Daniel John Martin w Swing Manouche @ Core Music, Hexham - Feb 22

Daniel John Martin (violin, vocals); Mick Shoulder (guitar); Giles Strong (guitar); Ian Paterson (double bass) 

(Review by Russell)

Daniel John Martin, or DJM as he is known, made a flying visit to the north east of England to play three gigs in as many days and conduct a workshop into the bargain. DJM's friendship with Mick Shoulder enables the Paris-based violinist to tour across the region on a regular basis. County Durham-based Shoulder acts as fixer and the gypsy jazz aficionados enjoy playing a wide variety of material together, invariably in the company of guitarist Giles Strong and, on this occasion, bassist Ian Paterson.

Thursday it was Newcastle's Jazz Co-op (see Ann Alex's review), Friday DJM was in Durham at Claypath Deli (BSH's man on the ground Tony Eales reported a successful evening up on Claypath) and Saturday found DJM and Mick Shoulder as the advance guard arriving in Hexham mid-afternoon to run a workshop at Core Music with a tour-ending Swing Manouche evening concert at the Gilesgate music resource centre.  

A 'bring-your-own-refreshments' arrangement found your reviewer carrying several bottles of beer (one of them a bottle of 'Jazz Club', a 5% coffee porter from the recently established Brewis Beer Co in Amble) and a couple of bottles of white wine all the way from Newcastle to the Northumberland market town. Core Music's ancient, intimate premises would prove to be the ideal venue to listen to DJM and Swing Manouche. 

        

Danube suggested DJM. Swing Manouche (that's Shoulder, Strong and Paterson) nodded and off they went, giving Strauss' Blue Danube (aka The Anniversary Song) a Parisian by-way-of Hexhamshire gypsy jazz treatment with its multi chorus Mick Shoulder feature. We had been going scarcely five minutes yet thoughts turned to a 'Gig of the Year' nomination!   

Let's Fall in Love, Lulu Swing, Shoulder dropping no fewer than three picks (each one retrieved in a trice) on I Wish You Love (DJM's exquisite vocals), a Latin treatment given to Nature Boy with our guest's vocals and whistled/pizzicato coda - simply magical. Au Privave closed a marvellous first set with Swing Manouche firing on all cylinders. 

J'attendrai reprise des d'affaires. Oops, English, if you please! The popular pre-war song is often in Hot Club/gypsy jazz sets and Daniel John Martin and the Swing Manouche boys can do it better than most and they did just that here in Hexham. Très bien! A sublime I'll See You in My Dreams, that Gig of the Year nomination was all but assured. DJM turned to the boys: Heaven. Ah! A vocal chorus brought in Cheek to Cheek. It doesn't get any better than this with master rhythm guitarist Giles Strong cruising and bassist Ian Paterson a revelation in the Hot Club idiom. World class jazz, an intimate venue, perfection.

The 'Jazz Club' coffee porter long-since consumed, it would soon be time to brave February's elements but not before an all but obligatory Nuages (Shoulder soloing) and a DJM vocal on There'll Never be Another You. Our guest from France had enjoyed himself, so much so DJM insisted on an encore with two of the afternoon's workshop participants joining him and Swing Manouche to play All of Me. Eddie on guitar and John playing trumpet did themselves proud. The next time Daniel John Martin is in town do yourself a favour...don't miss the violin (and vocals) virtuoso.            

Russell