -
alto saxophonist Alice Leggett (a favourite at Alex Garnett's Ronnie Scott's
late night jam session...Alice, have you brought your horn? enquires
Garnett when he sees the young alto player has walked in. Yeah replies
Alice, Garnett delighted, he wants the best sitting-in). And on double bass this
evening at the Voodoo Cafe not the marvellous Daisy George but the equally
marvellous Inga Eichler. Our German bassist arrived in London ten years ago to
study at the Royal Academy, stayed on and is as busy as anyone on the
scene.
The Thing to Do from '65
(featuring a young Chick Corea) opened Roberts' set. In previous years our
trumpeter has been happy to train the spotlight on his brilliant bandmates and
this year was no different except that this time around he really did step up to
the plate, leading from the front. A first blistering solo, the room cheered as
one. Many were there to hear Josh Arcoleo and they weren't to be disappointed
as our tenor man followed Roberts blowing hard bop and beyond and yep, the
place went bonkers!
Oh Mama Enit with its calypso
rhythm Alice Leggett was tempted to show what she could do. Roberts
assured us our altoist regularly blows away the opposition on the London scene
and boy, here in Darlington she lived up to her star billing by playing killing
alto. Roberts' presentational style is that of an enthusiast, effusive about
his fellow musicians and about his subject - Blue Mitchell. Brother
Ball from Mitchell’s first album way back in '58 closed a fine first
set. Having arrived with not much time to spare before the scheduled nine
o'clock start the sextet retired to the adjoining restaurant for a quick
chilli.
At the start of the second set
Roberts thanked the full house for sticking around...as if we were going
anywhere! Good Humour Man resumed matters with our local hero
saying: The nightlife in Darlington is poppin'. Well, not quite
the Soho scene but there is something to say for the place! We were moving into
modal territory with Perception said Roberts. Our
band leader went for it with a lung-busting solo (more cheering!) which
was met with an 'out there' tenor blast that elicited more whooping and
hollering and, to quote Roberts, 'an outer space ' bass solo by the fabulous
Inga Eichler.
The two Sams - pianist Sam Watts and
drummer extraordinaire Sam Gardner - had a ball with the frontline fully
appreciative of their engine room efforts. As eleven o'clock came and went the
Matt Roberts Sextet kept on cookin'...PT Blues (bluesy alto to die
for from Leggett), Day at the Mint from late period Mitchell
then the final number of the evening - Fungi Mama - with all
soloing as if there was no tomorrow. Yes, another memorable night at the Voodoo
Cafe. Ink in Matt Roberts' 2020 Darlington Jazz Festival gig in the diary now -
Friday, May 1st.
Russell
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