A gem - as most of these playback sessions are. If you're going to playback something make sure it's worth playing back and, if it is, make sure you've got the musicians who can do it.
That's the beauty of music and jazz in particular that, other than the tunnelled visioned few, it is timeless. Tonight's guys didn't "fill their boots" at the prospect of the task in front of them but stood in the boots of their predecessors with pride and paid tribute without fawning simulation.
In a world that is seeing so many hot shot tenor players, Xhosa Cole stands tall. He can be Coltrane one night, Rollins the next and, tonight, Lester. As if that wasn't enough he does it without losing his own identity - amazing for one so young (no pun intended). Anyone who doubts the value of the BBC Young Jazz Awards need only look at those who have appeared on KSTV! Will Alexander Bone show up on one of these fine evenings?
Lester was perhaps the first jazz musician to say he liked to know the words of a song he's playing so, not surprisingly, apart from the opening blues, Back to the Land, all tonight's numbers had nice easy lyrics: Peg O' My Heart; I Want to be Happy; I Cover the Waterfront (superb coda/cadenza from Xhosa); Rosetta; I Found a New Baby (big drum bash); Mean to Me; Sweet Lorraine & The Man I Love.
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| (Collage by Ken Drew) |
Stone-Lonergan last night, Xhosa tonight and, tomorrow, I'm going AWOL to catch Mornington at The '606' - it's enough to make me start practising again!
Lance
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