George Lewis' Jazz at Vespers album is right up clarinetist Adrian Cox's street. Flying solo once again, our man relished playing an hour's worth of material. Adrian began by dedicating the hour to Tony Pitt who died on Friday of last week. Fittingly Adrian worked with Tony who, way back, was on a George Lewis BBC 625 in concert recording, Adrian singing Just a Little While to Stay Here. Next up, Bye and Bye, suggesting Adrian was going to play the album in its original order, recorded in Ohio back in '54.
The Old Rugged Cross (woody, resonant clarinet) kind of confirmed our man would stick to the running order. What's more, a more respectful take you'll be hard pressed to find. Excellent. The hymns-to-spirituals continued with Sometimes My Burden is Hard to Bear before a departure from the Lewis' album to play Burgundy Street Blues, Adrian saying no Lewis session would be complete without it. Back on track with the '54 recording - Down by the Riverside. A feature of our host's live streams is his ability to play numbers and seamlessly engage with his many online viewers/listeners (100 plus this week), reading online comments, picking out individuals (I'll give you a call after the show, Adrian promised one fan) and on to the next tune!
A recollection of playing the Jazz at Vespers album in the company of Alyn Shipton and co at the Soho Pizza Express led into Just a Closer Walk with Thee. Adrian's vocal was something else! Stately isn't the word, magnificent, more like, our clarinetist's foot tapping out the time. Lord, You Been Good to Me upped the pace before today's Sunday Service concluded with a rousing When the Saints Go Marching In.
Russell
Set list: Just a Little While to Stay Here; Bye and Bye; The Old Rugged Cross; Sometimes My Burden is Hard to Bear; Burgundy Street Blues; Down by the Riverside; Just a Closer Walk with Thee; Lord, You've Been Good to Me; When the Saints Go Marching In.
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