Marie Curie Fundraiser: A concert For Margaret Barnes @ The Lit and Phil July 20

The Zoë Gilby Quartet: Zoë Gilby (vocals); Mark Williams (guitar); Andy Champion (bass); Russ Morgan (drums).

(Review by Ann Alex/Photos by Pam Young)

Unlike the previous set (reviewed below) there were no problems hearing Zoë's well-thought-out lyrics and excellent introductions to the songs - full marks to Zoë for audience communication. An entertaining well-rounded performance brilliantly supported by Mark: adventurous, cleverly echoing Zoë's scat. Andy:  doing, well what basses do, and Russ giving the performance that we expect, on sticks, brushes and hands.

April Mist gave us Zoë's lyrics about seizing the day, then came Thin Lizzy's song Dublin, then The Water's Edge. We were treated to the humorous bebop  of Joni's Dry Cleaner from Des Moines. Autumn Serenade calmed us down before In Walked Bud, and Caravan concluded the set. But the highlight song for me was Peggy Lee's Some Cats Know which Zoë sang with knowing sighs and snarls. If she ever wants to take up acting, she's halfway there.

Hazem Mohammed (drums); Tobias Illingworth (vocals, piano)

This earlier set was billed as FCT but the relevant personnel weren't all available so they  unexpectedly became a duo, with recent music graduate Tobias giving us his, mostly, original songs. 

Thereby hangs a problem.  Original songs often need to be heard a few times to be fully appreciated. Plus the fact that the vocal mic. over the piano wasn't used until the last 2 or 3 numbers meant some of the words and titles escaped me.

The style wasn't jazz but closer to contemporary folk. Lines of song alternating with short piano statements, and drums cleverly beating to the song rhythm. The voice, high-pitched and pleasant, the songs, I think,  mostly love songs. 

A cover of a Michael Hurley number, Animal Song, about the natural world preceded the piece I liked best, an instrumental with very long, slow piano chords which were played so that you heard each sound until it became silence. Really interesting as the notes actually seemed to change pitch just before the silence. The drummer simply made faint rumbling sounds on the cymbals, then ended the piece with a

cymbal oriental sound

Oh, and the raffle was won by Pam Young, a worthy winner, who will surely enjoy the Dizzy Gillespie CDs and the free pass to two JNE gigs. Enjoy!

Ann Alex