(Screenshot courtesy of Ken Drew).
Night after night, Tuesday to Friday, Kansas Smitty's is the place to be, tier 3 virtual, if not in person. Tonight's session sprung from Adrian Cox's liking for Albert Nicholas. A late change in the line-up saw Luca Caruso coming off the subs' bench for the absent Dave Archer. Clarinetist Cox is a fine musician and an enthusiast into the bargain, his band mates doing him proud.
Wolverine Blues, Cox seated, cross-legged, then not, appreciating the contributions of Messrs. Barry, Ireland and Caruso. Cox's first vocal on How Long Blues, taken at Big Joe Turner tempo, set the standard, simply superb. Cox remarked it was his first gig working with drummer Caruso. Cox asked how old he was, Caruso's off-mic reply was inaudible to the virtual audience. Cox exclaimed: Twenty one! adding: I'm nearly forty, crikey! When did that happen?!
I'm Coming Virginia, a memorable Buddy Bolden Blues (Cox hollerin' across the Mississippi), I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate (dedicated to Cox's sister called, you've guessed it), this is the kind of gig that is nothing short of electric in a club with an audience, beers going down. Next year, next year...
An occasional reference to the evening's subject, Albert Nicholas, helped join the dots, at least as far as Cox was concerned. Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams could be thought of as a song for our ever-so-strange times, the quartet handling the material with ease. A hallmark of the Kansas Smitty's sessions is the ability of the combo (perm any number from an ever-increasing pool of musicians) to play whatever is put in front of it. Winin' Boy Blues was heard during Cox's Sunday Service in duo format with Will Barry and this evening they reprised Jelly Roll Morton's number as a quartet. To close, Lover Come Back to Me.
More at eight tomorrow (Friday) with Alec Harper and Jalen N'Gonda playing Coltrane and Hartman.
Russell
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