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| (Pic by Lance) |
What was, by all accounts, the same programme that has already been reviewed on BSH only a couple of weeks ago by Steve T at Scarby Jazz Fest - read here - found me in total agreement with him when he observed that Ms Iles had some "serious guests" - she sure did!
The personnel was the ultimate dream team with not a freeloader aboard. Everyone a star in their own right. The solos were great as were the compositions and the arrangements - loved every minute of it.
Nikki Iles (pictured above right with retired jazz journalist Peter Bevan) and the orchestra, to my ears, has re-written big band jazz. Okay, maybe I'm going a little over the top but - hand on heart - this session knocked me out as much as, maybe even more, than anything I've heard from say Mike Gibbs, Westbrook, Wheeler, Dankworth etc. This was Boyd Raeburn in the twenty first century. If you weren't in the audience then your life has, overnight, become so much poorer. Lance.
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| (Pic by Russell) |
Wild Oak; Hush; Face to Face; Hero with a Thousand Faces; Red Ellen; The Caged Bird; Big Sky; Highlands; Do it Again; Hero with a Thousand Faces.
Nikki Iles (MD, piano); Andy Schofield, Paul Jones, Julian Siegel, Tori Freestone, Karen Sharp, Gareth Lockrane (reeds); Henry Lowther, Tom Walsh, Ryan Quigley, Nick Smart (trumpets); Gordon Campbell, Oli Martin, Harry Maund, Richard Henry (trombones); Mike Walker (guitar); Steve Watts (bass); Ian Thomas (drums)
2 comments :
Sensational- it was a privilege to be there.....
Nicky Iles has become a superb arranger/composer as well as being a fine pianist in her own right.
The Band was outstanding and they thoroughly enjoyed the challenges of the formidable charts and the live performance
judging by the smiles and admiring looks from the players.
'Sounds Of Surprise' solos came from guitarist Mike Walker, Nicki herself and the flautist at the end of the front row (whose name eludes me)
Dave B.
Gareth Lockrane.
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