Diane McLoughlin (tenor sax, soprano sax); Deirdre Cartwright (guitar); Steve Lodder (piano); Alison Rayner (double bass, electric bass); Buster Birch (drums, percussion)
(Screenshot by Russell)
The Alison Rayner Quintet recorded today's LIVE Concert at Home in London at the end of February. Introducing the performance, Rayner said how much she and her band were looking forward to visiting Newcastle University but, due to the ongoing pandemic, it wasn't to be.
Guitarist Deirdre Cartwright wrote the first composition, Live Lived Wide, which introduced the members of the band to an online audience in excess of one hundred. Constantly changing camera angles ensured all five musicians were seen (and heard) to good effect. Saxophonist Diane McLaughlin composed the second of today's seven numbers, titled Buster Breaks a Beat, putting Cartwright in the spotlight before its subject, drummer Buster Birch, took it out.
Bassist Rayner's There is a Crack in Everything saw McLoughlin switching from tenor to soprano saxophone as pianist Steve Lodder took the honours with some flamboyant flourishes at the studio's upright.
Elegy for Art (comp. Rayner), written for the composer's father was, well, elegiac, elegantly so. Lodder's Seeing Around Corners upped the pace with Cartwright in shredding mode, McLoughlin in reflective mood on soprano, Rayner upright bass.
A further two Rayner compositions would close this afternoon's live stream - Half a World Away and Mayday. Did the title of the final number suggest a tear up? We would see. The first of them, with a hint of Latin about it, heard Cartwright in fluent form, choosing the right pedal effect for good measure. And so, smiles and handclaps all round as Birch counted in the final number, Mayday (comp. Rayner). Sure enough, Cartright went for it, giving way to a short collective free-ish section with an effective stop-chord ending.
The Alison Rayner Quintet will be in concert at Sage Gateshead (Sage Two) on Saturday 19 June (8:00pm).
Russell
Set list: Live Lived Wide; Buster Breaks a Beat; There is a Crack in Everything; Elegy for Art; Seeing Around Corners; Half a World Away; Mayday.
2 comments :
Deidre Carthwright is a name I hadn't heard for some time . The BBC [I believe I am correct] ran a series of guitar tutor programmes to teach people how to play and Deidre was one of the participant teachers.
You're right, Neil. Rock School was the title of the programme. I think Henry Thomas was the bass player.
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