Swing Manouche @ Blaydon Jazz Club - May 16

(© Roly Veitch)

Mick Shoulder (guitar); Dave Smith (rhythm guitar); Martin Winning (clarinet); Paul Grainger (string bass) 

Hugely enjoyable. There's no better way to describe this Blaydon Jazz Club concert. Mick Shoulder's Swing Manouche is a cracking outfit playing Django (typically Django sans Stéphane), Hot Club, Manouche, musette and more. Known to many as a first class double bass player, Mick's Swing Manouche sees him out front, centre stage playing guitar. Spotlight solo excursions were shared largely between Mick and Martin Winning (clarinet). Mick's choice of material presented the audience with some lesser known numbers, and that's to his credit as all too often the more familiar tunes have, well, been heard time and again.

When Day is Done, Anniversary Song, Coquette, the quartet in the groove from the off, the soloists not the least interested in slugging it out, this was all about respecting the material and enjoying one another's musical company. Django's Castle featured Martin's breathy, husky, woody clarinet playing, his style far removed from the bravura, in-your-face approach of some other practitioners on his instrument. 

(© Roly Veitch)

Second set, Mick's composition Yellow Cab lost little, if anything, alongside the Hot Club canon, with string bass man Paul Grainger stepping up. Another original tune, Sinister Swing (replete with a fleeting quote from Dinah) similarly stood comparison. Playing Django's one-chorus Vamp worked well. Has this number ever been played at a jazz gig? Possibly, although this was a first time hearing for your reviewer. I'll See You in My Dreams, Dark Eyes, this was Swing Manouche in fine form. In closing, special mention of Dave Smith. Rhythm guitarist Dave, from Mick's neck of the woods in Bishop Auckland, is a newcomer to the jazz scene. It was only recently that Dave performed in public for the very first time. Holding down the rhythm in an outfit like this is a specialised job, it's fair to say Dave did a great job. Très bon! Russell