(Review by Russell)
Advertised as an eight o'clock start
it seemed reasonable to arrive sometime around half past seven to go to the
bar, take a seat and listen to a last minute soundcheck. Walking into Ove
Arup's 1960s Durham city landmark building the Riverside Bar was just about
full to capacity, the place rammed with students...no surprise given that
tonight's venue for the end of year gig by the Durham University Big Band was
Durham Students' Union. What was a surprise was the gig started at
7:30...bloody students!
Hawaiian shirts and on stage drinks
aplenty gave the game away - the Durham University Big Band guys were demob
happy. Led by Zach Fox, who a week earlier received a standing
ovation at his Final Recital, DUBB presented two sets of typically mixed fayre;
classic swing numbers sitting alongside contemporary charts from the likes of
Jacob Mann and Gerard Presencer.
The sound balance wasn't very good to
say the least. Alex Flanders, trumpet and flugelhorn, blew some
good stuff yet, despite being on a mic, was difficult to hear. Similarly the
excellent Tommy Wise (heard at last weekend's DJazz
Festival) on trombone, Matt Bartlett, alto sax, and the main
man himself, Fox, on tenor, starring on Mann's Baby Carrots. Band
vocalists Evie Hill and Rob Singleton were on
hand to sing a few numbers and it was Hill who closed the first set with
student favourite Diddy Bop.
On a night like this the bar did good
business particularly with a 'big band cocktail' (comprising a long list of
killer ingredients) on offer at £4.50. Would DUBB attend to the sound issues or
would more important matters such as downing another cocktail take priority?
Tommy Wise opened the second set with
more first-rate 'bone work on September in the Rain...the poor
sound quality had yet to be remedied. Trumpeter Honor Hornsby's
hurried announcements added to the less than ideal presentation...Footprints...Gerard
Presencer said the diminutive Hornsby. It was, of course, Wayne
Shorter's Footprints with, perhaps, an arrangement by
Presencer.
Evie Hill returned to sing Alfa Mist's Breathe featuring
Fox's tenor solo with impressive work from drummer Will Elias in
a rhythm section which included the equally impressive guitarist Tom
Burgess. BSH first came across Elias accompanying pianist Juliane Deil at
DJazz 2018, let's hear him sitting-in at one of Newcastle's spectacular jam
sessions! Hill's vocal partner Rob Singleton joined her on Zach Fox's
arrangement of Robert Glasper's Ah, Yeah which highlighted the
arranger's command of his instrument, this evening on tenor sax although the
likeable bandleader is equally adept on alto.
Durham University Jazz Society is at
the heart of student jazz activity across the city including organising jam
sessions, spawning splinter groups (Jazz Soctet played DJazz 2019) and
participating in prestigious masterclass events with Mark Armstrong, Jasper
Høiby, Nikki Iles, Callum Au and others. The latter, trombonist Callum Au,
supplied the arrangement for DUBB's splendid take on Bernstein's Something's
Coming from West Side Story. Excellent ensemble work, Wise
and Fox the soloists, the evening kept on getting better and
better.
Well, all good things come to an end.
Rob Singleton joined the band for one last number - D'Angelo's Spanish
Joint - with, belatedly, the PA finally enabling our vocalist to be
heard loud and clear. Poor sound balance aside this DUBB gig was as a good a
way as any to say goodbye to the 2018-19 academic year. There is a final
opportunity to hear the band before the guys head off on their holidays, that's
next Thursday (June 20) in a Jazz North East promotion at the Black Swan,
Newcastle Arts Centre.
Russell.
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