Sunday evening - Nov.3
(Review by Russell)
Close on three hundred people had foregone sleep to ensure they caught
every last minute of an exhausting but hugely enjoyable festival. Beginning
late night Thursday with the annual 'welcome concert', the Classic Jazz Party
was about to hear the bell for a thrilling Sunday evening last lap.
Andy Schumm is the nearest living, breathing approximation of
Bix Beiderbecke and sought to emulate his hero as he entertained the Classic
Jazz Party's audience with a half hour piano Professor set.
Yes, Schumm, just like Bix, could play the piano! Bix's men - Arthur Schutt and
Frank Signorelli - featured in the set alongside two or three of Schumm's own
compositions, one of which, he conceded, wasn't exactly jazz!
The following set presented by Morten Gunnar Larsen was
an ambitious undertaking - Music of the German Weimar Republic.
Norwegian Gunnar Larsen is an authority on the period - the years following WWI
up to the rise to power of a nondescript Chancellor and subsequent Führer of
Germany. Sixty minutes of decadence, Kurt Weill's cabaret of defiance and
immaculate playing from all concerned held the audience rapt.
Pianist Gunnar Larsen teamed up with Claus Jacobi to
work on an engrossing programme. Largely downbeat rather than hot,
cellist Penny Callow provided pathos sitting alongside fellow
north of England star, Emma Fisk, violin. At times trumpeters Mike
Davis and Torstein Kubban blew in subdued
manner, Richard Pite read Jacobi's transcriptions for tuba and
string bass and the usually ebullient Josh Duffee sat
respectfully behind the traps reading the dots as Joan Viskant's
vocals evoked the period.
Claus Jacobi directed a brief set looking at Django Reinhardt,
Ellington, Benny Carter and others. Guitarists Félix Hunot and Henry
Lemaire relished the material as did Spats Langham also
playing guitar in an Anglo Saxes vs French Guitars - the
saxophones on this occasion being Lars Frank, Michael
McQuaid, leader Jacobi, David Horniblow and Matthias
Seuffert.
The CJP was entering the home straight. 9:30 at night, time to bring
on Spats and his Hot Combination. Tom Langham's record collection
is probably like no other. The Al Bowlly fan likes Ukulele Ike, he can sing
Bing and this set looked at a variety of small combos. Helping Langham
were Emma Fisk (the pair often work together on sets), Duke
Heitger, the hugely impressive Lars Frank, Morten
Gunnar Larsen and CJP favourite Malcolm Sked, tuba and
string bass.
The big guns were wheeled out for the festival finale. Michael
McQuaid led a stupendous farewell surrounded by Mazurié, Heitger and Tomasso,
trumpets, Alistair Allan and Graham Hughes,
trombones, Seuffert and Horniblow the
reeds alongside McQuaid, the man from New Orleans David
Boeddinghaus, piano, Hunot, banjo and guitar, fellow
Frenchman Lemaire on string bass and drummer Richard
Pite. Ellington and Cab Calloway featured in McQuaid's Mills Blue
Rhythm Band. It swung, it really did. Time to go...to the bar for a Classic
Jazz Party jam session finale like no other!
Sunday Night Pub Jam - would anyone dip out? Nope!
Musicians by the score, punters by three score and ten (and more!) made for the
bar, bagged a seat, stood at the bar, ready for the jam session to end all jam
sessions. American Andy Schumm, cornet, called on his USA
buddies Dave Bock, trombone and piano ace Andrew Oliver to
get things going at eleven and from there on in the best part of twenty
musicians had a blow (the finale numbering at least seventeen!). Lars
Frank was there from the off, Phil Rutherford played the first hour on tuba, Nick Ward opened behind the traps
and Joan Viskant wowed the packed room. 
The beer flowed, dancers did their thing and one after another the crème
de la crème stepped up for a blow. In no particular order, and it's by no means
a comprehensive list, the following had a ball - Stéphane Gillot, Torstein
Kubban, Michael McQuaid, Matthias Seuffert, Young Talent Award winner Colin
Hancock (pictured), Malo Mazuiré, Josh Duffee, Nick Ward, Nick Ball, Martin
Wheatley, Graham Hughes, trombone and vocals, David Boeddinghaus, Enrico
Tomasso and the fabulous Analucia Tomasso (pictured), vocals.
it was 3:00am when it all finally came to an end. Let's do it again next year.
The bookings are already coming in!
Russell
No comments :
Post a Comment