Newcastle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music: Robert Mitchell @ the Lit & Phil - Oct. 1

(Photo © Ken Drew)

Robert Mitchell (piano)

A delightful hour listening to a pianist whose charm was only equalled by his, often quite emotive piano playing.

It was very much an improvised performance albeit, not always jazz as we know it - whatever that may be (if you've gotta ask lady ...). In a blindfold test it could easily be mistaken for a previously undiscovered recording of a classical concert. Jazz piano doesn't have to be awash with ten note chords or harplike plucking of the instrument's intestines or even some retrospect stride.

He set his stall out early with Geri Allen's Rain. A sparse introduction, gradually building up to a climax then subsiding as the 'rain' gave way and the clouds disappeared.

The clouds returned in the form of a piece he described as, an improvisation for Sabina Nessa and Sarah Everard. Not surprisingly, the applause at the end was loud and long - both for the sentiments and the sadness as well as the musical picture painted.

Prélude No. 6 for the Left Hand by Federico Mompou had Mitchell doing exactly what it said on the tin reminding us that he once played a concert in this very room using just the one hand. A local jazz pianist once did a similar thing at the Jazz Café albeit under different circumstances - he'd fallen off a wall the night before!

A Japanese inspired piece - Kinsugi was followed by The Embrace an end of concert finale incorporating multiple glissandos up and down the keyboard - pure showboating and I loved it.

Of course it's never over until it's over and the concert ended with A Kinder Moon, A Wiser Place. I left feeling those sentiments summed up something that was rather special - Lance.