I first heard Ed Jones back in 2008 when he played a JNE gig at the Corner House as part of a band operating under the strange name of Killer Shrimp. Irrespective of the name, as I wrote at the time 'he swung his ass off'. Just as it was applicable then, so it was last night at the 606.
Only hours before the gig, the band suddenly found out their bass player couldn't make it. A couple of phone calls and it was sorted - Oli Hayhurst! They don't come much better than that and, with Tim Giles was on drums, the scene was set.
Body and Soul wasn't played as a ballad and nor was All or Nothing at All. Jones pointing out that so far they'd played three ballads that weren't played as ballads but, he confided with the audience, 'I think we got away with it' - Basil Fawlty lives!
One ballad that most definitely was a ballad was My One and Only Love. A lavish cadenza from Jones led to a beautiful reading of the melody. Couples whispered sweet nothings in each other's ears. Were they saying 'Your place or mine?' or, 'Shall we order a dessert?'
How Deep is the Ocean? and it was back to an uptempo mode that cultimated with a fine solo by Giles building up from subtle brushwork to an all out hickory stick assault on the Tama kit.
The finale and, inevitably, the one tune where the title escaped me was the one tune that Jones didn't identify. I know it, I've heard it a 1000 times, I could sing it backwards, but can I put a name to it? Answer: no!
Still but a minor blip in another great Saturday night at the 606 - Lance
1 comment :
ah just remembered it was “Cottontail” by Duke Ellington
Post a Comment