In my childhood I was taken to see, over the years, orchestras conducted by Beecham, Sargent, Barbirolli and, more recently, John Wilson. They all had one thing in common - they could, with a flick of the baton, a barely recognised hand movement or the raise of an eyebrow, bring in the strings or the brass or a crescendo or a diminuendo. That's what conductors do, it's their job.
David Gray has all of these attributes, albeit with a smaller ensemble but, like all good leaders, he knows what he wants and he gets it without the use of a baton.
Sargent was nicknamed Flash Harry - he wasn't at the races compared to Maestro Gray who, in an exquisitely tailored single buttoned grey check jacket, dominated the stage.
It didn't matter that he was, arguably the youngest of the five musicians (Sams is maybe ± a month or two) he led from the front. His boisterous playing, occasionally multiplied by the use of an Octavider - if JJ Johnson had had one of these Kai Winding would have been surplus to requirements! - and the packed Jazz Bar loved it.
The arrangements were sound with the many different moods and tempos lifting it above your average blowing session. The fact that the leader pranced around the stage like a 1960s pop star did nothing to lessen the bond he created with the audience.
Of course, behind every great frontman there's a band and Law, Grainger, Mather and Sams did the biz.
Law particularly impressed on a Cuban style number and Sams surprised everyone by switching to bass clarinet on one number. Too brief to pass judgement but he did get a good sound which isn't easy on that particular instrument.
I missed the encore for the usual reasons but I loved what I heard - catch then if and when ... Lance
For the Elders (Fred Wesley); Silver Orcas (Gray); Pure Imagination (Newley); Ecclusiastics (Mingus); Catbells (Gray); Red Clay (Hubbard); Bem Vindo (Grainger); Red Light Fever (Gray, Sams); On a Mooch (Gray); At War With Myself (Gray); Tutu (Miller, Davis) ; At the River (Groove Armada).
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