Alec Harper Quartet live streaming from Kansas Smitty's - Jan. 5

Alec Harper (tenor sax); Will Barry (piano); Tom Farmer (bass); Jas Kayser (drums). 

(Screenshot of quartet courtesy of Ken Drew)

Smitty's was back with a good old blowing session fronted by Alec "Red Hat" Harper. Last night's session at Ronnie's was going to be a hard act to follow but they weren't caught short.

Digging into the classic hard bop and beyond songbook, we heard numbers by Cedar Walton (Bolivia); Wayne Shorter (Deluge); Miles Davis (Blue in Green); John Coltrane (Equinox); Joe Henderson (A Shade of Jade) and a Herbie Hancock number the title of which I didn't catch. Still, what's in a name? It's the names behind the compositions and the instruments that count.

Tonight's quartet must surely rank alongside any in the UK and quite a few further afield who are working the same side of the street. Harper is Blue Note personified. He sounds as though Shorter, Henderson and Trane worshipped at his feet although it may have been the other way around!

Will Barry, Joe Webb, Kit Downes - one thing is sure - Smitty's will never be short of piano players as long as the aforementioned are in the pool. Perm any one from three and you can't lose! Tonight it was Will Barry and, it goes without saying, he was the guy for the gig. Evans, Tyner, Herbie, Cedar, he done did them proud.

Tom Farmer is about as cool a bass player as you're likely to find this side of Siberia. Laidback, makes every note count in a solo, 

What is there left to say about Jas? She can handle anything that's thrown at her by the guys out front, irrespective of style. If you're ever in a jam she's your (wo)man!

So, a good start to the new year and more to come this week and every week (Tues.-Sat.) from KS.

Lance