Adrian Cox's Sunday Service: The Music of Omer Simeon - Oct. 4

Adrian Cox (clarinet, vocals); Simon Picton (banjo, guitar)

Live streaming once again from Toulouse Lautrec, this week in the company of Simon Picton, Adrian Cox chose as his subject the great Omer Simeon. The focus upon Simeon's Clarinet à la Creole album, our duo played the music largely in track order with the occasional departure alongside one number not on the vinyl recording - an album Cox is hoping to acquire, if someone is prepared to sell!

A twelve-bar streak ran through this afternoon's set with Picton playing either unamplified banjo or guitar as Cox projected into Toulouse Lautrec's empty room, both clarinet and vocals. Grande Boubousse opened the show (a lá Simeon's album) with Picton on banjo. Seemingly Cox was live streaming using little more than his phone. If it's this easy, once the pandemic is over expect any number of musicians/venues to charge admission on the door and accrue additional income from a worldwide online, paying audience.   

Qua-ti Rhythm (Picton, guitar), Lagniappe (Picton, banjo), our relaxed duo respected Simeon's succession of mid-tempo numbers with, perhaps, today's set-closer - and Simeon's album closing number - promising an uptempo finish. A first vocal of the afternoon heard Cox singing St James' Infirmary Blues (Picton, guitar). Not only is Cox a brilliant clarinetist, the man sings the material as well as, if not better, than anyone. 

Lorenzo's Dream isn't on the album, however, Cox fancied playing it. Simeon wrote the number by way of tribute to his clarinet teacher, Lorenzo Tio Jr. In New Orleans back in the day the Tios, Sr. and Jr. were the go-to clarinet teachers. The lineage is there, continuing to this day, Adrian Cox being a prime example. Thus far Cox and Picton had omitted Qua-ti Blues (the third track on Simeon's recording). Time to play it with Picton once again on guitar. Frankie and Johnny presented Cox with another opportunity to sing a number to an imagined audience before him. Of course there was an audience, topping three figures, out there in the weird, wonderful (?), virtual world. 

Time to go. Aunt Hagar's Blues followed by the outer (as predicted, an uptempo selection), Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home? It had been another terrific Sunday Service. Next week Adrian Cox won't be in the pulpit as he has other commitments, however, the following week (October 18) he'll be back, alongside pianist Joe Webb. Put it in the diary, two weeks today at one o'clock.

Russell