The players, like our policemen, are getting younger and, in the case of the former, getting better and attracting a younger audience so it was good to have a full house comprising of a mixed age group ranging from the very young to the very old (me!).
This was the first Sunday night jazz session of 2022 and believe you me the Sam Toulson Quartet have set the bar at a very high level for the bands that follow.
Some may observe that they didn't play any original material of their own but I'm fine with that and why should they? Until a musician can compose better music than Duke Ellington, Hank Mobley, John Coltrane, Keith Jarrett, Joe Henderson, Steve Swallow and John Scofield, which comprised much of tonight's repertoire, why risk shooting yourself in the foot? It will come.
Toulson, a personable frontman, is an incredible player who's absorbed influences from Hodges to Sanborn and beyond via, of course, Charlie Parker as well as injecting his own take. He has absolute control of his instrument - no puffed out cheeks and a firm embouchure enabling him to get a rather beautiful tone on ballads and an earthy sound on raunchier numbers such as Scofield's I'll Take Les.
The Ho brothers are also ones to watch out for. Ho the bass displaying a depth of feeling both rhythmic and melodic. Ho the piano, despite the seeming encumbrance of a bandaged wrist, impressed on a trio feature - Hymn to Freedom. There was no obvious hindrance to his two-handed tremolo chorus. Imagine what he will do without the bandage on his wrist!
Drummer Bayly too had his chances to shine and he grabbed them with both strength and subtlety.
A great start to the year. Lance
Bye Bye Blackbird; Questar; Hymn to Freedom; I'll Take Les; On the Sunny Side of the Street; In a Sentimental Mood; Ladies in Mercedes; Hopeful Morning; Impressions; This I Dig of You, Recorda Me; Have You Met Miss Jones?; Revelation; Cherokee.
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