Matt Roberts Quintet: Matt Roberts (trumpet); Jim Corry (tenor sax); Martin Longhawn (piano); Myra Brownbridge (double bass); Sam Gardner (drums)
An International Jazz Day special to close this year's Darlington Jazz Festival. And no better way to do just that than with the return of local lad Matt Roberts. Based in London, year after year, trumpeter Roberts makes a point of supporting his home town festival. What's more, the genial Roberts always brings with him an all-star line-up, and this 2022 edition of the town centre festival would hear yet another superb band. Previous editions of the weekend festival have presented Roberts playing the music of some of his trumpet heroes - Lee Morgan, Fats Navarro and others. This afternoon's concert in Number One Bar presented the music of Miles Davis.
A tightly-muted Roberts produced a sublime take on Surrey with the Fringe on Top, the supporting cast absolutely on it. Surprisingly, Roberts and Martin Longhawn met for the first time the previous day ahead of a gig in Leeds. You wouldn't have guessed it, Longhawn fitting in as easily as you like. Matt praised Martin, rightly so. Many of Roberts friends and fellow musicians were in the house, they weren't about to miss the return of one of their own! Jim Corry as John Coltrane was as much Corry as Trane, and no bad thing, the Leeds College of Music alumnus has his own voice, a great player.
The Columbia years dominated the second set. Roberts and Corry deftly exchanging lines on Ah-Lue-Cha, a beautifully paced Bye Bye Blackbird with all the delicacy one would expect from a muted Miles/Matt. Corry's solo on Milestones tore it up, the rhythm section 'cookin''! And how about these guys, the great Sam Gardner, and, someone you'll be hearing a lot more of in the coming years, the fabulous double bass player, Ms Myra Brownbridge. And so, to close the 2022 Darlington Jazz Festival, the Matt Roberts Quintet said 'good afternoon' with Freddie Freeloader. Matt Roberts will be back next year, clear the diary, the dates likely to be around April 28 - May 1.
Set list: Trane's Blues (from Workin', Prestige); Half Nelson (from Workin', Prestige); Surrey with the Fringe on Top (from Steamin', Prestige); When Lights Are Low (from Cookin' Prestige); Ah-Leu-Cha (from 'Round About Midnight, Columbia); Tadd's Flight (from 'Round About Midnight, Columbia); Bye, Bye, Blackbird (from 'Round About Midnight, Columbia); Milestones (from Milestones, Columbia); Freddie Freeloader (from Kind of Blue, Columbia).
Earlier, noon to be precise, Calvert and the Old Fools played a one hour set of tried and tested material. Calvert, that's Sam Calvert, wasn't around. However, depping for the absent drummer was the Alumni's Stephen Fletcher. The Old Fools' front man Andrew Meadowcroft is a bundle of energy, big vocals, hand-clapping, piano, trumpet, an all-rounder (the man was in the Alumni's trumpet section the previous evening) and he didn't let up. Vocal numbers dominated - in fact, was there an instrumental? - with Meadowcroft belting out an up-tempo, if not raucous, Night and Day, typifying the set. Darlington favourite Richie Emmerson handled the tenor parts with consummate ease, occasionally blowing alongside a trumpet-playing Meadowcroft. On the two-horn numbers, young Joel Meadowcroft played piano. He's one to watch, that's for sure. Meadowcroft Snr knows how to work a room (this room in particular as he and his fellow Old Fools enjoy a 'jazz brunch' residency). If you like a hollerin' Hallelujah, I Love her So, you'll enjoy Meadowcroft and co, check the listings for the band's next gig right here on Skinnergate. Russell
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