The 606 Club is one of those iconic London venues that everyone seems to love. It manages to combine the virtues of the other London venues without any of the negatives. I won't go into them here except to say that, like all the great jazz clubs from Newcastle to New Orleans, the top-line is the music which is as it should be.
A brief introduction introduced the band and then it was all systems go.
Mornington played a Jobim number that told me he was 'on song' - as if he ever wasn't!
Henry Lowther joined Mornington for, seemingly, a little known Wayne Shorter number that Shorter had played with the Jazz Messengers. It was a title of few letters and, as Mornington isn't the most articulate of announcers - he makes the late Chris Barber sound like a BBC news reader - I didn't catch the title. However, when it comes to tenor playing he can articulate with the best of them, maybe even better!
Tonight he was flying and Henry, that G.O.M of British jazz (coming up to 80), was his co-pilot. Two numbers and already I'm whooping and hollering!
Time to cool down and, for the second time today, What's New? Henry's probably played it n+ times and yet he still makes it sound like he's exploring the delights of the old Bob Haggart/Johnny Burke tune for the first time and savouring every moment.
Scott LaFaro's Gloria's Steps was followed by Trane's Cousin Mary. ML was going for the record on this one and he looked as though he was going to smash it but then the screen started 'buffering'. I guess his fingers had been moving faster than the speed of light!
Three Chick Corea numbers took us out: Crystal Silence; Windows and Got a Match?
Mornington and Henry may have led the charge but Gorman, Gascoyne and Fletcher were with them all the way. Stars in their own right.
A super session in a week that has heard some stupendous tenor playing from around the capital and tonight kept that flag flying.
Lance
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